"The Experience"

I could use this opportunity to write about one of the many adventures, memories, experiences, excursions, events, 'havaks', forum meetings, hikes, 'khorovadz' parties, and nights of laughter and/or tears I experienced as a Birthright Armenia volunteer this past fall. However, there are too many stories to share. Therefore, I will take this opportunity to share with you a long distance conversation I had with my mother regarding my "experience" in Armenia.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't consider your time in Armenia a waste," stated the stern motherly voice across the receiver. "Alessia, you are no longer in school, you are already an attorney. Was this internship helpful in any way in building your legal resume? Instead of gaining legal experience here at home, you are wasting precious time in Armenia." As the questioning and interrogation continued, I thought to myself...as an attorney, it was my job to think of and to draft arguments in favor of my client's case. Unfortunately, at that moment, I couldn't think of one strong argument to prove my own case. Every utterance that came from my mouth was weak, illogical, and lacking reason. I was beginning to believe that my mother had a point. After all, in a previous conversation, I was the culprit who had told her that although the internship I had chosen was in the field of law, in no way was I 'practicing' law in Armenia. I wasn't gaining the type of legal experience which would be substantively helpful to my career advancement in the American legal system. Rather, I was getting accustomed to the workings of the legal process and culture in Armenia.

As I was preparing to accept defeat to my mother, the toughest judge I had thus far confronted, I suddenly remembered why it was that I left my position in the U.S. to become an AYLA volunteer and Birthright Armenia participant. "Why was it that I came to Armenia in the first place? Why would any attorney in their right mind leave a paid position to go perform volunteer work in another country, with a completely different legal system?" As I prepared to answer my own questions to my mother, I would like to add that these responses are also directed to you, the curious reader, the potential future Birthright participant, the confused post-college/post-Grad student, the individual wishing to make the move to Armenia, or the working bee looking for a possible career and/or life change, etc.

"Mom, I didn't necessarily come to Armenia to practice law. I came to Armenia because I wanted to explore human rights law, a different area of law from which I was practicing. I came to Armenia because I needed direction. I figured that a post-Communist country would be the best place to gain first-hand experience in human rights law. A country where rule of law is still in its early stages, where a majority of the citizens are unaware of their legal rights. I came to Armenia with whatever knowledge and experience I had, with the trade-off that Armenia would give me the direction I was looking for; an area of law I would be passionate about. I may not have gained the legal experience I anticipated at my particular internship site, but you are deeply wrong in assuming that I have wasted my time, or that I have missed out on experience. I have spent the past two months meeting and working with locals, and numerous volunteers from all around the world, from all walks of life, with different agendas and reasons for their presence in Armenia. I have been working with American University of Armenia law students who are preparing their oral and written arguments for a moot court competition in the United States. Also, I have been conducting legal seminars in English for local attorneys who are trying to improve their English language skills. In exchange, they have expanded my Armenian legal vocabulary. It is a combination of all these experiences that has potentially led me to find the direction I came to search for in Armenia. It is this very Birthright experience that has given me direction as to what area of law I would like to enter and gain the legal experience you discuss. It was through listening to the stories of children from broken families, victims of domestic violence, and in coming in contact with orphans living in an orphanage that I have come to realize that I wish to practice family law. Therefore, for one second do not assume that time spent here is a waste. Rather, the real waste would have been to have continued to sit behind that desk, practicing an area of law I was not passionate about."

After nearly silencing my mother with the truth, in which her only rebuttal was, "if you think this was helpful, then I am glad you did it," I took a moment to reflect on the time spent in Armenia. This is what I will leave you with. As the great leader Ghandi stated, "freedom is not worth having, if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes." Everyone around me was critical and skeptical with my decision to become a volunteer at my stage in life. Yet, I took a chance knowing that I could potentially be making a big mistake. I was willing to take a chance, after all, every mistake is a life lesson, and every life lesson is an experience. However, experiencing Armenia as a Birthright Armenia volunteer was one of the best decisions I ever made. Whatever your reason, motive, drive, or purpose, if you are even considering to become a volunteer, do it. You will be pleasantly surprised with the unexpected, as that was my story.

Alessia Berghoudian (USA)
Armenian Youth Lawyers Association volunteer and BR/DH participant