Exploring Identity: My Journey with Birthright Armenia

It is somewhat difficult to understand just how much being part of the Armenian Diaspora has shaped my life path even before joining Birthright Armenia. The Armenian values and ideas that you experience from afar are things that differentiate you in your local community and force you to look at the world in a more unique manner from a young age. Without question, my interests in international relations and conflict resolution today would not have occurred without the seeds being planted from my youth. That said, I had always felt a step removed from really being in touch with this sense of “Armenian-ness” that I always valued so deeply. Not only that but as I left Worcester and moved to Boston, where more Armenians from diverse background came into my life, the issue began to bother me even more. For years I was not sure of exactly how I was going to answer it. It was not until my brother David joined the program and recommended it to me that I started to seriously consider being a part of it with him. For all the things I understood from my past, I had not yet made the decision to visit, much less integrate myself with the nation-state of my ethnic homeland. With the encouragement of my brother, I knew it was time to take my preconceived notions of what being Armenian is and what Armenia is as a nation, along with some of my larger views of humanity, and finally put them to the test in Armenia as a student of sorts.

Community as a Reality

Having my brother here at the program during my first arrival in Yerevan was an interesting experience, with all the emotions of finally seeing the city and the nation in person. There was something very special about learning about the way of life here with him that I will never forget. Certain things I knew about Armenia were reassured, but there was plenty that I learned and some things I even had to correct myself on. One thing I had not really understood just how vast and varied Armenian identity can be. In fact, there were quite a few things I found myself less educated on from sociopolitical influences to the culinary scene here in Armenia. Quickly though, I began to find a sense of unity with my fellow volunteers from all over the world. Even with the differences in lived experience, there is an understanding from the get-go that everyone here has a genuine want to contribute and learn from what life in Armenia has to offer. There is not a single volunteer that I have met here without a story to tell and a mission in mind for now and the future regarding Armenia, even with the vast variety of vocations and studies in question. Of course, it is not just the volunteers that I consider part of the community here. My host family has been incredibly kind and helpful in my adjustment here in Armenia; my new-found Eastern Armenian language skills are far better through time spent at the dinner table. I have been even more impressed by the kindness of the locals as well. People outside of Birthright have been key to some of the great learning moments that I have had here, from spur-of-the-moment discussions about my boots on the streets to kind words about my presence here from elders who noticed my American nature immediately.

Working Beyond Yourself

I would be remiss to not include the work that I have done here as being particularly empowering during my time here in Armenia. My time with the Armenian Project has allowed me to get more engaged with my conflict resolution research ways that I have not been able to do before in a classroom or a government environment before. The support that I have received from the staff has been exceptional – their dedication to their work and the cause of Armenian civic development remains highly inspiring and has helped to develop my own career plans in tangible ways. In addition to the learning that I have done here, being able to demonstrate my own knowledge of programs and policies to public participants has been exceptionally exciting. I also had the chance to engage with the Permanent Representation of the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic at a critical time in Artsakh’s history. Having the opportunity to discuss and plan with key figures there was something I will also never forget. I have a much better understanding of the values that were so important to me when I was younger than I did before coming to Armenia, and I feel far more empowered to continue chasing my purpose as a result.