Volunteering for Armenia’s Future

My volunteering began with a dream of seeing my historical homeland, Armenia, being useful, and making Armenia a stronger country with my knowledge. Living abroad, I was inspired by Armenian heroes, political and military figures, and scientists who brought glory to Armenia and who are the reason Armenia is alive today. I understood that, to some extent, we are all responsible for Armenia's future today, and this inspired me to volunteer. With this text, I want to inspire future volunteers.

My volunteering began in 2022, when Armenia was going through a difficult period and needed volunteer work most to overcome these challenges. At that time, I worked in the office of the Prime Minister of Armenia and, as a political scientist, analyzed regional processes, worked on a national security document for Armenia, and prepared analytical reports for decision-makers.

For the first time, working in the office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, I felt useful. I analyzed this and came to the conclusion that it's because we subconsciously understand that by working here in Armenia, we are working for the interests of Armenia and strengthening our homeland, not another country.

Of course, while working in Armenia in the office of the Prime Minister, I also grew as a professional, using the theoretical tools we were taught at university. So, I want to say that future volunteers should look to this opportunity for professional growth, because, in my opinion, Armenia needs highly qualified specialists for the future.

Besides volunteering and professional growth, the Birthright Armenia program offers many other opportunities. For example, each volunteer can meet Armenians from other countries, which will create a community of Armenians around the world to support each other and achieve their goals. Personally, I now have many friends from different countries, for example, the USA, Australia, France, Germany, and other countries.

Another opportunity is that volunteers who come to Armenia through this program have the opportunity to learn their native Armenian language, which is crucial for further integration into Armenian society and culture—a return to their roots. From my own experience, I can say that the Armenian lessons helped me improve my Armenian and make new friends.

An important part of the program is weekly excursions to different parts of Armenia, allowing you to see the beauty of Armenia. These excursions, however, are more than just a trip. These excursions help you gain a spiritual understanding of Armenia, see what your homeland looks like and how it lives. After these excursions, you begin to understand Armenia better.

In general, one year of volunteering gave me a great understanding of what Armenia is like, and based on this experience, I would like to say the following: volunteers arriving in Armenia should not have the illusion that the most ideal country in the world awaits them, to avoid a sharp confrontation with reality and, as a result, disappointment. Armenia has its own strengths and areas that need to be addressed and addressed, and the volunteers' mission is to help Armenia achieve this ideal.