Building a better future for all Armenians
By Avedis “Avo” Hacobian, Greater Boston “Nejdeh” Chapter
The Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Eastern Region is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 AYF Camp Haiastan Campership Essay Contest. The first and second place winners in each age category were announced at AYF Junior Seminar over Memorial Day weekend. Avedis “Avo” Hacobian’s thoughtful essay, which earned second place in the younger group (ages 10-12), answered the following prompt: Imagine you had the chance to speak to every Armenian in the world. What would you tell them? How would you encourage them to be brave, to stand up for what’s right, and to help protect the story of our past while building a better, safer future for all Armenians?
To all the Armenians out there: if you are reading this, give yourselves a pat on the back for all that we have been through. From the Armenian Genocide in 1915 to displacement under the Soviet Union in 1921, and most recently, the 2020 war on Artsakh—our people have been through a lot. And yet, we continue to show the world who we are.
The next generation of Armenians matters more than ever. It’s up to us to keep our traditions and culture alive, because if we don’t, thousands of years of Armenian history will be lost. Although that does not sound good, we as a community can decide if it becomes reality or not.
Armenia is one of the oldest nations in the world, with a rich history and culture dating back thousands of years. However, Armenians did not just get through those years without breaking a sweat. Our ancestors had to fight for what was ours, even when the odds were stacked against us, 10 to one. In 1915, the Ottoman Empire executed a genocide of the Armenian people. Over 1.5 million Armenians were ethnically cleansed—killed and forced out of their indigenous homeland. That is how the Armenian diaspora was created—we were scattered across the world, and somehow—just somehow—we still showed how determined, intelligent and resilient we are.
As Armenians, we have a choice: we can either curl up into a ball and feel sorry for ourselves because of all that we have been through, or we can turn our suffering into motivation to build a bigger, better future for Armenia. If we come together, we will thrive as a unified community. Despite being outgunned and outmanned, the Soviets, Turkey and Azerbaijan still could not break us.
Armenian-American novelist and playwright William Saroyan once challenged the world: “ Go ahead, destroy this race. See if you can do it.” His words remind us that while we may be few in number, our spirit, culture and determination are indestructible. We can take that courage and spirit to build a better and brighter tomorrow.
In conclusion, Armenia and its people have been tested throughout history. During those tough times, we have always challenged occupation and risen to the occasion. We are here today because our ancestors risked—and often gave—their lives for our country. Now, they are passing the baton to our generation to keep alive the culture and traditions that make us who we are.
Organizations and programs like Camp Haiastan, AYF, ARF, Homenetmen and Junior Seminar help Armenians feel more connected and deeply rooted within their global Armenian communities. Take me, for example. When I go to Camp Haiastan, I meet friends from across the country and sometimes even from abroad. I meet people I can relate to, share a culture and language with and enjoy hanging out with—and by the end of the two weeks, we’ve become fast friends.
But this experience does not go for just me. I speak for all Armenians out there who take part in these kinds of traditional events. If we participate in these events, serve our communities and stay united, we can build a better and brighter future for all Armenians. As one of our greatest poets, Yegishe Charents, once said, “Oh Armenian people, your only salvation lies in the power of your collective strength.”
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