Sometimes in their life, people might face circumstances where they are required to step out of their comfort zones in order to impact the community. Such an instance took place in my life as well. In September 2020, when I was a part of the Armenian community in Cleveland, a terrible conflict emerged between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Nagorno-Karabakh War was taken place in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh province and its surrounding areas. This incident had an adverse impact on the Armenian people, leaving many frightened kids without fathers, innocent people without a crowd, and innocent young lives killed. It has affected the community economically, socially, and politically. In order to improve the situation and help my country, I have taken part in many significant actions so I could contribute to a faster recovery after the influence of the war.
The first thing we did was we have tried to educate the Armenian public and raise awareness among people about the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh due to attacks by Turkey and Azerbaijan. There was a Saint Gregory of Narek Armenian Church on Richmond Road, where I was a part of the effort. I think that educating people on the adverse effects of the situation happening in different parts of the world and communities is one of the most important things in modern society. Once people are aware of the conflicts and sufferings taking place on Earth, they will be more sympathetic to support each other in difficult situations.
Next, I went on demonstrations in Cleveland and Columbus, supporting people in expressing their concerns and urging people to care about the happening situation. For this, I had even driven my family (mom, dad, brother, and sister) to Washington. We have created Flags, shirts, and posters to educate the public and involve the American nation in helping end the war. People organize such demonstrations in order to show their indifference and raise the indifference of other people. It is possible that others simply are not aware enough of the situation happening in Armenia or other parts of the world. In order to increase my chances of gathering attention to the essence of helping Armenian people, I have participated in such events.
Finally, I was a part of the Armenia Fund, which is an organization that facilitates raising awareness and collecting money in support of Armenia. The fund organizes various awareness-raising campaigns around the world and realizes many projects, events, and awards to help the Armenian community. $12,351,000 was raised in support of the homeland by this non-profit organization (Hayastan All Armenian Fund, n.d.). The sum was raised during 2020-2021 from different countries and communities around the world, including the US, Canada, France, and other Armenian communities internationally. I helped to donate clothing, medical supplies, wheelchairs, food, and money. With my uncle, who lives in Philadelphia, we strived for the community to invest their time to educate the public and donate.
I am still doing everything possible to help our people. I am a proud Armenian who is always ready to help my community. The incident with the Nagorno-Karabakh war has taught me to step out of my comfort zone and take action. I have understood that only this way I can make my contribution to the situation. I have challenged myself to dedicate all the time, effort, and money that I could to improve the status of the Armenian community and to encourage other non-indifferent people to make a contribution.
Reference
Hayastan All Armenian Fund (n.d.). Web.