An epidemic has erupted throughout Armenia and has also begun to take a strong hold of the Armenian nation as a whole. It can be described as the "vochinch" syndrome, and it is severely threatening the way Armenians think and function as responsible, progressive-minded citizens.

In Armenia, there is a strong tendency for the youth, especially in Yerevan, to adopt a policy of indifference regarding circumstances circulating in their own environment, whether political, social, or cultural, and even regarding their own lives. Their mentalities mainly are comprised of complacency and apathy, but these sentiments are also predominant amongst their own parents, some of whom continue to dwell on their own Soviet-lived pasts rather than proactively adapt to their changing environment, commensurate to their resources and abilities. This phenomenon is paralyzing the socio-economic as well as socio-political movement of the Armenian republic, and it is also starting to affect how Armenians worldwide think about the viability of their own nation.

"Vochinch" can be translated from the Armenian in several ways, depending on the occasion it is used. The direct English translation is "nothing," yet infrequently is it used in this context in conversation. More commonly, "vochinch" is used to express unconcern, as are the terms "whatever," "it doesn't matter," or even "don't worry about it" in English lexicon. "Vochinch" can also be used to describe something as being "okay" or acceptable in response to an inquiry regarding the quality of a good or service, and it can also vary in degrees of acceptance based on the mood and enunciating tone of the respondent. This term is casually used by the majority of Armenian citizens numerous times each day, and depending on the person who articulates the term the context in which it is used varies. However, the sense of indifference that is generally attached to its usage is unmistakable when speaking directly to citizens, and regrettably, it is contagious.

I have personally surveyed the Armenian youth during the last three years, only to find an overwhelming majority indicating that there is little to no way to change the system in which they live and that no job opportunities exist. Yet some of them make no strides to find ways in which to overturn their personal discontent or seek opportunities that are not immediately obvious to them. I have even spoken to young men and women living and working in the US who have no intention of returning to Armenia as they insist there is nothing to return to and that there is nothing they can to do to live normally, without fear of corruption interfering in some capacity. But when I dig deeper, I cannot find any concrete reasons for their stances because there are none. The youth--apart from those economically forced to move to Russia and earn a living to support their families remotely--take opportunities to leave Armenia because there is an unwavering belief that anything is better than living in their own country.

The main indicator of this "vochinch" phenomenon is the fact that there are virtually no youth actively involved in politics in Armenia. Parliament members are typically over 40 years old and have no appeal to younger generations. The lobbying of politicians by special-interest groups or democracy-building organizations is virtually non-existent. Rather than mobilizing to bring about changes in their own societies through demonstration, the youth remain silent regarding all politics, as they believe that the system cannot change, that it is futile to even try. They lack the training to understand how and when to influence change despite the probability of resistance by forces in power. Or, they are simply uninterested.

The "vochinch" mentality is paralyzing the way hundreds of thousands of Armenians are able to function in their own societies to rise above their own personal legacies that have been tainted by the tides of time. Instead of readapting to the changing world around them, many older citizens are caught up in a private twilight zone, forever reflecting on what they once had in the Soviet era and unable to comprehend what can be done to bring improvement to their lives damaged by post-independence. Younger generations, mostly aged 20-30, can only see emigration as the solution to their own immediate desires for success, unable or unwilling to apply their value sets towards building up their own communities and bringing about change in the legislative as well as law enforcement structures that are clearly corrupted. Indifference is certainly apparent when speaking to the youth here; many have even adopted a cynical, counter-productive view of thinking, demonstrating a sense of hopelessness for change.

Yet personally I have met several people who are willing to continue their lives in Armenia, with no intention of leaving or giving in to indifference. They obtain the training and education necessary in order to land the job opportunities that may be available, both within Armenia as well as outside the country. They stay close to their families and ensure that their homes are secure. And they do believe that things will change in their society and government, albeit slowly and by the hands of a few. Notably, young journalists are the greatest opponents of the "vochinch" mentality, but this same spirit can also be found in people working in civil society-building organizations scattered throughout the country, and even in some youth working in the services industry.

In a larger context, the "vochinch" mentality can be applied to the Armenian nation as a whole. Many Armenians by character, with the exception of a privileged few, are for the most part highly argumentative, obstinate, or deceitful. And, generally, many tend to take the "easy way out" when it is posed if it means immediate gain rather than take a more difficult course that will lead to long-term advantages, albeit with limitless difficulty. Thus, as can be deduced by the general lack of diasporan Armenian presence in Armenia--with the exception of a minority that has been working and surviving in Armenia for several years running, gradually expanding in size--Armenians are not as interested in Armenia if they do not see some sort of personal gain in being there.

As one example, there has been much discussion recently by business-minded Armenians about "what if" scenarios regarding the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border. Proponents of the opened border claim that the general economic situation of Armenia will drastically improve due to the slashing of transportation costs since trade with its neighbor will be conducted directly across the border rather than along an unreliable route through Georgia, as it is done now. Also, more importantly of course, Armenia will be more readily accessible to the West as a viable trading partner, and the opened border will naturally incite more businesses to be developed. Yet these same Armenian businessmen fail to see the strategic as well as long-term economic effects the border's opening would have, such as the eventual disappearance of Armenian manufacturing firms, unable to compete with cheaper, more abundant and comparable Turkish goods, or even the assimilation of Armenian culture into Turkish, which is already occurring in the form of "rabiz." The quiet threat of pan-Turanism is also ignored or simply dismissed as being inconsequential, so long as businessmen stand to gain from an open border. But this topic can further be analyzed separately.

The "vochinch" syndrome thus is posing a threat everywhere. So long as Armenia's independence continues, regardless of whether the nation is actually functioning as a viable democratic and just civil society, more Armenians will begin to give up the fight to remain Armenian. So long as Armenia does not face any immediate threats from renewed war or natural disaster, more Armenians will continue to put aside their homeland only to go about their daily business and thus, begin to ignore their own immediate communities or their Armenian cause, if they even identify with one.

Despite that apathy has for some time been hampering the long-term sustainability and vitality of all Armenians, the nation somehow continues to stubbornly persist, its communities ever expanding towards the four corners of the world. But the "vochinch" syndrome is not something that will begin to dissolve on its own, it is endemic and is posing a direct threat to the Armenian republic as well as the entire Armenian nation. However, the failure to take action not in defeating the syndrome, as it will never be eradicated, but in reversing its threatening effects will be detrimental, and its destabilizing effects will be immediate.

If the Armenian nation does not begin to make active strides to persist against the trends of apathy regarding its homeland as well as its worldwide communities now--given this age of technology, rapid communication, and efficient transport in which we currently thrive--we will see a significant demise in the mild strength the nation now has, only to be remembered later for its cultural legacy rather than how it manages to continue thriving despite the ever-demanding socio-economic as well as geo-strategic challenges it faces. The Armenian nation is in its own hands, and it must not let itself drop, so long as it remembers the lessons of its own past and envisions what it can become.

Garo Adanalian

Garo Adanalian's online column, Notes From Hairenik, can be read at www.noteshairenik.blogspot.com