Hero of Armenia’s “velvet revolution” speaks to elated diaspora crowd at USC

As Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s face filled the screen, the audience in USC’s Bovard Auditorium surged to its feet. Acknowledging the standing ovation with a warm smile, the charismatic journalist-turned-parliamentarian shyly waved his hand.

“I want to congratulate you all, and mention that your support has played a vital role in the success of our struggle,” he said, speaking live from Yerevan via Skype on May 20.

The landmark event, “Armenia Tomorrow,” featured 15 political leaders, activists and intellectuals testing the way forward. Weeks earlier, the world had watched in wonder as peaceful protests — accompanied by line-dancing, folk-singing and spontaneous hugging — had overthrown Armenia’s autocratic regime, sparking hope of real democracy in the post-Soviet republic. 

Riding the wave of Armenia’s so-called “velvet revolution,” the USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies put together an ambitious program that drew more than 1,500 live spectators. About 50,000 others watched via web stream in English and Armenian.

Institute Director Salpi Ghazarian framed the event for attendees, noting academe’s role in supporting positive change within the community.

“It’s by asking, exploring, studying, weighing, judging and choosing that we go from politics to policy,” she said. “It’s the job of the academy to feed institutions with facts, with analysis and with options. So today we commit to supporting and asking these questions.”

Advice from and for the new prime minister

The program began with a 20-minute dialogue between Ghazarian and the new prime minister.

Speaking in Armenian via an English translator, Pashinyan described the “pan-Armenian nature of the present movement,” noting that the overarching goal must be to make all Armenians feel ownership of their country — a transformation that can only happen with free and fair elections.

“A sovereign citizen,” he said, “sets the just and honorable path for [the country’s] people and government.”

David Usupashvili, former speaker of Georgia’s parliament, offered tips on how to avoid the pitfalls of similar peaceful revolutions of the past, sometimes called “color revolutions.”

Speaking on a panel moderated by post-Soviet politics expert Robert English, associate professor of international relations, Slavic languages and literature, and environmental studies at USC Dornsife, Usupashvili said, “I’m more than ready to share our mistakes,” referring to his country’s 2003 Rose Revolution.

The Georgian lawmaker urged the new government to “treat every single Armenian as a citizen.” He cautioned Pashinyan to resist the temptation to demonize political opponents, support rivals and plan his own leadership exit strategy. He called the political transformation now underway pivotal to his own nation’s well-being.

“A prosperous, democratic, stable Georgia is impossible without a stable, democratic, prosperous Armenia,” he said, earning enthusiastic applause.   

On the same panel, Middle East expert Fayez Hammad, lecturer in political science and international relations at USC Dornsife, identified some red flags to watch for based on the failed Arab Spring experience.

“I urge everybody, including this audience, to be vigilant,” he said, with particular attention to changes in military culture, any rise in sectarian or political divisions, or signs of interference from regional actors with their own agendas.

Additional noted experts addressed issues such as managing energy resources, building a healthy and stable economy and creating a fair judicial system. All expressed optimism for the future.

“There’s a new sense of buy-in that people didn’t have before,” said Washington-based journalist Emil Sanamyan, who focuses on Armenian geopolitics, and edits the institute’s Focus on Karabakh webpage. “No more excuses that nothing can change.”  

Presidential words resonate

Newly elected Armenian President Armen Sarkissian closed out Sunday’s event. Joining via a pre-recorded video Q&A from Yerevan, the career diplomat at one point directly addressed diaspora youth.   

“You are sons and daughters of Armenia,” Sarkissian said, “no matter where you live. It doesn’t matter if you carry American, Argentinian, French or Armenian passports. You have to believe you are a part of this great nation.”

That message resonated with Arpi Barsegian, 24, a business consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers who attended Sunday’s program. 

“We haven’t seen this kind of outreach in the past,” she said.

Swept up in April’s euphoria, the Armenia-born Barsegian, who emigrated 10 years ago with her family, said she had traveled to Armenia with her brother to participate in the peaceful protests.

“Those five days were among the happiest days of my life. It was so incredible to see people dancing, hugging each other, awakened and hopeful’” she said. “For a very long time, that was missing.”

Zara Hovasapyan, 25, also left Armenia as a child. She was moved by Sarkissian’s call to the sons and daughters of Armenia to re-engage with their homeland.

“I have been talking about repatriating for a really long time,” said the 2016 USC Marshall School of Business graduate who works as a financial analyst for Lionsgate. “The change of government allays the fears we had. It’s a new beginning!”