“Freedom from fear, from humiliation, from poverty, from illness, freedom for all: this is our today’s development goal. At that, these are not simply pompous words; this is the need of each reasonable and modern person”.

From the speech of Russian President D. Medvedev at the conference, devoted to the 150th anniversary of serfdom in Russia (02.03.2011)

Recently it seems to me more often that our Armenia, which even in Soviet times was never a remote province, is not only in a standstill, but is becoming a reserve of reactionary ideologies, which contradict the main tendencies of the 21st century. This is why in Armenia, and to be more exact, in our official media outlets, Medvedev’s this speech was unnoticed, while other not so program speeches are not only abundantly cited, but are also mercilessly copied. 

And it is already obvious why our politicians, who consider themselves pro-Russian, were so critical about the speech of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia M. Yovanovitch on formation of civil society. It is somewhat unusual to hear words about freedom from Moscow, but from the West those are “enemy voices, and there are nets of the universal conspiracy made around us”. Of course, a free and active person in terms of civil activity is the main threat for the established orders. 

This is why I want to continue citation from the same speech of the RF President: “one should not delay freedom for tomorrow, and one should not be afraid of a free person, who in some inadequate way will manage their freedom. This is a way towards a deadlock”. 

And another thing: “One should remember that the state is not the goal of development, but a tool for development. And only if the entire society is included in those processes, this can give a positive effect. And only in that case we have chances for success”. By the way, wasn’t the U.S. Ambassador speaking of the same thing? 

And probably, everything is even simpler: here our people do not read books, do not speak foreign languages (even do not speak correct Russian), do not use a computer, and internet is perceived as a magic carpet. (I urge the exceptions not to bother themselves!). This is the reason that the local “aggressive-obedient majority” of the politicians still successfully remains somewhere in the late 20th century, not knowing that that 21st century has already gone beyond the “zeros” and is impetuously gaining speed. 

And this is why the government should not hastily approve some laws, which commit our new-old KGB to providing for the information security of the country! (But don’t please appeal to information “battles”; it is not an occupation for the grand!) This is why I want to recall that in Arab countries revolutions take place not became some magic Facebook has appeared, which “destabilizes” the country as a Trojan virus. Simply, modern information technologies are finally and irreversibly destroying the main monopoly of the state – the monopoly for information. This monopoly provided for control basing on “no more than three gathering” principle, and what can one do, if a person, sitting in his house in front of a computer, can communicate with dozens, hundreds and sometimes even thousands of supporters or opponents? How can one limit this “freedom for all”? Freedom for all is the main trend of the 21st century. And Armenia should support development of those tendencies as much as it can, since only then our national expectations, and first of all the freedom of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, will be realized. 

I want to familiarize our politicians with another statement of the Russian President: “the nation is a living organism, and not a machine for reproducing dominant ideas. It can not be controlled by tightened screws. And it is also obvious that the excessively strict orders, excess of controllers does not usually lead to the victory of the good; and if we say in a modern way, it does not lead to a victory over corruption, but to its consolidation; not to development of the system, not to increase of the quality of governing, but to degradation of governing”. This means that only by renouncing the vicious illusion of totalitarian governing of the 20th century, which considers the people as subjects, and not as a community of free and reasonable citizens, we can achieve some quality changes in the state. 

And this is why I should remind that one of the reasons for Facebook’s creation was the caste impossibility for its founder Zuckerberg to become a member of some prestigious Harvard student club. The unlimited popularity of that youth invention means that the man is again winning something that was the second slogan of Great French Revolution – Equality. Isn’t this the goal of the new Arab revolutionists? It is completely obvious that, although at the expense of numerous victims, mistakes and suffering, the world will live by fairer principles, than it was in the 20th century. 

I cite D. Medvedev so much not only avoiding to hope that those, who my these thoughts are addressed to, will read this speech, but also as a warning to those, who think that the efforts to “freeze” the country will enjoy support in Russia. Despite the geopolitical fluctuations and ideological inconsistency of new Russia, President Medvedev, as he calls it, “gradually, but steadily” takes the country along the path of reformation into a modern state (in any case, Russia’s friends hope for that), the main mission of which is the well-being of a free person. Speaking of humanism of the common European values, they mean this very postulate. And in the 21st century, it becomes universal in front of our eyes. 

I believe, back in ancient rimes the most capacious principle of the world’s and the man’s interrelations was formed: “Man is the measure of all things…” Only how each person feels, their perception and assessment of the reality, in which they live, allow making judgments about the state and the society. 

The feeling of alarm, which has embraced Armenia today, should be a hint for the authorities: time does not wait, it is time to live and govern in a human way. I hope they understand what this means…

Naira Melkumyan is the Founder Director of “Aybengir” Publishing House. From 1997 to 2002, she occupied the position of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. From 2003 to 2007, she was the Executive Director of “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund. These views are her own.