Any developed country would envy such young people: Gagik Tsarukyan

“Until recently, few could have imagined that schoolchildren and students in prosperous European countries might one day take to the streets and make tough demands for education reform.” This is how Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia party, who is under arrest, began a message he sent through his lawyers.

According to him, the new generation has an acute need for justice.

“Developing this topic, I want to remind you of something. A few months ago, I had an idea: to give young people, schoolchildren and students, the opportunity to present their own proposals on their problems and ways to solve them. That is how the project ‘Young People Offer the Best Solutions’ was born.

It is a well-known story that I have told several times. At first, there were very few applications, literally a handful. Then I started asking around, and one day a student told me the reason directly: people did not believe the competition would be fair. To be honest, at first I was a little hurt that the project I had proposed was being questioned.

But then I realized that the problem ran much deeper: the new generation has a heightened need for justice. When I stated in front of numerous TV cameras that I personally guaranteed the project would be fair, the number of applications began to grow rapidly. Within a short time, if I am not mistaken, we received 600–700 applications.

The second thing that struck me was the quality of the applications. They showed systemic thinking and clearly defined problems, and each proposed solution was more competent and interesting than the last.

Quality education, the problems of students who come to Yerevan from the regions, housing, the chance to combine study with work, a first job and so on: these are real issues that still need to be solved. The list is long. Alongside all this are national issues, along with determination and readiness to take responsibility for the country.

I was impressed by the thinking and competence of our young generation. I can say with confidence that any developed country would envy such young people.

This gives me real optimism. The most important task of all future governments will be not just to solve young people’s problems, but to solve them based on the ideas and proposals of young people themselves.

This will also ensure a healthy dialogue between generations. The new generation truly stands out favorably in its thinking and worldview. They have solutions not only to their own problems, but also to the problems of their state and their future,” he said.