Detained Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik Tsarukyan has issued a message saying that charity has nothing to do with the amount of money involved. He added that he knows hundreds of Armenian men who, as soon as they began establishing themselves, sought to do something good for their city or village.
He stressed that charity alone cannot sustain a country, but it can save lives, build churches, publish books, produce films, create educational opportunities, stage performances and accomplish other important work.
He also said he wanted to break the stereotype that only diaspora Armenians engage in philanthropy by becoming a philanthropist from Armenia who helps compatriots facing hardship in different parts of the world.
“You can save lives, build churches, publish books, produce films, create opportunities for education, stage performances and do other important things. That is how it works around the world. And the issue is not at all about the amount of money,” he said.
According to the businessman, for years he had been troubled by the question of why it should always be the diaspora that helps Armenia. He said he decided to change that established tradition.
“We know the name of Mantashov, thanks to whom numerous talented Armenians were educated around the world and upheld the name of the Armenian people. We know the name of Kirk Kerkorian, who donated enormous sums to his historical homeland. We know the name of Samvel Karapetyan, who, true to his character and without publicizing it, carried out an indescribable amount of charitable work in Armenia and Artsakh.
I will not talk about what I have done. History will judge what I have done in Armenia; everything happened before everyone’s eyes. But there is one subject I need to address.
For many years, one thought troubled me: why should it always be only the diaspora that helps Armenia? We have an Armenian world, and if Armenians in different parts of the world occasionally need assistance, why should no one from Armenia extend a helping hand? If this could be explained during the early years of independence, later it became an error of inertia. And a serious error at that.
At some point, I decided to change this tradition. I decided to become that philanthropist from Armenia who helps our compatriots facing hardship in different corners of the world. That is how I, Gagik Tsarukyan, born and established in Armenia, helped our compatriots in Syria caught in the grip of war, our compatriots in Lebanon, the Armenian community in Iran, Armenian communities in various Middle Eastern countries, Armenian colleges and schools facing financial difficulties in different countries, as well as our churches and Armenian communities around the world.
The unity of the Armenian world is also created and strengthened through such steps, when an Armenian facing hardship anywhere in the world receives support from an Armenian in the homeland.
I repeat: charity has nothing to do with the amount of money. Charity helps create a better society, a society whose members respect and extend a helping hand to one another. I have said on various occasions that there is no such thing as happiness alone. You simply cannot live like a pig, think only about your own interests and remain indifferent to the concerns of your country and your people. I grew up in a family that lived modestly and faced hardship, but I saw that my mother always set aside a piece of bread for those who were worse off. Whatever I have done for my country, I have done too little; God willing, I will do more. My sons will certainly do the same. Charity literally means a good deed. A good deed is, first and foremost, a good intention for the sake of the country and the future of the people. It is an aspiration that comes from the heart and that everyone fulfills according to their means. Encouraging good intentions is important for changing the atmosphere in the country; the desire to help one another is important for building a strong country and a strong society. The opposite is division and hostility, which are destructive for Armenia,” he wrote.
