AYF Member Reflects on Youth Organization's Impact

An Armenian Youth Federation member reflects on her experience at Senior Seminar at Camp Haiastan as she transitions out of the youth organization after five years of involvement. The author describes the intimate nature of the retreat, where a small group gathers to discuss Armenian identity, history and geopolitics. Lectures from community scholars prompted attendees to consider how Armenians preserve family memories and historical narratives in the face of efforts to suppress them. The piece emphasizes the responsibility of the current generation to learn and teach Armenian history accurately before passing it to the next generation. The author also notes the tension between how diaspora Armenians understand their homeland emotionally—in terms of people and families—versus how it is discussed in international affairs as territory and strategic advantage.