What pleasantly surprised me when reading the paper was its consistency: the story moves from historical background to possible paths of development. It was pleasant and interesting to read.
Several times during the reading I caught myself thinking: “Wait, wait, but how..?” – and literally on the following pages I found a mention or an answer. This was the case with the questions about singularity, the development of healthcare direction, the cultural acceptance of people of other views, and a few others.
It is also surprising how detailed the authors describe the relationship and thoughts of several generations of the residents of Armenia and diaspora Armenians. It is about both the association of oneself with the diaspora, and about the difficulties of self-identification, the “belonging to two countries” and about many other things.
After reading, a beautiful image of Armenia’s future is formed in mind, towards which the country is gradually moving. There are many initiatives that have been in place for several years now, and there is a strong impression that this is not a theory; a lot has been done.
But how do you control that in your plans you did not extract from reality? I realize that with measurable/financial indicators, this is easy to do. But after all, much of the plans require cultural changes. How to make sure that after studying in TUMO or United World College Dilijan, the kid will not return home and will not try on the usual pattern of behavior?
In one of the chapters, you briefly mention the issue of technological singularity. But if we consider the fact that the technological singularity may occur in the next 50–100 years, is is absolutely game-changing. This is the “black swan” that will completely transform the principles of human existence as a species, will change the culture. It may sound provocative, but don’t you think that in this context, the issues of self-identification, development and the path of one nation are private questions?
