In this round-up we bring you the latest goings-on in Armenian social media, including some big wins on the international stage.
We begin with the official presentation of the Nobel Prize in Stockholm to Ardem Patapoutian, whom we first covered in October when the laureates were announced. Along with David Julius, he was awarded for his research into the sense of touch, which as the Nobel Committee described “is essential for survival and underpins our interaction with the world around us”. You can see an excerpt from his Nobel lecture below:
The official Nobel Prize account also marked #MigrantsDay by tweeting Patapoutian’s story, a Lebanese Armenian who reached the heights of his field after immigrating to the United States.
Another international award, the Human Rights Tulip, had an Armenian finalist for the second time in a row. Mari Davtyan of Russia is an advocate for victims of domestic violence. The prize has been awarded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2008 to recognize human rights defenders who promote and support human rights in innovative ways. In 2020 it went to transgender activist Lilit Martirosyan.
Another notable accomplishment, author Nadia Owusu’s memoir Aftershocks was included on President Obama’s annual list of favorite books. Owusu described her book as an attempt to process intergenerational trauma and how it affects individuals – in her case stemming from her mother’s side as survivors of the Armenian Genocide and her father’s Ghanaian side with the legacy of colonialism.
Now, the latest international win? Armenia’s victory at Junior Eurovision on Sunday night. The victory kicked off excitement throughout the Armenian world – with many calling it a much needed boost after such a difficult two years. In fact, Maléna, the 14-year-old winner, was supposed to represent Armenia in last year’s contest, however she withdrew in November 2020 due to the Artsakh War. Many viewers connected with her emotional story of going from not being able to be in the show last year to returning with a victory, and indeed she was overwhelmed with emotion, crying happy tears throughout her encore performance after being named the winner. Her song “Qami, Qami” flows between English and Armenian, and the catchy tune and mysterious staging made it a fan favorite.
One particular moment which got a lot of attention was this brief exchange captured backstage after the win. The performer from Azerbaijan,12 year old Sona Azizova, stopped by Maléna’s room to congratulate her, and Maléna hugged her in return. This hopeful sign is in stark contrast to the Azerbaijani national broadcaster which talked continuously over Maléna’s 3-minute performance, in contravention of the rules.
Finally, in the world of social media, you must always expect the unexpected. This past weekend a list of predictions for 2022 by writer and critic Alex V. Green, who writes for Gawker and many other online platforms, went viral with almost 40,000 likes at the moment, a list which included a very unlikely mention. Amongst a mix of pop culture, celebrity, and political ones about rapper Azealia Banks, Kendall Jenner, and Brazilian Butt Lifts, is the prediction “Armenia someow retakes Artsakh”. While the oracle does not know how it’ll happen, they say it’ll be something big. While we aren’t holding our breath for this breakthrough in the new year, it’s another reminder that you never know who is following along with your struggles on social media.
