The Armenian youth movement “Together” has organized a regular action: about 500 movement members set up a camp on Lake Sevan.

The movement was founded on February 21, 2008, and has about 3,000 members. However, only 500 most active members had the right to participate in the camping. The camp was set up four days ago to be open until August 27. Some young people say that the “Together” movement is a most active movement and organizes actions at least twice a year.

Movement members attend various workshops and lectures to gain experience in dealing with issues related to the movement’s activities. Russian guests share their experience with their Armenian counterparts. Among the guests is the leader of the Young Russia movement, member of the RF State Duma Maxim Mishchenko. He holds workshops and lectures on various issues.

Interestingly, the campers have special tents for physical training, Internet access and reading.

Official age qualification is a requirement for applicants, but “a 35-year-old person feeling young” can easily join the movement.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to the camp proved to be the most significant event for the young people. They met the President with a storm of applause. Sargsyan talked with the campers, including Maxim Mishchenko, at table. Talking to journalists, Mishchenko told them about himself and about the youth movement in Russia.

He reported that the Russian youth movement has been on friendly terms with the “Together” movement since last year. A 25-member delegation first participated in the all-Russian forum “Seliger”, and the two movements have been is close touch with each other since. “All the guys are very good here. I did not even think that such a good camp could be organized from the very first time, with so many cheerful young people gathered here. We are holding workshops here, sharing our political experience, telling about the problems our youth movement encountered while in the making. The workshops are mostly on the geopolitical situation in the country, systems of forming youth movements… We are enriching each other by sharing our experience. And, of course, the active games aimed at forming teams of young people for accomplishing state tasks,” Mishchenko said.

As to can young people be relied on, he said that “we call many young boys and girls passionarians in Russia. They are young people seeking to change the world. It is great the movement is relying on them. There are young careerists, who do not think of anything but their own interests. But these young men show a spirit of mutual assistance. It is great the organizers of this camp have managed to form this spirit.”

The Young Russia movement was founded about three years ago, but has fewer members that the “Together” movement.

One of the campers, Knarik Harutyunyan, answered a number of our questions:

What is your occupation?

I study journalism at Acharyan University.

How did you join the movement?

I saw the movement’s team spirit, accord, appeals to young people to join it and be confident in their strength.

What is your movement’s main goal?

We are struggling against unlawful actions. So we appeal to young people to join us and be united… In this case our Armenia will be a stronger and more influential state.

Do you, or your movement, have anything in common with any party?

No, we are one family here. (One of the campers told NEWS. am that the movement is not a political one, but the members can be members of political parties).

What is the age qualification?

From 18 to 25

From the point of view of patriotism, what do you feel as member of the movement?

We call on everyone to be a patriot. Guys from different families have gathered here, but we have become a family in these four days…