How to bring Diaspora youth to Armenia: The story of Birthright Armenia [Հայlight #2]

In this second episode of Հայlight | Haylight podcast we take a close look at the inspiring story behind ‪@BirthrightArmenia‬ , a program that has helped thousands of young Armenians from around the world reconnect with their heritage for 20 years. What started as an idea has grown into a community of over 2,700 young Armenians to experience life in Armenia, with over 300 alumni making Armenia their home after discovering the country in a meaningful and professional way. In this episode, you’ll hear from four people whose lives were changed by Birthright Armenia, each offering a unique perspective on the program: —‪@rupenjanbazian‬, Host & 2011 Birthright Armenia Alumnus: Rupen leads the conversation, drawing from his own experience as a 2011 volunteer who built a strong connection with Armenia through the program. —Linda Yepoyan, Chief of Staff & Board Member of the H. Hovnanian Family Foundation: Linda shares how Birthright Armenia started with a vision from Edele Hovnanian in 2003, when she invited Linda to help bring the idea to life and engage young diaspora Armenians in reconnecting with their homeland. —Sevan Kabakian, Country Director of Birthright Armenia: Sevan describes his journey from an engineering career in Los Angeles to moving with his family to Armenia, where he has overseen the program for 18 years and helped it grow into a thriving community builder. —Shant Korkigian, First Birthright Armenia Volunteer (2004): Shant was the very first volunteer in 2004. He reflects on how that initial experience opened doors for others to follow and shaped his own life path. Together, they discuss how Birthright Armenia has become a way for young Armenians to experience the country uniquely, through professional internships and community engagement. Today, the program has offices in Yerevan, Vanadzor, Gyumri, and soon Goris, allowing even more young Armenians to connect deeply with their heritage. Whether you’re interested in connecting with your roots, supporting youth engagement, or learning about the impact of this program, this episode is a must-watch! In the video: 0:00 - Introduction of the speakers 2:07 - What is Birthright Armenia? 3:18 - How the idea for the program came up 5:19 - First challenges faced by the program 6:32 - First group of volunteers 7:22 - Shant’s Story - the program’s first volunteer 12:55 - How the program impacted Shant’s life 15:41 - Sevan’s first trip to Soviet Armenia in 1978 16:58 - Unique experiences of each volunteer group 19:47 - Mission statement was created 20 years ago 23:51 - Do volunteers stay in Armenia after the program? 25:49 - How things were different in 2004 29:12 - Finding job sites was one of the challenges for the program 33:36 - How many people stay in Armenia after the program? 34:28 - "You carry Armenia with you even if you don't repatriate" 36:39 - Host family is one of the key factors of the program 40:22 - Shant's connection with locals 43:15 - Volunteers’ impact on job sites 44:02 - Future plans for Birthright Armenia 46:59 - "Birthright Armenia allows seeing how Armenians are different" 49:03 - Final speeches Produced & Directed by Repat Armenia Created by Kond Studio Visit our website: https://www.repatarmenia.org/ Follow Repat Armenia on: Facebook:   / repatarmenia   X: https://x.com/RepatArmenia/ Instagram:   / repatarmenia   Linkedin:   / repat-armenia   Vkontakte: https://vk.com/repatarmenia/ Telegram: https://t.me/repatarmeniaru/