Armenia, Lebanon: In Transition

by David Zenian Unemployment is not only a serious problem for blue collar Armenian workers, but also for thousands of students graduating each year from the nation's institutes of higher learning. From medicine to engineering, foreign languages and applied sciences, graduates are facing the same dilemma: Is it worth getting a degree, and if yes, in what.

by David Zenian The Armenian General Benevolent Union's Demirdjian Center in Beirut is breaking new ground every day, thanks to its open door policy which is attracting not only young Armenians but Lebanese as well.

by David Zenian If Armenia's Soviet-era state television station is dying a slow death, the battle for survival is just as tough for the independent networks that have filled the airwaves since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

by David Zenian All it takes is a close look at recent government statistics to see how serious social conditions are in landlocked post-communist Armenia. In a country with limited resources and facing a blockade by neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan, the question now is not how to deal with the poor, but rather the very poor. "We are facing some very difficult choices", says Social Welfare Minister Gagik Yeganian. "We do not have the resources to help all those in need."

by David Zenian The Lebanese civil war has entered the history books and the battle for a new and better future is in full swing, but despite the massive reconstruction, it will take time before the country once known as the Switzerland of the Middle East will regain its old luster. "It's pay-back time. We destroyed so much while the rest of the Middle East moved forward. We have a lot of catching up to do," said Lebanese newspaper editor Issa Ghorayeb.

by Louise Manoogian Simone How are things in Armenia? Who can predict. As 1998 draws to a close, once again the republics of the former Soviet Union are entering uncharted territory. Recent events will surely have their repercussions throughout the region.

by David Zenian Armenia's young Prime Minister Armen Darbinian is confident that his government's liberal economic policies will continue to encourage foreign investment in his land-locked nation. He admits that the road to economic prosperity is long and often linked to regional developments, but says Armenia is on the right track.