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The Athens proposals: Armenia faces a difficult choice

Analysis / Armenia

Azerbaijan’s minister of foreign affairs has found generally acceptable the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ new version of the principles for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, proposed last December in Greece. This is the first occasion since 1997 that Baku has found the mediators’ proposal acceptable.

Now, it is Armenia’s turn and it will be difficult for Armenia to say "Yes" to the version that took shape first in Krakow in July 2009, then in Athens at the end of 2009 and then in Sochi on January 25, 2010, because in contrast to the 2007 Madrid proposals, not only is the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to self-determination very vague, but in terms of removing the consequences of the conflict, Azerbaijan is at an advantage.

Since 1997, Azerbaijan has either rejected or withheld consent to all settlement proposals; it also rejected the Madrid document presented in 2007. And now, over the course of a mere two years, the mediators have presented proposals which are acceptable to Azerbaijan and unacceptable for Armenia. Refusing the mediators’ proposal comes at a price. And what is very important is who does the rejecting, and on what basis. Especially since proposals are the outcome of a negotiations process, the negotiating sides are equally responsible for the contents of a proposal.

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A Guide to Civil Society Activities

Civil Society

Bringing NGOs and Donors Closer Together

The Civilitas Foundation has initiated a program called A Guide to Non-Governmental Organizations. The program has several objectives, including creating a mechanism for potential donors to identify possible CSO partners.

According to different sources, there are 3,000 to 5,000 CSOs operating in Armenia. Yet, it is possible to find accurate and updated information for only a fraction.

With the objective of closing this gap, Civilitas has sent a questionnaire to several hundred active Armenian CSOs. Approximately 100 have responded and will be included in a website devoted specifically to CSO activity. Those CSOs who wish to be included in can submit their information.

The website will offer general information about CSOs: the name of the CSO and its director; the organization’s contact information; the type of work they do; the main areas of operation and descriptions of specific projects. The CSO guide will be updated by participant CSOs themselves.

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Discussions in Gyumri and Vanadzor

Spotlight / Events

On February 11, the Civilitas Foundation presented its annual report  “Armenia 2009: Promise and Reality” in Gyumri. As during the launch of the report in Yerevan, discussion revolved around Armenia’s foreign and domestic, regional and economic issues. Participating in the discussion were Levon Barseghyan, president of Gyumri’s Asbarez Journalist Club, Gala TV talk show host Derenik Malkhasyan and Shirak Center president Vahan Tumasyan. The discussion was moderated by Civilitas analyst, journalist Tatul Hakobyan. The event opened with a discussion of Gyumri’s socioeconomic issues, after which the issues of free speech, democracy and human rights were discussed, namely by Levon Barseghyan and Derenik Malkhasyan. Gyumri is the only city in Armenia that has a long history of free broadcast media that has opposed established rule. Thanks to Gala TV, unbiased reporting is more available in Gyumri. However, even though Gyumri’s public is more informed, from a human rights and socioeconomic standpoint their issues are as many and equal to those of other cities.

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What Do You Think
Would a severe punishment for slander improve media quality?
 

Our previous question was: "Do you believe that free elections (one where even an incumbent can be defeated) can change a country?"

Opinions were mostly divided. Of those who answered the question, 53% thought that such elections could bring positive change to the country; 43% thought they could not. Around 4% did not have an answer.

Read the analysis

Facts for Thought
Recorded crimes/ 1,000 population
2008 2009


Yerevan 4.5 6.5
Lori 2.8 4.7
Tavush 2.0 3.8
Vayots Dzor 2.0 3.6
Kotayk 2.3 3.5
Armavir 1.8 3.3
Syunik 1.8 3.2
Shirak 1.9 3.1
Gegharkunik 1.4 3.0
Ararat 2.0 2.8
Aragatsotn 2.3 2.8
 
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Civilitas Connects

Sharistan Melkonian is a director at the Armenian Volunteer Corps (AVC), a non-profit that helps skilled Armenian Diasporans come to Armenia to work and live, while at the same time, helping them transition from one society into another by facilitating their placements into schools, non-profit organizations, churches, and the business sector.

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Civilitas Spotlight

Vartan Oskanian's interview with Gala TV in the city of Gyumri regarding Armenia-Turkey relations, Nagorno Karabakh, and Armenia's economy.

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Our Projects
The aim of the project is to further dialogue and debate and to raise awareness in the Turkish and Armenian societies about the goals and limitations of the neighbor by translating and making public pertinent articles from Turkish and Armenian press.

Civilitas Around the Web

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Neighbors About Each Other
The Civilitas Foundation, with support from the USAID, through Eurasia Partnership Foundation, offers translations of pertinent articles from the Turkish press with the aim of furthering dialogue and debate. Click here to read the Armenian translations on our site. You can also check www.CaucasusNeighbors.com website for all recent translations and the archive. Print and electronic media are invited to reprint these Armenian translations citing the Civilitas Foundation.

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Rural Development Program

A healthy civil society depends on self-reliant, economically secure citizens. Agriculture is an important economic sector. The Civilitas Foundation supports Armenia's farmers one family at a time, one village at a time to achieve sustainable growth and access to markets. Click here to read the reports written by our staff as they visit villages and talk to their residents.

Click for more on Economic Facilitation Program

Generation Center

To support new approaches and solutions to Armenia's geographic, economic and experiential limitations, the Generation Center will develop a data base of existing NGO activity in Armenia, and update it with the help of participating NGO's to introduce good projects to good people, help NGOs identify alternative sources of support, and link new initiatives with existing experience.