An International Alert delegation headed by Eurasia Senior Program Officer Oskari Pentikainen visited the Civilitas Foundation on November 3. The guests met with Vartan Oskanian and Salpi Ghazarian. Regional economic issues were discussed during the meeting with a specific eye to Armenia-Turkey relations and the Karabakh conflict resolution process. The guests were interested in Mr. Oskanian’s opinion regarding recent developments in those two areas. Vartan Oskanian was interested in the organization’s activities through the Caucasus Business and Development Network, which works in Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey, Georgia, S. Ossetia, Abkhazia and Azerbaijan to encourage economic cooperation.

The Civilitas Foundation was pleased to participate in a book fair which took place in Gyumri on the 12th of June, 2009, organised by the “Art Bridge” bookstore-café (Yerevan), and Gyumri’s “Elav” bookstore.

A sunny afternoon on the newly-renovated Rizhkov Street in central Gyumri saw a lot of activity in front of the “Elav” bookstore. Tables were laden with books on various subjects – history, art, religion, science, novels and textbooks – some of which were being made available to the citizens of Gyumri for the first time. The books were, of course, marked at discounted rates for this special occasion.

Moreover, three authors had arrived to present and sign copies of their recently-published works, an event which took place at a different location in Gyumri, the quaint Dzitoghtsyan-Merkurov museum complex.

A group of military professionals studying at the Washington DC-based National War College visited the Civilitas Foundation on May 13. The visit was part of their study tour to the South Caucasus.

The group met with Civilitas Director Salpi Ghazarian who described Civilitas programs and projects. The visitors had an opportunity to speak extensively with Civilitas Board President Vartan Oskanian.

Civilitas board members Vartan Oskanian and Vahe Aghabegians, Director Salpi Ghazarian and staff members Artashes Darbinian and Hayk Petrosyan traveled to Goris and Meghri to closely view the Civilitas Rural Economic Facilitation Program projects being implemented in Syunik.

The Swiss Development Cooperation has partnered with the Civilitas Foundation to help provide improved water capacity for the villages of Alvank and Shvanidzor in Meghri, just kilometers from the Armenian border with Iran. The support of the Diocesan Council of the Iranian-Armenian community is an important component in this program.

Mr. Levon Kebabdjian and Armen Alaverdian of the NGO, Femme Courage Solidarite, came to Civilitas, accompanied by Mr. Ashot Ghazarian, the AGBU Representative in Yerevan, to talk about common interests in rural development.

On April 22, a presentation celebrating the release of Vartan Oskanian’s new book entitled, Speaking to be Heard: A Decade of Speeches, took place in Mr. Oskanian’s birthplace, Aleppo, Syria. The event was organized by the Syrian chapter of the AGBU together with the Armenian Youth Association. Representatives of all local organizations offered their comments. The keynote presentation on the book was made by Rev. Haroutioun Selimian, who reflected on the evolution of Armenia’s foreign policy as reflected in 10 years of the former foreign minister’s speeches.

On March 31, Civilitas board chairman Vartan Oskanian, together with board member Vahe Aghabegians, Programs Coordinator Hayk Petrosyan and Communications Coordinator Anna Saghabalyan visited Tavush region for the official opening of the community administration building and the inauguration of the gasification of the village of Ditavan.

Both projects were undertaken by the Rural Development Program of the Hayastan All-Armenia Fund.

Christoph Zopel, Former Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, member of Socialist International, a leading figure in the German Social Democratic Party, visited Civilitas on March 18. Mr. Zopel met with Vartan Oskanian and discussed some regional and domestic issues, as well as global economic crisis and its influence on the region. Mr. Oskanian talked about the importance of rule of law especially in these times of crisis, as well as the need for a review of the policy of laissez-faire capitalism. Mr. Oskanian repeated that especially in the post-soviet territory, where rule of law is often a major problem, wild capitalism can’t work effectively, because it is essential that public-private relationships are based on the rule of law.

Mr. Shemi Tzur, the ambassador of Israel to Armenia, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, resident in Jerusalem, visited the Civilitas Foundation on March 19.

Marcus Meckel, a member of the German Parliament, visited Civilitas in late February. A political scientist, former East German dissident, and theologian, he was in Armenia as part of an information gathering visit. Mr. Meckel, a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, is also involved with various German foundations and supports, among other things, a study of the effects of Communism on democratization.

Mr. Meckel expressed concern about domestic developments in Armenia and hope for the development of stronger social and political institutions.

Switzerland’s Ambassador to Armenia, Lorenzo Amberg, visited Civilitas on Thursday, February 19, 2009. Ambassador Amberg and Mr. Oskanian spoke about developments in the region. Mr. Oskanian inquired about the domestic situation in Georgia, in the aftermath of the August clash with Russia. The Swiss ambassador was particularly interested in Armenian perceptions about Turkish-Armenian relations.

They also spoke about the new partnership between the Civilitas Foundation and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

In December, Civilitas founder Vartan Oskanian was hosted by the Yerevan School of Political Studies of the Council of Europe. The school has semi- annual retreats in Tsakhkadzor, with invited lecturers participating. Vartan Oskanian was asked by the school to lecture to the young professionals, working in a variety of public and government organizations, as well as representatives of NGOs and journalists.

A group of Turkish filmmakers visited The Civilitas foundation on December 4. Ten young filmmakers, visiting Armenia to participate in the Second Turkish- Armenian Workshop on "Cinema as Means of Cross-Border Dialogue and Mutual Understanding".

The workshop, initiated by the Golden Apricot International Film Festival, was a partnership between the Yerevan festival and the Anadolu Kültür Association of Turkey, as well as the Armenian Writers Union.

The Civilitas Foundation participated in a conference on “A European Strategy for the Southern Caucasus,” in Tbilisi at the Heinrich Boell Institute. Civilitas Founder Vartan Oskanian spoke on a panel on “The war in Georgia and its international consequences.” Temuri Yakobashvili, Georgian State Minister for Reintegration also participated in that discussion.

Mr. Ehud Gol, Israel’s ambassador to Armenia, resident in Jerusalem, visited the Civilitas Foundation on October 31.

Ambassador Gol is finishing his term, and he met with Civilitas founder Vartan Oskanian as part of his farewell tour to meet with current and former colleagues.

Mr. Gol and Mr. Oskanian discussed regional issues, international political matters, and Armenia-Israel relations.

In Toronto on October 24, Mr. Oskanian was the guest of the Canada Armenia Business Council. The banquet took place at the Toronto Hilton Suites on October 24, 2008.

Veronique Hulmann, Deputy Head of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) CIS Division accompanied by Sibylle Schmutz, Junior Programme Officer and Derek Mueller, SDC Regional Director for the Caucasus, visited Civilitas on October 18. Zara Allahverdyan Senior National Program Officer accompanied the delegation.

During their meetings with Civilitas staff, the SDC representatives discussed specific areas of cooperation within the sphere of rural economic facilitation.

During his meeting with the founder of Civilitas, former foreign minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian, Mr. Regenbrecht touched upon various issues from Armenia's domestic situation to regional issues.

Speaking about the political situation in Armenia, Mr. Oskanian stated that the situation is still tense, and that the sides are not taking sufficient steps to ease the tension. Mr. Oskanian stressed that addressing the situation of the opposition activists detained since March 1 would go a long way to help defuse the situation.