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Public Discussions on Possible Developments of Armenian-Turkish Relations |
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05.10.2009
Վերջին շաբաթների ընթացքում Հայաստանի հասարակական-քաղաքական միտքը բազմիցս անդրադարձել է Հայաստանի Հանրապետության և Թուրքիայի Հանրապետության միջև հարաբերությունների զարգացման և դիվանագիտական հարաբերությունների հաստատման գործընթացին: Դրանց շուրջ ընթանում են բուռն քննարկումներ, խնդիրը շարունակաբար գտնվում է լրատվամիջոցների ուշադրության կենտրոնում, բազմաթիվ հրապարակումներում և ելույթներում մասնագետները հնչեցնում են իրենց հուզող հարցերը:
Այդուհանդերձ, քննարկումները թերևս սևեռվել են մայրաքաղաքում, մինչդեռ ՀՀ մարզերում բնակվող քաղաքացիները լիարժեքորեն չեն մասնակցում հասարակությանը հուզող խնդրի քննարկումներին և առավելապես ունկնդրի դերում են: Նանց ձայնը լսելի դարձնելու և քննարկումներին ակտիվորեն ներգրավելու նպատակով, «Մարդկային զարգացման միջազգային կենտրոն» (ՄԶՄԿ) հասարակական կազմակերպությունը, Եվրասիա համագործակցության հիմնադրամի օժանդակությամբ, ՀՀ բոլոր մարզերի քաղաքային համայնքներում և Երևանում նախաձեռնել է համահամայնքային քննարկումների շարք:
Համահամայնքային քննարկումների ձևաչափով ՄԶՄԿ-ն նախկինում քննարկման է դրել հասարակությանը հուզող բազմաթիվ հարցեր, այդ թվում՝ Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի հակամարտության կարգավորման և ՀՀ Սահմանադրության փոփոխությունների վերաբերյալ հարցերը: Այս ձևաչափը հասարակության տարբեր խմբերը ներկայացնող մեր համաքաղաքացիներին հնարավորություն է ընձեռում անմիջականորեն և արդյունավետ կերպով մասնակցել քննարկումներին, արտահայտել իրենց կարծիքն ու մոտեցումները և բարձրաձայնել իրենց մտահոգող խնդիրները:
Քննարկումները, որոնց մասնակցել են հանրապետության ավելի քան 1200 քաղաքացիներ, իրականացվել են հետևյալ ժամանակացույցով.
Սեպտեմբերի 28-ին՝ ք. Արտաշատ, ք. Եղեգնաձոր
Սեպտեմբերի 29-ին՝ ք. Սիսիան, ք. Մարտունի
Սեպտեմբերի 30-ին՝ ք. Հրազդան, ք. Իջևան
Հոկտեմբերի 1-ին՝ ք. Վանաձոր, ք. Գյումրի
Հոկտեմբերի 2-ին՝ ք. Արմավիր, ք. Աշտարակ
Հոկտեմբերի 3-ին և 4-ին՝ ք. Երևան
Քննարկումներն իրականացվել են մամուլում հրապարակված մտքերի, կարծիքների և վերլուծականների հիման վրա ՄԶՄԿ փորձագետների կողմից մշակված հայ-թուրքական հարաբերությունների հետագա զարգացման հինգ հնարավոր տարբերակների շուրջ: Տարբերակներին կարող եք ծանոթանալ այստեղ:
Յուրաքանչյուր հանրային քննարկմանը հաջորդել է քվեարկություն. մասնակիցներն ընտրել են առավել նախընտրելի և առավել հավանական տարբերակները: Քվեարկության ամփոփ արդյունքներին կարող եք ծանոթանալ այստեղ:
Համահամայնքային քննարկումների ՄԶՄԿ ձևաչափը թույլ է տալիս արձանագրել քննարկման ընթացքում հնչած յուրաքանչյուր միտք և առաջարկություն, ամփոփել ու վերլուծել դրանք և դնել հանրության ու որոշում կայացնողների առջև:
Քննարկումների ընթացքում արտահայտված մտքերը ներկայացված են այստեղ: |
"Open up to your neighbors!": Call of the civil society representatives upon the Governments in Ankara, Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan |
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23.09.2008
The war in Georgia has left the countries of the South Caucasus struggling with substantial risks and challenges. As a consequence of the recent crisis, which further exacerbated an impasse created by the existence of the protracted conflicts, the region is deprived of a vital vain to transport goods through the countries of the region. That is a matter of our strongest concern. The railroad running through Georgia is practically useless today because of the destruction of the bridge near Gori, whereas reconstruction is being delayed for different reasons. This situation and its consequences threaten to deprive people in our countries of their basic rights and endanger their hopes for stability, security and prosperity.
This crisis should make us assess the situation realistically and initiate a new age of cooperation. The Governments in Ankara, Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan have a unique chance to prove their credentials of good neighbors willing to contribute positively to the regional peace and stability. We request them to take a collective action and unblock immediately railroad communication networks in the region.
We made our own calculations that we would like to share with the public. Any train can reach from Samsun on the Black Sea coast of Turkey to Yerevan in 34 hours, to Tbilisi in 36 hours and to Baku in 49 hours. From Mersin, which is on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, it will take 37, 39 and 52 hours respectively. This simple. The railroad can become functional in few hours, once a political decision is made.
Thus, we urge to open the Turkish-Armenian border at least for 10-15 days to address the urgency in the Caucasus.
For years we have been engaged in Track Two Diplomacy projects and have been able to build excellent working relations with our colleagues across those borders. Having enjoyed the positive experience of cooperation, we would like to take this opportunity to call upon the Governments in Ankara, Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan to reconsider their positions on that matter. We urge our leaders to demonstrate their statecraft in these times of turbulence and uncertainty and prevent possible escalation of distrust in this region.  more.. |
Public Chamber: To Be or Not To Be? |
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12.07.2008
After the post-electoral crisis in March, 2008 President Serj Sargsyan came up with the idea of forming a Public Chamber – an all-inclusive, representative council where all voices from the public will get a chance to be expressed. The suggestion has been welcome by some and heavily criticized by others. To get a snapshot of this diversity of opinions ICHD held a Town Hall Meeting in Yerevan, where about 120 participants – NGO representatives – discussed the possible scenarios of the Chamber formation outcomes, namely “Status Quo”, when the society in large is not being represented, “Imitation”, when the Chamber fails to carry out its major functions and turns instead into another bureaucratic agency and “The Voice of the Many”, when the institution turns into a real forum for expression of various social perspectives.
The THM results have been presented to the working group responsible for the development of the concept paper on Public Chamber. A summary of these results in Armenian are available here as well.
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Youth Moving Closer towards Europe |
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28.06.2008
The youth network “Euroforum East/West” exists since January 2006. It brings together youth organizations from the three countries of the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia) and three countries of the European Union (France, Poland, Spain). The main goal of the network is to promote active citizenship and commitment of young people in the civil societies of the abovementioned countries. To enhance youth activism, groups of young people from the six countries regularly meet in Europe for training and experience exchange.
In March, 2008 ICHD joined the network and became an active participant of Euroforum events, the last of which – Road Trip Europe - was held in France from June 10 to 26. About 40 people from Armenia, Spain , France and Belarus spent ten days of intensive cultural exchange, training sessions and meetings in European institutions visiting 10 towns of France: Saverne, Strasbourg, Colmar, Dijon, Vezeley, Tours, Angers, Anjou, Tiffauge and Nantes. |
Challenges and Opportunities in Development of a Comprehensive Migration Policy Paper |
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24.06.2008
This off-the-record discussion has brought together the major stakeholder institutions dealing with migration issues, namely the Migration Agency at the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration, British Council Armenia, OSCE, Yerevan office, Caucasus Research Resource Center and International Organization for Migration. Participants brainstormed about the possibility of developing a migration policy paper, whether it is necessary, what issues it should address and how it should be developed. The opinions exchanged at session are reflected in the recent policy brief: In Search of a Happy Medium: Does Armenia Need a Concept Paper on Migration? |
Public opinion regarding allocation of local budget |
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20.06.2008
Ashotavan is a small rural community of 300 peope in the South of Armenia with a number of infrastructural challenges typical to Armenian rural communities in general. In 2007 due to more effective tax payment mechanisms about AMD 2 million were saved in the local budget, which the community authorities decided to use for addressing at least one of the most urgent problems in the community. To make sure the scarce resources were used towards the real needs of community members they decided to participate in the project “Enhancing public participation in the decision making process in Armenia: initiating a community experience to anchor people’s involvement in the public policy making culture”, the implementation of which started back in January, 2007, with the support of the European Union.
Thus, ICHD experts initiated a Town Hall Meeting in the community to involve the ordinary citizens in the decision making process regarding the allocation of spare budgetary resources. There were about 100 people participating in the discussion over the projects the community needed the most, namely, the repair of community roads, repair of roads to plow fields and pastures, partial repair of the sewage system and renovation of the cemetery area. The discussions were wrapped up with the mayor addressing his community and promising to comply with the decision of the majority, i.e. repair of community roads and searching for other sources to finance the other three projects.
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The Culture of Town Hall Meetings Spreading through the South Caucasus |
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28.05.2008
ICHD, Liberty Institute from Tbilisi and Youth for Development from Baku organized a THM in Tbilisi to discuss violence in Georgian schools and ways to address such behavior. There were 100 participants exchanging ideas on causes of abusive behavior in schools and ways to both prevent and held accountable for such behavior. The THM was a joint pilot event organized within the framework of the project “Implementing the Mechanism of Town Hall Meeting to Enhance Public Participation in South Caucasus Countries”. It allowed the Azerbaijani and Georgian counterparts to practice the skills they had acquired at an earlier training. |
Momentum-11 armed with policy analysis skills |
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14.05.2008
ICHD and Mercy Corps-Conflict Management group hosted the 11th Momentum group, comprising 12 members representing different political stances. The aim of the workshop held in Cambridge, MA on May 4-12, was to hone their leadership, negotiation and policy analysis skills which would assist them analyzing and planning future steps in emerging from the post-election crisis period. |
Presentation of the RA Draft Law on Refugees and Shelter |
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17.04.2008
Representatives of the Migration Agency at the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration presented the new draft law on refugees and shelter to the representatives of other state agencies and CSOs at a meeting organized by ICHD. It was stressed that the draft had been developed in compliance with international legal norms and principles, considering the specifics of the Armenian reality. The feedback from the participants was later used for the final review of the draft. |
Education and Migration: Challenges and Solutions |
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25.03.2008
ICHD in cooperation with the British Council Armenia and the Migration Agency at the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration (MA MTA) continues the implementation of the project “Support to Migration Policy Development and Relevant Capacity Building in Armenia”, which is financed by the European Union. In the framework of this project regular round tables are held, which deal with various pertinent issues of migration.
The successive round table was held on March 25 at the ICHD Conference Hall. The key theme of the discussion was “Education and Migration”. There were 24 participants, representing state as well as non-governmental, social and international institutions. In the result of the discussion ICHD experts developed the following policy brief: Education and Migration: a Challenge and an Opportunity.
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Countrywide THMs on Local Budgets |
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28.01.2008
ICHD has started the second phase of the project “Enhancing public participation in the decision making process in Armenia: initiating a community experience to anchor people’s involvement in the public policy making culture” which is being implemented with the support of the European Commission Delegation to Armenia. From December to January ICHD has organized public discussions of local budgets in the following communities: Ashtarak (Aragatsotn region), Rind (Syunik), Hatsik (Shirak), Achajur (Tavush), Sarukhan (Gegharkunik), Nor Kharberd (Ararat), Margahovit (Lori)and Arevik (Armavir). In February the series of THMs will be concluded in Kotayk and Syunik regions.
Each Town Hall Meeting (THM) brought together about 100 community members who were discussing the possible projects which could be implemented with local budgetary resources in 2008. Prior to the THMs ICHD experts would meet with the community members and representatives of local governments and find out about the urgent needs in the community, which could be addressed with the available financial resources. Based on the needs relevant project descriptions were developed in a concise and simple language, to initiate discussions at the THMs.
The results of these discussions are subsequently being summarized at ICHD and presented to the local authorities for consideration during the budgetary hearings in February.
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Enhanced Citizen Participation in the Electoral Process in Armenia |
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17.12.2007
On December 17 a Town Hall Meeting (THM) was organized to find out the perspectives of young people regarding the upcoming presidential elections: what the youth think of the election processes, how they see their role, how youth activism should be enhanced, what role should youth NGOs play, etc. About 50 young people from Yerevan and three neighbouring regions participated in the discussion which focused on the following questions: (a) What the youth think of the election processes in general and their role in these processes in particular?;(b) How should youth activism be enhanced? How to motivate young people to be more expressive in decision making processes, especially in the regions? (c) What role should youth NGOs play? (d)What incentives can be nurtured and activities promoted to increase youth participation in election processes?
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Lessons of the Starlink Programme |
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16.12.2007
To conclude the series of trainings organised by CESS and ICHD throughout 2006 and 2007, a wrap-up conference was held in the Hague, on December 10-16, 2007. The conference called "Democratic Governance in the Security Sector:
Lessons of the Starlink Programme in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine" looked at Starlink’s contents and its potential for further development and wider use. In addition, the problems of democratic reform in the security sector were discussed. The conference brought together training participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The Armenian team comprised seven members, representing public and non-governmental sectors. |
Development of Participatory Democracy: Enhancement of Local Capacities |
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26.10.2007
Since January 2007 ICHD has launched the implementation of the project “Enhancing public participation in the decision making process in Armenia: initiating a community experience to anchor people’s involvement in the public policy making culture”. The goal of the project is to enhance public participation in decision making processes through community’s direct involvement in the budgeting process of the community. The project will be implemented in ten regions of Armenia.
In order to ensure the success of the project, ICHD planned to enhance local capacities and involve regional NGOs in the project implementation process. Thus, ten partner organizations had been identified, one from each region. ICHD trainers then developed a training package on project relevant capacities, that was to address the needs of the staff from these organizations in initiating public participation. The training module consisted of two parts: introduction to the instrument of Town Hall Meeting (THM) and effective facilitation skills.
From August to October five training sessions were organized. About 100 staff members from partner organizations in Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Aragatsotn, Armavir, Ararat, Kotayq, Gegharkunik, Lori, Shirak and Tavush participated in these sessions. They were introduced to the concept of participatory democracy and THM. In addition, ICHD trainers shared their experience in organizing a THM for the discussion of the budget of Sarnaghbyur village in Shirak, the successes and lessons learnt and trained the participants in effective communication and facilitation skills: key to meaningful implementation of a Town Hall Meeting.
The next phase of the project is the organization of Town Hall Meetings in ten communities of the above-mentioned regions.
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Ten Principles of the UN Glonal Compact |
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14.09.2007
Does business have any role protecting human rights and the environment, investing in the professional development of their employees and fighting corruption? What is the situation in Armenia and where does the society want it to be? About 50 residents of Yerevan, both business owners and employees, were discussing these questions at the Town Hall Meeting organized by ICHD and UN Global Compact, which strives to introduce the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into the private sector of the country.
The Global Compact in Armenia was launched on 17 November 2006. 19 companies and civil society organizations made commitment to implement the Global Compact principles in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption. To facilitate the process of promoting the concept of CSR the UN Global Compact and ICHD regularly implement different activities to start a policy dialog among the various stakeholders. This Town Hall Meeting was the second attempt to maintain the dialog.
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The Role of Men in Maternal Health |
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24.07.2007
What is and should be the role of men in maternal health? This was the key issue discussed at the Town Hall Meeting in Yerevan on July 24. About 80 residents of Yerevan were sharing their perspectives on the issue, occasionally referring to the four scenarios which outlined recommendations on the ways to encourage men and women to effectively share responsibilities in the household in order to be able to develop a healthy family. The scenarios suggested the following solutions: improved state support, increased community involvement, redistribution of roles of men and women and mentality and culture change, i.e. men and women negotiating over the productive and reproductive roles. The final vote revealed that the majority of participants were certain that the state support in the form of legislative acts to promote women’s rights, introduction of a package of benefits during pregnancy and financial assistance to young families would be the most effective intervention to change the current situation when men are reluctant to undertake more responsibilities during the pre- and post-natal period.
The Town Hall Meeting was organized with the support of UNFPA within the framework of the World Population Day, the theme of which for 2007 is “Men as Partners in Maternal Health”.
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ICHD: The New Member of PASOS |
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17.07.2007
On 13 July the International Center for Human Development was granted the membership of Policy Association for an Open Society (PASOS). The association is a network of policy centers in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. PASOS promotes and protects open society values, including democracy, the rule of law, good governance, respect for and protection of human rights, and economic and social development, by supporting policy centers.
To read more on what this membership implies, please, visit this link on PASOS website. |
Evaluation of the RA Migration Legislation |
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04.07.2007
A round table was held on July 3, 2007 within the framework of the project “Support to Migration Policy Development and Relevant Capacity Building in Armenia” implemented by British Council Armenia, Migration Agency of the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and International Center for Human Development (ICHD) with the support of the European Commission.
Findings of two research studies developed and conducted within the framework of relevant projects of the OSCE office in Yerevan were presented to the representatives of the key state agencies, international organizations and local NGOs, specifically
the evaluation of the RA migration legislation, and
the interim report on the qualitative and quantitative study of labor migration from Armenia in 2005-2007
The participants highlighted the importance and urgency of a number of issues, such as regulating labor migration and the legal relations characterizing the entry to and exit from the country, updating the concept on state migration, assuring its relevance to the current requirements and improving the efficiency of the system. They were requested to get actively involved and to support the development of the migration system with their expertise and skills.
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Training Course on Democratic Governance in the Security Sector: Law Enforcement |
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02.07.2007
ICHD, together with the Centre for European Security Studies (CESS) of the Netherlands and with support from the OSCE Office in Yerevan, organized the second training course on Democratic Governance in the Security Sector. The training was organized within the framework of Starlink program (Security, Transparency, Accountability and Reform: Linking the Security Sectors of Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia to the European Mainstream).
The course targeted democratic governance of the law enforcement sector. It was held from June 28 to 30, 2007 in Tsagkhadzor, Armenia. The three-day training course was planned for 20 participants who represented the RA Police, media and NGO sector. In addition to the theme of democratic governance in law enforcement agencies, there were a number of other significant topics, such as integrated border management and policing.
According to the participants, it was an excellent learning opportunity which allowed them to gain new ideas and tools for securing democratic practice of governance.
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Seminars on Early Cancer Prevention and Detection |
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30.05.2007
On May 18th and 22nd ICHD organized a series of seminars on early cancer prevention and detection. The participants were about 80 family doctors from all the regions of Armenia. The seminars were conducted with the support of the American Cancer Society. This is the second phase of the training, the first being implemented in 2006 when the first group of family doctors participated in four seminars on the same topic.
During these seminars ICHD experts worked with the Armenian National Institute of Oncology. The presenters provided some materials on different types of cancer, namely, breast, prostate and cervical, as well as brief information leaflets on early cancer prevention. These materials were developed for the general population with the support of UNFPA, and the presenters encouraged the doctors to disseminate those among their patients, which will enhance the awareness campaign.
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Tangible Steps to Assist Armenian Migrants |
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24.04.2007
The first substantial outcome of the project implemented with the support of the European Commission and in consortium with the British Council and Migration Agency of Armenia was the creation of the Migrants Support Unit in mid-April. It will assist Armenian migrants world-wide, providing relevant information on migration issues in general and the reintegration process in particular. The Unit staff comprises five experts. Among other activities, they will also coordinate all the necessary activities to facilitate effective functioning of a hot-line and internet portal to be created for ensuring wider and easier access to the relevant information. Both these tools will provide updated information migrants may need for smooth reintegration.
On April 23rd the project partners held the first working meeting with the unit staff in the premises of the newly created unit. There were two major issues on the agenda: discussion of several bills on migration policy and introduction of the first draft of the portal, called Tundarts (Returning Home). Project experts argued for the necessity of ratifying three bills, namely a law on regulation of oversees labor, law on entry and departure of RA Citizens and a new law on refugees. It was decided to enlarge the discussion of the mentioned bills, involving a larger audience of stakeholders and finalize recommendations regarding Tundarts website.
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Journalists Revealing Personal Perspectives on Nagorny Karabakh Issue |
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09.04.2007
Journalists usually either report on or try to provide unbiased analysis on the issue of Nagorny Karabakh. Rarely if ever do they come to share their personal perspectives. The Town Hall Meeting which ICHD organized on April 7, 2007 brought together about 40 representatives of Armenian media who shared their attitudes, opinions and challenges regarding the possible resolution of the conflict. The exchange of opinions was marked with high level of awareness of both local and global contexts of the conflict.
The THM provided an open platform for the journalists to discuss five possible scenarios of resolution. The scenarios were developed based on information so far reflected in Armenian and Azerbaijani media. More information on scenarios is available here.
The outcomes of the Town Hall Meeting will be discussed further with various groups of policy makers, political scientists and other relevant experts.
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Training Course on Democratic Governance in the Security Sector |
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04.04.2007
The ICHD, together with the Centre for European Security Studies (CESS) of the Netherlands and with support from the OSCE Office in Yerevan, organized a training course on Democratic Governance in the Security Sector. The training was organized within the framework of Starlink program. Under the Starlink Program (Security, Transparency, Accountability and Reform: Linking the Security Sectors of Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia to the European Mainstream) several intensive courses on democratic oversight have been held in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Following a presentation of its program in Yerevan in 2006, the current training was the first of a series and covered democratic oversight of the defense sector. Later in the year trainings on democratic governance of the intelligence sector and the law enforcement sector will follow.
The training was held from March 30 to April 1, 2007 in Tsagkhadzor, Armenia. The three-day training course was planned for 20 participants who represented the Ministry of Defense, National Assembly, media and NGOs which deal with security issues.
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Steering Committee's First Working Meeting |
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21.03.2007
To ensure effective implementation of the “Support to Migration Policy Development and Relevant Capacity Building in Armenia” project, a Steering Committee has been formed. It comprises representatives of state agencies and local and international NGOs dealing with migration issues. The Committee will make sure that adequate and effective impact, effective monitoring throughout implementation and direct feedback is provided.
The first meeting of the Committee was held on March 21, 2007. Twenty-one participants were invited to attend the working meeting. The main objectives were to introduce the project, clarify the further steps of state policy on migration and identify the activities the Committee would need to carry out throughout the project. Participants were invited to exchange opinions and make recommendations regarding the further activities of the Committee.
The Committee will get together at least once in a quarter and will present the activities carried out by partner organizations in the preceding period, find ways to address the challenges identified and suggest ways to ensure maximum impact.
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Returning Home: Film Series |
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14.03.2007
ICHD started shooting a new film series - Returning Home - as part of the project “Support to Migration Policy Development and Relevant Capacity Building in Armenia”. These are documentaries which will depict the destinies of concrete people who have chosen to return to Armenia or are still hesitant to do so and live in foreign countries. The films will depict their daily challenges, routines and emotions and feelings. Five films will be shot in Armenia and another five abroad. The series will touch on the issues associated with the process of return.
For more information, please, see the project link. |
Corporate Social Responsibility: Where Does Armenia Stand? |
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27.02.2007
ICHD, the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia (UMBA) and the Global Compact Armenia office organized the first round table to initiate a policy dialog regarding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a concept introduced in Armenia by the UN Global Compact. The event was supported by UNDP. This is the first event in the series which will address the adequate policies and practices of CSR in Armenia.
There were about 40 participants attending the round table, among whom high rank state officials, in particular the Deputies Ministers of Trade and Economic Development Artsvi Minasyan and Tigran DAvtyan, and UN officers: Kori Udovicki, the Director of UNDP RBEC, and Consuelo Vidal, the UN Regional Representative. The majority of the participants were the members of the Global Compact Armenia, such as HSBC Armenia Bank, Coca-Cola, Tufenkian Hospitality, Ashtarak Kat, etc. They discussed several questions, namely:
- What is Corporate Social Responsibility and where Armenia stands?
- Is CSR the only way to involve private sector in development issues?
- What is the government’s perspective on CSR?
- Is there a need to create a formal framework for government-business cooperation for advancing the CSR in Armenia?
- How can the public sector contribute/participate in CSR activities?
The results of the discussions were summarized in the subsequent policy brief, which can be founds here.
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Welcome to ICHD Blog! |
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24.02.2007
To encourage more open, complex and effective discussions on current policies in and around Armenia, ICHD has created an external blog at http://blog.ichd.org. ICHD is an avid advocate of participatory democracy. Therefore, all those interested in contributing to policy discussions are welcome to join the blog. To make the communication rules and norms clear, please, review the ICHD Blogging Policy. |
Writing Effective Policy Papers to Influence Decision Making |
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24.02.2007
On February 23-24 two ICHD trainers, Dr. Ashot Khurshudyan and Dr. Suren Poghosyan, who are also OSI Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative (LGI) fellows, conducted a training course for 15 Armenian and Georgian participants in Yerevan. The two-day workshop, which was organized by CRRC-Armenia and OSI Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative (LGI), aimed at providing appropriate skills for writing effective policy papers to influence decision making. The working language of the workshop was English.
More information is available at the CCRC-Armenia website.
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First Meeting of the ENP National Expert Council |
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14.02.2007
ICHD hosted the first meeting of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) National Expert Council. This is a new initiative launched within the framework of “Civil Society Participation in the European Neighborhood Policy – A Regional Approach to Conflict resolution”. The project which is being implemented by Crisis Management Initiative, aims at creating a regional partnership network of leading NGOs, think tanks from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova. National Expert Councils will work with their governments on issues regarding the ENP and peacebuilding approaches.
In Armenia the project is coordinated by ICHD and is supported by GMF and DFID. The Council members are representatives of active NGOs and the Head of the EU Department of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs Varduhi Khechoyan.
The first meeting was attended by two CMI representatives, Anji Herrberg, the CMI Rapid Response Director, and Alina Doroftei, Black Sea Project Manager. The participants focused on two major issues: conflict resolution and cross border cooperation within ENP framework. Ms Herrberg and Ms Doroftei presented the objectives of the initiative and the activities undertaken within the project in other countries, and the participants exchanged opinions regarding priorities on which the Council should focus. The Council will hold quarterly offline meetings, in and between continuing the communication and discussion online.
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ICHD Publication Getting More Publicity |
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31.01.2007
On January 31, 2007 ICHD Executive Director Tevan Poghosyan participated in a round table discussion on promoting dialogue and cooperation between Armenia and Turkey, organized by Eurasia Foundation in Ararat. The event provided a forum for the NGO representatives and local administration officials in Ararat region to discuss the Turkish-Armenian initiatives that had been launched before, as well as the present challenges and potential of opening the border between the two countries.
Mr. Poghosyan presented one of the latest publications of the Center - Armenian-Turkish Track 2 Diplomacy Projects: Assessment of the Best Practices - which nicely tuned with the theme of the round table and promoted a thought-provoking exchange of opinions. The participants noted that activities such as the above-mentioned project would definitely enhance the effectiveness of future initiatives.
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