Analyticon Monthly Journal

Public Agenda

$82,351

To promote public discussion on current events in the South Caucasus. The organization will publish a monthly journal on political, social, and economic developments in the Caucasus, with a particular focus on analysis of current events and trends. The grantee will organize online discussions to facilitate discussion among its readers on the topics covered in each of the journals.

Comics.am

Umbrella Journalists’ International Network NGO

$52,640

To promote debate about current affairs through political satire. The organization will publish monthly comics on relevant political and social issues on its website. During the final month of the project, they will publish a comic book of the entire series. Materials from this project will also be distributed using social media platforms.

Democracy, Security, and Foreign Policy

The Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs

$51,030

To promote informed public debate about Armenian foreign and security policy. The institute will produce analytical articles, host roundtable discussions, conduct trainings, and organize forums designed to promote development of a united policy agenda anchored in shared democratic values. The project will increase the availability of objective information on the importance of Euro-Atlantic integration and the interrelationship of domestic and foreign policy.

Epress.am

Independent Journalists’ Network

$62,572

To provide news and analysis of Armenian current events on its website, Epress.am. The organization will produce daily news and analysis, including video reporting, and produce discussion shows, in-depth video investigations, and documentary films on political and human rights topics. The grantee will devote particular attention to covering snap parliamentary elections, which are expected to take place in spring 2019.    

EVN Report

EVN News Foundation

$39,380

To promote debate and discussion on current events. The organization will publish news articles, draft special reports, and conduct policy analysis on the key social and political issues in the country. The grantee will also produce a weekly news digest podcast and host live forums online to facilitate reader interaction with the magazine’s editorial staff.

Independent News Website

Investigative Journalists NGO

$47,965

To promote independent journalism by maintaining a daily news website. Articles will be published in Armenian, Russian, and English and will focus on economics, politics, and the judiciary. During this two-year program, the organization’s investigative team will focus on issues of political and social relevance in addition to its regular news coverage.

Human Rights Journalism Training

Helsinki Committee of Armenia

$39,348

To raise awareness of democracy and human rights issues in Armenia. The grantee will conduct trainings on media ethics, domestic violence, discrimination, democracy, and human rights for television news journalists. In consultation with the grantee, the journalists will then produce television programs devoted to these issues for local broadcast.

Human Rights Monitoring and Advocacy

Helsinki Association

$41,146

To monitor human rights in Armenia and promote public understanding of human rights violations. The organization will provide legal aid, monitor trials, and conduct strategic litigation. The grantee will produce an online interview program to raise awareness of human rights issues within the country. The organization will also host a roundtable at the conclusion of the project on rule of law and human rights issues within Armenia.

Human Rights Training for Conscripts

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly – Vanadzor

$38,006

To raise awareness on human rights among military conscripts. The organization will draft an informational booklet on Armenia’s legislation regulating conscription and military service, conduct trainings in Yerevan and the regions on these laws, and provide legal assistance to conscripts whose rights have been violated. The grantee will organize a meeting to discuss key findings from the trainings at the conclusion of the project.  

Human Rights Trainings

Public Movement Multinational Georgia

$44,997

To promote the protection of human rights and due process in Armenia as the government implements political, economic, and social reforms. The organization will hold seminars in Tbilisi for Armenian civil society to gain a deeper understanding of Georgia’s reform process after 2003. At the conclusion of the program, the organization will create a network of human rights NGOs from each country to facilitate information sharing as Armenia’s new government determines its post-revolutionary reform priorities.

Lessons Learned from Georgia and Ukraine’s Revolutions

Factum NGO

$57,750

To promote discussion of the challenges and opportunities faced by post-revolutionary societies in the former Soviet Union. The organization will produce a documentary film examining reforms undertaken in Georgia and a series of analytical articles on the reform process in Ukraine. The documentary and essays will provide a nuanced analysis of the reform process in each country for Armenians now confronting similar issues. At the end of the program, the grantee will host community discussions and presentations in three cities of Armenia.

Measuring Public Opinion on Foreign Policy

Analytical Center on Globalization and Regional Cooperation

$36,950

To promote informed public debate on Western values and institutions. The organization will survey public opinion on Armenia’s political, economic, and security relations with the West and Russia, with a focus on the recently signed Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement with the European Union. The organization will also monitor Armenian media outlets’ coverage of Western- and Russian-led institutions and facilitate discussions on foreign policy through three public roundtables with political parties.

Monitoring Snap Parliamentary Elections

Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center NGO

$99,990

To monitor snap parliamentary elections anticipated to take place in spring 2019. The organization will train and deploy 40 long-term election observers to monitor the pre-election period throughout Armenia. The grantee will advocate for a full investigation and initiate litigation in the instance of serious electoral violations after the elections.

Political Party Renewal in Transitioning Armenia

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)

$250,000

To promote political pluralism in Armenia and strengthen democratic norms and procedures during Armenia’s current period of political transition. The institute will support political parties in developing internal reforms aimed at modernizing party approaches, structures, and practices. These reforms will in turn help parties serve as constructive agents of democratic change.

Promoting Anti-Corruption Conduct and Reforms

Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)

$318,055

To improve understanding of and strengthen support for anti-corruption compliance standards within the Armenian business community and to build support for anti-corruption reforms among public and private sector representatives. The organization will build the anti-corruption expertise of local business support organizations and assist them with addressing corruption through collective action and government engagement.

Promoting Government Accountability

Veles NGO

$47,810

To promote government accountability and access to justice in Armenia. The grantee will monitor instances of official misconduct, provide legal support to victims of crimes perpetrated by government officials, and produce informational materials on legal recourse in cases of rights violations. The organization will also undertake strategic litigation on four cases in domestic courts, produce reports on cases involving government officials’ abuse of power for public dissemination, create a blog documenting instances of corruption in Armenia, and host press conferences to announce the program’s findings.

Promoting Judicial Reform

Protection of Rights Without Borders

$46,436

To promote judicial reform in Armenia. The grantee will organize a training on administrative justice, conduct trial monitoring in administrative courts, and provide legal assistance to Armenian citizens dealing with public administration and administrative justice. At the conclusion of the program, the organization will compile a package of reforms on administrative justice, which is a priority issue for Armenia’s new government.  

Protecting Journalists’ Rights

Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression

$39,024

To monitor freedom of the press in Armenia. The organization will document violations of journalists’ rights, provide free legal aid to media organizations, and conduct strategic litigation. The grantee will publish its findings in four quarterly assessments and a final video report. The grantee will organize a roundtable discussion to discuss its monitoring results at the conclusion of the project.

Public Debate on Foreign Policy

Union of Informed Citizens Consulting Non-Governmental Organization

$70,629

To promote informed public debate on Armenian foreign policy. The grantee will analyze Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), focusing on the overlooked negative implications of the EEU on Armenia’s democratic development and geopolitical security. The organization will research and produce articles and animated videos on fifteen thematic areas related to Armenia’s accession to the EEU and host two three-day seminars with journalists near Yerevan to increase awareness on the issue.

Regional Broadcasting on Local Governance Issues

Progress of Gyumri Civil Society Development Center

$44,950

To promote the accountability of local government officials and Members of Parliament representing Gyumri, the second-largest city in Armenia and capital of the Shirak region. The organization will monitor government performance and create opportunities for dialogue between government representatives and the public through its partnership with Tsayg TV. The grantee will encourage civic engagement through trainings in journalism, participatory monitoring, and election observation.

Strengthening Democratic Practices During Armenia’s Political Transition

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)

$151,857

To strengthen democratic norms and procedures during Armenia’s current period of political transition. The grantee will assist nonpartisan citizen election monitors to prepare for and implement an election monitoring mission during the anticipated snap elections. The organization will also hold consultations and trainings for political parties aimed at strengthening democratic practices and approaches to election organizing.

Supporting Independent Reporting

Meltex Ltd.

$59,824

To promote public discussion of current events in Armenia. The organization will produce an interactive talk show to analyze some of the key challenges facing Armenian society. The shows will increase opportunities for civil society and viewers to engage in unfolding events, particularly the anticipated snap parliamentary elections. The grantee will also conduct journalist trainings to encourage impartial reporting and to raise the level of professionalism in the media.

Youth Engagement on Public Policy

Socioscope Societal Research and Consultancy Center

$40,106

To promote youth engagement in public policy discourse. The organization will study the impact of public policy on civil liberties, with a focus on Armenia’s militarization policies and political rhetoric, and produce a series of multimedia educational materials on its findings. The organization will conduct workshops with youth and civil society members to discuss its research and opportunities to protect human rights through political engagement.