Armenian civil society organizations have a long history supporting citizens’ needs, providing humanitarian assistance, and facilitating platforms for democratic discourse. Civil society organizations made key contributions to Armenia’s economy, education, health, and political reforms and played an important role in the grassroots civic movements that led to the Velvet Revolution in 2018. The change in government post-revolution presented opportunities for reform and participatory engagement, fostering a new culture of cooperation between citizens and the government of Armenia. Despite this, various challenges continue to hinder the effectiveness of civil society. First, financial viability is a significant hinderance, with the majority of funding coming from foreign donors. Second, civil society organizations are neither perceived by citizens as representatives of the people nor does the government of Armenia perceive civil society as a key partner to engage with, in part due to civil society organizations’ inability to communicate with their constituents and identify actionable policy recommendations. To overcome these challenges, civil society organizations are seeking to play a larger role in public policy discourse in the new political environment and within the post-conflict and post-pandemic environment.
STATUS:
ACTIVE