TCPA New Study on the Novel Civic Activism in Armenia

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YEREVAN, Armenia – The Turpanjian Center for Policy Analysis (TCPA) team recently completed its study on Civic Activism in Armenia. The manuscript is a product of a two-year research conducted in Armenia, supported by the Academic Swiss Caucasus Net. The study discusses the developing civic activism in Armenia. Focusing on the relationship patterns of non-formal (civic activists) and formal (NGOs) civil society actors, the study addresses both cooperation and tensions between the ‘old’ NGO sector and the ‘new’ civic activism elements of the Armenian civil society. Based on research methods including primary and secondary data analysis and case-studies of recent and largest civic activist campaigns, the study discusses the new internal dynamics and the impact of civic activism on the political culture of Armenia.

The study is authored by TCPA Assistant Director Jenny Paturyan and Research Associate Valentina Gevorgyan. The contributing members’ team includes graduates of AUA’s Political Science and International Affairs program, and researchers from other Armenian higher educational institutions.

According to the authors, “The theoretical evolution of this study began in 2012 when the TCPA team took the lead in researching Armenian civil society. The findings produced in this manuscript are considered as a follow-up to the first study, and spread a larger view on the societal developments involving various civil society actors — with the main ones being civic activists. It has been a long and a rewarding journey, the results of which we are happy to share with the local and international community of academics, practitioners and readers.”

To access the research online click here.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.