EVN Talks

When Lilit Odabashian puts her mind to something, she makes it happen. Like Armenians all over the world, Lilit was devastated at what was happening during the 2020 Artsakh War. She decided to start a Facebook group called Buy Armenian to encourage people to buy Armenian products as a way of trying to do her part. As the group grew and took on a life of its own, her husband Nishan joined the initiative and they launched the Buy Armenian website that features over 800 vendors.

In the early hours of July 28, 2021, Azerbaijani forces launched yet another attack against Armenian positions, this time in the Gegharkunik region, leaving three Armenian soldiers dead and a number of wounded. Tatevik Hayrapetyan, an expert on Azerbaijan, speaks to EVN Report about the intentions of Baku following the end of the 2020 Artsakh War, the Armenian response and the psychological toll of constant aggression.

Moving from one country to another can be a daunting exercise, not least of which is the cultural dimension. Entrepreneurs and social development practitioners Hiroki Tachiiri and Taiji Notsu, originally from Japan, made that move to Armenia. They talk to EVN Report about their latest venture, which includes a new company that will explore possibilities in the food, tourism and consulting industries, even a manga on Armenia which will be introduced in Japan.

A new exhibition by the History Museum of Armenia entitled “Costume: Fragments of Identity” recently opened in downtown Yerevan. The curator of the exhibition, Vigen Galstyan speaks to EVN Report about how in the conceptualization of the temporary exhibit, it became clear how little scholarly research has been done on traditional Armenian costumes from a theoretical, political or social perspective.

Armenia’s tech sector is the fastest growing branch of Armenia’s economy. In post-war Armenia, expectations are even greater for the sector. Raffi Kassarjian, the Executive Director of the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE) talks about the challenges and potential, the role of the Diaspora and more.

Elections in Armenia have usually been marred by vote rigging, voter intimidation and use of administrative resources. Harout Manougian, EVN Report’s staff writer and an election systems expert, speaks about the different types and methods of rigging the vote, the mechanisms in place to mitigate them and the process on Election Day.

A newly released poll conducted by the Armenian Election Study (ArmES) reveals an electorate that is pessimistic and undecided. Director of the ArmES, Rafael Oganesyan and consultant on the poll Nerses Kopalyan present the nuts and bolts of the methodology, the questions and results.

One of the narratives in circulation during the highly polarized election campaign in Armenia is that some democratic values can and should be sacrificed for security. Anna Ohanyan, Richard B. Finnegan Distinguished Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Stonehill College in Massachusetts speaks about the importance of sustaining and building democratic institutions in post-war Armenia.

On the first day of the 2020 Artsakh War, the Government of Armenia submitted its first interim measure against Azerbaijan at the European Court of Human Rights. Since then, the Government has submitted other applications with regard to violations committed by both Azerbaijan and Turkey during and after the war. Yeghishe Kirakosyan, the Republic of Armenia’s Representative before the ECHR, speaks to EVN Report about the ongoing crisis with Armenian POWs and civilian captives, state-sponsored Armenophobia, destruction of monuments, historical revisionism and a global double standard.

Established to provide stable, equal compensation for fallen, missing and disabled soldiers and their families, the Insurance Foundation for Servicemen has already provided over 3700 families with compensation. Fundraising and Donor Relations Manager Sona Baghdasaryan talks about the foundation’s ongoing efforts and provides an accounting of their activities following the 2020 Artsakh War.