Tag: Armenia’s

The number of COVID-19 cases in Armenia rises to 736; the Health and Labor Inspectorate provides updates and information about monitoring businesses and organizations; Parliament reallocates funds to the state budget for the prevention and treatment of patients and more.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Armenia rises to 663; the fifth COVID-19 patient dies; the Minister of Health compares the restructuring of Armenia’s healthcare system to combat the pandemic to wartime mobilization efforts; the government introduces the ninth assistance program providing support to families facing economic hardship and have children under 18 years of age and more.

In this Q&A with EVN Report, epidemiologist and expert in vaccine development Seth Berkley talks about efforts to find an effective vaccine and a global mechanism to make sure it is available to those who need it.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Armenia rises to 571; tighter restrictions on movement and self-isolation is extended to April 13; Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan clarifies bill on tracking mobile phone data; Ministry of Economy provides more information on financial assistance packages; a leaked photo of a field hospital raises tensions and more.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Armenia rises to 532; the Special Commission on the State of Emergency extends stricter restrictions for another ten days; parliament fails to pass a controversial bill that would track mobile phone data in the morning, and then in a last-minute session, forces the bill through in the first reading and more.

Economist Ani Avetisyan takes a closer look at the numbers behind the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parliament votes on controversial amendments to the Law on the State of Emergency and the Law on Electronic Communication; a special government session discusses three new financial assistance packages; the head of the Tourism Committee says the sector has been one of the hardest hit and much more.

As the world grapples with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the time will come when governments will have to implement a coordinated national response program, including Armenia.

The experience of combating the coronavirus pandemic in Armenia can and should serve as an important foundation to develop long-term and institutionalized mechanisms of crisis management with the support of Diasporan experts and professionals.

Educational institutions around the world are moving to online learning as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc. Narek Manukyan examines the Armenian education system’s preparedness for distance learning following the government’s announcement of a one-month state of emergency in the country.

Following the decision to declare a state of emergency on March 16, 2020, the Armenian government has set up the “Armenian Unified Infocenter” that will be updating the population about the regulations of the state of emergency.

What does it mean to leave behind friends, family, community and memories? The pain of loss and departure can be difficult to bear and sometimes impossible to talk about. Those emotions, however, sometimes find their way onto the pages of diaries.

This week’s “It Has To Be Said” editorial looks at the importance of social responsibility amid a pandemic that has rattled almost every country on the planet.

EVN Report will be providing regular updates from the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization and other reliable sources on the situation of COVID-19 in Armenia.

New national values and representations were being formed among Ottoman Armenians in the 19th century and the Woman's Question was an inseparable part of the formulation of a new national identity, Hasmik Khalapyan writes.

Armenia’s advancement in the tech and innovation space is only in its infancy. In order to take the next step, domestic financial markets need to be well-aligned and sophisticated enough to provide the best possible support and take Armenian entrepreneurship and innovation to the next level.

Toxic masculinity is not only an attack on femininity, it is also an attack on manliness, on the cultural precepts of Armenian society and it is an assault of ontological proportions, writes Nerses Kopalyan.

Our weekly editorial “It Has To Be Said” looks at one woman’s odyssey to obtain Armenian citizenship and the broader issue of an ineffective and counterproductive civil service.

This article dives into the international experience in the field of data retention policy to help inform the decision-making process in Armenia.

The 21st century has witnessed the rapid encroachment by capitalism on what is referred to as the “commons,” writes Sjur Papazian. He argues that surplus from mining in Armenia could be placed in a permanent fund for the benefit of all.

Lusine Sargsyan explains the history of the institution that is the subject of an upcoming referendum on April 5, 2020.

With no comprehensive environmental curriculum in Armenian schools, individual teachers and NGOs have taken it upon themselves to educate the youth about pressing environmental issues from climate change to recycling.

Is it possible to keep promising scientists in academia? With little state funding for academic research, many young people are choosing the higher salaries of the tech industry. However, YerevaNN, a computer science and mathematics research lab, is a beacon of hope.

Internet voting introduces major risks but it is used by a small group of people in Armenian elections.

Food waste is a serious global issue. Roughly one third of the food produced globally gets lost or wasted. In fact, most of it ends up in a landfill. What is Armenia doing to tackle this issue?

Armenia’s National Assembly voted to call a constitutional referendum yesterday, which, if passed, would dismiss seven of the nine judges currently sitting on the Constitutional Court.

Since Armenia’s independence, every head of government has shaped the country’s Constitution; Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has made it clear that he will not be an exception.

The government of Armenia has set the effective date for a ban on plastic bags to January 1, 2022. It is projected that the ban will reduce plastic waste by nearly 4000 tons annually.

Striving for gender equality in the labor market is essential to maximizing Armenia’s economic potential.

Armenians usually boast a 99 percent literacy rate. Different measures, however, reveal another story.

While the short-term crisis between Iran and the United States is over, the situation is far from stable, or certain, specifically due to the volatile domestic situation in Iran.

When a young woman was found strangled to death in Yerevan, some in Armenian society decided to give themselves the right to discuss what she must have done to deserve such a fate.

EVN Report takes a comprehensive look back on the events that shaped 2019, from high profile criminal cases to foreign relations.

Is Armenian society concerned about privacy or the protection of personal data? Samvel Martirosyan is doubtful.

Armenia’s minimum wage is set to increase in 2020. When setting the minimum wage, governments need to take a balanced and evidence-based approach that considers the needs of workers and their families on the one hand and economic factors on the other.

China’s revolutionary and controversial Belt and Road Initiative, meant to link East and West, has dipped its toes into Armenia.

A writer, resistance fighter, political prisoner and so much more. The life of Ellen Buzand (Yeghisabet Stamboltsian) is the stuff of legends. Her diaries and memoirs remain unpublished in the archives of the Yeghishe Charents Museum of Literature and Art.

This article takes a critical view of current developments in the agricultural sector focusing on political actors responsible for democratic governance and sustainable transition in Armenia’s food systems.

With car imports to Armenia doubling over the past year and a poorly organized public transportation network, there is permanent gridlock in the streets of the country’s capital. Yerevan’s municipality hopes to change all that.

Transitional Justice is a special form of justice, applied temporarily in countries where there have been massive abuses of human rights, usurption of power or genocide. It can also applied in countries like Armenia, where important political and social transition has taken place, where at the same time, there needs to be a break with the past.

With numbers expected to reach record peaks in 2020, Armenia’s current grassroots tourism industry stands in a formative transition period that could go many ways.

Protests erupted after a draft education reform agenda was publicized that sought to make Armenian language, literature and history courses optional in universities. However, there are a number of other proposed reforms that could potentially undermine the independence of universities that have been left out of the public discourse.

Sona Martirosyan writes about the personal struggles of Armenian families who are being deported from a number of EU countries back to their homeland.

A draft document penned by an independent government regulator has raised important questions about digital privacy. Though the proposal definitely has issues, the rumors it sparked are alarmist and exaggerated.

With mass institutionalization, lack of social programs and a society riddled with stigma against the mentally ill, there is often nowhere for them to go.

Western Armenia or Eastern Turkey? This 'lost homeland' has been a thorn in Turkey's side since 1923. The thorn reminds the Turks and the Kurds of a people who lived and thrived in Turkey, and who played an enormous role in the unfolding of Turkey's history, writes Paul Mirabile.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia’s agricultural sector has faced sustainability challenges. This article identifies shortcomings of previous and current agricultural policies and underscores the need for immediate action to address food insecurity, the effects of devastating poverty and rural exodus.

When we think about climate change, Armenia may not be the first country that comes to mind. But in fact, Armenia is among the countries in Europe and Central Asia that is most vulnerable to climate change.

The fertility rate in Armenia is 1.6 births per woman. This year, five regions in the country registered mortality rates higher than their birth rates. The largest spike was in Lori marz. Experts say that the demographic rates are alarming.

Global trends demand new requirements in education and labor markets. To remain competitive, a country has to embark on creating, developing and implementing innovation while focusing, more than ever, on the development of a knowledge-based economy and pushing research and development forward. How will Armenia fare?

Are you interested in purchasing a home in Yerevan? If so, Harout Manougian offers some invaluable information and advice and more importantly, tips on how to avoid the inevitable pitfalls in an unregulated real estate market.

Serious issues in the country’s mining sector is something this new government inherited from the former regime. Artur Grigoryan argues, however, that enough steps have not been taken to eradicate or even curb corruption in the sector.

What is medical waste and how should it be treated? Because of the cost involved in proper treatment, it is possible that potentially biohazardous waste is ending up in municipal dumps.

Breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer among women in Armenia. Cost and access to treatment, lack of awareness and cultural stigmas are some of the reasons. A new mammography program aims to address these issues.

Armenia is set to have a new National Security Strategy. The current strategy, adopted in January 2007, had all the necessary components, but was outdated and remained a largely superficial and declarative document as many of the defined values and principles were not fully respected or promoted.

The 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident was considered the worst nuclear disaster in history. It exposed hundreds of thousands of people to high levels of radiation, killing dozens and affecting millions across Europe. Experts from all over the Soviet Union were sent to “liquidate” the effects of the radiation. Among them were several thousand Armenians.

The Kotayk SOS Children’s Village was established in 1988 following the Spitak earthquake to offer immediate aid to those children who had lost their parents. Today, over 30 years later, SOS Children’s Villages continue to support children and their families in three locations across Armenia.

Armenia is slowly inching towards a model of universal healthcare where all citizens will be able to access quality healthcare without falling into financial hardship. While recent developments have definitively set Armenia on that path, much remains to be done to ensure that no one falls through the cracks.

Economist Ani Avetisyan looks at the recent decision by Armenia’s government to switch to a flat income tax system and argues that cutting tax rates is not an efficient tool for decreasing shadow economy if a country is institutionally underdeveloped.

Armenia’s Information and Communication Technologies sector has been steadily growing over the past decade. Tatev Mkrtumyan focuses on three spheres that will impact Armenian hi-tech industries and place it on the global tech map.

Environmental lawyer Artur Grigoryan writes that many countries, including Armenia, often protect the financial interests of mining companies and their shareholders more than the vital human rights of their own citizens.

Dismantling decades of prejudice and perceptions about people with disabilities is not an easy task. The inclusion of children with disabilities and special needs in public schools is not an exception, however, attitudes are slowly changing.

There is no honor in silence. There is no honor when the most vulnerable are subjected to horrifying crimes. Human rights defenders and first responders deal with these cases on a daily basis. Human rights defender Zara Hovhannisyan shares some of her experiences with those whose destinies have been shattered.

Almost a third of families living in rural Armenia are female-headed households, a UN Report in 2017 found. These households are more likely to be in extreme poverty than male-headed households. This film by Tsovinar Hakobyan and Joe Nerssessian focuses on the lives of five women from Syunik.

Over 5500 senior citizens in Armenia who are not eligible to receive a pension, are on welfare. They receive about $50 US per month. Armenia’s minimum food basket, according to the Ministry of Health stands at about $72 US per month. In this photo story, EVN Report tries to understand how these pensioners survive.

In the public discourse, sex is often seen as being diametrically opposed to almost everything - religion, love, traditional values, even the motherland. With this in mind, many will be shocked to hear that sex does exist in Armenia, Sona Martirosyan writes.

Should Armenia implement the tools of transitional justice? This White Paper, developed by Dr. Nerses Kopalyan is a comprehensive transitional justice agenda for the Republic of Armenia.

This year, more than 60 percent of submissions to the Golden Apricot Film Festival (GAIFF) feature women directors, while the global average of female directors is a dismal 7 percent. GAIFF has organically found itself in a situation many European film festivals and international organizations dream of being in, writes Karen Avetisyan.

Is it in the mutual interest of Armenia and the diaspora to build a stronger connection with one another? A recent study on Armenia-Diaspora relations sheds new light on perceptions, opportunities and possibilities, one of which might be the creation of a diaspora-portal as a web-based sorting database for establishing connections.

In 2018, the Armenian people were swept up in a nationwide movement that would come to be known as the Velvet Revolution. Photojournalist Eric Grigorian took thousands of photos, documenting and capturing images of ordinary people who came together to achieve the extraordinary. Through his own words, Grigorian tells the story of the revolution and the moments in-between.

Over a decade ago, Armenia’s government launched a pilot project called Deinstitutionalization of Orphanages. The initiative, which also sought the creation of a Foster Family program was not successful for many reasons, but mostly because it was never really child-centered. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is set to change that.

While rates of infertility have started to come down in Armenia, many couples do face the possibility of never having a child. Not being able to conceive rips some couples apart, while others become stronger as they search for alternative solutions.

In the first of a series of articles, Dr. Lucyann Kerry proposes ways to reconfigure, reconnect and reconstruct the flow of resources, money/capital and human agency/interaction to revitalize the country based on successful models.

Mining has a potential to play a significant role in Armenia, however current gaps in legislation and poor monitoring and assessment presents many risks.

The fake news phenomenon is not uniquely Armenian. It’s a global challenge, but when the stakes are so high following the Velvet Revolution, journalists need to rediscover their mission and have an honest discourse about their role in the state of the media landscape.

Alen Shadunts writes that being democratic should not be a party ideology; democracy is a pre-existing bedrock condition, not an agenda for a particular government.

Life is no longer about stopping to smell the roses, it’s more like a sprint to see who gets the most likes on social media platforms. There are those, however, who have decided to live their lives offline and measure their success by other criteria.

In Soviet Armenia, beyond the struggles of daily life, people were free to choose to be a part of the arts. But freedom in art was still limited. The situation changed after independence, there was freedom to be found in art but to choose art unreservedly, seemed ill-founded. Day-to-day struggles brought forth a dimension where the audience and the dancer were not connected.

Artistic Director of the Hover State Chamber Choir and first woman Rector of the Yerevan State Conservatory, Sona Hovhannisyan is a trailblazer who lives, exists and creates between sweeping times of change and transformation.

Public Radio of Yerevan, known as Radyoya Erîvané or Erivan Radyosu* beyond the Armenian-Turkish border, has left a mark in the memories of thousands of Kurds across the Middle East, Europe and the former Soviet republics. Throughout the years when Kurdish language and culture were banned in Turkey, Radio Yerevan served as a bridge between the Kurdish people and their culture.

When the Ministry of Diaspora was eliminated, many believed it went against the interests of the Armenian Diaspora. Nerses Kopalyan provides an alternative approach that alleviates bureaucratic bloating, enhances legislative efficiency offering the Diaspora a healthy dosage of political capital and a culture of reciprocity.

The second part of “Disregarded Health” addresses the lack of comprehensive sex education in Armenia and the problems young people face as a result of shaming and insufficient information.

Three decades after the catastrophic Spitak Earthquake, Hovhannes Nazaretyan takes a look back at how that tragedy was covered by one of America’s most prestigious newspapers.

The majority of Armenia’s passenger and cargo transportation travels through the strategic Georgian land road of Lars, which is prone to natural disasters and often crippled because of congestion.

This is a film about the Velvet Revolution, which took place in April-May of 2018 in Armenia from the perspective of Anna Hakobyan, the wife of Nikol Pashinyan, the man who led the nationwide movement that drastically changed the country's political landscape. The film portrays the personal side of Pashinyan’s political life and career.

After coming to power following the Velvet Revolution, acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made references on several occasions about direct democracy, saying that the highest power belongs directly to the people. What is direct democracy and can it be applied in Armenia?

Deepening already existing relations between Armenia and Georgia will only benefit the two countries, however, the potential for economic cooperation is not being realized to its fullest. Armenian and Georgian economists agree that political will is needed.

The divisive “black or white” tone of the political campaign is not lending itself to the very ideals that the Velvet Revolution promised - pluralism, choices, diversity and freedom. On Election Day, people should vote according to their conscience and preferences, not out of pressure to be with the “right” crowd.

Defining terrorism is the most ambiguous component in terrorism studies, writes Smbat Khachaturian. In light of the current geopolitical situation, the high level of terrorist threats in the region, as well as the transformation of terrorism itself, Armenia must precisely define terrorism and draft a new anti-terrorism law.

Was there just cause for the Velvet Revolution on substantive or procedural grounds? Dr. Simon Clarke applies a number of principles to the events that took place in Armenia earlier this year to determine whether the revolution was justified.

In the midst of a tremendous domestic transition, Armenia continues to navigate complicated global and regional relations and tensions, while also trying to maintain and strengthen relations with the European Union.

Another case of a woman being killed by her husband has forced Armenian society to speak once again about the one thing it doesn’t like to address - domestic violence.

While Armenia has participated in several international comparative educational assessments, and has designed national assessment tools, neither have been implemented properly. Today, more than ever, there is a great need to properly analyze existing data that can inform educational policy making and curriculum development.

A prominent Armenian Bolshevik activist and head of the Baku Commune Stepan Shahumyan’s ghost now wanders through his native Caucasus. Armenians have largely forgotten his century-old verbal attacks on nationalism and insistence on internationalist fraternity of peoples, yet his statues remain and streets, villages and towns are named after him in Armenia and Artsakh.

With snap parliamentary elections just a month away, there is a historic opportunity to set the foundations for a democratic state. While fair and free elections are critically important, they are only a first step. Armenia’s democratization must include making human rights the cornerstone and main guiding framework for policy making.

What are some of the challenges vegetarians and vegans face in a culture that loves its meat? Dietary social norms, culture and traditions in Armenia have made it difficult, but today, there is less and less need to excavate menus to find something to order.

Even after Armenia gained independence from the Soviet Union, it is still reliant on many Soviet-built (sometimes very poorly built) infrastructure that can prove to be dangerous to local communities, flora and fauna, as well as the country’s economy and national security.

Following the Velvet Revolution, Armenian society is faced with the challenge of reassessing its old values and creating a new value system and group identity, leaving the space open for manipulation and propaganda. Anna Pambukhchyan looks at the values and ideas often propagated as opinion-making mechanisms.

Artists giving up on art as a profession is not a new story, in fact it's as old as time itself. Young aspiring artists in Armenia also face insurmountable challenges, and while they may not be creating works of art, they continue to dream.

UNICEF Armenia recently held a conference discussing child abuse in Armenia, a topic that is often not talked about. Based on the Demographic and Health Survey conducted in almost 8000 households in the country, the numbers of children experiencing physical and psychological abuse are quite alarming.

Cross-border cooperation among environmental groups is imperative to ensure real environmental protection globally. Drawing examples from Armenia and Lebanon, Sophia Manukyan delves into the world of high-stake investments and assistance in heavy metal mining and waste management.

Departing U.S. Ambassador Richard M. Mills in an exclusive interview with EVN Report speaks candidly about his three and a half years in Armenia, the Velvet Revolution, Artsakh, the region and more.

In this first analytical piece for EVN Report, Yerevan-based psychiatrist Aram Hovsepyan writes about the struggles of people with mental health issues and their caregivers based on field research from his recent visit to the border communities in the Tavush region of Armenia.

First Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan sat down with EVN Report to talk about the challenges facing the new government as they prepare, among other things, to introduce reforms to the Electoral Code, make amendments to the Constitution to pave the way to snap elections and the potential introduction of transitional justice to deal with the sheer volume of corruption cases.

Norik Gasparyan, a journalist from Tbilisi writes about the differences and similarities of two revolutions that took place 15 years apart in the South Caucasus: the Rose Revolution in Georgia and the Velvet Revolution in Armenia.

A personal essay by Gayane Ghazaryan about a trip to Artsakh to see her brother for the first time after he left for his mandatory service in the army. A day her family had always known would come but was never fully ready for. Գայանե Ղազարյանը գրում է իր նորակոչիկ եղբորը առաջին անգամ Արցախում տեսակցության գնալու իր փորձառության մասին։ Մի օր, որին նրանք սպասել են, բայց այդպես էլ պատրաստ չեն եղել։

The Araratian Baccalaureate, a public-private partnership between the Armenian Government and Ayb Education Foundation launched under the previous administration, came under the spotlight when Education Minister Arayik Harutyunyan questioned the need for “elite” schools and the financial efficacy of the program.

Meet 16-year-old Liana Gyurjyan who made history becoming the youngest female weightlifter from Armenia in her weight category to win three gold medals in a single day.

Formulating the compatibility of transitional justice with Armenia's laws and constitutional statutes shouldn't be problematic, writes Nerses Kopalyan. However, the Pashinyan government, must go out of its way to make certain that the formation of any element of the instruments of transitional justice are fundamentally impartial, profoundly non-politicized, and unequivocally objective.

Education has the immense power to impact industries and the economy. Artashes Vardanyan writes about the need to transform the educational system to meet the needs of one particularly promising sector of Armenia's economy, the High-Tech industry.

Without social media and the press, the “Velvet Revolution” could have evolved completely differently. To some extent, what took place was in fact a media revolution. And now, post-revolution, we can register that the media landscape in Armenia is no longer what it was until April of this year. Samvel Martirosyan discusses some of the qualitative and quantitative changes in the Armenian media.

If we look at how many monuments have been erected in Yerevan and how many were dismantled, we’ll have an extensive overview of the political currents and ideological tendencies that swept through the country since independence. As per the list provided by Yerevan Municipality, 51 statues and busts were erected in Yerevan since 1991.

A tucked away city within a city, the district of Kond in Yerevan has a rich history and a promising future only if authorities undertake a large-scale restoration. What are the stories of Kond and what does the future hold for one of the oldest quarters in the country’s capital?

In this piece about mental health issues, Gayane Ghazaryan presents an overall picture of what struggles young people with mental disorders face in Armenia. By piecing together her personal experience with OCD, the stories of three young people and expert opinion, she presents the main factors that hinder the improvement of people’s mental health.

Nerses Kopalyan examines and debunks the arguments that the arrest and detention of Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan is politically motivated and that the basis of the arrest lacks cogent and substantive legal foundations. Kocharyan has been charged with “overthrowing constitutional order” regarding the events of March 1, 2008 that left ten people dead.

A sharp departure from the confinements of Soviet era filmmakers where any production had to be commissioned by the state and would remain under strict supervision, a 2003 law on mass media, forbids censorship in the Republic of Armenia. But in post-Soviet Armenia censorship has time and again found ways of meddling with cinema.

Nerses Kopalyan writes that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s declaration of war against the entrenched powers of the previous system is not simply a singular attack against corruption, but rather a broad multi-pronged strategy that envisions an ideational restructuring of Armenia’s political culture.

The essay attempts to offer several historical and pedagogical responses to the genocide of the Armenian people by suggesting a program on the study of the Middle Ages of Turkey, one that would entail the study of the three mediaeval epic tales that were forged during the Middle Ages on Anatolian soil.

The Amulsar gold mine, owned and operated by Lydian Armenia, is one of the most controversial projects in recent years in Armenia. Over the past weekend, activists from Yerevan and elsewhere traveled to the province of Vayots Dzor to raise awareness about the potential danger the mine poses to the environment.

In this second of a two-part series, Mikayel Zolyan looks at the external threats to the Armenian revolution. He writes that while security concerns continue to be real, the Armenian government and society need to make sure that the government system is well-functioning and ready to face external challenges.

In this first piece for EVN Report, Vicken Cheterian examines how Armenia-Diaspora relations will be impacted by dramatic changes in the country’s political landscape following the “Velvet Revolution” and whether it will be possible to revolutionize those relations.

Policies of previous administrations were not shaped by ideology, but rather, by a drive to consolidate illegitimate power through patronalistic politics. Nerses Kopalyan argues that the political ideology of Nikol Pahsinyan’s new government is aggressive centrism.

Political analyst Armen Grigoryan writes that negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the Artsakh conflict have hit a wall and resulted in escalations on the frontline bolstering Azerbaijan's inclination towards a military solution to the conflict.

In the first of a two-part series, Mikayel Zolyan looks as the internal threats facing Armenia’s new government following the Velvet Revolution - the continued resistance of the remains of the ancien régime and potential radicals within the revolutionary camp.

Arpine Haroyan looks back at how an avant-garde art movement called Futurism impacted the work of a number of young Armenian intellectuals in Constantinople, Tbilisi and Yerevan at the turn of the 20th century.

The traditional cautionary question is often heard in Armenia: “How is it possible, in this state of war, to entrust governance to inexperienced people?” Suren Manukyan looks at the question of youth over the four waves of Armenia’s political elite starting from the Karabakh Movement.

In his first piece for EVN Report. Alen Amirkhanian writes about the current state of the mining industry in Armenia. He argues that mining governance, from decision-making process on granting mining licenses, monitoring performance to ensuring compliance with laws and standards, is defective and in need of determined reform.

After centuries of being stateless, Armenia declared independence on May 28, 1918. Institutions needed to be built from the ground up including the creation of the symbols of statehood. Here are the stories behind those national symbols as remembered by the First Republic's last Prime Minister Simon Vratsian.

As a participant and observer in every protest starting with the Karabakh Movement in 1988, Lusine Hovhannisyan writes that while Nikol Pashinyan gifted Armenians victory in 2018, the people now find themselves nervous about every decision, every appointment, every opinion being expressed.

Visual artist Ruben Malayan’s poster art that he created during the Velvet Revolution in Armenia is a fusion of his passion for calligraphy and the momentous events sweeping across the country.

Vahram Ter-Matevosyan writes about the political crisis that has gripped Armenia for three weeks now. He looks back at the special session of parliament that took place yesterday, which failed to elect a prime minister and explains why the Republicans would have served Armenia better if they had treated the matter with velvet gloves instead of an iron fist.

In this new piece, Mikayel Zolyan writes about the similarities and differences between the 1988 Karabakh Movement and the 2018 Velvet Revolution - what it meant for people then and now and lessons to be learned.

One of the most effective ways for authorities to control freedom of speech is to adopt and implement laws and other legal mechanisms that try to curb the work of the media. Shushan Doydoyan takes a looks at recent amendments in the RA law that have served this purpose.

Today, former president Serzh Sargsyan became Armenia's new prime minister. Dr. Nerses Kopalyan outlines Sargsyan's achievements over the ten years as president. He writes: "The most vital complexity of Sargsyan becoming PM is that it not only reinforces, but also justifies the de-moralization of the Armenian citizen."

As Armenia's parliament elected Serzh Sargsyan as Armenia's prime minister today and as tens of thousands gathered in Republic Square in protest - here is a look back on the events of the last 48 hours through the lens of photojournalist Eric Grigorian.

While parliament prepares to elect the country’s new prime minister on April 17, thousands of Armenians poured out into the streets of the capital, exercising acts of civil disobedience. Clashes with security forces led to dozens of injuries. A recap of the day’s events.

Demonstrators led by Nikol Pashinyan, leader of the Civil Contract party, have shut down a major square in Yerevan, paralyzing the downtown core of the capital to protest former President Serzh Sargsyan’s candidacy for the office of prime minister.

For decades, production of historical texts in Armenia was in the tight grip of Soviet state ideology. Post-independence, some topics previously repressed or omitted found their way back into Armenian history textbooks, however “memory gaps” remain.

President Serzh Sargsyan’s second and final term in office ends on April 9. It is almost certain that he will be elected as the country’s new prime minister thereby prolonging his power. EVN Report looks back at the Constitutional amendments that led to this situation and a new military-patriotic educational doctrine that is set to pass in parliament.

In an exclusive interview with EVN Report’s contributor Varak Ketsemanian, Alexander Balistreri of the University of Basel reflects on some of the larger historical and historiographical problems pertinent to the region around Kars a century ago and sheds light on the political and military developments that shaped the policies of the Armenian government and the larger regional powers.

Ineffective governance and institutional corruption are among the factors preventing Armenia from getting on a track to sustainable development. Yeghia Tashjian writes that since politics is the determinant force of economic institutions, any positive change in political institutions will reflect positively on Armenia’s economic development.

As the world becomes increasingly connected, states are adopting national strategies to protect themselves against cybersecurity breaches. This article outlines the ongoing debate around the terms ‘information security’ and ‘cybersecurity’ and examines global developments, as well as, Armenia’s institutional and policy advancements.

Is corruption inherent to the post-Soviet Armenian political culture, and if so, does this make the political culture of Armenia incompatible with democratic values? Dr. Nerses Kopalyan examines how conflictual matters that should be resolved in the public sphere are almost always resolved within the cultural rules of the private sphere.

On March 1, 2008, police units move in to put an end to ongoing protests disputing the results of the February 19, Presidential Elections in Armenia. In the aftermath ten people are dead, hundreds were injured. The reality before and after March 1st as seen through the lenses of the members of the 4Plus photo collective.

Since the beginning of the year, decisions to bar reporters from government sessions and Yerevan City Council meetings along with threats to a reporter are raising concerns of a slow but steady suppression of the media.

Under the old governance system the president was the most powerful figure in Armenia. But if the prime minister is going to replace the president as the leader of the executive branch of government, what is the role of the president? In this opinion piece for EVN Report Jenny Paturyan explores the scenarios.

Dr. Nerses Kopalyan takes a look at the role some of the most powerful Diasporan organizations have played in “reinforcing and indirectly legitimating the country’s existing political system” and draws parallels between the relationship of Armenia’s ruling administrations and their politics of co-opting the powers of the Diaspora.

A close look at cyber operations against Armenian state and non-state institutions, as well as individuals highlights a number of well known cases behind which are state-sponsored hacker groups or even state structures themselves. Samvel Martirosyan writes about how Armenia, in recent years, has become a subject of interest in almost all major cyber investigations.

Over the course of the next two years, 20,000 13-year-old girls in Armenia are to receive the HPV vaccine free of charge before the Ministry of Health makes a decision for permanent implementation of the vaccine into the national plan.

Women have been breaking stereotypes and crashing through glass ceilings, yet equity, diversity and inclusivity have not yet been fully realized. Armenian women in the film industry are beginning to change the narrative.

How we treat the most vulnerable in our society is a reflection of ourselves. December 10 is Human Rights Day – the day the UN General Assembly, in 1948, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this essay, Maria Titizian writes about dignity and how certain politicians view the condition of Armenia's poverty-stricken.

When a massive earthquake rocked northern Armenia in 1988, EVN Report’s Vahram Ter-Matevosyan was a fifth grade student in Gyumri. In this personal essay, he recounts his experience of being trapped beneath the ruins of his school for 18 harrowing hours.

The new Armenia-EU agreement can be considered a milestone in the history of modern Armenia and in Armenia-EU relations but how does it change the context of Armenia-Russia relations? And what does it mean for Armenia- from the future of the Nuclear Power Plant to rebranding the Armenian cognac?

Fish farms that showed up in the Ararat Valley in the early 2000s, as part of a development and poverty reduction program, have devastated the valley and Armenia’s second largest water basin. Now the state is trying to salvage the main hub of Armenia's agriculture and the strategically important water basin from desertification; trying to refill a bottomless well drop by drop.

Today, the demand for increased agricultural productivity to ensure food security, the use of genetically engineered crops and powerful conglomerates that control most of the world’s seed industry like Monsanto are threatening the lives and livelihoods of small farmers all over the world. This contentious global debate has now found its way to Armenia. EVN Report investigates.

There are protests on the streets of Yerevan again. This time it is a student protest against a controversial bill on mandatory military service. One of the most powerful student protest movements in Armenia was in 2004 and ironically, some participants of these earlier protests are today themselves pushing for the abolishment of draft deferment for university students from ARP ranks.

Women are entering the technology sector in Armenia in growing numbers. Most argue that entry barriers are almost non-existent and today there are equal opportunities for men and women to make their mark in the fast-paced and fast-growing industry. EVN Report profiles the women of PicsArt, who are helping the company expand its reach in leadership positions.

On October 30, 2017 the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway better known as the Akhalkalak-Kars Railway, became operational. The Akhalkalak Terminal, is only 30 kilometers from Armenia’s border. What does this mean for Armenia and for the Armenians of Javakhk? Vahram Ter Matevosyan takes a closer look at the implications and prospects for Armenia.

EVN Report's contributor Kristen Anais Bayrakdarian, takes an exhaustive look at the travel and tourism sector in Armenia, including the need for investments in environmental sustainability and developing tourism infrastructure.

Armenia is set to sign a new accord with the European Union in November of this year. Hailed as a new step forward in bilateral relations, the sides remain cautiously optimistic that the signing will go ahead as planned. EVN Report’s new contributor Kristine Gasparyan takes a look back at EU-Armenia relations over the last several years.

In this article, Varak Ketsemanian reflects on the possibilities of integrating the ARF archives on the First Republic into the larger political debate. Thus, he argues for the need of a critical and constructive re-assessment of this historical period in the nation's recent history, as a way to contribute to a long-term political convergence.

Last week, Gyumri was in the national spotlight because of strikes and student demonstrations. At the heart of the matter was the Shirak State University, the rector and the merging of politics and education.

While contemporary Armenian writers are searching for a new language of expression, Arevik Ashkharoyan, a literary agent, has taken on the task of bringing their voices to a global audience. In this first essay for EVN Report, Ashkharoyan writes about the challenges of representing a book that many believe is about the army but in fact is a metaphor for a repressed society.

Even as “Global Armenians” seem to be thriving around the world, they don’t appear to be thriving in the Republic of Armenia. Global Armenians, like the ocean-crisscrossing Armenian merchants of the 16th-18th centuries, contributed to vibrant Armenian communities around the globe, “preserving a nation is not the same as preserving a community,” writes Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian.

Choir in the Dark is the first chapter of photographer Davit Nersisyan’s ongoing, larger body of work about the visually impaired in Armenia. A visual exploration of the persistence of a choir where most members are visually impaired.

There is little doubt that in the collective consciousness of the Armenian nation, the family is one of the most important institutions. But how does this notion manifest itself in a modern societal setting, impact gender roles and individual decision-making? Maria Titizian takes a look at the findings of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation's Independence Generation Youth Study - 2016.

Grand Hotel Yerevan was not only the first large-scale public building constructed in Yerevan, it also played a significant role in the cultural renaissance of the capital city. Arpine Haroyan weaves together the fascinating history of the landmark hotel through the voices of its illustrious residents.

In this new essay for EVN Report, Varak Ketsemanian argues that one of the reasons Armenians have failed to come up with a palatable “national brand” lies in the absence of common political premises (beyond the Genocide and Artsakh) upon which collaborative platforms may be created in the Diaspora, but more importantly, in the Republic of Armenia.

The favorable IT climate in Armenia is the reason for the recent software boom.There are more than 450 IT companies, which are employing more than 10 thousand software developers and engineers. Around two thirds of Armenian IT output is exported to over 20 countries. So what is standing between Armenia and its dream of building a "Silicon Mountain"?

At the height of the Erebuni siege last year by the Daredevils of Sassoun, a group of journalists were allowed into the compound. "Misplaced Fear" is a journalistic and a photographic essay by Roubina Margossian, who was working for CivilNet at the time and provides an inside view of the events that day and also reflects on developments of the past year.

In this photo essay, Roubina Margossian discovers a gem near the neighborhood where she grew up in Beirut. The Kohar Library, established by the Khatchadourian brothers, who founded the Kohar Symphony based out of Gyumri, houses thousands of books related to Armenian music and so much more.

Ten residents of Sari Tagh, a neighborhood in the Erebuni district in Yerevan where a group of armed men calling themselves the Daredevils of Sassoun seized a police station last summer, continue to remain in pre-trial detention after confrontation with security forces 10 months ago. Their families are now fighting for their release.

What is New Music and why is it not thriving in Armenia? According to composer and musician Artur Avanesov, New Music is a vibrant conglomerate of ideas and solutions, a vast network of communications, pretty much like a modern metropolis; it pushes boundaries and is a search for new sounds and forms.

An entire generation of Azerbaijanis has grown up in an atmosphere of hate against the Armenians. State-sponsored Armenophobia has penetrated all spheres of Azerbaijani society. Political Scientist Anzhela Elibegova examines the causes and effects of that policy.

The engine to a developed economy is the competitiveness of local businesses, because they are the building blocks of the economy and the country’s development. It is time for Armenia’s economy to advance to the next level of efficiency and each company has a unique role to play in this regard, writes Sona Grigoryan.

Varak Ketsemanian presents a critical analysis of Sona B. Dadoyan’s work, “2015, The Armenian Condition in Hindsight and Foresight: A Discourse,” a timely and critical piece of scholarship that sheds light on the intellectual crisis of the 21st century Armenian reality.

"Why Nations Fail" and why is Armenia's economy failing - Armen Grigoryan's case-study of Acemoglu's and Robinson's economic theories and their implications in Armenia's economy and politics.

A member of parliament for the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and owner of the SAS Supermarket chain, Artak Sargsyan is at the heart of a new scandal. In an audio recording, a representative of Sargsyan speaks to SAS employees where he threatens to fire all those who do not present lists of potential voters for the RPA.

The 2017 "Nations in Transit: The False Promise of Populism" a project of Freedom House was released yesterday. Among the 29 former communist countries included in this report, Armenia is ranked 21st and considered to be Semi-Consolidated Authoritarian Regime.

Security expert Samvel Martirosyan writes that Armenia and Azerbaijan are not only waging war on the battlefield but in the media, through social networks, on academic platforms - all platforms where it is possible to disseminate information and propaganda.

The absence of political and ideological discourse in Armenian election campaigns is not unusual per se, but this time around with nine political parties and blocs running for a minimum of 101 seats, it seems the promises aren’t about policy positions.

Following the parliamentary election on April 2, the Republic of Armenia is set to transition from a presidential to a parliamentary system of governance. There has been much public discourse about the differences and implications of each

After more than 25 years of independence, what can the role of the Armenian Republic be in shaping a discourse that would speak of Armenia in terms of a “homeland” and a genuine state?

Arto Vaun writes about the passing of Artur Sargsyan, the man who broke through heavy police barricades to deliver food to the Sasna Dzrer and in doing so, became something of a legend.