Tag: Maria Titizian

Dr. Nerses Kopalyan, author of the monthly series "EVN Security Report" talks about why establishing a Western pivot was crucial for Armenia to achieve an independent foreign policy and enhance its security capabilities. Kopalyan explains why this process involves pivoting first and only then adopting hedging strategies.

More than three decades after Armenia's independence, Canada finally opened its embassy in Yerevan. Canada's first resident Ambassador Andrew Turner, a career diplomat, speaks to EVN Report's Maria Titizian about the journey to establish an embassy and Canada's strong commitment to support Armenia's democracy and security.

EVN Report's Editor-in-Chief Maria Titizian speaks with Dr. Nerses Kopalyan, author of the monthly series "EVN Security Report" about regional dynamics in November that demonstrated acute developments on track to produce unanticipated realignments, altering Armenia’s security environment and enhancing its security and foreign policy diversification.

EVN Report's Editor-in-Chief Maria Titizian speaks with Dr. Nerses Kopalyan, author of the monthly series "EVN Security Report" about the objective of Armenia's Western pivot, which is neither ideational nor conceptually geopolitical but rather the need to rupture the entire logic of dependency and establish sustainable security independence for the Republic of Armenia.

Baku does not want to end the humanitarian catastrophe it precipitated by blockading the Lachin Corridor. Its intent is to ethnically cleanse Artsakh of its indigenous Armenian population that has lived and flourished on that land for millennia.

Fifteen soldiers died today in Armenia. Another three were wounded, two of whom are in critical condition. They were not killed by enemy fire. They were simply trying to stay warm.

Armenia's Human Rights Defender Kristinne Grigoryan speaks to EVN Report about the consequences of Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the violation of the rights of the people of Artsakh as a result of that blockade and the legal instruments that Armenia can and has implemented to counter the consequences.

There’s a sense of powerlessness among the Armenian people surrounded by two states—Azerbaijan and Turkey—whose sole intention appears to be our annihilation. But we are not powerless if we remain vigilant, rational and resolute.

This year, Azerbaijan, along with seven other countries, is under review by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in Geneva. Tamara Voskanian is the co-founder of the Center for Truth and Justice (CFTJ) and lawyer Talin Hitik is heading up the CFTJ’s delegation in Geneva, presenting the organization’s report based on primary evidence on Azerbaijan’s ongoing violations during the CERD hearing. They spoke to EVN Report about their ongoing efforts to bring to the world’s attention the crimes committed by Azerbaijan and the impact this will have on the Armenia v. Azerbaijan case at the International Court of Justice.

Today on Army Day, Armenian soldiers continue to protect our fragile borders in difficult and sometimes dismal conditions and now, more than ever, fundamental reforms of the Armed Forces is of paramount importance.

This is not a story about war. This is the story of what happens after the bullets, missiles, bombs and drones no longer fly through the autumn air. Maria Titizian recounts her journey to Artsakh last year, two days after the signing of the trilateral statement ending the war.

A complex set of issues is impacting water resources, from poor management to threats to water security in Armenia and Artsakh. EVN Report’s Maria Titizian spoke to Stepan Khachatryan, a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and water resources specialist, who is also supporting the coordination of the Kaps Reservoir, the largest industrial hydro-engineering project in Armenia.

After a bitter election campaign, three political forces are poised to enter parliament. What they do and how they behave will determine the future of the country.

A Military Trophy Park-Museum dedicated to Azerbaijan’s military victory over Artsakh was inaugurated in Baku. It is a gruesome display that includes hundreds of helmets of Armenian soldiers killed in battle and grossly exaggerated life-size figures of dead and dying captives.

Volunteers and mayors have been left to fend for themselves as Azerbaijani troops walk up to and past the edges of their border communities in an area that was never demarcated as an international border.

The defeat in Artsakh was a profound loss on multiple levels. The actions taken today, will impact the future of the Armenian nation.

For over a century, almost every generation has experienced a disruption of continuity, security and safety, resulting in a cycle of upheaval, writes Maria Titizian.

This year, there are no tourists, no airport pickups or tearful goodbyes, no late night phone calls or text messages asking where to find the best khorovats, writes Maria Titizian.

In Armenia, discussing mental health is too often associated with a sense of shame; however, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, mental health services should be an integral component of all government responses to COVID-19.

If you don’t believe that there is a pandemic, if you think it’s a hoax, if you refuse to follow simple safety rules then maybe when you need help, your luck will run out.

In a Chamber judgment, the ECHR has found Azerbaijan in violation of two articles of the European Convention on Human Rights in the gruesome 2004 murder of Lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan.

Labeling people we disagree with can have profound effects, it can also shut down any kind of intellectual debate, leading to greater polarization.

In this week’s “It Has To Be Said” editorial, Maria Titizian looks at how the glorification of aggressive male behavior and dominance in Armenian society has found its way into the corridors of parliament and elsewhere.

Over 90 percent of the world’s student population have seen their education interrupted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While education is the most visible issue, the impact on children cuts much deeper than is being recognized.

As Armenian Genocide commemorations were cancelled around the world, descendants of the survivors found alternative ways of remembering, honoring and demanding.

While many people are following regulations of social distancing and self-isolation, other processes continue unabated, creating a new normal.

The lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic has ripped the domestic gender gap wide open, laying bare the deep inequity that exists in most families.

In this week’s editorial, Maria Titizian writes that the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the vulnerability of workers in Armenia.

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.

Parallel to the coronavirus pandemic taking over the world, an infodemic is causing strain and impacting mental health. This week’s editorial, once again, looks at the role of every person inhabiting the earth.

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.

Six women of different generations and backgrounds sit down together and discuss the significance of International Women's Day marked around the world on March 8. And we all work at EVN Report.

In this week’s “It Has To Be Said” editorial, Maria Titizian reflects on the latest domestic violence case in Armenia that left a woman dead and her 13-year-old daughter fighting for her life.

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.

Architect and planner Sarhat Petrosyan, the former head of the State Cadastre Committee, speaks to EVN Report about the need for reforms in the current model of construction and urban development governance, transparency, corruption risks and more.

After a decades-long struggle by the Armenian-American community, the U.S. House of Representatives officially recognized the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Maria Titizian writes about the significance of this resolution for her and all Armenians, despite the motivations behind the vote.

When Turkey launched its military offensive in northeastern Syria, it triggered something in the minds and hearts and memories of many Armenians.

A special podcast series featuring ordinary people walking through the streets of Armenia’s capital city Yerevan. This week’s host is Maria Titizian, founding Editor of EVN Report and lecturer at the American University of Armenia.

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.

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.

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.

Is it possible to restore and rehabilitate Armenia’s judiciary? Vahe Grigoryan talks about the significance of a landmark judgment by the ECHR relating to the events of March 1, 2008 when security forces cracked down on peaceful protesters during post-election demonstrations leaving ten people dead.

It was in her sophomore year at university that Lilit Makunts realized that fighting for justice wasn’t simply a slogan. From her first involvement in a civic initiative to her foray into politics, Makunts has been ‘present’ all along, although perhaps slightly under the public radar. That is, until she was appointed as Armenia’s Minister of Culture on May 12.

A series of extraordinary events in early spring of 2018 that came to be known as the Velvet Revolution fundamentally changed Armenia’s political landscape. EVN Report’s Maria Titizian reflects on some of her personal experiences during those heady days.

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.

A perceived absence of agency has led to growing public indifference in Armenia. When those who do take a stand, regardless of their tactics, are left to stand alone, more questions than answers surface. From the recent sentencing of radical opposition activists, to sit-ins and hunger strikes Opera Square to continuing impunity, everyone seems to be forgetting to ask, why?

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.

City councillor Marina Khachatryan was attacked by a group of male colleagues when she attempted to hand a glass jar of raw sewage to Mayor Taron Margaryan to highlight the issue of seeping sewage in the Nubarashen district of the capital city.

Director Jivan Avetisyan of Tevanik and The Last Inhabitant talks about surviving the Spitak earthquake, the Karabakh War and the memories and experiences that have become the guiding force of his life and his films.

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.

Armenia’s parliament is set to discuss a bill on domestic violence that was significantly watered down after pressure from conservative groups and the ruling Republican Party. In this opinion piece, Maria Titizian ponders how a nation that reveres mothers and the traditional Armenian family can be divided on the necessity for such a law.

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.

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.

Azat Adamyan, a young entrepreneur from Karabakh (Artsakh) created a hiking club, volunteered during the April War, opened the first-ever pub in Stepanakert and now has his sights set on bigger plans. While he realizes the limits of his reality, his dreams are boundless.

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.

Photographer Scout Tufankjian has captured the essence of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) through her photos. One year after the April War, EVN Report is proud to present these images as a reminder that all children deserve to live in peace.

Political pundits will analyze the April 2 Parliamentary Elections for weeks and months to come. The results, however, were not surprising. What are the programs and policies that need to be implemented to prepare the country for the next election cycle?

Political pundits will analyze the April 2 Parliamentary Elections for weeks and months to come. The results, however, were not surprising. What are the programs and policies that need to be implemented to prepare the country for the next election cycle?

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.