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| Founder | Vartan Oskanian |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Armenia |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Legal status | Foundation |
| Headquarters | One Northern Avenue, Suite 30,Yerevan, Armenia |
| Location |
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Official language | Armenian, English |
| Website | civilitasfoundation |
40°11′01″N44°30′55″E / 40.183701°N 44.515191°E /40.183701; 44.515191The Civilitas Foundation (Armenian:Սիվիլիթաս հիմնադրամ) is anArmeniannon-profit organization based inYerevan,[1] and established in October 2008 by Armenia's formerMinister of Foreign Affairs,Vartan Oskanian.[2][3][4] It is adevelopment agency andthink tank currently directed byApo Boghigian[3] that works to strengthencivil society, promotedemocracy,economic development andeducation in Armenia, and facilitate dialogue between Armenia and theinternational community on a number of pertinent political issues. In doing so, Civilitas has strengthened the ties between Armenia and theArmenian Diaspora.
The name was derived from theLatin wordCivilitas.[5][6]
CivilNet, an onlinebilingualmedia outlet of the Civilitas Foundation, was launched by Oskanian on September 21, 2011.[3][4] Through CivilNet, the foundation produces content inArmenian andEnglish likeinterviews,articles and weekly wrap-upvideos, which focus on fundamentalhuman rights, Armenian democracy, regionalpeace and the Diaspora,[2][7] as well aspolitical,economic,social andcultural events inTurkey that are directly or indirectly related toArmenia-Turkey relations, also providing contextual background to the topics.[8]
CivilNet produced threefilms about the 1918Treaty of Batum, the 1920Treaty of Alexandropol, and the 1921Treaty of Moscow andTreaty of Kars respectively.[8]
CivilNet also produced the 2017documentary filmSurvival Songs: From West to East, an ethnographic collage showcasing stories and folk music of various Armenian communities formed after theemigrations fromWestern toEastern Armenia. Itsscreening on November 13 at the Armenian Embassy inRussia was organized by the initiative of Barev Cultural Club inMoscow.[9]
The Civilitas Council on International Relations advocatespeace and stability in theCaucasus through multifaceted dialogue and open discourse. It hosts monthly discussionforums which inform Armenia's opinion andpolicymaking process and the internationalacademic, political and media communities about Armenia'sforeign anddomestic policy choices, options and actions in the context of Armenia'snational security challenges. Through public and private discussions,research andpublications, the Council promotes the Armenian perspective internationally and domestically.[5][6][10][11]
Since its establishment, the Council has published annual reports on the state of Armenia up to 2013,[12] providing an in-depth analysis of Armenia's current political standing.[citation needed] Their first ever report,Armenia in 2008: Crisis and Opportunity, was published in 2008.[13][14]
The Council on International Relations organized[when?] the Neighbors About Each Other project with support fromUSAID, Eurasia Partnership Foundation and theHrant Dink Foundation. The project offered translations of articles from both theTurkish and Armenian press. Turkish articles about Armenia andArmenians were translated into the Armenian language and made available to Armenian publications, while Armenian articles about Turkey and theTurkish people were translated into the Turkish language and made available to Turkish publications. All articles were also translated into English for the benefit of the international community. The various translations were archived on the project's now-defunct website.[15]
The Democracy and Development Initiative of the Civilitas Foundation supports and promotesdemocratization in Armenia. Currently the initiative is focusing onrural development and education projects.[5][6][11][16][17][needs update]
The Civilitas Foundation initiates, executes and backs projects which facilitate, support sustainable, comprehensive and even development in Armenia'svillages, enabling villagers to live a self-reliant, dignified life in Armenia'sborder areas.[18] From small social and economic undertakings to largerinfrastructure projects, the Foundation works withdonors and implementers to assure an inclusive, comprehensive approach.[11]
The Rural Economic Facilitation Program's main initiative is theDairy Production Assistance Program, which sellscows andmilking machines to Armenianfarmers on amicrofinance loan basis, with 0%interest rate. The farmers pay back in full the price of the cow or milking machine within ten months, and that money is used to buy a new one for another farmer, thereby increasing the number of beneficiaries.[19][20][21]
The Libraries as Centers of Civil Society project supports and strengthenspublic libraries in a number ofrural andurban communities throughout Armenia, in order to transform them into true centers of community life providing a number of services to the population. With funds from theUS Embassy, the Civilitas Foundation is currently rebuilding 10 libraries in the Armenianprovinces and stocking them with newbooks in both Armenian and English.[22][23][24][25][26][needs update]
The Civilitas Generation Center was designed to support new approaches and solutions to Armenia'sgeographic,economic and experiential limitations. In keeping with its mission, the Generation Center has developed adatabase of existingNGOs in Armenia in the now-defunct websiteCivil.am,[27] which was updated with the aid of participating NGOs. The database served to introduce projects to people, help NGOs identify alternative sources of support, and link newinitiatives with existing experience.[28]
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