On May 24-26, at “Arthur’s Aghveran Resort”, Yerevan Press Club held a seminar on “Promoting cooperation between ‘traditional’ civil society organizations and non-formal advocacy groups”. The event was organized with the support of German Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
The seminar participants discussed the possible paths of mutual cooperation under the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum. YPC President Boris Navasardian, who is equally the Co-Chairman of the EaP CSF Steering Committee and the Armenian National Coordinator, elaborated on the activities of the Civil Society Forum. Artur Ghazinian, Head of the European Studies Center of Yerevan State University, talked about the overall EU Eastern Partnership policy and its implementation process in the EaP countries. Armen Ghalumian, Director of the Civil Development and Partnership Foundation, presented the current issues of the development of Armenian civil society. The report of Suren Saghatelian, Board member of Transparency International-Armenia Anti-Corruption Center and coordinator of the TI Armenia election monitoring group, dealt with the role of local observers in the Armenian presidential, parliamentary and Yerevan municipal elections in 2012-2013. Civic activist Olya Azatian spoke about non-formal civic activism as a new phenomenon in the development of Armenia’s civil society. In the end, the seminar participants debated on the opportunities for cooperation between EaP CSF Armenian National Platform and non-formal advocacy groups.
