On February 10, the two-day training course titled “Academic Modules on Civil Society” was launched. It was organized within the framework of the component “Development of an Academic Module on Civil Society” of the “STRIVE for a Better Future: Resilient Communities and Civil Society in Armenia” program, which is co-funded by the European Union and implemented by the NGO Center Civil Society Development NGO.
The training aims to familiarize representatives of educational institutions with the processes of civil society formation, the role and impact of CSOs in Armenia, as well as the operational and programmatic models adopted by civil society organizations.
The opening of the training featured speeches by Bruno Montariol, Head of EU Programs; Arpine Baghdoyan, Head of the STRIVE Program and Director of the Armenia branch of the Near East Foundation; and Arpine Hakobyan, President of the NGO Center. They emphasized the importance of civil society and the necessity of integrating a CSO module within academic educational environments.
The first part of the course covered the history and importance of civil society formation. The topic was presented by Harutyun Vermishyan, Head of the Expert Group, who addressed the necessity of introducing the CSO module, the essence and development of civil society, its link to democracy, and its key roles.
In the second part of the day, Gor Petrosyan, a member of the expert group, presented the role and impact of CSOs in Armenia, highlighting their participation in public policy development and their potential contributions to poverty reduction and peacebuilding.
Tatevik Margaryan, a CSO field researcher and member of the expert group, spoke about CSO governance and public participation, emphasizing how these organizations engage in political processes.
Participants had the opportunity to analyze various models of CSO operations and their applicability in the Armenian context through group discussions.
The first day of the training concluded with a summary discussion, during which participants shared their opinions, asked questions, and received details about the upcoming session.
The second day of the training will continue with discussions on cooperation between civil society and government structures, as well as the private sector.
“Development of ‘Civil Society’ Academic Education Module” project is implemented by “NGO Center” Civil Society Development NGO, within the framework of “STRIVE for a better future: communities and civil society resilience in Armenia” project co-funded by the European Union and implemented by NEF Belgium in partnership with “Agate Rights Defence Center for Women with Disabilities” NGO, “BLEJAN ecological, social, business support” NGO, “Youth Cooperation Center of Dilijan” NGO and “WINNET Goris” Development Foundation