Dear community residents, community heads, members of councils of elders, local self-government staff and partners,
On behalf of NGO Center Civil Society Development NGO, we congratulate you on the Day of Formation of Local Self-Government Bodies.
This year the day is especially significant: it marks 30 years since 10 November 1996, when the first local self-government elections were held in Armenia. On that day, community residents chose for themselves, for the first time, those who would govern their community. Three decades later, local self-government remains the level of democracy closest to people – to their street, their courtyard and their everyday concerns.
Local self-government is not only about institutions. It begins with the citizen – the resident who attends a council session, proposes a project for their community, asks questions and demands answers, and volunteers for the common good. A strong community is built where citizens see themselves not as recipients of services, but as owners of their community and drivers of its development, and where local authorities are open to their voice, ideas and oversight.
This conviction lies at the heart of our mission. NGO Center is committed to fostering participatory democracy by strengthening both citizens and institutions. Our work in communities rests on one principle: giving residents the opportunity to bring their community’s ideas and projects to life, to influence community life, and to believe in their own strength and in the future of their community.
Since 1994, NGO Center has been working with communities in all regions of Armenia. We:
- support capacity development of local self-government bodies, community civic groups and organizations;
- promote civic engagement in communities, especially the participation of women and young people;
- introduce innovative approaches and mechanisms that encourage citizen participation;
- foster cooperation among local authorities, civil society, the media and the private sector;
- as the monitoring body of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Local initiative, make sure that the commitments made by communities are implemented in a transparent, accountable and participatory way.
Over these years, many communities, council members, community heads and, of course, active citizens have stood by our side, open to dialogue and joint work. Thank you for that trust.
We wish community heads and local self-government staff strength, wise decisions and the trust of their residents. To community residents, we wish that your voice is heard and your initiatives come to life.
Let us continue working together for communities where every person shapes the future of their community.
Respectfully,
NGO Center Civil Society Development NGO