Eurasia Partnership Foundation Armenia

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EPF: Past and Future Yerevan, 2009

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Page 1: Eurasia Partnership Foundation Armenia

EPF:Past and Future

Yerevan, 2009

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History1992

Eurasia Foundation (EF) is founded and incorporated as a non-profit in

Washington, DC.

1993

First grants from Washington, DC office benefiting local organizations.

1995

Offices in Armenia and Georgia begin operations.

1997

Azerbaijan office opens. Bill Maines as a key figure

1998

South Caucasus Cooperation Program SCCP is established to increase

cooperation between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

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History cont’d2002

With funding from Carnegie Corporation of New York, EF establishes the Caucasus Research Resource Centers CRRC

2007

Eurasia Partnership Foundation EPF is launched

Eurasia Foundation Network is established

2008

EPF Armenia becomes a leader in Armenia-Turkey civil society confidence

building work. Co-funded by Norway

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To empower people to effect change through hands-on programs, helping them to improve their communities and their lives.

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Equip. Enable. Empower.

From the time of its establishment until the registration of EPF as local foundation in 2007,

EF invested nearly $70 million in the South Caucasus

more than 1,700 grants

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GIND Printing House 1997 A profitable company responsible for 50 percent of

the newspapers circulated in Armenia. It has effectively

introduced competition to the newspaper printing

market in the country

EF purchased a four-color printing press

By 2005, GIND repaid the loan $350,000 to EF

Cafesjian Family Foundation donated additional

pre press equipment and software, and a computer-

to-plate system through EF to Gind

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Izmirlian-Eurasia Universal Credit

1995 Small Business Loan Program launched

1999 Additional funding from Izmirlian Foundation

2004 Eurasia and Izmirlian Foundations established Izmirlian Eurasia Universal Credit Organization UCO to provide medium term financing directly to small businesses

In its first two months of existence UCO approved loans to 10 businesses for a total of $580,000

July, 2004 Central Bank of Armenia issued a credit organization license

August, 2004 UCO had disbursed $10.4 million to 294 businesses.

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Innovator, Project Piloting1. Municipal Information Analytical Centers (EF) LG (USAID)

In 1997 EF funded 2 pilot projects to Ashtarak and Charentsavan Municipalities

Goal: To establish a municipal database system to facilitate decision-making and public service.

After these two pilots USAID announced competition to create MIAC’s all over Armenia

Currently MIAC’s are established and functioning in 19 municipalities of Armenia.

2. Creation and Support to Business Associations (EF) CAPS (USAID) Seed grants (up to $3,000) to establish Business Associations Starter grants (up to $7,000) to start up activities Development grants (up to $35,000) to develop institutional capacities of BA Spheres: Tourism, IT, Transportation and Freight forwarding, Winemaking, Flour

producing, Book publishing, UMBA, Honey producing, Herbal tea producing, Building and Construction

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EPF GovernanceHorton Beebe-Center Eurasia Foundation Director

Dieter Boden Ambassador

Andrew Coxshall KPMG Tbilisi

Sabine Freizer International Crisis Group Europe Director Brussels

David Lawrence Lee MagtiCom Tbilisi

Danielle del Marmol Ambassador ret. istanbul

Daniel Matthews Baker and McKenzie Baku

Margaret Richardson IRS Commissioner ret.

Mary Sheehan International Organization for Migration Tbilisi

Roy Southworth World Bank Tbilisi ret.

Daniel Tarschys President of Council of Europe ret.

Kenneth Yalowitz Ambassador ret.

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EF Network

 

Since 1993 Eurasia Foundation and the network invested $365 million

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EF NetworkNovaya Evrazia Foundation organized the

meeting of President Obama with Civil Society in Russia

Expansion of Youth Bank project through Network Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia,

Kirgizistan, Kazakhstan

Eastern Partnership: Towards Civil Society Forum, Prague, May 09: Policy Recommendations Developed

Corporate Social Invetsment Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine

“Through the work

that you do, you underscore what

I believe is a

fundamental truth in the 21st century: that

strong, vibrant nations include strong, vibrant civil societies.”

President Barack Obama speaking at Civil Society Summit in Moscow.

July 7, 2009

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Newspaper Distribution Network 2006 Alternative distribution in 7 regions Shirak, Lori, Kotayk,

Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Tavush. 2 suburbs South-West Block and Nork Block in Yerevan

Successful campaign against the

adoption of a Law on Post and Postal

Services 14 Dec., 2004. The Law would

have required distribution agencies to

file for a license for $15,000 and to be

subjected to regular monitoring by the state

Blitz Media initiated creation of an association of distributors in Armenia

Still a long way to go…

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Regional Media 2007

‘Banugorts’added

Community

Development

function to its website

and became the

major source for

regional information

‘Shrjapat’

Publishes thematic national inserts

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Regional Media 2007

25 regional newspapers

empowered in

management,

advertisement, design,

editing, journalism

and photojournalism.

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Regional Media 2007

3 newspaper websites created and sustained ‘Banugorts’ ,‘Syunyats Yerkir’ in Syunik ‘Shrjapat’ in Shirak

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Anticorruption 2008 Series of talk shows on corruption

in army education healthcare

elections Lori TV

Weekly reports on municipal

transparency Hetkh. Publication of

municipal agenda/decisions/budgets

on the visible place before the municipalities 12 cases

Freedom of Information law Implementation campaign: overwhelming municipalities and state agencies with information requests Asparez in Gyumri and FOICA.

Driving license transparency reform Achilles. License exams in transparent halls with glass walls with NGO monitoring. Complaints through the Achilles hot line decreased to “0” by January 2009.

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Anticorruption 2008Lessons learned

Focus on procurement procedures by local government

Address the lack of competent and motivated information officers,

coupled with a lack of public awareness about their right for freedom of

information

Increase the “legal conscience” of the public

by promoting wider access to court

decisions, publication of success stories

and best practices

The public should be better educated on

means of recourse and appeal for victims

of corruption

Close cooperation between civil society and Ombudsman in

addressing public complaints

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EPF Armenia 2007-2008

1. Armenia-Turkey cross-border

2. Migration

3. Anticorruption UNDEF

4. Regional Print Media

5. CSI Corporate Social Investment

6. Youth Bank

7. CRRC Caucasus Resource Research Centers

8. DOC Development of Organizational Capacities

9. RCCD Resource Centers for Community Development

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EPF Armenia 2008-2009

1. Crossing Borders

Armenia-Turkey

Armenia-Azerbaijan

Migration

2. Youth Bank

3. Media & Anti-Corruption

4. CSI

5. CRRC

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EPF Armenia 2009-2010

Crossing Borders

Armenia-Turkey

Armenia-Azerbaijan

Migration

Europe

Public Participation

Freedom of Expression

Youth Leadership

Research

CRRC

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EPF Armenia Advisors

Nouneh Sarkissyan, Internews Armenia

Artashes Terzyan, Investment Banker

Margarit Piliposyan, Fund for Armenian Relief

Ara Hamazaspyan, Izmirlian Foundation

Eliza Minasyan, Jinishian Memorial Fund

David Hovhanissyan, Center of Civilization and Cultural Studies

Richard Giragosian, Armenian Center for National and International Studies

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Youth Bank 500 proposals

21 projects implemented

47 projects in the pipeline

50 villages benefitted

250 young people involved in

community projects

$25 000 USD fundraised with

Jinishyan Memorial Fund

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Youth Bank

Decision-makers from disadvantaged

communities Empowered to decide which projects to support Respected in their communities Leaders

They: Don’t want to leave Learn the responsibility of

decision-making and grant-making Care for the community’s development rather than only for their own

career

Other communities, donors and young people are

‘infected’ with this format of work

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Youth Bank

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Migrants 2008

Trip Number of unsuccessful migrants

USD Number of successful migrants

Minimum Maximum Mean (USD)

First 23 (8%) 0 254 (92%) 100 17000 1921

Last 13 (6%) 0 196 (94%) 7 12000 2802

Trip Number of unsuccessful migrants

USD Number of successful migrants

Minimum Maximum Mean (USD)

First 33 (11%) 0 247 (89%) 10 1000 270

Last 17 (7%) 0 192 (93%) 20 1000 345

Remittances sent per migrant family

Savings brought back per migrant family

95% of seasonal labor migrants sent remittances to only one household.

On average the frequency of sending remittances is every 4-6 months.

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Armenian Migrants in Turkey 95% of all the illegal Armenian workers in Turkey are women workers;

most of the Armenian immigrant men don’t work and come to Turkey to

stay with their wives and keep them safe.

Both Turkish and Armenian people think that the moral values of Turkish

and Armenian people are similar. The behavior of Turkish men vis-a-vis

Armenian and Russian immigrant women differ.

Schoolchildren with Armenian citizenship cannot go to school.

Turkish schools admit only children of legally residing parents or citizens.

There are special schools for diplomats but those are very expensive

When a child of an illegal Armenian couple is born

in Turkey, the parents can’t apply for the citizenship

for their child. They can’t go back to Armenia, so the

child cannot receive an Armenian passport either.

They were full of mistrust to Turks

before they came to Turkey. Their attitudes

drastically change shortly after they arrive.

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Armenian-Turkish Program

An assessment of best practices in Armenian-Turkish Track Two Diplomacy

initiatives by ICHD

Two researches on consequences of a border opening on the Armenian and

Turkish economies and the capacities of local government authorities to respond to a border opening by AIPRG.

Dialogue between the analytical communities of the two countries on issues of mutual concern including European integration and global/regional challenges and threats.

Improving mutual media coverage of issues pertinent to the whole range of Armenian-Turkish relationships.

Increasing the amount of accurate and unbiased reporting of the bilateral relationship between Armenia and Turkey

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Kardes Turkuler concert in Yerevan December 2008

100 people from Turkey arrived,

more than for Football Game

900 people attended the concert which

shows the multiethnic culture of Turkey

Turkish Film Makers at Golden Apricot

and Turkish-Armenian

Filmmakers Forum

negotiated 8 project ideas

which they are looking for funding

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Armenia-Azerbaijan Media Bias Reduction

Journalists transparently recruited from all regions

20 from each country

Media monitoring and analysis

Training on conflict sensitive reporting

Confidence-building workshop in Tbilisi March 2009

Major areas for future

bi-lateral cooperation: Bi-lateral news web-site 2 bi-lateral documentaries

about the victims of the

conflict, and a series of bi-lateral articles

about the conflict and the

adjacent topics.

Report on public attitude toward and trust in media

... Ongoing

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Europe ProgramLose Coalition

Discussing Armenia-Europe relations,

Promoting discourse on the European dimension, aiming at full communication and cooperation between EU, Armenian Government, and European and Armenian civil society in light of the values and spirit of Eastern Partnership.

PartnersEPF

Armenian Center for National and International

Studies

Center of Civilization and Cultural Studies

Yerevan Press Club

Open Society Institute

Transparency International

International Center for Human Development

Manual To introduce basic information about the EU and Armenia-EU relations to children and general public in the provinces

Improving the process of the reform in higher educational system in Armenia in light of the EaP and the Bologna process with Yerevan State Linguistics University

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Hetq Investigative Journalists

The “Global Shining Light Award”,

Lillehammer, Norway, 11-14

September, 2008

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CRRC Data Initiative

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Research on Freedom of Expression and Censorship

FoE is defined as an absence of fear, psychological pressure, or punishment

FoE is valued when there are certain restrictions on it

FoE is equated to the ineffectiveness and lack of success of speech and actions in personal lives

FoE is perceived as a “fairy tale” which never occurs in real life

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Article 27 Talk Show

6 films produced

3 films acquired internationally

8 talk shows run

1 film banned

Shows repeated via Hamaspyur network on regional TVs

3000 viewership per broadcast, total 5,000 TV clicks only in Yerevan, detailed viewership distribution available

Research on FoE produced

A package to teach a FoE course negotiated with Bryusov University

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Freedom of ExpressionChecking and challenging the boundaries of

what is ‘acceptable’ to be discussed on TV

Giving a chance to ‘opposition’ film-makers to

express themselves

New faces and new talking heads on TV

Targeting the issues of corruption; tradition;

democratic values; government’s irresponsibility

Service to the Government: Armenia is not as

closed a society as it may seem

Making people learn how to be protagonists

and entrepreneurs of FoE

Engaging entire Armenia in public discussions via feedback and Hamaspyur

Attuned to the need of reacting to possible draconian changes in the law—in coalition

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Funding

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Programs vs Funding

0

2

4

6

8

10

20072008

20092010

(planned)

# of Programs

Funding Level (mln USD)

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Programs 2009-2010Crossing Borders

•Work with migrants and returnees•Promote normal relations with neighboring countries

Public Participation

•Youth Through Youth bank, EPF Armenia supports youth leadership locally and also engages in

youth leadership across regional borders

•MediaEPF Armenia supports public participation via media

Research

•CRRC Armenia provides background research for EPF Armenia programs & policies•EPF works with CRRC Armenia to set its research agenda

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IMPACT

??!!

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New StrategyThe only South Caucasus entity with united strategy and collegial offices in

Yerevan, (Tbilisi) and Baku

Gap analysis

Flexibility

Evidence-based

Innovation

Standards of excellence

Thought Leadership

Expanding funding base

Transparency in grantmaking

Attuned to the needs of Armenia and the larger region

Conduit between local and international values

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Constantly Innovating Methods

1. Strategic PartnershipsEurope Program Turkey Program

Media Program Armenia-Azerbaijan Program

2. Impact: Visible and Invisible

3. Social Capital and NetworksTargeting leaders with institutional capacity rather than institutions

4. Externalities sometimes more important than the target; soft impact

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Criteria Replicable pilot projects with

potential to be expanded or

repeated

Innovative experiments with

courageous and fresh

strategies

Catalysts for larger change

which demonstrate multiplier effect

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Criteria

Timely: rapid response

Do not duplicate the duties of State, efforts of other donors or NGOs

Leverage funds and strategic commitment (strategic partnerships)

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Open Door: A1+

To increase public access to

alternative media in Armenia.

A1+ will upgrade its popular website,

add video to articles, interactive

polls, a search engine, a news

ticker with breaking news,

and a blog which invites

comments from users.

+ SMS video news

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Rapid Response Economic Crisis: InternshipsA ‘Multidisciplinary’ ‘Holistic’ Approach:

To improve mechanisms of employment through internship programs. Yerevan State Linguistic University will establish a model

internship program that will be replicated by other Universities

in the future. CSI + Education Reform August 7th, 2009: Agreement with VIVA Cell to employ interns from YSLU and YSU

signed

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… Core Values Building Trust

Across the Borders

Thought Leadership

Freedom of Expression

Philanthropy

Promotion and

Civil Society Sustainability

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Work on Core Values

Draft Endowment Law

Recommendation to set up a regional fund for supporting confidence-building initiatives

Recommendations re Higher Education reform in light of the Bologna process

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Armenian-Turkish Strategy

Break Through

Freezing

Mild Optimism

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Let us work together

Set agendas

Get expertise

Focus on impact

Let us learn together