New strategic approaches to the problems of the elderly


According to statistics, 13% of the de jure population of Armenia is over 63 years old. The UN Population Fund forecasts that by 2050, those over the age of 65 will make up 22% of our country's population. The elderly in our country continue to be isolated from community life, have no access to continuing education or employment, and lack social and health care. What changes can be expected in the life of the elderly population in the next four years? Discussing are RA Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Gemafin Gasparyan and Mission Armenia's Social Programs Development Manager Anna Grigoryan.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Family life after the closure of boarding schools


There will be no other boarding schools in Armenia! The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is developing systemic solutions to ensure the return of children to their families. The program envisages the creation of quality social protection services for children in difficult life situations, and care for their families. How is it possible to carry out this process in transition? The discussion is being discussed by Zhanna Andreasyan, RA Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, and Gayane Martirosyan, World Vision Armenia's Family Environment and Services Program Manager for Armenian Children.

 

 

Again, no money for science


The total funding for science in the RA state budget for 2020 will not increase again. This fact has infuriated young scientists. Armenia ranks last in the region in terms of science funding.

 

 

 

 

The problem of the scientist is not the problem of the state


Which fields of science are most active in Armenia today? Under what conditions do young scientists work? How do they raise funds for research? Do the scientific and research data created in our country serve practical purposes?

 

 

 

Smoking in public places will be prohibited by law


How Does an Anti-Tobacco Campaign Affect Smokers? Is the rule of law enough to make smoking an unacceptable behavior in society? How to ensure the peaceful coexistence of smokers and non-smokers? Writer, publicist Tigran Paskevichyan and Secretary of the executive body of "Your" party Suren Sahakyan are discussing.

 

 

A new way to overcome poverty


The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is making changes in the field of social protection. They also dictate the introduction of a unified system of social needs assessment, which implies structural changes. What concrete changes are expected in the life of a citizen, especially in overcoming poverty? Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Zhanna Andreasyan, Director of the FAR Children's Center, President of the Armenian Association of Social Workers Mira Antonyan are discussing.

 

 

How to become four million?


Birth rate in Armenia decreases every year. In 2018, the mortality rate in Lori region exceeded the birth rate. Back in the 1980s, experts predicted that the population of Armenia would reach 4,200,000 in the 2000s. The previous authorities had announced their intention to reach a population of 4 million in twenty years, which, according to experts, was impossible. The current government has already announced the increase of birth control programs. Are they enough to ensure population growth? Discussed by Anna Hovhannisyan, UNFPA Population and Development Program Coordinator, and Artak Markosyan, Head of the Demography Department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

 

 

Attitude towards hate speech


When freedom of speech turns into hate speech, it is limited to the literal meaning of the word. Legislation in many countries of the world provides criminal penalties for uttering or spreading hate speech. A working group has been formed in the National Assembly to reform the legislation aimed at the fight against hate speech in our country. What will this group do, what will it reform and how?

 

 

Different interpretations of hate speech


How do different democracies interpret "hate speech"? Can democracy be interpreted differently? How are the fine lines between hate speech and freedom of speech divided in different countries? Our guest is political scientist Edgar Vardanyan.

 

 

Threats of criminalization of hate speech


Many respond to the initiative to criminalize hatred with a number of new features negatively. What dangers do they see on this reform? It is possible to exclude hate speech from our lives and public relations by law.

 

 

Preschool education for everyone


The RA law on pre-school education was presented in a new edition in 2019. What has been edited, how will it solve the existing problems of pre-school education, what principles of the state policy of the sphere have been fixed, does it show a way how to provide pre-school education for everyone?

 

 

Active and healthy senility. how is it possible?


What are the conditions for active and healthy aging in Armenia? What responsibility do young people have for the problems of the elderly? The pavilion of the "Version" program is hosted by Anna Hovhannisyan, UNFPA Population and Development Program Coordinator, and Arthur Torosyan, President of the Association for the Care of the Elderly.