Option

The key demands of the movement were justice, equlity, freedom and sovereignty. What leverages do we have on state and public level? What does it mean public interest, how to harmonize personal and public interest?

The topic is discussed by political political theorist Naira Khachatryan and culturologist Hamlet Melkumyan. 

 

According to the RA Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan, the members of the "New Armenia, New Patriarch" initiative have committed violence against Catholicos of All Armenians in Vayots Dzor province. The Defender considers this fact dangerous in terms of tolerance and solidarity in the society. The Ombudsman of Artsakh Ruben Melikyan thinks that the encroachment towards Catholicos is also related to the freedom of conscience and religion of the absolute majority of Artsakh citizens. According to expert’ estimates, over the past month the right of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the rights established by the Armenian legislation for the religious organization has been continuously infringed. The provisions of the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights and the constitutional rights of the pontiff of the Armenian Apostolic Church have also been violated. The topic is discussed by the Director of "Against Violation of Law" NGO, RA First Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan and YSU Professor, Doctor of Law Arthur Vagharshyan

 Around 80 percent of the children in Armenian orphanages and other care institutions appear in those institutions as a result of tough social conditions. Professional term is “social orphanness”. The poverty doesn’t seem to reduce, yet the large centralized care centers for children seem to be unloaded. Where do these children go; what conditions and social infrastructures have been created to implement this process of unloading? 

Yelena Harutyunyan, foster care specialist of Child Support Center, FAR, and Knarik Garanfilian –Founding Chairwoman of “Family and Community” Charity NGO discuss the topic.

 

During the days of the movement “Take a Step”, the state symbols served as important components of civic activism. The faces, clothes and cars were colored with the colors of national flag. Are the state symbols only just a distinctive mark, or they do undergo a thorough revaluation? Ethnographer Arsen Hakobyan and sociologist Artur Atanesyan talk about these issues.

The movement “Take a Step” opened such a field of citizen self- and education in diverse platforms of mass gatherings, which would be the subject of the envy by any educational institution. The society is getting matured politically, culturally, ethically and morally hour by hour. Where did these changes get originated?

What kind of social services are provided to alternative care providers - adoptive parents, guardian and foster families in Armenia? What are these families expecting most? What issues does the differentiated approach to these families bring about, what kind of difficulties do they face as a result of the lack of registration? Sociologists Mira Antonyan and Knarik Garanfilian represent the study of the Child Protection Network and the Foster Parents Association.

On April 4, 1918, Bishop Gevorg Chorekchyan informed the Catholicos of All Armenians Gevorg Surenyants about the details of his meeting with General Nazarbaev. The general told the bishop that only 4,000 out of the 16,000 soldiers remained. 12,000 had fled and the duty to send them back to the frontline then rested on the shoulders of the Armenian clergy, women and the media. How did church-state relations proceed with the formation of the first Republic of Armenia? How were the roles and functions of the new independent state allocated?

According to international experts, if Armenia does not invest in education in the coming years, the country will face 50% illiteracy in 2030. Local experts and researchers believe that our country lacks any idea about the problems of education, nor the effectiveness of educational expenditures, while the draft law "On the State Education Program till 2030" was presented for the public discussion. Does the draft law reflect sectoral issues and meet the needs? 

Discussion by education expert Serob Khachatryan and "National Center for Public Policy Research" NGO Artak Manukyan.

Gender-based discrimination problem in Armenia refers more to women, than men, experts say. The Law on Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men does not have the capacity to effectively use gender-based discrimination and is more of a declarative nature. Narine Alexanyan, candidate of jurisprudence and Gohar Shahnazaryan, Head of the Center for Gender Studies and Leadership, sociologist, discuss the topic. 

According to the NSS, the amount of gambling activities in Armenia is about $ 550 million annually. And Armenian bookmakers take bets for around 16 billion drams a month. And this is the case when official data evidence 30% poverty in Armenia. According to statistical data, up to 7 percent of gambling-affected people have pathological tendency to gambling, and about 60 percent of those are also inclined to law breaking. 20% of pathological gamblers experience a real suicide attempt. In many countries, casinos are banned, while others introduce anti-gambling programs, create services. Even the consequences of the popularity and availability of gambling business are not assessed in Armenia.