Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation–Armenia

In the context of growing governmental control over public life and approaching national elections in 2007 and 2008, the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation–Armenia worked to strengthen civil society’s ability to monitor government, participate in policymaking, and increase public interest and involvement in public policy issues. The foundation continued to support civil society coalitions that protect civil liberties and human rights, and advocated for comprehensive democratic reform activities in the European Neighborhood Action Plan. The Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation–Armenia and the Partnership for Open Society, a coalition of 60 NGOs supported by the foundation, worked together to develop strategies to improve the capacity of civil society groups to ensure that Armenia’s upcoming elections are free and fair.

The following briefs describe some of the foundation’s activities and achievements in 2006.

Government Legalizes Methadone Treatment

Civil society efforts to confront the dangers posed by the rising use of intravenous drugs resulted in the government legalizing methadone treatment throughout Armenia. The foundation, OSI’s International Harm Reduction Development Program, and a local grantee helped the government prepare protocols for narcological care, guidelines for methadone treatment, and the logistics of administering methadone programs.

Voters Get Better Media Coverage of Campaigns

The foundation addressed the lack of objective and independent media by helping develop TV programming that gave all the country’s political actors opportunities for media coverage leading up to crucial parliamentary elections in 2007. With funding from UNDP, the foundation helped produce candidate debates and panel interviews for TV stations throughout the country that went beyond one-sided sound bites and provided Armenians with substantive discussion of key issues.

Coalition Preserves Media and Civil Society Independence

The foundation-supported Partnership for Open Society helped prevent the adoption of a draft law that would have restricted civil society advocacy. The partnership also helped civil society prevent legal amendments that would have continued government control over the national broadcasting board.

Centers Bring Computer Access to the Blind

A new computer system at 10 school-based communications centers supported by the foundation allowed blind and visually impaired people to use computers. The system, called AREV (“sun”), uses text-to-speech technology to produce audio broadcasts of text information displayed on the computer screen. AREV users can visit websites, correspond via email, and listen to online broadcasts of Armenian books and other printed information.