Civic Activism as a Novel Component of Armenian Civil Society

lack of political will on the part of the authorities, people resort to peaceful resistance in the
streets, hoping to win there.
Despite policies sparking public disagreement, the Armenian population has become
more demanding. The desire and potential of the people are thus in check. There is a lack of
change on a larger scale; a trigger to marry these two components (desire and potential), to create
a greater impact, will be to develop trust. There is a lack of public trust in the possibility of
change. The general public has little confidence that tangible change is possible and that
achieving such change depends on them. While this argument is true for older people (who
succeeded in eliminating the Soviet Union 25 years ago but still feel disappointed in the
capitalist version of society), it does not hold among the youth. The youth is characterised by
spontaneity of action, increased participation and unity. A proven argument about Armenians is
that they become united against an external attack. The most recent such example is what has
become commonly referred to as the Karabakh four-day April war. 34
A lack of public information is ruinous for a culture of participation. As a result, minor
issues that directly affect the population tend to mobilise large numbers of people, whereas
greater issues that have an indirect effect (such as Armenia’s joining the Russian’s Eurasian
Economic Union), receive limited feedback. Hence, Armenia’s political culture is confused, and
it seems that the time is not yet ripe for greater public participation and change. To achieve that
aim, people hope that a civic initiative (advocating any cause) might develop into a massive
political campaign. This is the reason that people are outside the system. In the words of a
political activist: “It seems that people in Armenia stand up for minor issues, whereas in reality
they stand up for their dignity and pride.” Male, 57
8.1.2 Political Culture and NGOs
The NGO sector in Armenia is not generally treated seriously. This is a sad consequence, but it
has serious causes. Formal NGOs registered in Armenia do not strive to develop a political
culture through coordinated efforts. NGOs in Armenia have a very specific focus on particular
issues, whereas for NGOs to become a part of the whole and unite different organisations around
the same vision, aiming at a real change, an associative culture has to be developed.
There are some real organisations that deliver results. However, these are few and cannot
possibly address the problems affecting a wide array of issues, not to mention a crisis.
There is a perception that NGOs are financially and politically dependent (as a result of the
existing political culture), which is why their capacities are limited in terms of participation and
independent performance in general. Thus, the popular criticism of NGOs as supporters of
external donors’ agendas persists, negatively influencing their image and reputation.
Unfortunately, few people seek to identify alternative means of sustaining formal entities in the
absence of internal funding channels.
34 In early April 2016, as a result of escalating conflict, Armenians exhibited unprecedented support by volunteering
and organising to send items of support to the frontline. (The war escalated during the writing of this study).
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