Civic Activism as a Novel Component of Armenian Civil Society

is not the point we are attempting to make. Our point is that NGOs are involved: as explicitly
recognised partners, information providers, or uninvited supporters. Regard this as a positive
sign of interaction between these two elements of the civil society ecosystem.
RQ.3: How are NGOs and activists influenced by the overall political culture in the country?
Political culture is an inherently complex and rather vague concept. In our work, we only touch
on a few aspects of it, mostly revolving around non-conventional political participation and
political information channels. Survey data reveal that people are distrustful of social
movements, of political protest and of politics in general. A dramatic 78% of the Armenian
population said they “would never join a demonstration”. This places civic activists in a rather
negative cultural environment, particularly because demonstrations are a core element of their
campaigns. Yet, the activists seemed undaunted. Most activists told us that they believed that the
public had rather positive perceptions of activism. The negative aspect of the political culture
that the activists were most concerned with was what some of them called “extreme
individualism”: people looking after only their own interests and not seeing the bigger picture.
Indeed, the activists might have a point. Recall that three successful campaigns (Maternity
Leave, Dem Em and Electric Yerevan) concerned clearly defined monetary loses that would
occur if the government were permitted to proceed with its plans. The two campaigns that failed
addressed less tangible public goods. All would benefit from a clean environment, sustainable
development and a more culturally attractive Yerevan, yet the loss of a patch of forest or an old
building does not seem to most people to be a personal loss. This might be a disheartening
finding, but it is important to realise that some issues have stronger mobilising potential than
others. Armenian political culture does not appear to exhibit sufficient concern about public
goods. This definitely negatively impacts activism and NGO work.
On a positive note, civic activism seems to be the arena in which civil society is able to
overcome the post-communist syndrome of disengagement. Civic activists have become visible
challengers to power holders today, as civic activism campaigns were able to promote their own
agenda. The civic initiatives have shown that the people power matters. However, it remains to
be seen whether civic activism will gain momentum and engage more people, thus delivering
greater impact. We must recognise that all campaigns have been reactions to governmental
policies or decisions. For a greater impact, this reactionary approach should change. The society
should be vigilant and pro-active instead of reactive to construct a reality the Armenian public
aims for. More possibilities for engagement are needed for many and diverse groups. Whether it
will be done by activists or organisations, there is a need to reach out to the latent layers of
population, since there is potential, which has yet to be realised.
The Armenian society should build on its positive experience of impact by being selfreflective,
community-oriented, and open to new and creative non-violent methods of resistance.
The informally developing activism combined with active formal organisational structures,
should serve as a source of inspiration for better and informed involvement aimed at developing
a healthy political culture of participation.
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