Transformations and Resilience (2024-2025)

In cooperation with the Heinrich Boell Foundation Yerevan Office – South Caucasus Region “Socioscope Societal Research and Consultancy Center” NGO is implementing a project entitled “Transformations and Resilience: A Participatory Study of Post-Revolutionary and Post-War Armenian Civil Society.”

Since Armenia declared independence in 1991, its civil society has undergone significant transformations. A pivotal moment in this evolution was the Velvet Revolution in 2018, which marked a hopeful turn towards democratization. The Revolution not only broadened the functional scope of civil society but also shifted its understanding from a narrow focus on specific groups to a broader, more inclusive conception of an informed citizenry. The civil society landscape itself transformed as former representatives of various civil society groups took on roles within the government. Many became members of the ruling party, were elected to Parliament, or established new political parties to participate in both national and local elections. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Second Karabakh War in 2020, and the forcible displacement of people from Karabakh in 2023 were further critical junctures for Armenian civil society. Moreover, the restrictive legislation and measures in Russia, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and recent legislative changes in Georgia have significantly influenced Armenian civil society. 

The project aims to explore the civil society developments in Armenia in the aftermath of the Velvet Revolution and the Second Karabakh War through participatory research study. The project has two main objectives:  

• Engage community members and stakeholders in the co-creation of research objectives and methodologies. 
• Analyze and disseminate research findings, incorporating community feedback.

A bilingual article will be published at the end of the project.