Tweet
Armenia's ethnic minorities use state-allocated funds ineffectively - official
Arminfo
10 May 05
YEREVAN
The public organizations of Armenia's ethnic minorities are using
ineffectively the Armenian government's annual grants to the tune of
10m drams [22,000 dollars], the head of the religious and ethnic
minorities department under the Armenian government, Granush
Kharatyan, has told an Arminfo correspondent.
She said that the money is distributed via the coordinating council
for fighting corruption under the Armenian president. For its part,
the council transfers the money equally into the account of an
individual from each of these ethnic groups who distributes the money
in the community.
Meanwhile, Kharatyan noted that this method of money transfers had
been ineffective since all the grants are spent on peoples' daily
living needs rather than on resolving major problems connected with
preserving and developing cultural and ethnic values via specific
projects.
In particular, she noted that the problem of preserving the languages
of many ethnic minorities in the republic. At the same time, she said
that this issue is to be solved by other means.
"It would have been more effective if this small grant was distributed
via a special commission which would allocate it to the ethnic
minorities' projects," Kharatyan noted.
The grant is distributed among 11 ethnic groups of Armenia, which
number 200 to 40,000 people.
Meanwhile, there are more than 50 ethnic groups in Armenia. Yezids are
considered to be the largest ethnic group among them and number 40,000
people. Most of them live in the countryside and are engaged in
farming.
The Russian community, 16,000 people, is the second largest and
includes Molokans. They mainly live in Yerevan, Abovyan, Vanadzor,
Gyumri and Charentsavan.
Part of the ethnic minorities devoted themselves to intellectual
activities. Others, mainly Molokans, live in the villages of
Lermontovo and Fioletovo and are engaged in farming.
There are also Assyrians and Greeks. According to official data,
ethnic minorities constitute 2.2 per cent of Armenia's
population. There are about 60 public organizations set up by 11
ethnic minority groups.
Arminfo
10 May 05
YEREVAN
The public organizations of Armenia's ethnic minorities are using
ineffectively the Armenian government's annual grants to the tune of
10m drams [22,000 dollars], the head of the religious and ethnic
minorities department under the Armenian government, Granush
Kharatyan, has told an Arminfo correspondent.
She said that the money is distributed via the coordinating council
for fighting corruption under the Armenian president. For its part,
the council transfers the money equally into the account of an
individual from each of these ethnic groups who distributes the money
in the community.
Meanwhile, Kharatyan noted that this method of money transfers had
been ineffective since all the grants are spent on peoples' daily
living needs rather than on resolving major problems connected with
preserving and developing cultural and ethnic values via specific
projects.
In particular, she noted that the problem of preserving the languages
of many ethnic minorities in the republic. At the same time, she said
that this issue is to be solved by other means.
"It would have been more effective if this small grant was distributed
via a special commission which would allocate it to the ethnic
minorities' projects," Kharatyan noted.
The grant is distributed among 11 ethnic groups of Armenia, which
number 200 to 40,000 people.
Meanwhile, there are more than 50 ethnic groups in Armenia. Yezids are
considered to be the largest ethnic group among them and number 40,000
people. Most of them live in the countryside and are engaged in
farming.
The Russian community, 16,000 people, is the second largest and
includes Molokans. They mainly live in Yerevan, Abovyan, Vanadzor,
Gyumri and Charentsavan.
Part of the ethnic minorities devoted themselves to intellectual
activities. Others, mainly Molokans, live in the villages of
Lermontovo and Fioletovo and are engaged in farming.
There are also Assyrians and Greeks. According to official data,
ethnic minorities constitute 2.2 per cent of Armenia's
population. There are about 60 public organizations set up by 11
ethnic minority groups.