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Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation: Social Democracy In Practice

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  • Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation: Social Democracy In Practice

    HRAYR MAROUKHIAN FOUNDATION: SOCIAL DEMOCRACY IN PRACTICE

    asbarez
    August 24th, 2011

    Participants in the training list key issues facing their youth
    organization

    A new foundation that promises something new in Armenia

    YEREVAN-The Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation (HMF), a social democratic
    think tank founded in 2009 in the Republic of Armenia is a non-profit
    Armenian foundation committed to the development and advancement
    of public policy issues that espouse the basic values of social
    democracy through education, training, research, and regional and
    international cooperation.

    The aims of the foundation are to contribute to and actively promote
    a comprehensive national, regional and international dialogue focusing
    on current political, economic and social developments and challenges,
    with a primary concentration on Armenia and the South Caucasus.

    Among its many diverse projects, the Foundation produces academic
    research papers to serve in political decision-making and policy,
    organizes conferences and round tables, publishes studies on social
    democracy and conducts trainings for young political leaders.

    Since its creation, the HMF has initiated and executed several key
    projects.

    Participants in the Hrayr Maroukhian Training, May 2011, Dilijan

    In order to address a number of deeply rooted problems in the Republic
    of Armenia and ensure the development of social democracy, sufficient
    policy research needs to be developed. For this reason the Hrayr
    Maroukhian Foundation along with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation of
    Germany conducted a groundbreaking study on social reform in Armenia.

    The purpose of this study is to present an alternative vision for
    social reform in the country by developing feasible, financially
    sustainable policy options in the areas of housing, unemployment and
    health. Through a designated working group of experts focusing on each
    specific policy area, this study aims to implement the populations'
    right to quality housing, employment and accessible and affordable
    health care. The Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation is currently in the final
    phase of publishing the final policy paper in Armenian and English and
    will present it to government officials, political parties, academics,
    non-governmental organizations and foundations and international
    organizations at a conference in November 2011 in Yerevan.

    As an important means for the dissemination of social democratic
    principles, the Foundation recently translated and published
    "Foundations of Social Democracy." This book, originally printed in
    German, serves to provide individuals with a better understanding
    of the values, goals and the meaning of social democracy in the
    21st century. The book is available at the HMF offices in Yerevan
    and a full electronic version will also be available on its website
    www.maroukhianfoundation.org.

    With the clear understanding that the youth have a key role to play
    in the empowerment of the country, the HMF organized a comprehensive
    three-day training seminar for twenty young political leaders in
    Dilijan, Armenia in May 2011. The training encompassed three main
    components for leadership building skills: Strategic Planning,
    Future Search and World Cafe. The strategic planning session taught
    participants how to define the goals and objectives of the youth
    organizations they were active in, as well as finding the most
    productive methods in implementing those goals. Later, the young
    leaders took part in Future Search, which outlined methods to develop
    alternative futures by finding diverse ways for solving problems. The
    final component titled World Cafe aimed to foster problem solving
    dialogue in unconventional settings such as coffee shops. After three
    intensive days of training, participants left the seminar equipped
    with innovative techniques and a clearer vision of how to effectively
    work within their youth organizations.

    Recently, HMF received a grant from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign
    Affairs to produce a six part mini-series about the problems,
    challenges and achievements of Armenian women entitled "Women in
    Armenia." Through these six half hour segments, to be aired on Yerkir
    Media in the fall, HMF plans to highlight the difficulties encountered
    by women in private and public life while at the same time showcasing
    the positive impact women have in the democratic development of their
    society. The segment topics to be covered include, women in politics,
    women in business, women in armed conflict, domestic violence against
    women, sexual harassment against women and women and health care.

    In October 2011, the Foundation will be conducting a special training
    on social democracy. This project will focus on the basics of social
    democracy; European SD in the last two decades; debates about the
    future of SD and its relevance for Armenia. One of the authors of the
    book, "Foundations of Social Democracy," Christian Krell will lead the
    training with a co-trainer for political leaders in Yerevan. During
    the training, the current political and economic situation in Armenia
    will be discussed.

    By conducting policy research, organizing training seminars and the
    dissemination of information, along with other innovative projects in
    the future, the Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation will lay the foundations
    for long-term, systematic solutions to social, political and economic
    problems and will contribute to the development of more transparent,
    accountable, equitable and prosperous societies.

    Visit the Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation Web site for more information
    about its activities http://www.maroukhianfoundation.org or find the
    foundation on Facebook at Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation.



    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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