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Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 28 2014
Could a Euromaidan happen on Yerevan's Republic Square?
28 August 2014
After the events of the last decade in Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and
Ukraine, experts have started serious talks about colour revolutions
in the South Caucasus. Some analysts say that the West is mobilizing
opposition media, NGOs and politicians to open a new anti-Russian
front in the Transcaucasus.
The term "democracy" in Armenia has long been exploited for
information wars. For quite a while, Washington has been hesitating
whether to support President Serzh Sargsyan or put bets on the
opposition. After the victory of Sargsyan in early presidential polls,
it seemed that the power was in the hands of a politician loyal to
Moscow. However, it is hard to say that Armenia has a pure pro-Russian
position. Sargsyan himself is trying to gain the support of both
Russia and the U.S.
Three years ago, on September 3, it seemed that Yerevan had taken a
pro-Russian path, that the mood in the republic was not that clear.
U.S.-financed structures promoting democratic values are collecting
political information and training civil activists too intensively.
According to the Center for World Journalism and Research, the work of
non-governmental organizations in Armenia has reached a grand scale in
recent years. The Justice Ministry has registered thousands of NGOs.
After the collapse of the USSR, the Armenian Assembly of America, a
structure related to the State Department and the Armenian lobby in
the Congress, has been in the avant-garde of American influence in
Armenia. Leader of the Assembly Raffi Hovannisian studied and worked
in the U.S. In 1991, Hovannisian became the first foreign minister of
independent Armenia. By the way, Westerners integrated into the
Armenian political elite pretty fast: State Department apologist
Zhirayr Liparytyan became the president's chief advisor, Sepukh
Tashchyan, the supervisor of economic reforms, became the energy
minister, Vagram Nersisyants, the executive director of the
All-Armenian Bank, became the World Bank representative in Armenia.
Offices of the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Poland and Switzerland
finance several humanitarian projects in Armenia today. Their goals
are to protect human rights, develop mass media, organize conferences
and round-table conferences, student and scientific exchanges, share
specialists' experience.
Armenia gets assistance from: USAID, the Eurasia Partnership
Foundation, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC),
London-based British Council and the Department for International
Development (DFID), Germany's GTZ, International IDEA, the
International Organization for Migration (IOM), World Vision Armenia,
NDI, IREX, the Environmental Public Advocacy Center (EPAC), the Open
Society Institute (OSI).
NGOs are closely connected to the government, offering grants for some
structures. Distribution of governmental grants is under the control
of a monitoring group which includes functionaries of the presidential
administration and officials of partner organizations. In 2010-2012,
31 organizations got governmental grants worth $1.2 million.
NGOs are involved in foreign political processes. USAID finances the
Support Armenia - Turkey Rapprochement project. USAID initiated grants
worth a million dollars for Armenian organizations, individuals, and
companies within the framework of programs for normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations. The Eurasia Partnership Foundation,
Yerevan Press Club, International Center for Human Development, Union
of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia are involved from the
Armenian side.
The Eurasia Partnership Foundation (a branch of the Eurasia Fund of
the U.S.) is active in projects related to mobilization of political
activity, formation of alternative media and protection of religious
minorities. By 2008, Eurasia spent over $15 million on grant programs
in Armenia.
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) assists such organizations
as the Helsinki Association, the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, the
Caucasus Center for Peacekeeping Initiatives, the Vanadzor Bureau of
the Helsinki Civil Assembly, the Committee for Protection of Freedom
of Speech, investigative journalists.
The Helsinki Association received a grant worth $62,250 last year to
organize monitoring and information support for protection of human
rights. In 2010-2013, America allocated $205,350 to the organization.
The Helsinki Committee of Armenia is actively speaking out against
Eurasian integration of Armenia. It received $46,474 in 2010 to
consolidate civil society on the grounds of freedom and democracy in
rural areas of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Caucasus Center for Peacekeeping Initiatives was receiving NED
support for promotion of cooperation and mutual understanding in civil
society in the Caucasus in 2010-2013.
The Vanadzor Bureau of the Helsinki Civil Assembly considers Moscow's
membership in Eurasian projects unconstitutional. It received $131,650
from the NED. The Bureau is also supported by Human Rights Watch,
Amnesty International, the Civil Society Institute, Transparency
International.
The Vanadzor Legal Clinic project got $9,985 from the American Bar
Association. The project to strengthen human rights in the Armed
Forces of Armenia got $20,280 from the U.S. embassy in Armenia. The
project of institutional development of the Vanadzor Bureau got
$161,520 from the Open Society Institute. The latter is a Soros Fund
founded in Armenia in 1997. It has already spent over $24 million in
Armenia.
The Committee for Protection of Freedom of Speech received $32,150
from the NED last year for monitoring state information sources. The
Committee needs to check websites of 52 state organs and regional
administrations. In 2010, the organization got $32,320.
The Investigative Journalists got $187,400, the Asparez Journalist
Club got $58,650, the Independent Network of Journalists got $83,200
for creating a negative image of Russian-Armenian cooperation.
Experts are confident that such financing and training to use
political technologies of this part of NGOs will give them a great
advantage among other public forces..
Many organizations have actively been operating in Ukraine.
Non-governmental and independent, they are connected to governmental
structures, special services or centers of foreign policy-formation.
The dependence of the human rights movements on their Western funds
and institutions has put them under control of donors' political
goals.
Materials of the Center for World Journalism and Research were used
for the article.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/59359.html
Aug 28 2014
Could a Euromaidan happen on Yerevan's Republic Square?
28 August 2014
After the events of the last decade in Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and
Ukraine, experts have started serious talks about colour revolutions
in the South Caucasus. Some analysts say that the West is mobilizing
opposition media, NGOs and politicians to open a new anti-Russian
front in the Transcaucasus.
The term "democracy" in Armenia has long been exploited for
information wars. For quite a while, Washington has been hesitating
whether to support President Serzh Sargsyan or put bets on the
opposition. After the victory of Sargsyan in early presidential polls,
it seemed that the power was in the hands of a politician loyal to
Moscow. However, it is hard to say that Armenia has a pure pro-Russian
position. Sargsyan himself is trying to gain the support of both
Russia and the U.S.
Three years ago, on September 3, it seemed that Yerevan had taken a
pro-Russian path, that the mood in the republic was not that clear.
U.S.-financed structures promoting democratic values are collecting
political information and training civil activists too intensively.
According to the Center for World Journalism and Research, the work of
non-governmental organizations in Armenia has reached a grand scale in
recent years. The Justice Ministry has registered thousands of NGOs.
After the collapse of the USSR, the Armenian Assembly of America, a
structure related to the State Department and the Armenian lobby in
the Congress, has been in the avant-garde of American influence in
Armenia. Leader of the Assembly Raffi Hovannisian studied and worked
in the U.S. In 1991, Hovannisian became the first foreign minister of
independent Armenia. By the way, Westerners integrated into the
Armenian political elite pretty fast: State Department apologist
Zhirayr Liparytyan became the president's chief advisor, Sepukh
Tashchyan, the supervisor of economic reforms, became the energy
minister, Vagram Nersisyants, the executive director of the
All-Armenian Bank, became the World Bank representative in Armenia.
Offices of the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Poland and Switzerland
finance several humanitarian projects in Armenia today. Their goals
are to protect human rights, develop mass media, organize conferences
and round-table conferences, student and scientific exchanges, share
specialists' experience.
Armenia gets assistance from: USAID, the Eurasia Partnership
Foundation, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC),
London-based British Council and the Department for International
Development (DFID), Germany's GTZ, International IDEA, the
International Organization for Migration (IOM), World Vision Armenia,
NDI, IREX, the Environmental Public Advocacy Center (EPAC), the Open
Society Institute (OSI).
NGOs are closely connected to the government, offering grants for some
structures. Distribution of governmental grants is under the control
of a monitoring group which includes functionaries of the presidential
administration and officials of partner organizations. In 2010-2012,
31 organizations got governmental grants worth $1.2 million.
NGOs are involved in foreign political processes. USAID finances the
Support Armenia - Turkey Rapprochement project. USAID initiated grants
worth a million dollars for Armenian organizations, individuals, and
companies within the framework of programs for normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations. The Eurasia Partnership Foundation,
Yerevan Press Club, International Center for Human Development, Union
of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia are involved from the
Armenian side.
The Eurasia Partnership Foundation (a branch of the Eurasia Fund of
the U.S.) is active in projects related to mobilization of political
activity, formation of alternative media and protection of religious
minorities. By 2008, Eurasia spent over $15 million on grant programs
in Armenia.
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) assists such organizations
as the Helsinki Association, the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, the
Caucasus Center for Peacekeeping Initiatives, the Vanadzor Bureau of
the Helsinki Civil Assembly, the Committee for Protection of Freedom
of Speech, investigative journalists.
The Helsinki Association received a grant worth $62,250 last year to
organize monitoring and information support for protection of human
rights. In 2010-2013, America allocated $205,350 to the organization.
The Helsinki Committee of Armenia is actively speaking out against
Eurasian integration of Armenia. It received $46,474 in 2010 to
consolidate civil society on the grounds of freedom and democracy in
rural areas of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Caucasus Center for Peacekeeping Initiatives was receiving NED
support for promotion of cooperation and mutual understanding in civil
society in the Caucasus in 2010-2013.
The Vanadzor Bureau of the Helsinki Civil Assembly considers Moscow's
membership in Eurasian projects unconstitutional. It received $131,650
from the NED. The Bureau is also supported by Human Rights Watch,
Amnesty International, the Civil Society Institute, Transparency
International.
The Vanadzor Legal Clinic project got $9,985 from the American Bar
Association. The project to strengthen human rights in the Armed
Forces of Armenia got $20,280 from the U.S. embassy in Armenia. The
project of institutional development of the Vanadzor Bureau got
$161,520 from the Open Society Institute. The latter is a Soros Fund
founded in Armenia in 1997. It has already spent over $24 million in
Armenia.
The Committee for Protection of Freedom of Speech received $32,150
from the NED last year for monitoring state information sources. The
Committee needs to check websites of 52 state organs and regional
administrations. In 2010, the organization got $32,320.
The Investigative Journalists got $187,400, the Asparez Journalist
Club got $58,650, the Independent Network of Journalists got $83,200
for creating a negative image of Russian-Armenian cooperation.
Experts are confident that such financing and training to use
political technologies of this part of NGOs will give them a great
advantage among other public forces..
Many organizations have actively been operating in Ukraine.
Non-governmental and independent, they are connected to governmental
structures, special services or centers of foreign policy-formation.
The dependence of the human rights movements on their Western funds
and institutions has put them under control of donors' political
goals.
Materials of the Center for World Journalism and Research were used
for the article.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/59359.html