Civic Study Tours

Every year, during YES project implementation period Jinishian Memorial Foundation (JMF), Youth for Achievements (YFA), in cooperation with international organizations and local NGOs organize Civic Study seminars/tours for the participants of YES project debate clubs. During these study tours, members of debate clubs are having an opportunity to get acquainted with various international and local organizations and institutions whose mission is promoting ideas of human rights, democracy, civil society, etc.  

During 2008-2009 academic year, members of the debate clubs had an opportunity to visit such organizations and institutions as OSCE Yerevan office, OSCE Anti-Corruption Reception Center, United Nations Office in Armenia, RA Constitutional Court, Ombudsman office in Yerevan, Central Bank of Armenia, American University of Armenia, Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute. As a result of cooperation between JMF and Counterpart International Armenia and with the kind support of the Delegation of the European Commission to Armenia regular meetings were organized at Counterpart International office in Yerevan with the representatives of various Political Parties and International NGOs. Debate club members had unique opportunity to meet such experts as Avetiq Ishkhanyan, Chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia; Amalia Kostanayan, Anti-corruption Consultant of Transparency International Anti-corruption Center Armenia; Tatevik Mnatsakanyan, Public Information Assistant of The World Bank Armenia; Anahit Bakhshyan and Hovsep Khurshudyan, “Heritage” (Jarangutyun) political party; Maria Titizian, Socialist International and Ara Nranyan, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnakcutyun).

During these civic study seminars participants not only get acquainted with the organizations and institutions that they have visited, but also acquire knowledge on specific issues related to the debate topics.