Our Stories
A local democratic deficit – SMS polling to the rescue?
Armenian public decision-making has typically been marked by distrust and low engagement, despite having access to the necessary legal framework and institutions. Recently, though, there have been signs of greater civic activism and trust in local authorities. According to data from the Caucamore
Armenia: Communities have their say via SMS polling
Last November we discussed the development of an easy-to-use micro-referendum tool – an SMS polling application – to encourage citizen engagement in communities throughout Armenia. We wanted to help local authorities reach their constituents by providing them with a safe and open forum to expmore
Armenia: Increasing Resilience by Reducing the Risk of Disaster
For years, the people of Sipanik expanded the area of land under cultivation in an attempt to grow more food. But each time the Hrazdan River thwarted the efforts of this small, remote community, situated in one of the most disaster-prone areas of Armenia. It swelled and flooded their crops, and themore
Armenia: empowering women to lead their communities
“I got inspired during the workshops and decided to run in the elections to support my community to the best of my abilities. Now, the more I get involved in community governance, the more I learn, the more anxious I am of the level of responsibility I have,” says Javahir Yeghiazaryan. But Javmore
Building Bridges Westwards: Armenia-EU collaboration
Armenia’s ever deepening integration into the global economy is creating new openings for social, economic and political relationships. The dynamism of the country’s public institutions is an important factor in realising these opportunities. As part of its partnership with the European Union, the Amore
Empowering Vocational Education Schools for Better Training
Vocational education (VET) colleges see their role as providing general education, as well as work-related skills demanded by the labor markets. In order to match the international best practices, the Armenian educational system needs to reassess the roles of general education and the VET system; scmore
Environmental and social benefits of energy efficiency
Energy is so much a part of life that we often use it without thinking about the sources and impacts on the environment. The fact is that most of energy is generated from burning fossil fuels like coal, gas or oil. As of today, fossil fuels provide around 66 percent of the world’s electrical power, more
In Armenia, energy efficiency is heating homes and warming lives
Arev Shirikchyan used to come home to a cold and dark apartment after working two shifts to support her family. In winter, getting proper heat was an ongoing battle for the residents of Avan, the Yerevan neighborhood where she lives. Two decades ago, the boiler house supplying heat and hot water to more
Local Solutions to Wastewater Problems
“Construction of wastewater treatment system is very urgent for our community, since existing disposal system is devastated; the whole area of Parakar community appears in wastewater. I hope that after completion of the project the schoolchildren will no longer have to excavate “trenches” to remove more
UNDP and Municipality of Yerevan Join Efforts to Beautify Yerevan
Yerevan is gifted with rich historic and cultural monuments. Their maintenance and preservation rests with the Municipality of Yerevan. In fact, the decentralization process in Armenia led to an increased autonomy of the municipality and vital responsibilities regarding urban development - constructmore
