2001-2004
The ICHD is one of the region’s civil society Champions striving to promote regional peace and security through Track Two Initiatives.
One of the challenges to the regional peace and security are the unhealthy relations between Armenia and Turkey. As Turkey blocked its border with Armenia since 1993 and no diplomatic relations have been established between Armenia and Turkey, any effective peace-building effort in the region shall consider engaging civil society institutions in both countries in track two diplomacy (T2D) initiatives. The joint project of ICHD and the Center for the Research of Societal Problems (TOSAM) supported by the American University’s Center for Global Peace, Washington, DC (AUCGP) and facilitated in Milano School at New School University, NY, was one of the first initiatives encouraging the institutional cooperation in the region.
Fall 2009
Critical decisions on foreign policies affect people’s lives just as decisions on domestic policies do. ICHD continually focuses on bringing people to the table of negotiations and critical decisions on foreign policy, conflict resolution and security, peace and stability in the region.
Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued two protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations between two countries and development of relations signed by Armenia and Turkey under Swiss mediation on August 31. Both documents triggered controversial discussions and disputes in both societies turning into a topic of “hot” debates. To channel the voice of the citizens to decision makers on this very sensitive issue, through open public discussion, ICHD, supported by the USIAD, has launched initiative to expose perspectives of civil society to the decision makers and to enable the consideration of people’s opinions, concerns and expectations in this critical process in late September 2009. ICHD’s initiative moved isolated beneficiaries from the margin of the process closer to its hearth and enabled finding valid and viable solutions to a vital issue for the country through a participatory process.
more >>2001-ongoing
ICHD policy research team is carefully choosing the most suitable and effective approach to each and every problem. Thus, in the research on the tobacco taxation and illicit tobacco trade issues in Armenia, ICHD experts have mostly focused on individual problems and their solutions with the primary aim to identify the most effective and efficient solution in technical and economic terms for tax raise policy.
Further, while estimating the remittance flows and channels of remittance transfers to Armenia, ICHD analysts focused on political processes and stakeholders involved also addressing the political dimension of the problem. Through this research ICHD team have determined the processes and channels of remittance transfers, analyzed the effects of remittances on poverty in Armenia, explained the role and influence of stakeholders within the policy process and provided policy recommendations to enhance positive effects of remittances on poverty in Armenia.
In assessing the impact of the World Bank and Armenian Government funded Education Quality and Relevance Project ICHD researchers have approached the entire system and context of education in Armenia. The political, economic and socio-cultural contextual factors, as well as sub systems including links of secondary education system with pre-school and high school systems, system of assessing pupils, school graduation and university entrance examinations system, teachers training system, integration of ICT into the teaching and learning process have been considered.
Meanwhile, in each and every policy study and policy research ICHD carried out our experts tried to determine which of various alternative policies will most achieve the area and issue specific goals in light of the relations between the policies and the goals – tried to explain policies and their development, formulated policies and recommendations.
more >>On January 30, 2024 ICHD organized the first Town Hall Meeting within ACE in Vayk consolidated community, comprising 17 rural and urban settlements, in close collaboration with the local government, "Solution Hub" NGO and their beneficiaries, active young people from the community. The results are summarized in the THM report available in Armenian only.
more >>The Publication is available only in Armenian.
more >>On January 30, 2024 ICHD organized the first Town Hall Meeting within ACE in Vayk consolidated community, comprising 17 rural and urban settlements, in close collaboration with the local government, "Solution Hub" NGO and their beneficiaries, active young people from the community. The results are summarized in the THM report available in Armenian only.