“Who should we turn to so that there are trash cans on all the streets of our settlement? When will we be able to get to school in the morning without fear?” asks Anush Galstyan, a young village resident and participant in the Citizens in Action: Mobilizing for Positive Change program implemented by NANE Charitable Union.
The program operates in Abovyan—a small community 10 miles outside of Armenia’s capital city, Yerevan—and aims to promote responsive governance and transparency by encouraging citizen participation in decision making processes, policy formulation, and community initiatives. NANE’s goal is to foster inclusive and sustainable community development in Abovyan. Since 2022, NANE has worked with Counterpart’s Civil Society in Action program to strengthen their capacity and enhance their ability to effect change and improve lives for young people, children, and marginalized groups in their community – especially those impacted by trauma and displacement.
Through Citizens in Action, Galstyan, along with 35 other participants—including 12 rural youth, 12 young mothers, and a number of forcibly displaced persons from Artsakh (known internationally as Nagorno Karabakh)—participated in council meetings, public hearings, and advisory body meetings. NANE ensured the participation of diverse participants by hosting the meeting in familiar and accessible locations. For instance, awareness raising sessions for young mothers were held at the kindergartens their children attended. For meetings targeting high school students, the meetings were held at their schools, making attendance convenient and eliminating potential transportation challenges.
These sessions gave participants a deeper understanding of the day-to-day work of the local government as a way to become more engaged and share challenges they had identified within their community directly to key stakeholders. During these discussions, for instance, Galstyan spoke directly to government representatives and raised concerns about the danger of stray dogs, inconsistent garbage collection, and a lack of youth entertainment within her community.
Anush Galstyan, a young village resident and participant in the Citizens in Action: Mobilizing for Positive Change program implemented by NANE Charitable Union, visiting her local municipal government offices.
“Before [partnering with NANE], any activity in the community hall seemed like an abstract phenomenon to me,” Galstyan shares. “The program was a unique opportunity to learn about the activities of the municipality, to participate in public hearings and council meetings, and to try to take steps to solve community problems. The most impressive thing for me was working as a community leader for one day. This was the realization of a great dream of my childhood, which seemed unattainable.”
By directly engaging with community activities, Galstyan realized the importance of the various departments and the need for competent management that listened to and operationalized the needs of the community.
Uniting around culture
Dianna Ayvazyan, another Citizens in Action participant who was forcibly displaced from Artsakh in 2023, was also given the opportunity to advocate to and participate in meetings with the council of elders and other local stakeholders. The inclusion of people forcibly displaced from Artsakh in community life is a key step is supporting their active participation in solving problems directly related to the needs of displaced people. NANE is trying to not only create and strengthen ties between the local government and residents, but also to develop a greater sense of understanding between the different marginalized groups within the Abovyan community.
To better support forcibly displaced community members, NANE provided legal advice to help them integrate into community life. They explained how the municipality functions, detailing which departments are responsible for specific actions, and offered guidance on legal documentation. NANE also organized several events to better integrate the forcibly displaced people from Artsakh into the community. The first was the Zhengyal bread festival, during which the people of Artsakh prepared delicious bread and shared their cultural heritage with members of the broader Abovyan community. Following the festival, an excursion to Geghard, Garni, and the Symphony of Stones was organized, further strengthening the connection between program participants and serving as an opportunity to discover and appreciate Armenia’s beautiful cultural traditions. Ayvazyan helped to co-organize both events and reflected, “To say I’m impressed is an understatement. The atmosphere and feelings were amazing, in short, an emotional storm. How similar every handful of my homeland is and how different!”
Forcibly displaced community members on a cultural excursion to Geghard, Aremnia.
NANE represents a crucial bridge in Abovyan, creating intersection points for constructive dialogue between residents and the municipality and helping them to address problems collaboratively. NANE’s projects not only empower people like Galstyan and Ayvazyan, but also strengthen the fabric of the community by fostering a culture of active participation and responsive governance.
Counterpart’s support for NANE Charitable Union NGO extends beyond funding; it includes participation in various capacity building trainings, focused on topics including strategic communications, fundraising, and policy paper design. By further enhancing these essential skills, Counterpart is helping to strengthen NANE’s ability to advocate effectively for community needs and engage in meaningful dialogue with local authorities.
This investment in organizational development enables NANE to bolster its operational capacity and foster continuous growth through impactful and sustainable activities. As NANE has become more adept at navigating challenges and opportunities within the community, they have more easily been able to facilitate collaboration between residents and decision makers. Ultimately, this support also contributes to a more responsive and inclusive governance framework, ensuring that the voices of all community members are heard and addressed.
