Democracy Building in Post-Soviet Armenia (Routledge Contemporary Russia and Eastern Europe)

211 Pages·2008·1.24 MB·English

by  Armin Ishkanian

Democracy Building and Civil Society in
Post-Soviet Armenia
This book considers the challenges of democracy building in post-Soviet
Armenia and the role of civil society in that process. It is the first book of
its kind to examine post-Soviet democracy building in Armenia. Although
focusingonArmenia,thebookalsodrawscomparisonsbetweentheprocesses
in Armenia and other former Soviet states. Based on extensive original
research,includingfieldworkinterviewswithparticipants,itprovidesadetailed
account of democracy building and civil society strengthening programmes
in Armenia since 1991.
The book discusses the interplay and relations between structure and
agency and the implications of this for the way in which new knowledge,
ideologies, institutions and models are transferred, accepted, adapted,
manipulatedorresisted.ContrarytotheexpectationsofWesternaidagencies,
who promoted civil society on the assumption that democratization would
followfromtheestablishmentofcivilsociety,thisbookarguesthatdemocratic
regimes have yet to materialize and, moreover, that a backlash against
Western democracy promotion has emerged invarious post-Soviet states. It
exploreshowfarthegrowthofcivilsocietydependsonacountry’shistorical,
political and socio-cultural context, and how far foreign aid, often provided
with conditions encouraging the promotion of civil society, can exert an
impact on democratization.
This book adds to the growing literature on democracy building and
contributestothebroaderdebatesaboutdemocracypromotion,civilsociety
and democratization more generally, which are particularly important given
thecontinuedcommitmentbyWesterngovernmentstopromotingdemocracy
in different parts of the world, e.g. Iraq and Afghanistan.
ArmineIshkanianisaLecturerattheLondonSchoolofEconomicsCentrefor
Civil Society and a Research Associate at the LSE Centre for the Study of
Global Governance. Her research interests focus on civil society, democracy
building,developmentandgender.Shehaspublishedwidelyonthesetopicsin
leadingjournalsincludingSocialPolitics,JournalofInternationalDevelopment
and Central Asian Survey.
Routledge Contemporary Russia and Eastern Europe Series
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2 Civil–Military RelationsinRussia 9 RussianTelevision Today
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11 ARussianFactoryEnters the
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Armine Ishkanian
5 AdaptingtoRussia’sNewLabour
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Knowledgein Motion
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Democracy Building and Civil
Society in Post-Soviet Armenia
Armine Ishkanian
Firstpublished2008
byRoutledge
2ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,OxonOX144RN
SimultaneouslypublishedintheUSAandCanada
byRoutledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2008.
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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
orreproducedorutilisedinanyformorbyanyelectronic,
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includingphotocopyingandrecording,orinanyinformation
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BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData
Ishkanian,Armine,1971-
Democracybuildingandcivilsocietyinpost-SovietArmenia/Armine
Ishkanian.
p. cm. – (Routledge Contemporary Russia and Eastern European Series)
1.Democracy–Armenia(Republic)2.Politicalparticipation–Armenia
(Republic)3.Civilsociety–Armenia(Republic)4.Armenia(Republic)–
Politicsandgovernment–1991-I.Title.
JQ1759.3.A91.I752008
320.94756–dc22
2007038428
ISBN 0-203-92922-5 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN13:978-0-415-43601-4(hbk)
ISBN13:978-0-203-92922-3(ebk)
Contents
Acknowledgements viii
Abbreviations x
Introduction 1
1 Democracy, Civil Society and Power 12
2 Civil Society Participation in Elections 35
3 The Anti-Domestic Violence Campaign and Democracy Building 58
4 Culture and Democracy Building 85
5 The Soviet Legacy and Democracy Building 109
6 The Voices of the Donors 130
7 Conclusion 154
Epilogue 163
Notes 165
Bibliography 170
Index 191
Acknowledgements
I am verygrateful to the many people who have assisted me over the years
and generously given their time and shared their knowledge and insights
withme.First,IwouldliketothankmymentorF.G.Baileywhohasalways
provided helpful, pragmatic advice and helped me to focus on what is
important.Iamalsogratefultoallmyrespondentswhogenerouslytookthe
timetorespondtomyquestionsandtodiscusstheiropinions.Icouldnever
havewrittenthis book without their helpandwillingness tosharetheir time
and ideaswith me.
Of my colleagues in Armenia, I would like to thank Anahit Bayandur,
Gulnara Shahinian and Hranush Kharatyan and a number of anthro-
pologists and archaeologists at the Institute for Ethnography and Archae-
ology, including Levon Abrahamian, Harutyun Marutyan, Mkrtich
Zardarian and Seda Devejian. But this would also not have been possible
without the support, encouragement and kindness of such people as my
friends Anahit, Ani and Hasmik. Without the Salon evenings, my life in
Armeniawould havebeen harderand infinitelyless enjoyable.
I am also grateful to a number of institutions for their support
throughout the different phases of this project. I am indebted to the
Department of Anthropology at UC San Diego, the Institute of Slavic,
East European and Eurasian Studies at UC Berkeley, the Department of
Social Policy at LSE, the LSE Centre for Civil Society and the LSE Centre
for the Study of Global Governance. I also benefited from discussions I
had with colleagues in the UK and the US over the years, including Jude
Howell, Mary Kaldor, Marlies Glasius, Hakan Seckinelgin, David Lewis,
Ruth Mandel, Deniz Kandiyoti, Susan Pattie, Hratch Tchilingirian,
Razmik Panossian, Khachig To¨lo¨lyan, Julie Hemment, Kristen Ghodsee
and Jane Lewis, about different aspects of this book. I benefited hugely
from attending research workshops organized by the Kennan Institute at
the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington, DC. I am also grateful to
IREX for funding the 2002–03 research with a postdoctoral Individual
Advanced Research Opportunity grant, and to the National Research
CouncilandtheAcademyofEducationalDevelopmentwhichfundedearlier
research trips.
Acknowledgements vii
Finally, last but definitely not least, I would like to thank my family. My
aunt Lucy and cousin Tsoghik helped me through the difficult patches of
being away from home, while I hugely enjoyed my discussions with Knar
Alexandrovna, Victoria, Kolya, Jirig, Aida and others in Armenia. I was
alsoblessedwiththeloveandsupportofmyparentsHagopandChinarand
my in-laws Edward and Arega. But there are three people in particular
withoutwhoselove,supportandencouragementthisbookwouldneverhave
beenwrittenandIwouldnotbewhereIamtodayeitherasapersonorasa
professional: they are my father Hagop, my husband Vitali and my son
Haik. To these three, Idedicatethis book. Thankyou.
Abbreviations
AAA Armenian Assembly of America
AMD Armenian dram (currency)
ANM Armenian National Movement
CASCM Central Asia, South Caucasus and Moldova
CEDAW ConventionontheEliminationofallformsofDiscrimination
against Women
CIS Commonwealth of Independent States
D/G Democracy/Governance
DECIM DonorExchange,CoordinationandInformationMechanism
DFID DepartmentforInternationalDevelopmentUnitedKingdom
EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EIDHR European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights
ENP European Neighbourhood Policy
GTZ Deutschen Gesellschaft fu¨r Technische Zusammenarbeit
(German international co-operation enterprise)
HCA Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly
IMF International Monetary Fund
INGO International Non-Governmental Organization
IREX International Research and Exchanges Board
JAA Junior Achievement of Armenia
MP Member of Parliament
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NED National Endowment for Democracy
NGO Non-governmental organization
NGOC Armenian NGO Resource and Training Centre
OSI Open Society Institute
OSIAF Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation Armenia
OIDHR Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
OSCE Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
PACE Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
PHARE Poland and Hungary: Assistance for Restructuring their
Economies
PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
Abbreviations ix
PSC private service contractor
PVO private voluntaryorganization
RFE/RL Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty
TACIS Technical Aid to the Commonwealth of Independent States
TOT training of trainers
VAW violence against women
UNDEF United Nations Fund for Democracy
UNDP United Nations Development Program
USAID United States Agency for International Development