Turkey voted in a referendum that amended the constitution and would transform the country from a parliamentary system into a presidential one, giving President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sweeping new powers. Nearly half the country voted against the proposed changes, but within Turkey those voices were hardly heard. Here is their story, the story of “hayir.”
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Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity awarded in Los Angeles
By Paul Vartan Sookiasian The eighth annual Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity was awarded Thursday evening in Los Angeles to Dr. Denis Mukwege, a world-renowned gynecological surgeon and human rights activist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The one million dollar prize is a global award that recognizes individuals for risking their life, health, or freedom to save others. It was founded in 2015 by philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, educator Vartan Gregorian, and entrepreneur Noubar Afeyan, and its selection committee includes Nobel laureates and world leaders. This year’s ceremony was particularly poignant as co-founder Ruben Vardanyan is being illegally […]
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Armenia protest leaders call for acts of civil disobedience
By Paul Vartan Sookiasian Protesters from the “Tavush for the Motherland” movement gathered in Yerevan’s central Republic Square for a second evening after a day of marches and student boycotts. The demonstrators are demanding an immediate halt to ongoing work in Armenia’s bordering region of Tavush to legally define part of Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan. The deal is expected to result in Armenia ceding control of four villages to Azerbaijan. At yesterday’s rally, the movement’s leader Archbishop of Tavush Bagrat Galstanyan also demanded the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. More than 30,000 people attended yesterday’s rally, per the […]
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Unpacking The Tavush To Yerevan Protest Movement
In this episode of the Civilnet Podcast, host Patrick Elliott and Eric Hacopian unpack the protest movement led by archbishop Bagrat Srpazan Galstanyan, sparked by the delimitation agreement with Azerbaijan over sections of the border in Armenia’s northeastern Tavush region. They explore the movement, its leaders, their demands, as well as who is taking part and why, and finally analyze whether or not this movement poses a real threat to the current government.
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Stirrings of Solidarity: Assessing Protests and Demands in Georgia
On this week’s edition of Insights, Eric Hacopian discusses the latest anti-government protests in Georgia and what they mean for democracy in the region. He also analyzes new positive developments regarding the International Criminal Court case against Israel and what that means for Azerbaijan and the progress being made towards accountability. Eric also analyzes the implications of Hungary’s blocking of EU military aid to Armenia, and what Yerevan’s options are amid challenging geopolitical situations.
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LIVE BLOG: ‘Tavush for the Homeland’ protest in Yerevan
By Paul Vartan Sookiasian A protest march led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, which began Saturday from Kirants village in Armenia’s northeastern Tavush region, is culminating Thursday with a rally in Yerevan’s central Republic Square. The demonstrators are demanding the immediate halt to ongoing work in Tavush to legally define part of Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan, which is expected to result in Armenia ceding control of four abandoned border villages to Azerbaijan. In addition to senior church leadership, a number of political groups opposed to the current government have lent their support to the protesters, who have dubbed themselves “Tavush for […]
