Democracy Building and Civil Society in Post-Soviet Armenia

Democracy Building and Civil Society in Post-Soviet Armenia PDF Author: Armine Ishkanian
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134076754
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 216

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Book Description
This volume considers the challenges of democracy building in post-Soviet Armenia, and the role of civil society in that process. It argues that, contrary to the expectations of Western aid donors, who promoted civil society on the assumption that democratization would follow from the establishment of civil society, democratic regimes have failed to materialize, and, moreover, a backlash has emerged in various post-Soviet states. Armine Ishkanian explores how far the growth of civil society depends on a country's historical, political and socio-cultural context; and how far foreign aid, often provided with conditions which encouraged the promotion of civil society, had an impact on democratization. Based on extensive original research, including fieldwork interviews with participants, Democracy Building and Civil Society in Post-Soviet Armenia considers various democratization initiatives in recent years, and assesses how far the Armenian experience is similar to, or different from, the experiences of other post-Soviet states.

Democracy Building and Civil Society in Post-Soviet Armenia

Democracy Building and Civil Society in Post-Soviet Armenia PDF Author: Armine Ishkanian
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134076754
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 216

Get Book

Book Description
This volume considers the challenges of democracy building in post-Soviet Armenia, and the role of civil society in that process. It argues that, contrary to the expectations of Western aid donors, who promoted civil society on the assumption that democratization would follow from the establishment of civil society, democratic regimes have failed to materialize, and, moreover, a backlash has emerged in various post-Soviet states. Armine Ishkanian explores how far the growth of civil society depends on a country's historical, political and socio-cultural context; and how far foreign aid, often provided with conditions which encouraged the promotion of civil society, had an impact on democratization. Based on extensive original research, including fieldwork interviews with participants, Democracy Building and Civil Society in Post-Soviet Armenia considers various democratization initiatives in recent years, and assesses how far the Armenian experience is similar to, or different from, the experiences of other post-Soviet states.

Armenian Civil Society

Armenian Civil Society PDF Author: Yevgenya Paturyan
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030632261
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
This book analyzes Armenian civil society in the context of post-communist democratization. It explores persistent challenges to civic engagement under Armenia’s semi-authoritarian regime, and also highlights success stories of public mobilization and social impact. Drawing on a broad range of methods and empirical sources, the book provides a comprehensive overview of the re-emerging diversity of Armenian civil society: from formal organizations to spontaneous activism. It combines a country-level analysis of broad patterns in the country’s political culture with the life stories of individual agents of change, contrasting public apathy with young activists’ enthusiasm. By exploring mobilization strategies and narratives in Armenian civil society, the book provides valuable new insights into the roots of the mass public uprising in spring 2018.

Post-Communist Civil Society and the Soviet Legacy

Post-Communist Civil Society and the Soviet Legacy PDF Author: Huseyn Aliyev
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137489154
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 269

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Book Description
This book argues that the weakness of civil society in the post-Soviet Caucasus is a result not only of post-communist political and economic problems, but also of the effects of historical legacies. These influence both formal and informal civil societies and weaken the countries' ability to facilitate democratisation.

Civil Society and Government Institutions in Armenia

Civil Society and Government Institutions in Armenia PDF Author: Valentina Gevorgyan
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 9781032669359
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The book provides an understanding of the three decades of Armenia's young history - from perspective of relations between civil society and governmental institutions. It explains the patterns of relations between civil society and governmental institutions in Armenia (since 1991 to present). It compares the patterns of relations before and after April-May 2018 (the Velvet Revolution), by evaluating the patterns of similarities or differences and explores the opportunity structures for Armenia to progress by means of its civil society.

Frustrated Democracy in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan

Frustrated Democracy in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan PDF Author: Audrey L. Altstadt
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231801416
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 531

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Book Description
Frustrated Democracy in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan follows a newly independent oil-rich former Soviet republic as it adopts a Western model of democratic government and then turns toward corrupt authoritarianism. Audrey L. Altstadt begins with the Nagorno-Karabagh War (1988–1994) which triggered Azerbaijani nationalism and set the stage for the development of a democratic movement. Initially successful, this government soon succumbed to a coup. Western oil companies arrived and money flowed in—a quantity Altstadt calls "almost unimaginable"—causing the regime to resort to repression to maintain its power. Despite Azerbaijan's long tradition of secularism, political Islam emerged as an attractive alternative for those frustrated with the stifled democratic opposition and the lack of critique of the West's continued political interference. Altstadt's work draws on instances of censorship in the Azerbaijani press, research by embedded experts and nongovernmental and international organizations, and interviews with diplomats and businesspeople. The book is an essential companion to her earlier works, The Azerbaijani Turks: Power and Identity Under Russian Rule and The Politics of Culture in Soviet Azerbaijan, 1920–1940.

The Post-Soviet Handbook

The Post-Soviet Handbook PDF Author: M. Holt Ruffin
Publisher: University of Washington Press
ISBN: 0295741279
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 416

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Book Description
Post-Soviet Handbook: A Guide to Grassroots Organizations and Internet Resources

Armenian Developments

Armenian Developments PDF Author: Wolfram Hilz
Publisher: Tectum Verlag
ISBN: 9783828842878
Category : Armenia (Republic)
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The development of societies during and after periods of authoritarian or totalitarian rule is among the most interesting research topics in social sciences. On the one hand, the analysis is directed at why, when and how societies resist tyrannies and what ultimately leads to the downfall of seemingly invincible regimes. On the other hand, once such authoritarian regimes unravel, it is important to comprehend how societal groups organize themselves and how they try to influence political processes. In the case of the former Soviet republics, this transition was a complex and incalculable development that led to very heterogeneous political and societal situations. Due to the territorial situation of Armenia - wedged between the predominantly hostile neighbors Turkey and Azerbaijan, in the shadow of hegemonial Russia and Iran - the domestic Armenian development options seemed limited for decades. However, the transformation of the civil society in the Republic of Armenia finally paved its way slowly but constantly in recent years. The aim of this volume is to shed light on the ongoing discussion on civil society in Armenia in the context of democratization and to examine its potential for democratic consolidation. The perspectives recount diverse facets of the Armenian civic landscape, as well as the recent processes of democratization. The contributions from predominantly Armenian experts focus on the necessary structures and important actors for an understanding and characterization of the current situation of the Armenian civil society.

Armenia’s Velvet Revolution

Armenia’s Velvet Revolution PDF Author: Anna Ohanyan
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 178831719X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
In April 2018, Armenia experienced a remarkable popular uprising leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan and his replacement by protest leader Nikol Pashinyan. Evoking Czechoslovakia's similarly peaceful overthrow of communism 30 years previously, the uprising came to be known as Armenia's 'Velvet Revolution': a broad-based movement calling for clean government, democracy and economic reform. This volume examines how a popular protest movement, showcasing civil disobedience as a mass strategy for the first time in the post-Soviet space, overcame these unpromising circumstances. Situating the events in Armenia in their national, regional and global contexts, different contributions evaluate the causes driving Armenia's unexpected democratic turn, the reasons for regime vulnerability and the factors mediating a non-violent outcome. Drawing on comparative perspectives with democratic transitions across the world, this book will be essential reading for those interested in the regime dynamics, social movements and contested politics of contemporary Eurasia, as well as policy-makers and practitioners in the fields of democracy assistance and human rights in an increasingly multipolar world.

Civil Society Before Democracy

Civil Society Before Democracy PDF Author: Nancy Bermeo
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN: 0742573621
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
Bringing together historians and political scientists, this unique collaboration compares nineteenth-century civil societies that failed to develop lasting democracies with civil societies that succeeded. Much of the current literature on the connection between civil society and consolidating democracy focuses exclusively on single, contemporary polities that are ever-changing and uncertain. By studying historical cases, the authors are able to demonstrate which civil societies developed in tandem with lasting democracies and which did not. Contrasting these two sets of cases, the book both enlightens readers about individual countries and extracts lessons about the connections between civil society and democracy in contemporary times. Above all, the authors ask the vital but under-researched question, OHow and why does democratic civil society develop?O

Democracy Building and Civil Society in Post-Soviet Armenia

Democracy Building and Civil Society in Post-Soviet Armenia PDF Author: Armine Ishkanian
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134076762
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 211

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Book Description
This volume considers the challenges of democracy building in post-Soviet Armenia, and the role of civil society in that process. It argues that, contrary to the expectations of Western aid donors, who promoted civil society on the assumption that democratization would follow from the establishment of civil society, democratic regimes have failed to materialize, and, moreover, a backlash has emerged in various post-Soviet states. Armine Ishkanian explores how far the growth of civil society depends on a country's historical, political and socio-cultural context; and how far foreign aid, often provided with conditions which encouraged the promotion of civil society, had an impact on democratization. Based on extensive original research, including fieldwork interviews with participants, Democracy Building and Civil Society in Post-Soviet Armenia considers various democratization initiatives in recent years, and assesses how far the Armenian experience is similar to, or different from, the experiences of other post-Soviet states.