A BRIEF HISTORY
When the Open Society Foundations – Armenia opened its doors in 1997, Armenia’s population was isolated and impoverished due to the war in Nagorno-Karabakh and the economic blockade imposed by Azerbaijan and Turkey. With the collapse of the Soviet-era welfare system, many basic institutions were in need of funding and reform. The Foundation responded by supplying much-needed equipment, technology and expertise to Armenia’s schools, universities, libraries, and healthcare facilities that were struggling to adapt to the new economic pressures.
Beneficiaries included the National Library of Armenia as well as the Matenadaran, Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, one of the world’s oldest and richest repositories of manuscripts and historical records.
The Open Society Foundations – Armenia (hereinafter, OSFA and/ or Foundation) has contributed over $ 63 million to Armenia since it began its work in 1997. Since then, the Foundation has supported a broad range of civil society groups, including women’s shelters, investigative journalism outlets, human rights defenders, and organizations monitoring elections and public spending.
As an emergency response to COVID-19, OSFA has to date allocated over $1 million to provide emergency support (food packages, hygiene supplies, heating) to the most vulnerable groups: single elderly persons, persons with disabilities or chronic illnesses, persons with mental health issues, victims of domestic violence, persons living with HIV, refugees, ethnic minorities, children with special needs and socially vulnerable families.
The 44-day war in Artsakh and its consequences created a disastrous situation undermining the rights to life, physical and mental health, property, and ownership of thousands, as well as their access to quality education and health care. OSFA provided humanitarian aid of over $ 535, 000 to support the civilian population of Artsakh affected by the war. The Foundation also supported the key human rights defenders and lawyers to pursue access to justice for the victims of war crimes.
The Foundation continues to support local partners working to promote and protect human rights, rule of law, justice, accountability, and transparency.
9 FACTS ABOUT OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS ARMENIA
- From 2000 to 2005, the Foundation supported projects to automate Armenia’s libraries. The foundation grant helped to create an automated multidimensional library network and unified shared catalog, which include Armenia’s 10 main libraries and contains over 1.2 million bibliographic records.
- In 2008, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the Foundation helped over 65,000 Armenian families facing severe economic hardship, by providing warm meals, heating for homes, and transportation and health care services. This large-scale crisis intervention received U.S. $2.2 million from the Foundation, in addition to which US $2.5 million were raised from donors, eventually supporting 60 different projects.
- The Foundation led efforts to implement alternative services of care and social support to persons with mental health issues. It supported community-based mental health institutions, including the Spitak Care House project.
- The Foundation supported the development of new courses and curricula to help national universities upgrade the content and quality of their academic programs. Since 2012, it has supported the development of accountability mechanisms in higher education and monitored the implementation of educational reforms across the country.
- In recognition of the dignity of terminally ill patients, the Foundation worked with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia to create national standards for palliative care and funded the training of new specialists focused on end-of-life care.
- To date, the foundation has invested U.S. $1.5 million to support the work of women’s rights organizations, including the provision of emergency services to victims of domestic violence.
- Since 1997, the Foundation has spent some U.S. $5 million to support the development of an independent media in Armenia, including award-winning investigative journalism on government corruption and the impact of the financial crisis on rural communities.
- The Foundation’s efforts to support citizen participation have included helping local groups defend the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, as well as using freedom of information laws to monitor and ensure the fair delivery of public services.
- The Foundation has supported multiple efforts to systematically monitor and improve conditions in prisons, police cells, psychiatric wards, and homes for the elderly throughout Armenia.