Gyumri Armenia

Armenia is a constitutional parliamentary democracy; however, the directly elected President has extensive powers of decree and appointment, including of the Prime Minister, that are not balanced by the legislature or an independent judiciary. Robert Kocharian was re-elected President in March. There were flaws and substantial irregularities in both the February and March rounds of the presidential elections and in the May parliamentary elections. A constitutional referendum on executive powers failed in a national vote in May. The Constitution provides for an independent judiciary; however, in practice, judges were subject to pressure from the executive and executive branches, and corruption was a problem.The National Police and the National Security Service are responsible for domestic security, intelligence activities, border controls, and the police force. The civilian authorities maint ... [Read More]

Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Armenia

Most cases of domestic violence were not reported to police because victims were either afraid of physical harm and feared that police would return them to their husbands or were embarrassed to make family problems public. Several NGOs in the Yerevan and Gyumri areas and in Martuni provided shelter and assistance to battered women; however, it was rare for battered women to have psychological or legal counseling. ... [Read More]

Freedom Support Educational Partnerships Program – Project Profiles – Educational Partnerships Program

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) is collaborating with the Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute in Armenia (GSPI) to implement a project aimed at enhancing journalism education and training at Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute in Armenia. The partnership provides increased opportunities at FAMU and GSPI for faculty exchanges that promote greater awareness of other cultures, educational practices and work environments; strengthens curricular offerings at GSPI to produce a more skilled and marketable workforce; expands service/learning opportunities for faculty, students and staff at both institutions; and provides the foundation for developing a long-term strategic plan for future FAMU and GSPI collaboration. ... [Read More]

Armenia

In 1998 President Kocharian appointed a prominent opposition politician to head a new human rights commission headed by Paruyr Hairikyan within the President's office. The commission exists essentially as a reference bureau and has no formal legal powers; however, it has had a modest impact in getting authorities to review official actions on issues ranging from apartment allocations to police behavior, in some cases winning official reconsideration. It refers such cases to the appropriate agency, but it does not follow up on specific issues. During the year, the commission visited those accused in the October 1999 killings, visited the Gyumri jail, and frequently visited military units to hear human rights complaints by soldiers. The Parliamentary Commission on National Security, Defense, and Interior, headed by Vahan Hovhanissian, has taken on a greater role this year by making regular visits to military units to hear complaints by soldiers as well. ... [Read More]

Reports, International Education Week 2001

The two-day Education Conference organized by the embassy fostered a discussion between U.S. government exchange program alumni and local specialists and students on the urgent issues in the field of education in Armenia. The participants reinstated the need for constant communication between local educators and those with Western educational background through similar conferences and workshops and stressed the importance of continuing the cooperation and exchange of ideas and experiences. Organized in the form of breakout sessions, the conference provided a comparative outlook on some major educational topics. As presenters raised such issues as the state of current educational reforms in Armenia, the impact of different educational projects implemented by and via different local and international NGOs as well as shared their experience suggesting innovations and inter ... [Read More]

Armenia

There is no specific law banning violence against women and a few cases of spousal abuse, or other violence against women were reported during the year; however, such violence is believed to be more widespread than statistics indicate. According to an opinion poll conducted in 2000 by a local NGO, 50 percent of Armenian women have been victims of domestic violence, although other local NGOs claimed that the percentage is lower. The problem of battered wives is much more widespread than the Government or local human rights groups would admit. Many cases were not reported to police because victims were afraid of physical harm if they did so, fearful that police would refuse to take action and instead return them to their husbands, or embarrassed to make "family matters" public. Embarrassment and concerns for family honor made the problem particularly sensitive and difficult to quantify; women's groups and health professionals also declined to offer specific figures. The Proc ... [Read More]

Armenia

In 1998 President Kocharian appointed a prominent opposition politician, Paruyr Hairikyan, to head a new human rights commission within the President's office. The commission exists essentially as a reference bureau and has no formal legal powers; however, it has had a modest impact in persuading authorities to review official actions on problems ranging from apartment allocations to police behavior, in some cases winning official reconsideration. The commission refers such cases to the appropriate agency, but it does not follow up on specific issues. During the year, the commission was successful in implementing prison reforms, with the help and support from several of its members. The commission also visited military units and prisons and held open hearings on abuses in the army. The Commission visited those accused in the October 1999 killings, visited the Gyumri jail, and frequently visited military units to hear human rights complaints by soldiers. The Parliamentary Commission on ... [Read More]

Eurasia – Educational Advising Centers – EducationUSA

Gyumri | Yerevan ARMENIA - Gyumri ...

377518 Gyumri ... [Read More]

Armenia School Connectivity Program (ASCP) – Youth Programs Division – Citizen Exchanges

U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Ordway, participated in the July 31, 2003 opening of an Internet Connectivity Center at School No. 31 in Gyumri, in the Khrimean Hayrik District.This is the 189th Internet-connected school of the ECA-funded Connectivity Program in Armenia ...

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