PRESS RELEASE
The Civilitas Foundation
Contact: Arusyak Mirzakhanyan
Tel: +(37410) 500119
E-mail: [email protected]
June 4, 2008
Oskanian Establishes Foundation in Armenia
Former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian has established the Civilitas
Foundation in Yerevan. Mr. Oskanian, who left office in April after serving
10 years as foreign minister, will continue to be active in Armenia’s public
life.
Named in the spirit of the Roman ideal of `civilitas: being a citizen,’ the
Civilitas Foundation is dedicated to strengthening Armenia’s statehood and
the well-being of its people. The foundation will work in two directions –
promoting an understanding of Armenia’s foreign relations, and supporting
programs that foster development and democracy in Armenia.
The Civilitas Foundation’s Council on Foreign Relations will disseminate
objective and contextual information, host roundtables, conferences and
lectures, and produce publications, thus engaging the public as well as
opinion and policy makers in objective discourse on Armenia’s foreign policy
issues as well as international and regional developments that impact
Armenia. The Council on Foreign Relations will also highlight and explain
Armenia’s foreign policy choices and options abroad. Finally, the Council
will work to contribute to peace and stability in the Caucasus and beyond
through cultural, educational and political dialogue.
To foster development and democracy in Armenia, the Civilitas Foundation
will complement ongoing domestic initiatives and offer new programs with a
special focus on education and media in the first year. The Foundation will
rally diverse resources to offer scholarships to deserving, disadvantaged
students ready to pursue higher education in Armenia and abroad. The
Foundation will also produce media content to make available balanced
information about Armenia’s social, cultural, economic and political
processes.
`It was clear to me in all my years of government service that through
innovative and reliable partnership programs with individuals and
organizations, we can utilize domestic, Diaspora and international
resources, networks and experience, to strive for results which benefit our
country and our people. I want to focus on doing that now,² Mr. Oskanian
said.
The Foundation will work with private and public entities, Armenian and
non-Armenian institutions to implement a variety of programs and activities
to ensure improvement where needed, change when necessary, with dignity
always.
The Civilitas Foundation is registered in Armenia as a not-for-profit
entity, and will have similar registration in North America and Europe. The
Foundation’s board of trustees, staff and activities will be announced soon.
An official opening will take place in September, in Yerevan, on the
Foundation’s premises.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
