A three-day Anti-Corruption training for the Civil Society and Media Organizations that work in Lori and Tavush marzes. “Armenian Yong Lawyers Association” NGO in Cooperation with the “Freedom of Information” NGO organized the training in the framework of “Multi-Faceted Anti-Corruption Promotion” project.
“The knowledge, experience and skills that the organizations and media will obtain as a result of these trainings, will enable them to apply for grant tenders not only in the framework of this project, but also after its completion and in case of winning the tender to implement their projects in general and to carry out investigations,” Karen Zadoyan, Armenian Young Lawyers Association, “Multi-Faceted Anti-Corruption Promotion” Project Manager said.
How to fight against corruption? The participants are rather active when discussing this issue. The most important is the political will. The Opinions do not diverge.
“Fight against corruption in Armenia or elsewhere, shall begin from each of us. When we decide that we are not part of the corruption, I believe we shall be able to sight corruption in certain extent,” Armen Ter-Arsenyan, TV Journalist of “Tavush” TV Company mentioned.
The schedule of the three-day training include principles of good governance, information about the notion of corruption, history of its development and reasons for its occurrences, etc. The participants got acquainted to the notion of ant-corruption public monitoring, methodology and international practice. The aspects and issues of the RA Government Program, Strategic Program of the RA Legal and Judicial Reforms 2012-2016, international experience and mechanisms of creating anti-corruption coalitions were discussed. The themes covering mechanisms and sources to receive information, and the rule and specifics of implementing journalistic investigation were included as well.
“The Hong Kong’s experience interested me a lot. Of course, we are far from reaching these practices, but I think it would be good to achieve it,” Narine Matevosyan, Editor-in-Chief of “MIG” TV and Radio Company noted.
It is just in that country, where since 1974 the head of the state decided to fight against corruption, to criminalize the illicit enrichment and to create an anti-corruption agency. A number of high ranking officials were sentenced to prison after criminalization of the illicit enrichment.
“Corruption is the actual problem for our state and society, as the main obstacle for the development of society,” Armen Avanesyan. Representative of the Armenian Constitutional Right-protective Center said.
CSO and Media Organizations, who have completed the training successfully, will have opportunity to participate in the tender for small grants to undertake monitoring, watchdog activities and journalistic investigations.
You can see the list of CSOs and the media participants of the Anti-Corruption Training here.
