Round Table Discussion On Promoting Tolerance In Armenia

On June 26, 2008 Dr. Karen Nazaryan, Executive Director of Armenia Round Table, participated in a round table discussion on “Promoting Tolerance in Armenia” organized by UNDP Tolerance Network. The meeting was held to promote collaboration between UNDP Tolerance Network and Human Rights Defender’s Office of Armenia.
In his greeting speech Mr. Ara Nazinyan, UNDP, referred to the activities carried out by them towards the organization of the Tolerance Network in December 2007 during the Strategic Planning Meeting on Tolerance with the participation of fifty stakeholders representing formal and informal education sectors, local NGOs and mass media. As a result of the meeting the promotion of tolerance in the educational system of Armenia was highlighted and the following four priority areas have been identified for future work, which are: a) intercultural contacts; b) special tolerance education for youth; c) tolerance towards handicapped; d) tolerance in families, schools etc. Mr. Nazinyan also informed the participants about the upcoming meeting which will be held in early October of 2008 with the Russian Center of Tolerance for experience sharing, and about the establishment of Tolerance Center in the Human Rights Defender’s Office of Armenia.
Human Rights Defender Mr. Armen Haroutunyan made a presentation on “Tolerance in the Society and Role of Human Right Defender’s Office in Tolerance Promotion.” In his presentation Mr. Haroutunyan put an emphasis on the importance of the tolerance promotion in the country by exploring the respective field and using the best practice, and the role of consistent dialogue and interaction of NGO sector and State in the mentioned context.
Ways and areas of State and NGO sector collaboration have been touched during the meeting. The ART highly prioritizes its participation in the UNDP Tolerance Network in order to better understand the contemporary methods of tolerance promotion and European values as ART sees the role of Church increasingly important in the promotion of tolerance especially in the remote provinces of Armenia. The
ART also considers participation in such networks important for the continuation of the activities towards fostering collaboration between State and NGO sector of Armenia.