Armenia/ 4.3 Recent policy issues and debates  

4.2.3 Intercultural dialogue: actors, strategies, programmes

The government pays great attention and takes appropriate measures in the local communities and regions to support cultural variety, intercultural dialogue and the issues of social unity. This support is confirmed by law every year, according to the Law on the State Budget. With the aim of enlargement and dissemination of intercultural dialogue, major programmes are organised at local and regional community level in Armenia.

Among the strategic policy issues of recent years carried out by the government in the cultural sphere, special attention is given to developing participation in the international level actions on intercultural dialogue. The main agencies in Armenia responsible for intercultural dialogue are the bodies that carry out cultural policy at all administrative levels (see  chapter 2.2).

One of the main objectives of the NGO union activity for national minorities is the support for intercultural dialogue in Armenia and they organise a number of measures, which include representatives from different nations.

One important measure is a fine arts and crafts exhibition of national minorities (for the past six years) organised in Armenia with state assistance, as well as a music festival for national minorities (for the past eight years). The 2008 programme envisages the realisation of 2 new programmes with state assistance: "an anthology of literary works of the representatives of national minorities" and "scientific-cognitive visits to the monuments and historical places of national minorities". The programme of expenditure in the book-publishing field provides for a special programme for the "publication of literature of national minorities".

Additional Resources:

Database of Good Practice on Intercultural Dialogue

Key Resources