The Humanitarian support center “New Armenia” is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in 1995.

The first two years of our organization were aimed at civil activation and social stability of students, organized jointly with the Student Council of the Yerevan State University. Later, in a short time, we have registered one of the main problems of the Armenian changing society – the collapse of childhood. Children of Armenia were the first victims of economic, political, social and ideological crises. The matter was that after the break-up of Soviet regime the “democracy and market economy” dictated by outside world and, as their consequence, the market relations (also on the interpersonal level) nearly exterminated national traditions, replacing them with satellites of the Golden Calf – Capital: poverty, begging, vagrancy, ignorance… And when the whole world has firmly clinged to the system of the Matrix, not even thinking about the real value of “reforms”, under the patent expansion of some states named “globalization”, we came to a conclusion that now “it’s the time to gather stones” and did our best trying to save those, who were thrown away to the slums by the whirlwinds of civilization.

We exactly knew that there isn’t a stranger’s pain and that the deprivation of childhood of any child, irrespective of his/her nationality, religious belief and social status, – is everybody’s sin. This was the cause, that since 1997 we have started our work with street children of Armenia, realizing different corresponding activity (social work, psychological and medical assistance, rights protection and etc.). At the same time we have tried to focus state and public attention on the problem of child abuse and neglect, and series of corresponding activities had been realized (TV and radio programs, seminars, workshops, mass events and etc.).

In a course of time the situation has been changed: many organizations had finally perceived the importance of rehabilitation and prevention of deviant behavior and delinquency among teenagers, and so it was that joint efforts has brought to the improvement of the condition, and gradually the united system of prevention of child neglect and juvenile delinquency in Armenia has started to form.

Since 2003 we are involved in civil activity on large scale basis and participate in civil-political processes going on in our Republic. There were a lot of causes to start this kind of activity, but the main one was and is the same “sense of responsibility”, and we have suddenly realized that it is too hard and even no need to think about the Tomorrow, and the only thing you may do – to remain loyal to your principles and do what you are able to do.

Just in this context we have started to enlarge educational programs being concentrated mainly on the new generation with the hope that we will be able to contribute the School reform and on the other hand to discover bearers of the bright spark and to help them to keep and strengthen the light. This, in our mind, is the main and somehow the only righteous aim nowadays. Gradually this kind of activity has become our main strategy…

The following main projects were carried out during the last 5 years:

·        “Social Rehabilitation of Street Children in the Open Sphere”, 2001-2002;

·        “Child neglect – preventive measures”, 2002-2003, including strengthening of the cooperation with local authorities and schools’ administrations, investigation of the corresponding legal field in Armenia;

·        “My Motherland’s price” essay competition among school children in Yerevan, 2003;

·        International conference “State policy towards children’s neglect: reality and necessity”, Yerevan-Tsaghkadzor, 2003;

·        Seminar “The Child and the Community”, with participation of representatives of corresponding structures of all regions of RA, Yerevan, 2003;

·        “Civil existence” project, included “The color of childhood” TV-cycle and bulletin, 2004;

·        “Against political violence”, Yerevan, 2004;

·          “You are a part of your Motherland”, Armenia, 2004;

·          “Regional Center for Child Protection”, Yerevan, 2005;

·          “Summer school-camp on civil education” for pupils-leaders of secondary schools, Yerevan, 2005;

·          “Fairy-tales festival” – 10th anniversary of our organization, Yerevan, 2005;

·          “School-camp on civil education” for  young leaders of secondary schools and universities, Yerevan, 2006;

·          “Pupils Council of Yerevan”, including psychological trainings, Yerevan, 2006;

·          “The improvement of Playgrounds for children” – establishment of 5 free playgrounds in different communities, Armenia, 2006;

·          “Citizenship: Learning, Practicing, Reflecting” – seminars and trainings for students, Yerevan, 2006;

·          Establishment of the School for Seekers – philosophical trainings for students, Yerevan, 2006;

·          “Folk Epos: Contact and Understanding”, seminars and trainings for students, Yerevan, 2006.