Culture of volunteerism and civic participation in Armenia

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to explore is there culture of volunteerism and civic participation in Armenia. Volunteering is an essential element in citizenship and in establishing a sense of community; volunteers can make a tremendous contribution to society by giving freely of their time and talents, their energy and enthusiasm, and their experience. Volunteers play an essential part in the diverse activities of the voluntary and public sectors. If volunteer is highly active inside an organization or in a community - he or she is positively relates to being active in local politics. The paper reviews the current situation in Armenia regarding the issue of volunteering and civic participation. The answers to the hypothesis and the research questions were found with the help of two surveys conducted among randomly selected households and non-governmental organizations. Results support the hypothesis that the culture of volunteering in Armenia is very weak and government authorities do not fully recognize the importance of civic participation. Based on the survey results the paper concludes with a set of policy recommendations.