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When the Open Society Foundations—Armenia opened its doors in 1997, Armenia’s population was isolated and impoverished due to the war in Nagorno-Karabakh and the economic blockade imposed by Azerbaijan and Turkey. With the collapse of the Soviet-era welfare system, many basic institutions were in need of funding and reform. The Foundation responded by supplying much-needed equipment, technology and expertise to Armenia’s schools, universities, libraries, and healthcare facilities that were struggling to adapt to the new economic pressures. Beneficiaries included the National Library of Armenia as well as Matenadaran Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, one of the world’s oldest and richest repositories of manuscripts and historical records. Since then the foundation has supported a broad range of civil society groups, including women’s shelters, investigative journalism outlets, human rights defenders, and organisations monitoring elections and public spending. Today, Armenia is grappling with low levels of public trust in institutions, widespread corruption, and rising inequality. The Open Society Foundations—Armenia continue to support local partners working to promote justice, accountability, and transparency.
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