Past Lectures

Friday 4th November 2005, 7.30PM
Exploring the Impact of Diasporic Assistance on Armenia's Post-Soviet Transition

Since Armenia regained independence in 1991, non-profit diaspora organisations have significantly contributed to the local level development of various institutions and practices that have assisted Armenia's transition from communism. However, what has been the impact of these interactions? How are diaspora organisations and individuals involved in promoting Armenia's sustainable development? How have diaspora-homeland relations evolved over the years since Armenia declared independence? This talk will address these questions and examine the impact of non-profit diaspora organisations on Armenia's transition. It will also provide policy recommendations and suggestions.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Dr Armine Ishkanian is a lecturer in Social Policy at the Centre for Civil Society at the LSE where she teaches the MSc courses on NGO Management and Social Policy in Developing Countries. Prior to taking up this post at the LSE in September 2003, she was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Slavic, East EUropean and Eurasian Studies at the University of California in Berkeley. Her research interests include civil society, NGOs, development , human rights and gender issues in Armenia and in the Caucass and Central Asia. She has received grants from the Social Science Research Council, the International Research and Exchanges Board, the National Research Council, the University of California Berkeley, and she has numerous publications in academic books and journals. Ishkanian is currently writing a book based on her research on civil society and democratisation during the post-Soviet period in Armenia.