Armenian youth takes stance against corruption with OSCE support

AGHVERAN, Armenia, 27 August, 2010 - Thirty five young people presented their views and suggested ways to improve Armenian laws that aim to reduce corruption at an OSCE-supported summer camp that concluded today in Aghveran, Kotayk region of Armenia.

The three-day camp was part of a project called "Youth Against Corruption" that was implemented by the non-governmental organization "The Future is Yours" with support from the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

The project inspired the young participants to combat corruption. It also encouraged civic and youth activity with a focus on constructive thinking. The participants were selected from around 300 applicants from six Armenian universities that took part in anti-corruption training programmes over the past two years.

Project participants analyzed and provided feedback on the implementation of several Armenian laws, including the Law on Higher Education, the Law on Road Safety and the Law on Drugs. They met with experts and high-level officials, including the Armenian Prime Minister, the Education Minister, the Deputy Head of Police, to formulate, present and discuss their views and observations.

"This project is a good example of how young people can engage in the fight against corruption and in the democratic development of the country. Learning about and evaluating legislation and administrative practice is a good starting point for becoming an active citizen," said Carel Hofstra, Acting Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. "Building young people's capacity to fight corruption is a valuable investment in the future, and the OSCE Office will continue to support work with that goal."

Harutyun Azgaldyan, an economy student at the Yerevan State University who took part in the camp, added:

"It is hard to fight for justice if you don't know what you have to fight against. After this camp, I realized what steps I could take to contribute to prevent corruption and reduce its level in the country. We were encouraged by the fact that our work was appreciated, and we hope our suggestions and recommendations will make a change."