Development on the Frontier: Tavush Province, Part I

Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Primate of Tavush, agreed the government could provide better incentives. He said that although the Armenian government had taken several steps to improve life in the border areas, a more systematic approach was needed for these efforts to be more effective. He argued that any government legislation addressing the concerns of border towns must be focused and targeted on the most pressing needs of the province, stating that “there must be more strategic coordination of [government] policy. For instance, border towns are given an exemption on VAT tax, but this policy must be more widely publicized in order to attract investors.”

Additionally, Galstanyan believed that financial aid itself needs to be more strategically coordinated: “Increased support [for the border villages] must be focused and strategic. It cannot be just emotional. There needs to be clear goals and priorities in terms of investing and participating in that process.” Galstanyan argued that certain donors had made onetime donations towards goals that had proven unproductive, as these had not addressed the most pressing needs of local communities.

To this end, the Children of Armenia Foundation (COAF), a charity based in New York City, is working to make its operations more focused and streamlined in Tavush. The pandemic has caused the organization to redouble such streamlining efforts. As stated by Anahit Hakobyan, Village Programs Manager for COAF, the foundation is focusing its resources on developing “a holistic program, whose goal will be to develop rural communities [of Tavush] by focusing on multiple aspects such as education, increasing the capacity of local health facilities, improving child family services, and developing local economies and infrastructures.” COAF’s presence in Tavush is currently limited to English classes in the seven border communities it serves, and its new program is currently in its pilot stage.

Negative local attitudes were another common theme discussed by regional leaders. Bishop Galstanyan said there is a need to combat through spiritual education what he described as a pessimistic culture which pervades border villages. This culture has imbued locals with a feeling of helplessness, in which locals feel powerless to ameliorate their situation. As Bishop Galstanyan explained, “Everyone used to look at the people [of Tavush] as always in need, unable to help themselves, as stuck in poverty. They cannot work, they cannot do anything. We are working to change that.” Inga Harutyunyan echoed this sentiment, speaking of the importance of providing and promoting opportunities for residents of border villages to become self-dependent.

Whether by engendering entrepreneurship or reawakening spirituality in Tavush, regional leaders agreed that the amelioration of local attitudes was an important aspect of development in the region.