The Armenia/regional spread from the National Endowment for Democracy's 2012 Annual Report

1. recriminalizing libel, and new restrictions on the internet and on
freedom of assembly. These measures presented a new set of
challenges to the Endowment’s grantees in Russia, and with the
exit of USAID, the funding situation became acute even for many
of Russia’s most well-established NGOs. NED helped grantees
address legal hurdles and developed individualized strategies to
support their work. The Russian NGOs demonstrated considerable
courage, resilience, and creativity in meeting the challenges
created by the new legislation. The strength and professionalism
of the NGO sector coupled with the growing public demand for
government transparency holds out hope for future growth and
expansion of the Russia’s civil society.
Armenian voters look for their names on
publicly displayed voter lists at a precinct
in Ararat on election day in May 2012;
image courtesy of flickr user Neil Simon
under the Creative Commons license.
EURASIA
EURASIA
(Eurasia, continued from page 38)
In Kazakhstan, the government continued to intimidate and
imprison opposition leaders, journalists, and even ordinary
people who engaged in public protest. Over 40 independent
media outlets were shut down in 2012. Despite the pressure,
NED grantees like International Legal Initiative Public Foundation
monitored court cases dealing with freedom of assembly and the
Kazakhstan International Bureau of Human Rights and Rule of Law
operated a Legal Defense Center to advise and represent human
rights victims.
NED also worked to help civil society capitalize on political
openings and there were bright points in the region. Georgia
passed a milestone in October 2012 when, for the first time in its
history, power was transferred peacefully through free elections.
NED grantees were active across a range of issues: Association
“Studio Re” produced 22 television shows featuring balanced
and informed public debate, while the Georgian Young Lawyers
Association litigated serious electoral violations. Kyrgyzstan
also conducted legitimate, credible elections, and though the
Parliament is still a weak institution, the government is pursuing
ambitious democratic reform projects. In fact, Kyrgyzstan may
represent the most promise for democratic development in
Central Asia in the near term. NED supported organizations across
the country, but especially those in the volatile southern region
(such as Spravedlivost – see page 44), where ethnic violence
and human rights abuses against minorities remain some of the
country’s most serious challenges.
NED supported human rights, independent media, and NGO
development in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and in
Armenia, civil society partners are mobilizing on local governance
and topical issues ahead of national elections in 2017. Explore the
2012 Grants section that follows and visit our website at www.
NED.org to learn more about grantees across the region.
40 | National Endowment for Democracy
2012 Annual Report | 41