Educational short film on need for comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in Armenia

This great educational short film (in Armenian), with the use of nice graphics and pics,  illustrates various types of discrimination, so widespread in Armenia, and why it is essential to have a comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, including discrimination based on sexual orientation.


Մեկ հասարակություն ՝ մեկ իրավունք from EPF Armenia on Vimeo.

(IN)2VALUABLE photo exhibit and contest by PINK Armenia tackles intolerance and discrimination

On 21 December 2014, (IN)2VALUABLE exhibition took place in “Nerkay Arts Management and Creativity Center” organised by PINK Armenia. The exhibition - based on submissions for the photo contest of the same name - aimed at drawing attention to the problems of discrimination and intolerance in our society, with the entries reflecting concepts of tolerance and anti-discrimination.

All photo entries were initially posted on Facebook, and the following three entries have been awarded in different categories:

• The most liked photo on Facebook: “All Different, All Equal” by Harutyun Krikyan 

• Jury selection: “My Sport” by Artur Karoyan 

• INVALUABLE photo: “Love” by Ani Tadevosyan

The last two entries were selected by a jury, including both PINK Armenia board members and a professional photographer.

I am glad that along with the three entries above, my favourite entry, submitted by Peghq -“We Are All Humans” (see below), have also been selected to be used for promotional materials of PINK Armenia, such as postcards and informational materials. Congrats !!

British Council in Armenia launches anti-discrimination campaign

A welcome initiative by the British Council in Armenia. Good to know that it's being conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Issues, and that it's inclusive of sexual orientation. As far as I understand, the work is in progress now, and hopefully we will witness these leaflets/posters in Yerevan and Armenian regions in the very near future.

I would be interested to learn of people's reaction, and would be especially interested to know what sort of educational initiatives, if any, would accompany these visual displays. Posters are important, but what we urgently need is EDUCATION.

A World without Discrimination

The British Council in Armenia in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Issues launched an awareness-raising city campaign "A world without discrimination" on 10 December, the International Human Rights day and in the framework of the one-month disability campaign announced by the Government.

The campaign features posters and flyers devoted to the British Council's main six areas of equality and diversity – Age, Gender, Disability, Religion, Race and Sexual Orientation. You can download the leaflet in English (MS Word, 2.19MB) or Armenian (MS Word, 2.01MB).

The aim of the campaign is to promote equality in these six areas through positive images of diversity and flyers containing a number of general etiquette and communication tips that will help people to avoid discriminatory language and manners in regard to the representatives of different communities to create a fair and inclusive society that values diversity and respects human rights and individual differences.

During 2010 the campaign will reach higher educational institutions, transport and other public areas in the capital and marzes of Armenia.

Poster in Yerevan State College of Informatics (Armenia) put disabled children and homosexuality among causes of 'biological catastrophe'

And this college is supposedly considered a 'centre of excellence'?!... If this is what people 'study' at State colleges and 'centres of excellence', no wonder that the level of education in Armenia is on a steady decline.

Not only this poster reflects total lack of knowledge and bigotry by its creators and those who endorse it, but this is a clear indication of one of the main sources of hate in our society.

College administration either should take this poster down immediately, or share the responsibility with the creators of this 'educational material'.

*Thanks to Transgenders in Armenia for taking the photo. There are more reflections on this by Queering Yerevan and Dorian.