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Draft:Regional Center for Democracy and Security

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  • Comment: Every source is a passing mention or from them. Being quoted does not confer notability. Try to find sources about them not written by them. PARAKANYAA (talk) 09:08, 24 October 2025 (UTC)
  • Comment: Needs sources independent from the subject -Samoht27 (talk) 21:38, 16 October 2025 (UTC)


The Regional Center for Democracy and Security (RCDS..) is a think tank based in Yerevan. The RCDS aims to educate policymakers and the broader public about key developments in Armenia and the region, and to serve as a platform for evidence-based research and analysis with the goal of creating a hub of knowledge, innovation, and collaboration, focused on promoting democracy, human rights, and security.

Publications

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The RCDS publishes its research in articles that mainly tackle the development issues of a nascent democratic culture in Armenia, with themes of transparency, public trust and civil society engagement. The relationship between democracy and security is underlined as many of the articles are about national security policy regarding Armenia[1], and the mistakes of past[2] and current wars[3]. Since the 2023 conclusion to the Nagorno Karabakh war, the RCDS also lays the stress on refugee integration and the pressing human rights issues around it[4]

The RCDS also organises workshops[5] and discussion to give better visibility to Armenian civil society and work towards a more inclusive and respectful democratic field, notably fighting prejudices against women in political discourses in Armenia[6]. The RCDS military expert, Eduard Arakelyan, recently presented his report about what Armenia can learn about the Ukraine War[3] in a discussion held in Yerevan on October 8[7]

The Director of the RCDS, Tigran Grigoryan,[8] testified at the US congressional hearing on Armenia held in Helsinki in July 2024.[9] In this intervention[10] he emphasized the importance of preserving democratic gains in Armenia, help the integration of Artsakh displaced refugees and US help to counter Russian propaganda in Armenia.

The RCDS also contributes frequently to Civilnet[11] on Democracy Watch,[12] a joint initiative between the RCDS and Civilnet for monitoring democratic developments in Armenia.

Appearences in international media

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The RCDS has emerged as one of the leading think tank covering the geopolitical developments of Armenia and the challenges faced by the country. In doing so, the RCDS team appeared in several international media, such as the New-York Times,[13] politico,[14] BBC,[15] DW[16], The World[17], The Guardian,[18] The Rolling Stones[19], La Croix[20], La Repubblica[21], Reuters,[22] Newsweek[23] and Bloomberg.[24] Reaching an international audience allows the RCDS to monitor the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) war, and its consequences not only at a Caucasian level but also at an international level, replacing the conflict in broader contexts and unlocking new understandings of the political developments of the contemporary Armenian policy debates.

The RCDS through the eyes of other organizations

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The RCDS has been quoted as a reliable source of information monitoring the challenges Armenia's democracy faces by the European Endowment for Democracy.[25] The EED[26] is an organization created by the European Union to promote democracy in countries around member states. It has also collaborated with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung[27] foundation[28] writing about Russian influence in Armenia. The Regional Center for Democracy and Security is also recognized by the EaP[29] (Eastern Partnership of the European Union) as one of the main think tanks in Armenia.[30]

References

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  1. ^ "Caesar 6X6 for Armenia: A Compromise Between Effectiveness, Availability, and Political Risk". Regional Center for Democracy and Security. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  2. ^ "The One-Day War of 2023 in Nagorno-Karabakh: Facts and Figures Versus Falsification". Regional Center for Democracy and Security. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  3. ^ a b "New RCDS Report: Lessons from the Ukraine War for Armenia". Regional Center for Democracy and Security. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  4. ^ "New RCDS Report on Hate Speech Targeting Karabakh Armenian Refugees". Regional Center for Democracy and Security. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  5. ^ "RCDS Completes Participatory Budgeting Awareness Campaign in Armenia's Largest Community, Artashat". Regional Center for Democracy and Security. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  6. ^ "Armenia's ruling party's sexism problem". Regional Center for Democracy and Security. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  7. ^ "RCDS Discussion on Lessons of the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict for Armenia". Regional Center for Democracy and Security. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  8. ^ "Տիգրան Գրիգորյան Tigran Grigoryan Тигран Григорян, Author at CIVILNET". Retrieved Oct 20, 2025.
  9. ^ Press, CSCE (Sep 10, 2024). "Supporting Armenia's Democracy and Western Future". Retrieved Oct 20, 2025.
  10. ^ "Tigran Grigoryan's Testimony at the U.S. Helsinki Commission's Congressional Hearing on Armenia". Sep 13, 2024. Retrieved Oct 20, 2025 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ "Լուրեր Հայաստանից". CIVILNET. Retrieved Oct 20, 2025.
  12. ^ "Democracy Watch". Retrieved Oct 20, 2025.
  13. ^ "Renewed Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Underlines Russia's Waning Influence (Published 2023)". 2023-01-17. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  14. ^ "Nagorno-Karabakh not under blockade, Azerbaijan insists". Politico.
  15. ^ ""Деарменизация" Карабаха? КПП на границе с Арменией ставит под сомнение будущее армян в Азербайджане". BBC News Русская служба (in Russian). Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  16. ^ "Armenia: Growing fears of another war with Azerbaijan – DW – 03/28/2023". dw.com. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  17. ^ Ofman, By Daniel (2023-08-02). "Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan lead to humanitarian crisis". The World from PRX. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  18. ^ Amos, Howard (2023-09-20). "Thousands protest in Armenia over military strike on Nagorno-Karabakh". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  19. ^ Bishop, Mac William (2022-09-27). "Putin's Empire Starts to Crumble". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  20. ^ La-Croix.com (2023-08-03). "Haut-Karabakh : entre l'Arménie et l'Azerbaïdjan, de difficiles négociations de paix". La Croix (in French). Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  21. ^ "Ore decisive nell'assedio del Nagorno-Karabakh, l'Armenia chiede l'intervento Onu. "E' in corso un genocidio"". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2023-08-13. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  22. ^ "In Armenia, rising ceasefire violations bring fears of war with Azerbaijan". Reuters.
  23. ^ "How 'Trump Bridge' may soon reshape warzone bordering Russia, Iran, Turkey". Newsweek. 2025-08-07. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  24. ^ "Trump's count of wars he's 'settled' remains a matter of dispute". Bloomberg.
  25. ^ "The European Endowment for Democracy (EED) | Armenia: Civil society and independent safeguard democratic values in advent of 2026 elections". democracyendowment.eu. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  26. ^ "The European Endowment for Democracy (EED) | About EED". democracyendowment.eu. Retrieved Oct 20, 2025.
  27. ^ "Heinrich Böll Stiftung | Tbilisi - South Caucasus Region". ge.boell.org. Retrieved Oct 20, 2025.
  28. ^ "Russian Leverage in Armenia (Regional Center for Democracy and Security 2024) | Heinrich Böll Stiftung | Tbilisi - South Caucasus Region". ge.boell.org. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  29. ^ "EAP Think Tanks". Oct 17, 2025. Retrieved Oct 20, 2025.
  30. ^ "Armenia | EAP Think Tanks". Retrieved 2025-10-16.
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