On February 20, in the framework of the EU-funded KATAPULT Creative Accelerator programme, the Artbox Entrepreneur project was officially launched with newly selected 24 participants. 23 creative projects that successfully completed the Artbox Incubator programme were showcased at the event. The Artbox Incubator programme provides 8-week career acceleration training during which the new generation of creative entrepreneurs will meet and work with leading mentors to boost their careers.  KATAPULT Creative Accelerator project is implemented by Creative Armenia and AGBU Armenia.

On the 8^th of February, an event “Open and Participatory Government’s agenda in Armenia” was organised in the framework of the EU-funded programme “Future Today: Empowering women, youth and children for deepening democracy in Armenia”, implemented by UNICEF in partnership with UNDP and UNFPA. The overall objective of this event was to evaluate the “Open Government Partnership Armenia 2022-2024” action plan, develop strategic suggestions, and present the evaluation results and suggestions report. The Open Government Partnership is based on the idea that an open government is more accessible, responsive, and accountable to citizens and that improving the relationship between people and their government has long-term benefits for everyone. Therefore, the OGP’s objective is to build a better version of democracy, anchored in open government values of transparency, accountability, public participation, and inclusion. Civil society plays a crucial role in ensuring that the OGP remains a platform for inclusive and participatory democracy.

The European Union is always attaching importance to the role of youth in the democratisation processes. Within the framework of the “EU4Youth: Empowered and Active Youth for a more Democratic Armenia Today and Tomorrow” project implemented in cooperation with World Vision Armenia and Jinishian Memorial Foundation, the Youth discussion tournament was held on February 6. Sixteen teams of students representing 70 schools of Aragatsotn, Gegharkunik, Lori, Shirak, and Yerevan participated in several stages of the debate tournament practicing their skills for public debate and evidence-based argumentation.

On February 1, a discussion on Labour rights protection in Armenia was organised by a consortium of three EU-funded NGOs Helsinki Citizens Assembly – Vanadzor, the Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technologies and OxYGen Foundation. The participants of the discussion touched upon the current challenges related to labour rights, in particular, in the field of security and health and in the context of their economic complications. Social dialogue is vital for any organisation, and the mechanism for fueling this dialogue is labour rights. Therefore, labour legislation should not be seen as an obstacle to entrepreneurial freedom, but rather as a tool to better unite around a common project, the development of the company and its activity.

On January 27, the EU-funded project “Women human rights defenders stepping up against gender-based violence in Armenia”, implemented by the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women organised an event to measure the actions, progress and dynamics developed over the last three years as well as the long way to go to change attitudes and stereotypes.