HIMA Youth Initiative

HIMA! (

The protests continued peacefully at Freedom Square for the next 10 days, with many demonstrators camping out on the square in tents (2). Eventually, the slogan became widely popular due to the 24-hour-long protests at Freedom Square and other political marches during the period of February 21 thru March 1.

On March 1,

3. There exists a general lack of diversity in the political viewpoints aired by the main broadcast media. Public opinion is not adequately informed through the exchange of political opinion and debate, for example, or through journalistic investigation, commentary and analysis. Along with this, “tax authorities have launched a rare financial inspection of Armenia’s leading newspapers critical of the government, sparking fears of renewed government restrictions on the local press”. Namely, opposition newspapers “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun”, “Zhamanak Yerevan”, “Haykakan Zhamanak” and “Aravot” were raided by the tax inspectors in March 2008. The Armenian Tax Service had already sparked controversy when it inspected the books of the Gyumri-based TV station GALA last October shortly after the latter broke ranks to provide airtime to Ter-Petrossian. GALA was subsequently fined almost 27 million drams ($87,000) for alleged tax evasion and other violations. A Gyumri court endorsed the fraud accusations on March 19. The cash-strapped broadcaster paid the hefty penalty only after a week-long fund-raising campaign. Even though there is a pluralistic and independent print media, the current level of control by the authorities of the electronic media and their regulatory bodies, as well as the absence of a truly independent and pluralist public broadcaster, impede the creation of a pluralistic media environment and further exacerbate the lack of public trust in the political system. HIMA! youth initiative, understanding the power of media, started an extensive campaign with a goal to raise the level of critique of broadcast media among the public and boost the number of newspaper readers, since newspapers are, on the whole, out of reach of authorities’ control and regulation.

HIMA!'s tactics of non-violent struggle

HIMA!, predominantly composed of open-minded and tolerant youth, denies the use of violence in socio-political struggle, and is inclined to exercising a variety of non-violent tactics that either are the product of HIMA!'s creative minds, or were successfully applied by other struggle groups in other countries in the past. Among the tactics are use of symbols, symbolic sounds, performances of music, mock marches and parades, caricatures, boycott and ostracism of certain local "celebrities" and other public figures, boycott of certain consumer products, hunger strikes, group petitions, mock awards, disturbing of officials. Examples of non-violent actions by HIMA! include the live concert at the Northern Avenue, Downtown Yerevan, symbolically titled "Ticket to the Prison" ("Berdi Putevka"), performing serenades dedicated to freedom of assemblies and protests by the window of the Speaker of National Assembly, mock marches dressed in prisoners' uniforms and so on.

HIMA! cooperates with different social groups and organizations that are aimed at advocating human rights and shifting Armenia's democracy. Among these groups are "Women for Peace" NGO, "Hatuk Gund" Youth Movement, "Young Conservatives" NGO, Armenian Women's Movement and many others.

See also

• Corruption in Armenia
• Media freedom in Armenia
• Social issues in Armenia

References