Armenia Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Fellows eapcivilsociety.eu

MEntor – Me as a mentor

Fellowship Summary: Based on international good practices, develop and deliver a Handbook for mentors of Erasmus and other international student exchange beneficiaries.

“I feel like I was born to volunteer!”, says Nensi Mkrtchyan as she explains about her first experience with European Volunteer Service (EVS) in Armenia. “It was a wonderful learning experience, meeting with young people from France, Spain, Italy…and it showed me that schemes like EVS demonstrate how united people can be without borders!”

After supporting EVS, Nensi learned all about the Erasmus+ programme and realised that Armenia would benefit from having a network that pooled the experience of Erasmus students. Thus, in 2021 the Erasmus Student Network in Armenia, founded by Nensi, was formally registered and joined the global ESN. In order to strengthen the work of the network Nensi wanted to build the capacity for mentoring among the students and therefore designed her Fellowship around the concept of ‘MEntor – Me as a Mentor’.

Through the Fellowship Nensi has been able to research successful mentoring schemes of ESN Croatia and others, and develop Armenia’s first ever bi-lingual handbook on mentoring. She has also created a cluster of young mentors within ESN Armenia and supported them through the delivery of a training on how to mentor effectively. “I want the ESN members to use mentoring as a tool for personal development, given that the relationship and sharing between mentor and mentee is equally rewarding for both”.

The highlight of Nensi’s Fellowship has undoubtedly been her project’s final event at which the handbook on mentoring was formally launched in the company of the ESN members, the EU Delegation in Yerevan, and other volunteer-focused stakeholders. The event also coincided with ESN Armenia’s 1^st anniversary, so the Fellowship ended with a birthday cake!

Nensi is currently enrolled in an Advanced Master’s programme of European Interdisciplinary Studies at the College of Europe in Natolin (Poland), but is clear that her future lies with contributing to the development of Armenia. “I envisage that I will always be occupied with activities that are non-profit and public service oriented, and would like to do as much as possible to help Armenia get closer to the values and opportunities of the EU”.

If you want to know more about the results of Nensi’s Fellowship project, please download her latest publications. The purpose of the “Guide for Mentors of International Volunteers and Students” is to collect best practices and assist mentors in their mentoring experience while hosting international volunteers and students in their local university, organisation and community in general.

Country	Armenia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Research for Advocacy for Higher Quality of Care in Maternal and Newborn Health Services in Armenia

This Fellowship research project aimed to study the experience of pregnant women in maternal health care centers of Armenia and advance the implementation of an integrated person-centered model of obstetric care in the country. As a component of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this initiative can be exemplified by the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health 2016–2030 which has expanded the focus of its objectives to cover not merely the survival but also thriving of women and children so that they can achieve their full potential for health and well-being, and contribute to the transformative change envisioned in the SDGs. To promote higher quality obstetric services, Suren conducted research and pursued advocacy campaigns with his team. First, the gaps, inconsistencies, and violation of patients’ rights in the local hospitals were examined and the extent of person-centered maternity care during facility-based childbirth was assessed; then he prepared the summary of specific recommendations for the Ministry of Health and relevant organizations in the sector. Following this, Suren launched an advocacy campaign, trained the administration and staff members in all 12 maternity hospitals along with the validation of suggested recommendations, and disseminated research findings to the wider audience.

The project produced a research paper analyzing the data collected from 729 patients of all 12 health facilities of Yerevan delivering maternal care services. The project also facilitated high-level discussions on the challenges and solutions of advancing the integrated person-centered model of obstetric care in Armenia. As an advocacy campaign, Suren conducted 14 workshops in the sector organizations and the Ministry of Health, allowing him to raise the awareness of over 150 obstetric care providers, policy-makers, and health care planners in the field. The action overall promoted person-centered maternity care as a quality attribute of obstetric care delivery and suggested expertise-based recommendations to the relevant entities to advance the health, wellbeing, and human rights of women and children in the country.

Country	Armenia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Strengthening the CSOs’ and Young Leaders’ Fundraising Capacities & Promote the Culture of Philanthropy in Armenia

The action aimed to strengthen the CSOs’ and Young Leaders’ fundraising capacities and promote the culture of philanthropy in Armenia. To achieve the above objective, Anna conducted the fundraising capacity needs assessment survey for the 54 organizations in Yerevan and Tavush region. Then, she designed the training module and delivered interactive seminars for the young civil society activists from the Yerevan and Tavush regions. Following this, to build international cooperation and extend her networks worldwide, Anna organized business trips to the leading fundraising/international organizations in the Netherlands and the UK. During her visit to the Netherlands, she met the representatives from the European Fundraising Association, Goede Doelen Nederland/Charity Netherlands, Netherlands Red Cross and Han Valk Consulting. On the other hand, to familiarize herself with the British fundraising market, she visited the Institute of Fundraising (IoF), Fundraising Regulator, Astarita, Aldrich & Ward (AAW), Resource Alliance and attended a Fundraiser’s Club Event at Impact Hub King’s Cross in London. At the final stage of the fellowship action, Anna organized a panel discussion on “Fundraising in Armenia: Current Challenges and Opportunities” engaging the local experts, CSO representatives, media and other stakeholders.

The project raised awareness of 64 civil society activists in fundraising with a specific focus on digital fundraising tools, proposal writing, mentorship, project design and crowdfunding. Also, the action formed a community of fundraisers and hosted the official networking event involving 83 participants from 70 organizations. The panel discussion served as a platform to build dialogue among the fundraisers and encourage new partnerships. For example, the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Armenia made 5 successful partnership agreements with the international organizations to engage in cross-country collaborative initiatives․ The international business trips in Amsterdam and London gave Anna an immense opportunity to enhance her qualification and contacts in a global environment.

Country	Armenia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Lusashogh With Medical Clinic and Public Transport

The action is aimed to resolve two issues faced by the Lusashogh rural community: A lack of public transportation and poor medical services. To address the above challenges, Narine conducted public surveys among the locals and organized meetings with the authorities of the Ararat Regional Municipality and the Vedi BUAT road serving company. Following this, she held additional two meetings at the Ministry of Territorial Administration of Armenia and engaged relevant high-level officials, including the Prime Minister of Armenia, the Minister of Territorial Administration, the Head of Ararat Regional Municipality, the Head of Lusashogh Municipality. Then, Narine renovated the old medical clinic and recruited specialists to deliver training on positive parenting, first medical assistance and teeth cleaning for the local people; the training raised the interest among young parents, their children and even the grandparents who actively attended the workshops.

The action facilitated dialogue among the Ararat municipality authorities, the private company and the local residents resulting in the extension of the bus line from the city to the Lusashogh village. The latter eased communication and mobility of the people from 3 local villages to the regional city. Thus, the project delivered the renovated local medical center providing access to the emergency and other medical services for the Lusashogh and other neighboring settlements. On top of that, the courses on positive parenting, emergency assistance and teeth cleaning enhanced awareness of the young parents and saw a high participation from the local community.

Country	Armenia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Promoting Direct Democracy for Strengthening Human Rights in Armenia

The action: Promoting Direct Democracy for Strengthening Human Rights in Armenia aimed to monitor the implementation of the National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights and its Implementation Action Plan (2020-2022). The project engaged local authorities, public officials, lawyers, young activists, civil society representatives, and watchdog organizations. At the beginning of the project, Syuzanna researched the Swedish and Georgian experience in CSO engagement in policy making and effective monitoring of policy implementation. Then, she organized 4 awareness-raising workshops for the public officials from state and local government bodies, lawyers, CSOs and other interested stakeholders from 3 regions and Yerevan. The seminars were followed by the national youth conference: The RA National Strategy on Human Rights Protection: Challenges and Perspectives engaging young professionals in discourse. Afterwards, Syuzanna conducted online in-depth interviews and focus groups with the field experts to identify the possible gaps in the strategy and produce the monitoring report. Finally, she organized the CSO-Government Dialogue Conference to discuss the report findings and proposed amendments in the National Strategy.

The project delivered the evidence-based monitoring report and recommendations to the Republic of Armenia tailored to the National Strategy and Human Rights protection. The research ensured the accountability of the RA Government and the Ministry of Justice in the sector of human rights. The final conference facilitated the Public-State consensus on the various issues, including the necessity to amend the RA National Strategy. The majority of the recommendations were taken into account by the Government and the process to amend the National Strategy was about to start as of the end of the Fellowship.

The seminars and workshops raised awareness of 157 young professionals from the civic and legal sectors. Then, the youth conference engaged 21 researchers, out of whom 11 produced a research paper on the National Strategy. The events engaged the high-level officials, including the Human Rights Defender and Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia, and the EU-Delegation representatives to Armenia.

Evidence-based Monitoring of the National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights and its Implementation Action Plan for 2020-2022

Project in media:

Country	Armenia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Zero Waste Communities

The project aimed to develop a culture of waste management in Armenia through training and environmental campaigns. To achieve the latter objectives, Vahan organized a number of educational, community outreach and dialogue-building activities. First, he held intensive one-day training in four Armenian regions of Shirak, Tavush, Gegharkunik, and Kotayk. Then, to promote zero waste principles, Vahan engaged partner organizations from Gyumri (Youth Initiative Center), Dilijan (Youth Cooperation Center), Gegharkunik (Ajdahak Environmental Center), and Yerevan (Armenian Progressive Youth) and installed zero-waste stations in their offices under the guaranteed control. Following this, the project team organized a massive cleanup and recycling campaign in Yerevan and other municipalities. Last but not least, to highlight the project deliverables, Vahan held the final conference in Yerevan involving local and international experts, local youth, civil society and municipality representatives to discuss the ecological challenges and their mitigation measures.

The project enhanced the mindset of 150 young people from the Armenian regions and up to 100 youngsters in Yerevan on waste management and engaged the local NGOs. Also, through installing four waste sorting bins, the action encouraged the local communities to separate waste and recycle it on a regular basis. As a result of the cleanup campaigns, 5 tons of sorted waste were accumulated from landfills and sent to recycling within 3 months. Besides, the project served as a bridge for the civil society organizations, local municipalities and small recycling enterprises and urged them to collaborate in terms of waste management.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1253256278211038

Country	Armenia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Introduction of the institute of beneficial ownership in Armenia

The project aimed to combat corruption in Armenia and foster free economic competition through research, constructive dialogue, and awareness-raising training. In the beginning, Mariam organized the workshops on Introduction of the Institute of Beneficial Ownership in the Republic of Armenia in the five Armenian cities of Yerevan, Vanadzor, Gyumri, Gavar, and Kapan. Then, Mariam held a roundtable discussion in a public-private dialogue format to discuss the possibility of the introduction of the concept in the RA anti-corruption strategy. Finally, based on the international best practices, Mariam developed policy recommendations. In addition, Mariam carried out social media campaigns in the frames of which she produced awareness-raising publications. To enhance her skills and exchange ideas on the anti-corruption lobby, she participated in the 5th Open Government Partnership Global Summit in Tbilisi and did a study tour at the various anti-corruption institutions in the United Kingdom, as well as at the Centre for Policies and Reforms of Moldova.

Through the interactive seminars, the action raised awareness on the concept of Beneficial Ownership and improved the knowledge and understanding of 80 young lawyers, civil society and business representatives throughout Armenia. The latter was followed by a roundtable discussion in the Public-Private Dialogue format, engaging more than 100 participants from governmental bodies, international organizations, business, civil society organizations, youth associations, and media outlets. Due to the advocacy efforts during the discussion and under the project, in general, the introduction of the beneficial ownership registry has been enshrined in the RA Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2019-2022. The campaign and publications served as a tool to reach a wider audience and inform them about the anti-corruption measures. In addition, the social advertising video Together against Corruption prepared within the Action was selected among the best three works of the International Youth Competition organised among the 6 member states of the CIS. In this regard, Mariam was awarded a medal by the RA Prosecutor General for her endeavours and commitments towards fighting against corruption. Thus, the action built capacity for Mariam herself, as she was given the opportunity to advance her skills through the field visits in London, Chisinau, and Tbilisi.

Project in media:

Ինչու՞ է անհրաժեշտ բացահայտել ընկերությունների իրական սեփականատերերին

Ովքե՞ր են ընկերությունների իրական սեփականատերերը

Իրավաբանների հայկական ասոցիացիայի անդամ Մարիամ Զադոյանը՝ մրցանակակիր

Country	Armenia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Study on major impediments for women entrepreneurs and explore women’s rights gaps in business activity of Armenia

The project aimed to detect the obstacles in the major gender-specific areas for women-own enterprises and track the positive and negative trends. To achieve the above objective, Diana developed open-ended and structured questionnaires and conducted interviews with 100 women entrepreneurs. The respondents were either executives or business owners during the summer-autumn period of 2018, either from Yerevan (53,7%) or the other six regions (46,3%) of Armenia. The interviews were conducted in a face-to-face format. Diana collected the personal remarks, recommendations, and critics from the women entrepreneurs and finalized them in the assessment report.

The action explored the impediments for women-owned businesses in Armenia and defined further strategic activities to fill the gaps in the legislation and the business environment. The survey researched the business and sectoral diversification of the male-owned but female-managed and fully female-owned enterprises and revealed the trends; for example, businesswomen tend to operate in the field of services, retail trade, manufacturing, and wholesale trade, when the male-owned businesses cover the sectors of tourism, transportation, agricultural, and IT sectors. To raise awareness of the business, governmental and other strategic stakeholders, Diana organized a Public-Private Dialogue meeting and presented the survey results. Also, the research document incorporates a list of initiatives for improvement of the legal system, investment climate, and tax and customs services in Armenia.

Study on Major Impediments for Women Entrepreneurs and Explore Women’s Rights Gaps in Business Activity of Armenia 2018

Country	Armenia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Women Leadership Club

The project aimed to identify and empower young women in the Armavir Region (Armenia) and establish a network of young female leaders – Women Leadership Club. To build the capacity of the young women, and change the social stereotypes in the local community, Ozheni held a number of activities. First of all, she mobilized 24 young women from the local community and organized team-building training. Then, she conducted master-classes on human rights and leadership to raise awareness of the attendees in the above issues. Finally, she hosted a movie screening event followed by a public discussion on the role of the strong and independent women, their stories, impact and reflection. To make the voice of the young Armavir women heard throughout Armenia, she participated in the panel discussion in Yerevan attended by the representatives of more than 12 leading non-governmental organizations. In addition, she published a guideline on how to run women’s leadership clubs and distributed among the interested parties.

The action established the Women Leadership Club – an open and sustainable network of young women leaders who are ambitious and endeavor to enhance their skills. The club is active up to date and contributes to fostering young women’s empowerment across the country. Through the six interactive training, movie screening events and discussions, the project educated young women in human rights and increased their leadership skills. As a result, Ozheni identified and empowered 24 young women leaders from the Armavir region. The guidelines published within the project served as an instrument to inform a broader public on the technical and strategic issues of the CSO management. Finally, the project positively affected the local clichés about female roles and built confidence in the young women to take ownership of their lives, goals, and aspirations.

Country	Armenia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Safe Playground for Your Kids and Mine

The project: Safe Playground for Your Kids and Mine was an awareness-raising initiative promoting the public, particularly young women’s participation in decision-making concerning children’s outdoor playgrounds. To raise the voice of the parents from Yerevan, Mari organized training and workshops that resulted in developing a list of recommendations for the local decision-makers. In parallel with the training, the project monitored and assessed the conditions of the local playgrounds, including the study of heavy metals in soil and sanitary-bacterial research. Based on the above data, the field experts and civil society organizations elaborated on the document and shared it with the public officials. To reach broader audiences, Mari communicated the project deliverables via different media tools, such as radio podcasts, articles, and promo videos.

The project produced a handbook analyzing the playground conditions in Yerevan. Thus, Mari created a database showing the compatibility of the municipal playgrounds with the international standards. Through the training and workshops, the project informed more than 500 parents about playground issues and advocated their civic rights to demand better municipal infrastructure. The collaborative meetings with the local authorities improved equitable management and civic participation as well as public dialogue between the local administration and the community.

Project in media:

Children at Risk: Most Yerevan’s Playgrounds Found Unsafe, hetq.am

Unsafe Heavy Metal Levels Found in Yerevan Playgrounds, hetq.am

Միշտ չէ, որ աղբը աղբ է, hhpress.am

Radio- program “Yerevan”, Republic radio (from 1:00)

Country	Armenia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0