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October
Upcoming Clubs
Mondays:
14:00 – International Club
(Sona Sahakyan)
16:00 – English for beginners
(Volodya Khachatryan)
17:00 – Conversational English
(Kimberly VanKirk)
Tuesdays:
16:00 – English for beginners
(Volodya Khachatryan)
17:00 – Spanish Club
(Anna Harutyunyan and Iustina
Pascari)
Wednesdays:
16:00 – Photography Club
(Luís Carvalho)
17:30 – Intermediate English Club
(Siranush Minasyan)
Thursdays:
15:00 – European Club
(All EVS volunteers)
15:00 – EyoU Club
(Aleksandra Zięba and Victoria
Walter - Last Thursday of each month)
17:00 – German Club
(Anna Schott & Johanna Palomita)
Fridays:
16:00 – Farsi Club
(Galya Hovhannisyan)
17:30 – Intermediate English Club
(Siranush Minasyan)
with
November 2012 #4
More info on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/
groups/yic.members.group/
In partnership with Counterpart International, YIC was able to give four
participants an unforgettable experience— to spend a week in Şivas, Turkey, learning
about the importance of solidarity and social assistance among young people, with
participants from all across the European continent.
While the Youth Initiative Center is frequently both an organizing and participating
organization in Youth in Action projects and initiatives, this one was particularly
special. The program was specifically designed to reach youth from disadvantaged
backgrounds; and with the generous support of Counterpart International, the
participant costs could be covered. YIC gave an open call among the 41 Youth and
Community Action Centers (YCAC) throughout the country, and four participants
from four different regions of Armenia were chosen to attend the week-long
international youth exchange.
As part of the program, participants were encouraged to recognize not only
marginalized groups within their own countries, but also to identify groups who
could assist and support such groups. And during the final days of the exchange,
participants were given the opportunity to visit the local municipality and service-
oriented organizations, where they learned first-hand about innovative and effective
social assistance programs.
Just as importantly, bringing 30 young people from Lithuania, Georgia, Russia,
Moldova, and Turkey also promoted cross-cultural understanding and appreciation
among the participants, and strengthened their skills in cooperation and teamwork
while encouraging tolerance toward different lifestyles and points of view.
By Kim VanKirk
Youth Exchange
A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed
Often, pictures can express more than words. Photographs
can document our realities and express our feelings when
words fall short. And pictures can be a powerful way to bring
people together. From the 14th-20th October, that is exactly
what happened when five YIC members participated in a
youth exchange in Turkey entitled “Photographs Talk Louder
than Words.” The project was organised by Hasan Ferdi
Turgutlu Technical High School in the town of Turgutlu in
western Turkey and featured 30 participants from six different
countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Slovakia,
Turkey and Ukraine.
The goal of the project was to use photography as a medium
to encourage young people to work together across borders
and through cultural differences, since photography is an art
which is not restricted by language and culture. The project
also worked towards recognising photography as an effective
way of expressing opinions and feelings, as illustrated in the
project title “photographs talk louder than words.”
Participants received an introduction to basic photography
and famous photographers before spending time taking
pictures in and around Turgutlu. The participants’
photographs were then displayed and shared in an exhibition
at the end of the week. In addition to the time spent behind
the camera, there was also free time for the participants to
explore the culture and sights of the town and its surrounding
landscape. By Kristoffer Jansen
Club Spotlight - EyoU Club
Beginning from November 1st, YIC staff and members will
happily add one more country to our growing list of EVS
countries represented at the Youth Initiative Center--
Germany. Under the “Active Citizens in the Caucasus”
project, five volunteers from Germany will arrive to spend the
next eleven months in different non-governmental
organizations in the South Caucasus countries of Armenia,
Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Two volunteers will be hosted in
Azerbaijan, one in Georgia, and two others - Anna Schott and
Johanna Teubler - will complete their voluntary service with
YIC.
The idea behind the project is two-fold: first, to strengthen
local organizations and
youth centers with fresh
enthusiasm and a taste of
Europe; and second, to link
the five volunteers’
activities with a common
purpose. Once the
volunteers return to
Germany at the end of the
project, they are expected
to promote volunteering in
the EECA region and encourage others to take a chance with
EVS!
Generally, the project will promote the European values of
active citizenship, volunteering, social inclusion, and equal
chances for all, primarily through the use of non-formal
educational events and activities for local youth and children.
Specifically, the Armenian project will focus on providing
opportunities to youth from disadvantaged backgrounds,
including orphans and youth from underprivileged areas. And
like all EVS volunteer projects, the volunteers are encouraged
to initiate their own ideas and activities within the framework
of the project, according to their own aspirations and specific
talents!
Like all EVS projects, our volunteers have the opportunity to
receive as much as they give. Under this particular Youth in
Action (YiA) project, the volunteers will get insight into the
workings of a youth-focused NGO, become familiar with non-
formal education methods and tools for working with youth,
and discover potential approaches for avoiding the
marginalization of certain social groups.
Stay tuned for the upcoming activities within this project, or
just come by the office and say hello to our newest EVS
volunteers! By Kim VanKirk
EVS Hosting
Active Citizens in the Caucasus
On the 25th of October, two of YIC’s EVS volunteers,
Aleksandra from Poland and Victoria from Austria, conducted
the first meeting of the EyoU Club. They informed interested
youth about the European Union in general, and focused
specifically on the Youth in Action program and the
possibilities for young people in Armenia to go abroad.
During the first meeting they also outlined the purpose and
main topics of the EyoU Club. YIC members can attend this
club to learn about the opportunities connected with the
European Union, the system and structure of the European
Union, and how they can potentially benefit from it. In
addition to the monthly EyoU Club, all of our EVS volunteers
will kick-off the European Club in November, which will meet
weekly and present the cultures of Europe. Whereas the EyoU
Club will focus only on the opportunities and programs within
the European Union, the European Club will introduce the
customs, traditions, and lifestyles of our
EVS volunteers’ home countries.
The topics of the EyoU Club are
decided upon beforehand, and will
be announced in the YIC Members
Group on Facebook. Suggestions
and requests for topics to discuss
can be made to the two club leaders
and will be gratefully received.
The next EyoU Club will be held
on Thursday, the 29th of November
at 15:00. During this upcoming club,
our volunteers will inform our members about scholarship
opportunities in foreign countries and give practical advice on
searching and applying for programs, such as DAAD in
Germany. By Aleksandra Zięba and Victoria Walter
What is “youth participation” and how can we increase the
understanding of it? How can we motivate young people to
become active citizens and be included in decision-making
processes? What kind of social issues are facing youth, and
what is the best way to deal with them?
These questions, among others, were the focus of the six-day
training course “You Have More Rights That Staying Silent” in
Kobuleti, Georgia in early October. The training course
brought together youth leaders, youth workers, and young
people from Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Italy, Lithuania,
Moldova, Romania, and Slovenia.
Participants developed their knowledge and skills on the
topics of youth participation, active citizenship, human rights,
and democracy, with the hope of increasing youth
involvement and supporting young people in developing
initiatives to address local issues. To this end, the trainers
provided a variety of useful tools, including the European
Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and
Regional Life (a publication by the Council of Europe) and the
RMSOS framework, as well as many opportunities for
information sharing through team-based activities, discussions,
and role plays.
During a mid-training trip to the city of Batumi, participants
sat down with representatives from the local municipality and
Droni NGO, in order to learn more about the existing
methods being used to engage local young people.
Immediately following the discussion, participants enjoyed an
afternoon in the seaside city, where they got to experience
Georgian culture, history, and cuisine. Later in the week, the
participants also joined together for the Intercultural Evening,
where the cuisine and cultural traditions of each country were
introduced. During the Armenian presentation, everyone got
up to try a traditional dance; later in the evening, everyone
learned how to play a typical Belarusian children’s game.
Through it all, participants shared stories and laughter, and
discovered similarities that are stronger than any differences.
And even despite a hurricane on the final day that took out
the power and tested the resourcefulness of the training team,
the objectives of the training course were fulfilled, and
participants left with tangible ideas for future cooperation.
By Gagik Grigoryan
Training Course
You Have More Rights Than Staying Silent
International Training Course
URA – You are Able At the Youth Initiative Center, we know about the power of
volunteering and the many benefits it can bring to both the
organization and the volunteer, and we want to make sure that
others do, too. So it was an easy decision to organize an
international training course with the aim to promote volunteering
as a mechanism for increasing youth employability. The program,
entitled You Are Able (URA!), specifically focused on:
• recognizing the types of voluntary activities that lead to
capacity development and competitiveness in the job market;
• how to recruit, retain, and recognize volunteers for maximum
effectiveness; and
• the introduction of mechanisms for tracking voluntary work
as a learning process.
The training began on October 14th, when 25 participants from
13 different countries arrived in Gyumri to attend the week-long
workshop, which took place at the Berlin Art Hotel. For the next
six days, the participants took part in discussions, simulations, and
seminars all designed to give them new knowledge and skills about
how volunteering can be used to increase prospects for
employment. In addition to the ideas and tools presented by the
trainers, participants were encouraged to exchange their own ideas,
experiences, and realities with one another.
The workshop also provided the opportunity for participants to
experience Armenian culture, many for the first time. As part of
the learning process, participants were sent out into the
community with small volunteering tasks to complete, which
offered the chance for interaction with local people. And
Armenian hospitality was at its finest when thirteen local families
volunteered to host the international participants for the first two
nights of the training, giving these participants a glimpse of daily
life and culture in Gyumri.
For more information about the training, including information
about the partners, the program agenda, videos about volunteering
made by the participants themselves, and other useful links, please
check out the URA! blog at: www.ura2012.wordpress.com. For
pictures from the training course, check out the URA photo album
at YIC’s Facebook page. By Kim VanKirk
“I just can’t miss this unique opportunity for self-discovery,”
was my first thought when I saw the announcement about the
“Rolling Istanbul” EVS opportunity in Hrant Dink
Foundation (HDF; www.hrantdink.org). This EVS is special
because, apart from working for an Armenian organization in
Istanbul that specializes in minority/human rights and cross-
border dialogue, I also have the opportunity to meet young
volunteers from all over Turkey through TOG (Community
Volunteers Foundation; tog.org.tr/EN/) and develop my own
community and cross –border projects.
As a volunteer in Hrant Dink Foundation, I mostly act as a
link between the activities being organized by HDF and their
current and potential Armenian partners, thus increasing
awareness of HDF’s activities in Armenia, finding new
opportunities, expanding the network, and extending the scope
of cooperation.
In the future, we plan to write a project proposal on
cooperation within the educational sphere, such as academic
exchanges and implementing the Erasmus Mundus program
between the two countries.
I also participated in the annual youth gathering with
Community Volunteers Foundation, which enabled me to
meet new people and learn about volunteer needs-based
initiatives all over the country, and contributed to my expertise
in future undertakings. And as a member of TOG’s
international study group, we’ll be working on developing new
projects that focus on the organization’s priorities and scope
of interest, which are: youth mobilization and activism,
cooperation with Germany and Armenia, and volunteer work.
Before embarking on this adventurous path I had many
doubts, but as they say: “You never know until you try.” My
last comment would be: “Dare to try.” By Ariadna Grigoryan
EVS Sending
Ariadna volunteering in Turkey This month, we are pleased to introduce Ariadna Grigoryan, our EVS volunteer in Istanbul, Turkey.
We caught the member of September for a short interview:
How did you find YIC?
I followed my sister’s advice (Nelli Minasyan - Project
Officer in YIC) to become a member of YIC. Now I am also
a local volunteer.
What is the best thing at YIC ?
YIC has so many good features that it is really difficult for
me to single out some
of them. But most of
all I like their working
style of “for youth,
with youth and by
youth.”
What is the most
important thing you
have learnt at YIC?
The most important thing I have learned at YIC is probably
volunteering. Due to YIC, I have learned how to volunteer,
which of course has become the new means for my self-
development.
What hobbies do you have?
I have many interests. But most of all I like to be involved in
organizational issues and which sometimes is part of my
voluntary work. I regularly organize leisure activities and
events for YIC.
What is your profession and where do you work?
I am a manager at Fashion Shop and also a hairdresser.
Why people should recognize YIC?
Anyone who wants to differ from nowadays gray social
layer; anyone who wants to be more informed and educated
should recognize YIC and color their life with the bright
colors of YIC. Interview by Nune Minasyan
We caught the member of August for a short interview:
How did you find out about YIC?
My mother told me about YIC. Frankly speaking, I thought
that it wasn’t something serious. She advised me to go and see
what a kind of organization it was. YIC people met me very
warmly, and from the beginning I felt at home. Probably, it
was the friendly, warm atmosphere that made me attend
regularly.
What is the best thing at YIC?
YIC people are unique. It is a pleasure for me to speak with
different people about various topics. You can have very
interesting discussions which you would not have anywhere
else. I wish that there will be more such NGOs in our city.
What is the most important thing you have learned at
YIC?
I think there are still many important things I have to learn
from YIC.
What hobbies do you have?
I am fond of football, and can say I am addicted to that
game. And I have one more hobby: films. Film is the most
important thing in my life. I dream that one day I will be able
to earn money through that hobby.
P.S. I also love sleeping.
What is your profession and where do you work?
I study at Gyumri Art Academy, but I also pay a lot of
attention to self-education and self-development. I don’t
currently work, although I would really like to. I would like to
earn a lot of money. But I am ready to earn little money
through shooting films, because it is more important for me
Interview with the member of September – Nune Minasyan
Interview with the member of August – Martin Poghosyan
to do what I really like and
enjoy, even if I can earn only
a little money through it.
Why people should
recognize YIC?
Every person who wants to
escape from the gray colors
of our city - welcome to YIC.
Interview by Nune Minasyan
Contacts
Address: Shirakatsi 177a, apt.2, Gyumri 3118, Armenia
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.yic.am
Tel/Fax: +374 312 4-94-97