1. Karine BaghdasaryanKarine Baghdasaryan
Gohar MarkosyanGohar Markosyan
Tbilisi, April 5, 2013Tbilisi, April 5, 2013
ArmeniaArmenia
Inter-Church CharitableInter-Church Charitable
Round Table FoundationRound Table Foundation
&&
Women for Development NGOWomen for Development NGO
ExperienceExperience
ofof Community WorkCommunity Work
in Armeniain Armenia

2. Main experienceMain experience
AliceAlice
““If you don’t know where you’re going,If you don’t know where you’re going,
any road will get you there”.any road will get you there”.
Community workersCommunity workers
““If you know where you’re going, manyIf you know where you’re going, many
roads can get you there”.roads can get you there”.

3. ARTART
Integrated CommunityIntegrated Community
DevelopmentDevelopment
(ICD)(ICD)
Social improvementSocial improvement
Economic improvementEconomic improvement
Environmental protectionEnvironmental protection
Spiritual renewalSpiritual renewal

4. By whom?By whom?
Community groups, NGOs, localCommunity groups, NGOs, local
institutions and Church structures.institutions and Church structures.
Recognition and respect for Churches asRecognition and respect for Churches as
one of the key actors in change is aone of the key actors in change is a
priority for the ART ICD.priority for the ART ICD.

5. How?How?
Through promotion ofThrough promotion of
social/community developmentsocial/community development
centerscenters
Capacity development (CD) of grassCapacity development (CD) of grass
root groupsroot groups

6. Working principlesWorking principles
PartnershipPartnership
Cost sharingCost sharing
Cycling of interventionCycling of intervention
Maintaining relations after phasing outMaintaining relations after phasing out
Learning and reflecting on experienceLearning and reflecting on experience

7. ART ICD: social improvementART ICD: social improvement
Social needs, as well as an inventory of local resourcesSocial needs, as well as an inventory of local resources
are identifiedare identified by the communityby the community. On the basis of it. On the basis of it
projects are identified and implementedprojects are identified and implemented
Social projects could be summarized as follows:Social projects could be summarized as follows:
infrastructural improvement (repair/establishment ofinfrastructural improvement (repair/establishment of
communal and social centres, rehabilitation of watercommunal and social centres, rehabilitation of water
pipelines, repair of schools, kindergartens, healthpipelines, repair of schools, kindergartens, health
posts, etc)posts, etc)
cultural activities (art groups,cultural activities (art groups, study groups,study groups,
excursions, celebrations, etc)excursions, celebrations, etc)
civic education,civic education, CD for local people in variousCD for local people in various
aspects of development (communal activists areaspects of development (communal activists are
identified, community strategy plans developed…).identified, community strategy plans developed…).

8. ART ICD: economic improvementART ICD: economic improvement
Vocational trainingVocational training
Encouraging income generating activitiesEncouraging income generating activities
(sales, paid services, etc)(sales, paid services, etc)
Diversification of donor base (selfDiversification of donor base (self
governance bodies and authorities, localgovernance bodies and authorities, local
business)business)
Social EnterprisesSocial Enterprises

11. ART ICD: environmental protectionART ICD: environmental protection
..
Awareness raising in nature protectionAwareness raising in nature protection
Practical work: tree planting, waste cleaning,Practical work: tree planting, waste cleaning,
utilization of solar energy.utilization of solar energy.
Environmental puppet shows, exhibitions, etcEnvironmental puppet shows, exhibitions, etc

12. ART ICD: spiritual renewalART ICD: spiritual renewal
- Spiritual counselingSpiritual counseling
- BaptismBaptism
- PilgrimagesPilgrimages
- Bible studies, spiritual lessons.Bible studies, spiritual lessons.

13. ““Sustainable Development ofSustainable Development of
Communities” FoundationCommunities” Foundation
Established in the frames “Empowerment of Six
Communities” project in Dprabakvillage,
Gegharkunikprovince in 2010. Unites people of six
communities, led Board of Trustees, assigns
director.

17. ““Meghrik” FoundationMeghrik” Foundation

19. ChallengesChallenges
Foundation vs. NGOFoundation vs. NGO
RegistrationRegistration
Finance, including reportingFinance, including reporting
Experience in project development andExperience in project development and
implementationimplementation
Limited resourcesLimited resources
ContactsContacts
Trust, etc, etc, etcTrust, etc, etc, etc

20. Sales in YerevanSales in Yerevan

21. ““Community Mobilization throughCommunity Mobilization through
Increasing Participation, HealthyIncreasing Participation, Healthy
Lifestyle and Peace Education inLifestyle and Peace Education in
Armenia” by WFD NGOArmenia” by WFD NGO
Goal: To contribute to the processes ofGoal: To contribute to the processes of
raising community issues requiringraising community issues requiring
mobilization efforts and increasingmobilization efforts and increasing
community members’ participation incommunity members’ participation in
resolving these issues through promotingresolving these issues through promoting
the ideas of healthy lifestyle and creationthe ideas of healthy lifestyle and creation
of the culture of peace in schools andof the culture of peace in schools and
communitiescommunities

24. Achievments(1)Achievments(1)
Community centers are established in 8Community centers are established in 8
beneficiary communities of the projectbeneficiary communities of the project
Community centers have responsibleCommunity centers have responsible
officers, as well as volunteersofficers, as well as volunteers
The level of community participation inThe level of community participation in
organising events has increased. In totalorganising events has increased. In total
about 3000 people/women, men, youngabout 3000 people/women, men, young
women, high school pupils and memberswomen, high school pupils and members
of local administration bodies haveof local administration bodies have
participated in community eventsparticipated in community events

25. Achievments(2)Achievments(2)
The Community development strategicThe Community development strategic
plans for the next 2-3 years have alreadyplans for the next 2-3 years have already
been developed and presented inbeen developed and presented in
communities’ general meetingscommunities’ general meetings
Community centers recognized at leastCommunity centers recognized at least
16 problems and solved at least 8 of16 problems and solved at least 8 of
them.them.

26. ActivitiesActivities
Activities: organized by the WFD andActivities: organized by the WFD and
initiated by the beneficiariesinitiated by the beneficiaries
meetings on health care issues: healthymeetings on health care issues: healthy
lifestyle, reproductive health and familylifestyle, reproductive health and family
planning, sexual maturity, STIs andplanning, sexual maturity, STIs and
HIV/AIDS by psychologists and genderHIV/AIDS by psychologists and gender
specialistsspecialists
ecological / agricultural and conflictecological / agricultural and conflict
management issues and etcmanagement issues and etc..

27. LessonsLessons
Learnt/Challenges (1)Learnt/Challenges (1)
Ensure CD to build sustainable servicesEnsure CD to build sustainable services
and capacity at the grassroots level.and capacity at the grassroots level.
Encourage self-managed projects.Encourage self-managed projects. On-jobOn-job
training.training.
Wide-ranging support from other keyWide-ranging support from other key
partners (government, UN, partner NGOs,partners (government, UN, partner NGOs,
other grass root groups, etc.) is needed, asother grass root groups, etc.) is needed, as
communities have a high level of unmetcommunities have a high level of unmet
needs.needs.

28. LessonsLessons
Learnt/Challenges (2)Learnt/Challenges (2)
use of new technologies in rural areasuse of new technologies in rural areas
inclusion of spiritual dimension intoinclusion of spiritual dimension into
community workcommunity work
true ownership over the process of changestrue ownership over the process of changes
capacities to sustain and manage newcapacities to sustain and manage new
infrastructure (communal/social centre,infrastructure (communal/social centre,
computer room, water pipeline, socialcomputer room, water pipeline, social
enterprise, etc)enterprise, etc)

29. Thank you for yourThank you for your
attentionattention
andand
questions!questions!