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: newsletter@yic.am

Website: www.yic.am

Tel/Fax: +374 312 4-94-97