Ahead of the International Youth Day, on August 11, a presentation of the “Youth Participation in Decision-Making: Opportunities and Ways” educational module and the Positive Youth Development (PYD) guide and the Youth Program Evaluation Tool developed on the basis of the PYD was held in Yerevan. Within the framework of the DATA program, “Youth Cooperation Center of Dilijan” NGO (YCCDNGO) initiated the localization and testing of the concept of PYD, the creation and publicization of the educational module for ensuring the participation of young people in the decision-making and policy-making processes.
The event was attended by representatives of local and international organizations, including the Armenian office of the US Agency for International Development, the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Armenia, civil society, experts, and young people participating in the programs.
“Young people have all the opportunities to put not only future but also today’s developments on a positive basis. To increase the participation of young people in areas important for society, we should create opportunities for realizing the potential of young people to the maximum. For this purpose, we have carried out several activities within the framework of the “DATA. Data for Accountable and Transparent Action” program”, stated Artur Ghazaryan, the president of the YCCD NGO, during the event organized on August 11, on the eve of the International Youth Day.
In his welcoming speech, G. Mkrtchyan mentioned that the development and localization of the PYD guide in Armenia was carried out within the framework of the DATA program and emphasized the significance of the implementation of the PYD concept in increasing the role of young people, as well as in changing the trust towards young people as initiators of positive developments.L. Hakobyan noted that USAID attaches particular importance to the implementation of the concept of EDPS and its toolset in Armenia, which is clearly aimed at creating a more favorable environment for young people and the creation of more targeted opportunities for the development of their abilities, as well as, the need to include EDP approaches in programs funded by USAID.
Videos of small grant programs implemented by young people who participated in courses conducted with the PYD approach were presented during the event. 18-year-old Mane Ohanyan from the Berdavan community of Tavush region, who participated in the above-mentioned course and implemented a grant program in her community, said in her speech: “As a result of the course, my daily life and that of my peers in the community changed. I gained important skills about citizen influence on decision-making processes, which helped me to successfully implement my grant project, putting my skills into practice and rallying my peers around a common goal. Also, my civic activism and project management skills were noticed in the community, as a result of which I received an offer to work in one of the local companies.”
Note that you can find the online version of the “Youth participation in the decision-making process” course module here.
“DATA: Data for Accountable and Transparent Action” program is implemented with the support of DATA Consortium (Eurasia Partnership Foundation, SOCIES Expertise Center, Bun TV Foundation, Youth Cooperation Center of Dilijan NGO, SOSE Women’s Issues NGO) in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)).
