ICT as a Tool for Young Voices

Dear donors, our colleagues want to share with you with their successes and progress, the greatest factor in which is your invest.  “ICT as a Tool for Young Voices” project continues to arrange retraining programs for young journalists of the new generation, which aim at contributing through modern, innovative technologies to our target group to voice up the challenges and issues, which they confront with.

The primary aim of the program is to contribute to RA youth engagement in the development process of their communities, to develop their skills of highlighting their community issues and searching for solutions for them taking modern technologies and their journalistic skills as a tool and platform.

The young people want to elucidate their community news, to tell the world about their community competently with the help of modern technologies, to arrange events and training, to activate the community, however the lack of communication skills, the lack of the ability of voicing up community issues on social platforms make them to keep their thoughts and ideas to themselves, not to express them and, moreover, to disguise the problem instead of voicing it up.

Dear donors, your donations were directed to the implementation of the second phase of the retraining courses for the young journalists of the new generation.  In this phase, our young experts were given the opportunity to present through non-formal education methodology the obstacles, which they are ready to overcome and, certainly, to present the strong aspects of their communities, which they are going to develop.  The target group of the course again were 14-20 young people, who are active, motivated, initiative and want to be engaged in the process of strengthening their community.

In the second part of the meeting our beneficiaries were given the opportunity to get information on significance and modernity of social Medias in civic journalism and, the most important, to create audience on similar platforms, where they can share their perspective steps and make the big mass of the population hear the issues and offers concerning them.  Our beneficiaries expressed their keen interest towards photojournalism, during which they revealed how to attract readers attention though expressive photo.

After analyzing and researching the future actions of our young people and existing situations in remote regions we came to the conclusion that in the future phases of the project implementation visible changes will occur in the work style of our target group, the best evidence of which is their motivation and diligence.

We are grateful to you for being with us.  Your donations again were directed to the implementation of these important steps.

Here is Slava's impressions on his story, and his message to all our donors.

Hello, I am Slava.  I live in Arapi community.  I think that the connection between me and this project is special because I have been interested in and inspired by technologies since school years.  I have always thought that those are the best relatives of human beings.  Today and every day I am ready to use my all skills and abilities for the sake of strengthening our communities. 

Dear donors, I am sure that with your help and through the support of my team friends we will shape a society under the rule of freedom of speech and tolerance. 

Links:

• Search for us on Google

Dear donors and partners, we would like to inform you that the “ICT as a tool for young voices” program has been selected as GlobalGiving’s Project of the Month for September 2016 as innovative, high-impact effect. In this report, we want to share with our news, success and achievements we had during implementation of the program.

The project aims to promote the involvement of the youth of the Republic of Armenia in the development of their communities, to develop their skills to identify community problems and find solutions choosing the modern technology as a tool and a platform.

Being in socially vulnerable condition, the youth of the distant regions of RA, having noticeable lack of knowledge and skills in journalism, mass media, IT, most of them cannot claim and inform the society and share their problems. Some of them get disappointed and leave their communities. As a result, the youth becomes more passive and the community problems become hidden.

Dear donors, your donations were directed towards the implementation of training a new generation of young journalists.

In various communities of the Republic of Armenia we carried out training in non-formal methodology which was entitled “Young Experts.” The training aimed to boost their skills in journalism, analytics and creativity. Develop analytical mind, promote the development of free speech and thinking ability and which is most important to master the main principles of journalism and the progress of the modern technologies.

Active and highly motivated young people form 14-20 years old were selected as a target who want to be involved in the development of their communities. During the meetings our beneficiaries had opportunity to ask their questions to our leading specialists and of course suggest real solutions during discussions and debates. As a result, “Young Experts” virtual platform was created, where the youth can freely communicate, ask the questions concerning them online and receive professional replies. During the meetings our participants were given shirts with ICT logo which reflected the idea of being one team better.

By analyzing and examining the further actions of the youth in distant regions and the condition of the distant regions we came to conclusion that positive changes are expected during the coming stages of the project, a clear plan has been developed, which will be the guidance when completing effective and correct community research. 

 We appreciate that you support us and your donations got addressed to the implementation of this very important plan.

The following is Mary’s creative story and message addressed to all our donors.

Hello, I’m Mary. I live in Vanadzor community. During my free time I like painting. I painted Lui, a 16 years old boy who also lives in my community. Lui wants to solve the problems of our community. He is a strong boy and he never gets disappointed. During this training Lui and me have learnt how to identify the community problems. We are sure that in the nearest future we’ll live in a better and democratic society. Dear donors, in our country we are strong together and your donations help and will help us to live in a place where the freedom of speech, democracy and patience reign.

Links:

• Search for us on Google