ICT as a Tool for Young Voices

Dear donors,

We are glad to inform that due to you, we can continue to support the new generation of young journalists to explore the main problems of their communities, and to carry out research and analytical work.

The main goal of the project is to encourage young people and teenagers of the Republic of Armenia to be able to identify community issues and offer solutions. All this can be achieved when beneficiaries of the program have an opportunity to participate in informal training modules and interactive meetings, where they will have the opportunity to freely express their thoughts and ideas and cultivate problem-solving mechanisms together.

Young people provide their energy and motivation to the community, and we attach great importance to providing them with media knowledge and the digital media skills needed to use social media in civic journalism.

Dear donors, your donations are still being applied toward the work of building sustainable and strong communities. We are ready to share the progress we make in the near future. We are grateful for your support and its important impact.

We would like to inform you that the names of all project participants were changed in order to protect their privacy.

During the meeting, Mary, one of our beneficiaries, wanted to send a message to all donors of the project. We present you Mary's story.

Hi, I'm Mary. At first, I was nervous to talk about the problems in my community. Sometimes there were obstacles that forced me to cover my thoughts and suggestions. The community is a timeless part of my life. Due to this project, now I can use all my abilities and skills to help my community prosper. I think we are a strong team, and we will use that advantage in the most effective way. I used to be afraid to raise the issues of my community, but now I am sure that together we will build a wonderful state environment. Thank you!

Links:

• Search for us on Zartonk's website

Dear donor,

We are glad to inform you that, due to your important role in this project, we carry on supporting the young journalists of the new generation. As the youth, the teenagers have an important and exclusive role in their communities we continue to conduct interactive training courses in the regions of Armenia with the aim of supporting them to obtain the required abilities and skills.

Our beneficiaries, being "Young Experts", are often looking for modern solutions to find their needs and seek solutions. For this reason, they are involved in non-formal integrated training modules where they can understand the connection between modern technology, community, and journalism. Sometimes they find it difficult to combine these things, but they do not get discouraged, so they continue to move forward.

The main goal of the project is to promote the active involvement of the young people of the Republic of Armenia in their community activities.

Your donations are continuing to be addressed to the process of supporting these young innovative people. Any gesture of yours has an important meaning for our beneficiaries. The community is full of problems, though they trust their abilities and are ready to put their united powers into action.

We would like to inform you that the names of all project participants were changed in order to protect their privacy.

Meet Laura, our new beneficiary. She also wants to live in a country where communities will be developed and stable. As an innovative young person, she also participates in these non-formal meetings, improving her abilities and skills. We must encourage all beneficiaries, like Laura, for a good future, for a good society.

Links:

• Search for us on Zartonk's website

Dear Donors,

Our world looks different now with COVID-19. But that doesn’t mean we cannot make a difference – in fact, it’s needed now more than ever. We’re excited to let you know about changes in our program that will help you make an impact from wherever you are, whenever you can.

Due to your high impact on this program, we continue to support the young journalists of the new generation. They are regularly being trained and updated on contemporary technologies, as well as the rules of civic journalism. As young people are the main part of the community, we aim to help them gain the necessary knowledge and skills through interactive meetings.

In the pictures, you can see how young people participate in distance learning courses to develop their abilities and skills. The mission of this program is to activate young people and help them solve community problems. We continue to empower, educate, and teach them to move forward.

Your donations continue to make it possible for us to support these active and proactive young people. The youth of Armenia have incredible power to make their communities prosper

Your commitment to this program is very important to us. We are happy to inform you about the achievements that are becoming more and more visible as time passes. Armenian communities may have many problems and challenges, but the keys to their solutions are in the hands of young people.

We are going to move on to the next stage of the program and, of course, assess our beneficiaries' capabilities in real-life practice During this difficult and alarming period, we need your support more than ever - please remember that each of your gestures is very important to them.

Best,

Vigen Mkrtchyan

Project Leader+Zartonk-89

Links:

• Search for us on Google

Dear Donors,

Thanks to your important role and influence in this program, we continue to support young leaders interested in the issues facing Armenian communities.

Rural communities in Armenia have many problems that are varied. Residents are living in bad conditions. Nevertheless, a number of them are active young people who are frustrated by the current situation and leave home. Young people have a unique influence in society and our goal is to empower them. Project beneficiaries are regularly trained in modern technologies as well as civic journalism.

Young leaders of the community often refer to themselves as a “new generation of young experts” because the key to solving problems seems to be in their hands.

Thanks to your donations, we organized an interactive meeting in the capital of Yerevan. Through individual work, each beneficiary was given printed trees. They had to indicate problems in the community at the roots of the tree and indicate the consequences or impact of the problem on the branches of the tree. One participant mentioned that there were problems with waste collection and street lighting in his community. Then, he pointed to the stench of the streets and the risky traffic at night on the branches of the tree. This creative work helped beneficiaries visualize problems and their consequences.

Dear Donors,

We would like to inform you that the names of all project participants were changed in order to protect their privacy.

Your donations continue to support this active and entrepreneurial youth. Every gesture you make is important to the beneficiaries concerned.

We would like to present the history and message of one of our new beneficiaries, Gayane, to our donors.

Hi, I’m Gayane. I want to live in a society where people feel happy and safe. I believe that through this project our dreams will come true, and we will be able to just smile when we see our surroundings. We are young professionals interested in the community.

Thank you!

Links:

• Search for us on Google

Dear donors and supporters,

Thanks to your donations we continue to support young experts of the new generation. The communities of Armenia are full of many problems and these young leaders have committed themselves to addressing the current issues through a combination of journalism and information technology.

 This time we want to share with You the story of one of our beneficiaries, Alina, as well as details of her meeting in Georgia. Here it is.

We would like to inform you that the names of all project participants were changed in order to protect their privacy.

A seminar entitled "Digital Stories" was held in Bakuriani, Georgia from December 1st through 8th with 22 participants from 8 different countries (Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Poland, Lithuania, Italy, France). The workshop provided participants with the opportunity to gain new insights into the preparation of video clips where participants had to share short stories from their lives. Alina, who has been a beneficiary of Zartonk-89 for many years, participated in the workshop and is willing to share her knowledge and skills with our other beneficiaries.

In response to how the seminar will help the process of community development, Alina answered that she hoped to have a workshop in her community in Arapi sometime in the near future to help give young people the skills needed to create “digital stories.”

The following was related to what she revealed as a result of cooperation with other participants in other countries: Everyone, regardless of age, gender, or country, is concerned with the vision of making a better tomorrow, for which they develop and bring to life different ideas.

Our young experts are full of passion, diligence and achievement. Thanks to your donations we will continue to help them overcome challenges and move forward. From time to time they have the opportunity to get training in other countries, as well.

Thanks again for your heavy impact on this program. A better future for our communities is becoming visible thanks to your support. Today and every day, we look forward to welcoming you and hoping that the Armenian communities will become more active and prosperous through this program. Thank you for being with us.

Links:

• Search for us on Google