This August, in collaboration with the Yerevan Women’s Resource Center, Lory Hovsepian (Ph.D. candidate in Public Health, Université de Montréal) and Apraham Niziblian (Lobbying and advocacy specialist) will facilitate a three-day conference, supported by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) entitled: Capacity Building for Armenia’s health sector. This project will focus on developing community capacity in Armenia’s health sector, specifically regarding the promotion of sexual/reproductive health and the prevention of HIV/sexually transmitted infections in Armenia. Community organizations working in Armenia on these issues have been invited, with the hopes of knowledge transfer and capacity building, culminating in the creation of a collaborative effort to maximize effective promotion of key sexual health issues within the Armenian public.
In recent years, our experience with various civil society groups working in the Armenian health and social sectors has suggested that although there are many community organizations working either in the realm of sexual health or with vulnerable groups, these organizations often work independently and collaborative efforts on common projects are rare. Moreover, prior fieldwork and needs analysis have indicated need for common spaces where these organizations can come together, share experiences and expertise, learn from each other, all in a collaborative spirit. This situation has led us to believe that there is a need to create such a space and to facilitate concerted action in the area of sexual health. This common space will allow for needs analysis and knowledge transfer, following which it is our hope that the organizations present will pursue the steps, and that the process will culminate into the possible creation of a form of partnership – whether it be in the form of a consortium, coalition, or ‘table de concentration’ (the outcome, of course, will be left to the actors/stakeholders involved, reflecting their needs/interests in such collaborative efforts). Such collaborative efforts can only be beneficial to the attainment of the objectives set forth in the realm of sexual health in Armenia.
Invitation
Given our belief that it is through concerted, intersectoral and multi-level action that change can be brought forth, such a process cannot be successful without the inclusion and implication of all representatives of the health sector, including representatives of academic, health and governmental institutions. In this respect, we invite "PINK" NGO to participate in this conference. It is through the collaborative effort of organizations such as "PINK Armenia" that we can create the needed concerted effort in the Armenian health sector. In an effort to be as inclusive as possible, we would like to request your help in reaching out to other organizations that may be interested in participating in this conference.
The conference will consist of three half-day workshop sessions between August 12 and 15, 2008. The August 15 session will be followed by a networking event. During this event, representatives from various groups and institutions (e.g. Ministry of Health, health sector practitioners and researchers) will be invited to discuss possible venues of collaboration in the short and long term.
August 2, 2008
July 20, 2008
Sirusho vs. Madonna
Even after the final part of eurovision Sirusho is still in top played songs at clubs, at least in Moscow. I knew about it, but was shocked yesterdayy: me and my brother where at the club in Moscow hanging out with friends, then all of the sudden, the first lyrics of "Qele, Qele" filled the whole club. The feeling that only both of us were Armenians at the whole huge club, where were approximately more than 600 people, made us scream. We thought may be someone found out we are Armenians and ordered for us?! Apparently not!!! If that happened once or twice and not more than 6 times per night we could understand. The funniest thing is that Madonna has recently released a new song which is one of my favourites, was played only once. We are happy for Sirusho and for us too!!
G.T.
July 9, 2008
Army: 2 years of struggling for life
Talking about army for some people it sounds like a verdict to death or something like that. Not sure how the situation is in other countries, but mostly in post Soviet Union countries the situation in army is still bad, even terrible. Every day we can read many articles regarding to this issue-the issue of homosexuality and army. Are these both compatible? Doesn’t army need any reforms?
Twice a year families are under stress, time to follow to your “patriot obligation”, because according to law each male person who has reached the age of 18 has to serve in army. Hardly finishing the school, boys, still being teenagers, are being taken to the army. Yes, taken, because a very few who go to army by his own will.
The process of checking boys at the military checking points is very annoying, disappointing, harmful, humiliating and etc. They bring all them at one place at 9 o’clock in the morning and make you wait still they “are ready” for the job. I had that experience personally. Than when they “are ready” they invite boys by groups inside, where they are being checked by doctors to see if they are required for the army, but this process is not efficient, because a lot of guys who have serious problems are taken to army.
More problems are for gays, who are being offended, humiliated not only from the military service workers, but also from other guys waiting outside. Usually if they find out a person to be gay, they begin to give clichés; very often they beat him very hard by groups. But all these are more awful when military workers see that and do nothing, like “it should be like that”. Next, when at that check points they still don’t recognize your orientation and qualify for army (because homosexuals are not qualified for army, because of the high risk of danger waiting for that person in army and plus to it, homosexuality still considers to be a “mental disease”) you go further and finally get into army. Nobody can give a guarantee that a gay man will return home safe or just alive.
Recently a guy had similar problems with army, where he had the same problems: he was beaten, humiliated, he had separated dishes, separated place to sleep and etc. As he said: “Every day I feel I won’t be able to get back home, I didn’t feel my dignity that was terrible experience I had in my life”. And this is a “normal”, everyday thing in army.
Now there are several NGOs who are interested in this, and do whatever they can do, one of them is “New Vision to Democracy” NGO, who made its best effort to take that guy out that situation. Now he doesn’t serve and is in safety. “PINK Armenia” and “New Vision to Democracy” now tries to collaborate and do much work in order to do something with that issue.
They invite round tables with LGBT representatives where they discuss problems regarding to army. Most of them don’t know their rights, and where asked why they hadn’t told their parents, they answered the same attitude should have been from them too.
So now all we hope that a small group of young people can do something to change the situation in army, at least they will try.
Army is a necessity for Armenia, but the government should understand also that without good condition of it lots of people will try to avoid it. And is there any army without soldiers?
Twice a year families are under stress, time to follow to your “patriot obligation”, because according to law each male person who has reached the age of 18 has to serve in army. Hardly finishing the school, boys, still being teenagers, are being taken to the army. Yes, taken, because a very few who go to army by his own will.
The process of checking boys at the military checking points is very annoying, disappointing, harmful, humiliating and etc. They bring all them at one place at 9 o’clock in the morning and make you wait still they “are ready” for the job. I had that experience personally. Than when they “are ready” they invite boys by groups inside, where they are being checked by doctors to see if they are required for the army, but this process is not efficient, because a lot of guys who have serious problems are taken to army.
More problems are for gays, who are being offended, humiliated not only from the military service workers, but also from other guys waiting outside. Usually if they find out a person to be gay, they begin to give clichés; very often they beat him very hard by groups. But all these are more awful when military workers see that and do nothing, like “it should be like that”. Next, when at that check points they still don’t recognize your orientation and qualify for army (because homosexuals are not qualified for army, because of the high risk of danger waiting for that person in army and plus to it, homosexuality still considers to be a “mental disease”) you go further and finally get into army. Nobody can give a guarantee that a gay man will return home safe or just alive.
Recently a guy had similar problems with army, where he had the same problems: he was beaten, humiliated, he had separated dishes, separated place to sleep and etc. As he said: “Every day I feel I won’t be able to get back home, I didn’t feel my dignity that was terrible experience I had in my life”. And this is a “normal”, everyday thing in army.
Now there are several NGOs who are interested in this, and do whatever they can do, one of them is “New Vision to Democracy” NGO, who made its best effort to take that guy out that situation. Now he doesn’t serve and is in safety. “PINK Armenia” and “New Vision to Democracy” now tries to collaborate and do much work in order to do something with that issue.
They invite round tables with LGBT representatives where they discuss problems regarding to army. Most of them don’t know their rights, and where asked why they hadn’t told their parents, they answered the same attitude should have been from them too.
So now all we hope that a small group of young people can do something to change the situation in army, at least they will try.
Army is a necessity for Armenia, but the government should understand also that without good condition of it lots of people will try to avoid it. And is there any army without soldiers?
July 4, 2008
Youth, reality, perspectives
The Center for Organizing Youth Activities with the financial assistance of the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs organized a youth conference “Youth, reality, perspectives” aiming to activate and enlarge the Youth information field, and foster links between the youth NGO’s, as well as with the governmental and international organizations.
During the 3 days of the conference (25-27 June, 2008) an exhibition-fair “Idea Market” presented NGO’s of Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk, and also those governmental and international organizations whose activities interact with the youth. The “Idea Market” helped about 90 organizations to present their history, activities, and plans. A special designated area and facilities were provided on request.PINK Armenia was one of those lucky organizations that presented the activities and future plans. The conference gave a good chance to find other partner organization to collaborate with. We are happy to collaborate also with government. As a first step we started our work with the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and it’s 10 Youth Centers in each region of Armenia.
During the 3 days of the conference (25-27 June, 2008) an exhibition-fair “Idea Market” presented NGO’s of Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk, and also those governmental and international organizations whose activities interact with the youth. The “Idea Market” helped about 90 organizations to present their history, activities, and plans. A special designated area and facilities were provided on request.PINK Armenia was one of those lucky organizations that presented the activities and future plans. The conference gave a good chance to find other partner organization to collaborate with. We are happy to collaborate also with government. As a first step we started our work with the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and it’s 10 Youth Centers in each region of Armenia.
June 30, 2008
MetastaZ
"We are Armenians, not homos..."
In the end of May the State Dramatic Theatre named after H. Abelyan of Vanadzor opened curtains for the premiere of the performance "MetastaZ (Metastasis)" under same play of Hovhannes Tekgyozyan "Metastasis". Premiere was really impressing from the both chosen subjects and the originality of the performance. The Theatre had never had such kind of performance in it yet, which was sort of experiment for the the theatre filled with glory and with scandal at the same time. From the very beginning it was planned as the audience would be a part of the play: there were 30 chairs black and white colored, like chessboard and they were on the stage. Director Nune Khechumyan said: "That has been done on purpose, because it is more difficult for the actor to play looking at the audience at the same time, which means the professionally of the actor should be very high. It is interesting also for the spectator, because there wasn't such kind of experience at the theater before. The spectator can do nothing rather to be a participant of all that". A plead of talented actors was evolved in the play, such as Temur Atchinyan, Alla Darbinyan, Edgar Qocharyan, Hamlet Gyulzadyan and also one of the founders of PINK Armenia. The casting has been done very carefully. Also Hovsep Mesropyan and Vahe Shahverdyan were in all that action. One can speak about the 
performance continuously; improbable occurrence and disappearance of actors on the stage surprised the audience and etc. The most interesting fact is that a performance based on real facts of two homosexuals was played in the third city of Armenia and not Yerevan. The main goal of the director was not the elucidation of the theme of homosexuality and drugs in general, but the torture of the people, having a pain arisen by treachery. The same can overtake each of us like it happened to the heroes of performance "MetastaZ". Unequivocally, one of the central aims of performance is the orientation of heroes that has caused spasm for the majority of spectators. In fact the most part of the Armenian society, does not accept and does not wish to accept "sick people, who still can recover from". The most part of public has been shocked and admired from professional acting and director's work of performance, and some others experienced a shock, proceeding from basic reasons and traditional mentality: " How can it be possible, we are Armenians, not homos?" Everybody was waiting for similar comment, however they are not in forces to suspend the group of these professionals. The troupe is not going to be limited only by premiere and couple of performances. They are measured to organize tours in all over Armenia and also abroad. Additives to it, Yerevan, Tbilisi, Moscow and Saint-Petersburg already wish to watch "MetastaZ". Performance deserves all the praise and also can be a great competitor for the European chamber representations.
In the end of May the State Dramatic Theatre named after H. Abelyan of Vanadzor opened curtains for the premiere of the performance "MetastaZ (Metastasis)" under same play of Hovhannes Tekgyozyan "Metastasis". Premiere was really impressing from the both chosen subjects and the originality of the performance. The Theatre had never had such kind of performance in it yet, which was sort of experiment for the the theatre filled with glory and with scandal at the same time. From the very beginning it was planned as the audience would be a part of the play: there were 30 chairs black and white colored, like chessboard and they were on the stage. Director Nune Khechumyan said: "That has been done on purpose, because it is more difficult for the actor to play looking at the audience at the same time, which means the professionally of the actor should be very high. It is interesting also for the spectator, because there wasn't such kind of experience at the theater before. The spectator can do nothing rather to be a participant of all that". A plead of talented actors was evolved in the play, such as Temur Atchinyan, Alla Darbinyan, Edgar Qocharyan, Hamlet Gyulzadyan and also one of the founders of PINK Armenia. The casting has been done very carefully. Also Hovsep Mesropyan and Vahe Shahverdyan were in all that action. One can speak about the 
performance continuously; improbable occurrence and disappearance of actors on the stage surprised the audience and etc. The most interesting fact is that a performance based on real facts of two homosexuals was played in the third city of Armenia and not Yerevan. The main goal of the director was not the elucidation of the theme of homosexuality and drugs in general, but the torture of the people, having a pain arisen by treachery. The same can overtake each of us like it happened to the heroes of performance "MetastaZ". Unequivocally, one of the central aims of performance is the orientation of heroes that has caused spasm for the majority of spectators. In fact the most part of the Armenian society, does not accept and does not wish to accept "sick people, who still can recover from". The most part of public has been shocked and admired from professional acting and director's work of performance, and some others experienced a shock, proceeding from basic reasons and traditional mentality: " How can it be possible, we are Armenians, not homos?" Everybody was waiting for similar comment, however they are not in forces to suspend the group of these professionals. The troupe is not going to be limited only by premiere and couple of performances. They are measured to organize tours in all over Armenia and also abroad. Additives to it, Yerevan, Tbilisi, Moscow and Saint-Petersburg already wish to watch "MetastaZ". Performance deserves all the praise and also can be a great competitor for the European chamber representations.
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