Small Grants Program 2005

PRESS RELEASE

  THE WORLD BANK                                                        OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE 

 YEREVAN OFFICE                                                         ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION

EUROPE AND CENTRAL ARMENIA

The World Bank Yerevan Office 

Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation - Armenia

Announce the Small Grants Program 2005 Winners

Yerevan, May 5. 2005. Today the World Bank Yervan Office and the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation - Armenia (OSIAF) announced the results of the Small Grants Program-2005 (SmGP-05). Six Armenian non-profit, non-governmental organizations were selected finalists to receive grant awards for the implementation of civic engagement - focused projects. In total, 85 project proposals were received from NGOs from all over Armenia. The proposals were reviewed and pre-selected by the members of the World Bank Country Office Small Grants Program Committee and the OSIAF-Armenia experts. In the final stage, the pre-selected applications were reviewed and approved by the OSIAF-Armenia Board.  

The following NGOs and their respective projects met the criteria for receiving grants under the SmGP’05:

1. Constellation Charitable Union for strengthening the specific role of Stepanavan’s (Lori region) NGO in civil society development. Collaboration among 13 NGOs will also lay foundation for a future coalition of NGOs (the first experience of partnership outside of Yerevan) through which they can support one another in defense of their rights and the rights of those that they represent. Series of trainings and seminars on civic rights, project design and management, fund raising, using MS Access to develop usable databases will be held. Most of the seminars and locally broadcasted round table discussions will be organized in collaboration with Yerevan based NGOs.

2. ”Prkutyun” Center of Disabled Children for facilitation of integration of mentally disabled children into the group of the same age kids and raising awareness of the community, as well as the society regarding the current problems disabled children face. Five groups of handicraft arts will be established (in each 15 children from various groups). Development of integration circles will enhance advocacy of their rights both on the community as well as national levels involvement through series of seminars, also preparation of video clips and its broadcast on Public TV.

3. Rights Information Center for the support of civic initiatives in Syunik region. Civic Initiative Groups (CIGs) in 9 communities of Syunik region will organize awareness campaign for the participation of people in the elaboration of community three year development programs, for the creation of a database on the existing donor organizations in Armenia. Conferences with active participation of local/regional authorities, private sector, donors will be focused on ideas, concerns of community members which will be reflected in the development programs. Publication and dissemination of the brochures “Your community is your home;” “Goris 2005-2008, Three Year Development Programs 9+1” will follow.

4. A. D. Sakharov Armenian Human Rights Protection Center for increasing the awareness of society on the problems of around 16,000 refugees resided in 42 communities of Gegharkunik region, promoting the expression of the opinions of the wider layers of the society upon the existing problems and enhancing the engagement of the refugee communities into the process of discussion and solutions of the problems. Detailed database of the communities will be combined in a publication: “Refugees in Gegharkunik. 15 years later”.

5. Urban Foundation for Sustainable Development for awareness building and community mobilization for improved urban environment in selected recovered sites in Shirak region (Earthquake zone) by undertaking cleaning and greening activities. The project goal will be reached through identification of Civic Initiative Groups (CIGs) in target communities, building up the CIGs and wider community’s capacity via training courses on importance of public participation, advocacy, project development and implementation. A small area will be improved to serve as a model for duplication and further activities.

6. “Unison” for enhancing partnership among interested NGOs, governmental bodies, as well as private sector including 550 disabled people who live in Yerevan to facilitate the process of the creation of accessibility strategy for disabled. A map for disabled who use wheel chairs to facilitate their movement in Yerevan will be published and disseminated. They will conduct a public awareness campaign on current problems through shooting video-clips and broadcasting on different TV channels. National round tables will be held to   discuss the importance of creation appropriate building entrances, also road conditions (where necessary) to support the movement of the disabled people in wheel chairs with the help of Partnership for Open Society (an umbrella organization for more than 50 NGOs).

The WB Yerevan Office and the OSIAF will be interacting with the Grant recipients during the projects implementation to ensure that the objectives and the goals of the agreed programs are met. Based on the success of the SmGP projects the World Bank looks forward to strengthening its cooperation with NGOs in Armenia on development issues.

This is the seventh year of implementation of the World Bank Small Grants Program in Armenia. During this period 34 local NGOs have received grants.  The amount of the disbursed funds (by the WB Yerevan Office) totals $204.000, and OSIAF – Armenia contributed to SmGP $91.000 for the last 3 years.