In the past months, in addition to the ongoing activities of the ZANG program’s Community Justice Centers (CJC), PH International’s (PHI) Armenia staff worked towards expanding its partnerships to establish new Community Justice Centers. One of such opportunities is through collaboration with the Armenian branch of World Vision International Charitable Organization (WVA). Through cooperative efforts PH International plans to set up 2 more CJCs, one in town of Talin, Aragatsotn region, and the other in Kapan, Syunik region. The new CJCs will be based on the Community Centers for Children years ago established by World Vision, and currently funded by the local municipalities. The Talin CJC will be the first one to open: after some pilot period, PHI and WVA will jointly commence the activities of setting-up the Community Justice Center under the auspices of the Kapan Community Center.
On January 2010, five new schools were selected for the implementation of the school-based Students’ Reparative Board (SRB) initiative. From Feb. 17- Mar. 11 60 SRB members, together with lead teachers nominated from secondary schools Vanadzor # 5, Alaverdi # 12, Gyumri # 7, Ijevan # 4, Tchambarak # 2 participated in preparatory trainings. During the three day sessions in each school, the students were introduced to their school bylaws, to principles of Restorative Justice, personal rights and responsibilities as well as conflict management. The principals of schools had open remarks during the sessions and expressed their interest in SRB activities and eagerness to cooperate with PH International.
The “Fable about Nails” video was produced within the framework of ZANG Armenian Legal Socialization Program by the ZANG Vanadzor Community Justice Center (CJC).
On November 12, a conference was convened to mark the accomplishments of the ZANG Armenian Legal Socialization Program (ALSP) funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and implemented by PH International since 2003, in close cooperation with the Armenian Police, Juvenile Issues sector. The conference showcased the program key components such as Community Justice Centers (CJC) and School-based Reparative Boards (SRB) and also addressed the program future.
In August - September 2009, ZANG Armenia Legal Social Program organized trainings for the lead teachers and students of 5 Yerevan newly selected schools (schools # 12, 18, 83,188, 197, and,) participating in the ZANG School Reparative Board (SRB) initiative. The training for the SRB lead teachers was held on August 22. The teachers were introduced to the ZANG project activities, the Restorative Justice the principals and the SRB objectives. The training was facilitated by Karine Samvelyan, ZANG teacher and the coordinator of the ZANG first SRB at Yerevan school # 69 and Dzyunik Vanesyan, ZANG program coordinator. In addition, ZANG Gyumri Community Justice Center coordinator and physiologist Armine Gmyur-Karapetyan presented to participants some aspects of youth behavior focusing on physical and physiological causes of youth problems and misbehavior. She also shared their experience of working with youth at the Gyumri Community Justice Center.
Throughout Sept. 2-9, 2009 the Dutch organization Digg’Out in cooperation with the Academy for Peace and Development (APD) organized in Georgia an advanced international training program on facilitation of learning processes and group dynamics in non-formal education and youth work (FLY).
Dzyunik Vanesyan, Coordinator for PH International’s ZANG Armenia Legal Socialization Program, was nominated for participation in this training by “HR Consultant” which is an Armenian NGO partnering with FLY.
A few days ago the Armenia office of PH International signed a ZANG program related Memorandum of Cooperation with Gyumri State Teacher-Training Institute after M. Nalbandyan.
On September 16, U.S. Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch and Armenian Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan signed two Protocols on the amendment to the Letter of Agreement on Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Armenia.
Մի քանի օր առաջ Փի-Էյչ Ինթերնեշնլի հայկական գրասենյակը ԶԱՆԳ ծրագրի գործունեության շրջանակներում համագործակցության հուշագիր կնքեց Գյումրիի Մ. Նալբանդյանի անվ. պետ. մանկավարժական ինստիտուտի հետ:
Only a month ago, PH International was granted funding from the US Department of State/Bureau of International Narcotics & Law Enforcement to continue the implementation of the ZANG Armenia Legal Socialization project for the next four years. On March 31, PH staff brought together the teams of the six Community Justice Centers of the ZANG program to celebrate the occasion and discuss the program’s future work plan. The meeting began with brief updates from each CJC. The major achievement reported was the fact that the centers continued their reparative processes with juveniles uninterrupted for one month while the DOS grant was being awarded. As of March 2009, overall 220 cases have been heard at ZANG CJCs, with successful juvenile rehabilitation records in the majority of cases.
