PH International

GLSP Organizes a Professional Exchange to Armenia

Georgia | Georgian Legal Socialization Project | 30 Mar 2010




GLSP organized a professional exchange to Armenia on March 22-25. Among the exchange participants were Lia Giagauri, Director of the Public School #165; Zurab Tvauri, Chief of the District Inspectors Division in Tbilisi; Ramaz Gavarjaladze, Deputy Head of Adjara Police, and Nana Ioseliani, GLSP Coordinator. The purpose of the exchange was to observe Community Justice Centers and school based Youth Boards in Armenia, which are ZANG models that could be replicated in Georgia.

The exchange group visited two CJCs: one in Vanadzor and another in Yerevan, and met with the Youth Board members and the coordinator at the Public School # 69 in Yerevan.

On March 23, the exchange participants met with Nelly Duryan, Head of Juvenile Police Department at the Police of Armenia, who talked about the role of the police in the ZANG Armenia Legal Socialization Program.

On March 24, the Youth Reparative Board of School # 69 in Yerevan welcomed the exchange participants. The members of the board showed a PowerPoint presentation illustrating the Youth Board structure, specifics of their work and documentation used by the board. The students told the history of their Youth Board, and shared success stories, as well as failures. They also presented a mock board session to give the guests a better idea on the content and process of reparative board meetings.

The exchange participants noted that the exchange gave them the whole new insight into how the restorative justice principles can be put in action in countries like Armenia and Georgia. As a result of the exchange to Armenia, it was decided to pilot a Youth Reparative Board at the GLSP Public School #165 in Tbilisi.