DOTCOM student Jacob Rasch of Bethesda, Maryland (USA) was featured in the Bethesda Gazette for his outstanding community service. Read Peggy McEwan’s article about Rasch’s acheivements

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.

On October 6-9, 2009, GLSP organized two-day trainings in Kutaisi and Batumi for local teachers and police officers participating in the program this year. Eight teachers and ten police officers were trained in Kutaisi and eleven teachers and eight police officers attended the workshop in Batumi.

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.