Armenian Progressive Youth
Aim
Support, inspire and engage young people from Armenia and all over the world to develop their social leadership skills, to take their civic responsibility and to act as change-makers.
History
In 2007 a group of students majoring in Political Science had idea to establish an organization. In 2009 after years of strategy development finally APY was officially registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia. From 2009 organisation's ambitions were growing along with the funding, capacity, knowledge, human recourses and areas of activities. Through the engagement in youth work, the founders, staff members and volunteers of the organization grew to highly competent young professionals: activists, leaders, youth workers, trainers, facilitators who are leading APY today. During the last years APY organized hundreds of activities, campaigns, events and projects in Armenia and neighbouring countries involving children, teenagers, youngsters, youth workers, volunteers, adults and their communities.
IRD Activities
- Armenia - Turkey dialogue
Due to lack of communication, the view of “otherness” in media and number of historical and political issues young people from Armenia and Turkey live in societies full of prejudices and hatred. Organisation believes that youth in Armenia and Turkey is the most active part of the society which can become a catalyst for change. Through Armenian-Turkish Dialogue projects APY give young people from Armenia and Turkey to meet, to work together, understand differences and similarities, exchange the experiences and develop cooperation
- Intercultural dialogue
APY promotes intercultural dialogue and highly values an open and respectful exchange between young people and youth organizations. Taking into account the recent rise of nationalism and extremism both in Armenia and Europe, we consider it highly important to gather active young people, youth workers and activists to discuss the questions of multicultural society, interreligious and intercultural dialogue as well as think about some practical tools how to fight discrimination and combat extremism. During the last years APY has created a platform for intercultural dialogue for around 1000 young people from around 50 different countries through its mobility projects, training and exchange programs
- Project “It’s Hard to be a Good Neighbor in Bad Neighborhood“
This project aims to engage young people from areas affected by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict into peacebuilding initiatives through formation of a joint youth group of Armenians and Azerbaijanis who will know how to neutralize nationalistic and aggressive rhetoric in online platforms. The implementers, Armenian Progressive Youth (Armenia) and Nazim Ibadov (Azerbaijan), will form in-country groups of 30 young people (in total 60) aged 18-25 who will participate in training workshops focusing on Psychology of Relations, Tolerance, Team Building, Conflict Transformation, Ethical Codes and Human Rights. Following the workshops, the implementers will invite the most active and motivated participants (10 from each of Armenia and Azerbaijan) to participate in a 5-day joint camp in Georgia
- Peace and Love Vector project
The aim of the project is empowering of youth leaders and youth workers in the field of preventing extremism and radicalization focusing on young people with migrant background through exchange of practices and experiences between partners’ organizations from the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries (Sweden, Armenia, Ukraine, Estonia).
Main Focus Countries of Activities
n - i - - n - i - - Georgia - Sweden - Estonia - Ukraine - Armenia