Reduce Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Armenia

Project Duration: 01.01.2016- 31.12.2018

Number of Beneficiaries: 1601 in 2016

Target group: pupils, teachers and community residents

Location: Shirak, Lori and Gegharkunik provinces

Goal: To raise awareness on migration and trafficking

Objectives:

  1. Organize training sessions and campaigns for Shirak, Lori and Gegharkunik provinces’ community residents and pupils or students on migration and human trafficking (human exploitation)
  2. Integrate the topic of migration into school curriculum
  3. Cooperate with stakeholders in state and non-governmental sector to raise awareness on the topics

Beneficiaries:
The beneficiaries of the project are pupils, teachers, college students or community residents living in Shirak, Lori and Gegharkunik provinces. So, in 2016, partner “House of Abundance” Community Center NGO conducted in total 36 training sessions in 21 communities and 15 educational institutions in Shirak province providing training sessions for 491 people. What comes to Lori province, partner “Crossing Roads” Social NGO conducted 34 training sessions out of which 26 training sessions were held in communities and 8 at educational institutions thus providing training sessions for 484 people from Lori province. Finally, “Gegharkunik Human Rights Protection Center” NGO held in total 34 training sessions out of which 26 were conducted in educational institutions and 8 were conducted in communities, providing training sessions for 626 people. In 2016, in total 1601 people took part in the training sessions organized by all three partner NGOs. In addition, in 2016, 48 teachers from target regions took part in training sessions based on previously prepared migration related supplementary material for teachers.

Achievements:
Within the framework of the project, a supplementary teaching material for teachers on migration was developed. Later, the material received authorization from the Ministry of Education of the RA. Moreover, training sessions for 48 teachers from Shirak, Lori and Gegharkunik provinces (18 teachers from each region) based on the developed material were carried out. It is expected that after the new educational discipline is adopted in 2017 the topic of migration will be integrated into educational criteria which suggests that teachers all around Armenia will pass training sessions on the topic and will include it in their educational plans.
What is more, two Memoranda of Understanding have with signed with state bodies – one of which with State Migration Service under the auspices of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development of the RA and the other one with State Employment Agency under the auspices of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Within the framework of cooperation, it is expected to organize forum sessions on Return and Reintegration one of which have already been organized, and within the framework of cooperation with Employment Agency it is planned to have awareness raising campaigns in target regions through mobile resource centers operated by State Employment Agency.

Membership:
Armenian Caritas is a member of COATNET (Christian Organizations against Trafficking in Women) as well as Euro-Mediterranean Anti-Trafficking Network. As for local memberships, it is a member of Anti-Trafficking Working Group in Armenia as well as Interagency Monitoring Committee for Action Plan 2012-2016 Implementing the Concept for the Policy of State Regulation of Migration

Activities։

  • To develop supplementary teaching material for teachers on migration.
  • To gain receiving of the material authorization from the Ministry of Education of the RA.
  • To organize training sessions for 48 teachers from Shirak, Lori and Gegharkunik regions (18 teachers from each region) based on the developed material.
  • To sign two Memoranda of Understanding with state bodies – one of which with State Migration Service under the auspices of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development of the RA and the other one with State Employment Agency under the auspices of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
  • To organize forum sessions on Return and Reintegration one of which have already been organized.
  • To plan to have awareness raising campaigns in target regions through mobile resource centers operated by State Employment Agency.

Funding Partners: Secours Catholique/ Caritas FranceCaritas Spain, Catholic Relief Services

Budget: 
2016 – 59 369 €
2017 – 54 774 €
2018 – 65 122 €

Project manager: Movses Hakobyan

Coordinator: Gohar Yeranyan

Secours Catholique/ Caritas France