CSO Incubator Participants Discussed Inclusive Education and Social Support Issues in Gavar

On 24 July 2018, a meeting was held at the Gavar CSO Incubator in the scope of the “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project funded by the European Union. The meeting was dedicated to the presentation of the sub-grant project entitled “For Quality and Accessible Inclusive Education and Social Support” and the coalition to be formed in the scope of that project, as well as the discussion of opportunities of cooperation with CSOs. 

The information was presented by Naira Arakelyan, the Project Manager of the “For Quality and Accessible Inclusive Education and Social Support” project and the President of the “Armavir Development Centre” NGO. She presented the grant project of the coalition of the education sector, presented the public policy model, applying which it will be possible to make the education sector even more accessible and useful. The incubator participants were especially interested in the changes expected in the inclusive education sector. A discussion followed. Mr Khachik Khostanchyan, a member of the “Hand of Hope” Social NGO, presented the experience of their organisation in this field, putting a special emphasis on the role of the respective specialists’ training. 

10 representatives from 8 CSOs participated in the event. 

CSO incubators are aimed at contributing to CSO capacity development and increasing the efficiency of their activities. 

The “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union by a Consortium of civil society organisations, which are the Armenian Lawyers’ Association (lead organisation), Agora Central Europe (NGO based in the Czech Republic), the Armenian Centre for Democratic Education-CIVITAS, the International Centre for Human Development, the SME Cooperation Association and the Union of Communities of Armenia.

The project aims to enhance the influence of civil society organisations (CSOs) and CSO coalitions/networks on public policies in Armenia. This will allow organisations that are already working in sectoral coalitions to access additional resources, new groups of civil society experts to come together and to encourage them to place their causes on the local and national policy agenda, to identify common concerns and priorities and approach government bodies with constructive and strategic policy engagement initiatives.

The project will provide sub-grants to CSOs and CSO coalitions for developing public policies and bringing significant changes in the 9 target sectors selected within the project, including those of justice, human rights, public finance management, business, education, and the social sector: social inclusion of children with disabilities, agriculture, economy, and energy.