Interview with Tamara Barbakadze, the project
manager of Grassroots Voice for Human Rights Mobilization program at World
Vision Armenia

The two-year Grassroots Voice for Human Rights
Mobilization program has finished.
What were the aims of the program?

The aims of the
program were to develop capacities of grassroots public organizations in the
area of human rights protection, strengthen network of grassroots
organizations, and establish links among community human rights organizations,
the World Visions' Area Development Programs (ADP) as well as the Civil Society
Institute, Armenian Helsinki Committee and the Office of the Human Rights
Defender.

We started
implementation of the program in 2010 in cooperation with Civil Society
Institute and Armenian Helsinki Committee. During these two years we conducted
different training seminars for 45 employees of the World Vision Armenia nine
ADPs, organized round table discussions in all communities.

What the program participants gained from it:
if you compare their capacities before and after the program, what kind of
changes do you observe?

This program is very
important for development of community organizations' capacities, for the
training was not just one-time event, but of continuing nature, during which
the participants could build up their capacities, and they were very satisfied
with the training. Then, at the stage of practical assignment, they were a
little scared with the task of conducting monitoring, they thought they could
not do it. 

However, when you
aim at promoting professional growth, you assign an employee with task, which
is slightly difficult for him/her. And we proceeded in this direction. With our
support they could overcome their fear, and implementation of the monitoring
upgraded their skills to a higher step.

I see many changes
in 45 participants of the program; they became more self-confident as a result
of participation at theoretical classes and practical assignment-monitoring.
This was another, new type of work for them, and they could accomplish it with
credit.

How the themes
for monitoring were selected?

The community
organizations selected all the themes of the monitoring and not randomly. These
themes related to the areas, where the organizations worked and will continue
to work in their regions trying to solve problems.

During the discussion there were concerns that
usually results of monitoring “collect dust in drawers”. It looks that there is
no concern in regards to these monitoring projects.

Even if the program
finished, the established connections are there. Also, as I said, the topics of
monitoring related to the areas in which the organizations had worked and will
continue working. In addition, many issues were raised at the round table
discussions, and these issues can be raised at appropriate bodies by the community
organizations, and we can support them. Thus, I believe that advocacy in some
areas will continue.

On the other side,
we built-up cooperation; we learned about organizations in the regions, their activities,
and what type of information we can share with one another. They also learned
about Yerevan-based organizations, and I believe that our cooperation will
continue.