On November 7, 2014 a subsequent workshop within the framework of the project entitled “Open Government Partnership Initiative” implemented by “Journalists for the Future” NGO (JFF) was conducted in Alaverdi.
The event organized with the financial support of the US Embassy in Armenia was attended by more than 20 representatives of local CSOs.
It was aimed at increasing the level of awareness of local CSOs on the “Open Government Partnership” (OGP) international initiative and providing their active engagement in the OGP/Armenia process.
Like the previous workshop, the majority of the participants in Alaverdi were not informed about the OGP initiative and Armenia’s membership in it.
[[wysiwyg_imageupload:228:]]The workshop introduced the establishment background and international experience of the OGP initiative, as well as issues concerning the participation of Armenia in this process. All of the 11 obligations involved in the OGP/Armenia Action Plan 2014-2016 were discussed with the participants.
On November 7, 2014 a subsequent workshop within the framework of the project entitled “Open Government Partnership Initiative” implemented by “Journalists for the Future” NGO (JFF) was conducted in Alaverdi.
The event organized with the financial support of the US Embassy in Armenia was attended by more than 20 representatives of local CSOs.
It was aimed at increasing the level of awareness of local CSOs on the “Open Government Partnership” (OGP) international initiative and providing their active engagement in the OGP/Armenia process.
Like the previous workshop, the majority of the participants in Alaverdi were not informed about the OGP initiative and Armenia’s membership in it.
[[wysiwyg_imageupload:228:]]The workshop introduced the establishment background and international experience of the OGP initiative, as well as issues concerning the participation of Armenia in this process. All of the 11 obligations involved in the OGP/Armenia Action Plan 2014-2016 were discussed with the participants.
“The workshop participants in Alaverdi were mostly interested in obligations concerning the regions of Armenia. They were curious about how to be informed on those processes, to take part in and monitor them,” Suren Deheryan, JFF president and workshop trainer notes.
The participants discussed actively the obligation regarding, particularly, the healthcare sphere: it envisages creating a financial portal of the healthcare system, where the specialists and the society can get information about the funding of the projects ensured by the state, about the package of the main services. According to them the portal should contain plenty of information related to drugs’ availability, to the state-subsidized and paid services in hospitals of all the communities. This information should always be updated.
Within the framework of the workshop the participants were provided with necessary online literature to learn more about this initiative and to get involved in this process.
Worth mentioning that JFF have launched a range of workshops entitled “Open Government Partnership Initiative” in the regions of Armenia since September, 2014. It is planned to organize 5 more similar workshops in different cities of Armenia to provide [[wysiwyg_imageupload:230:]]the CSOs’ representatives with necessary knowledge and literature on the OGP international initiative, the obligations undertaken by the Armenian Government and the process of its implementation, to evoke interest among regional NGOs to implement monitoring regarding realization of the OGP Action Plan, as well as to support representatives of regional CSOs to come up with proposals consistent with OGP principles.
Similar workshop, attended by 25 representatives of local CSOs, has been organized also in Goris. It is intended to continue this range of workshops in Gyumri, Armavir, Gavar, Vanadzor and Hrazdan.
OGP initiative was created in 2011 by joint efforts of 8 countries: USA, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, South Africa and UK. It is aimed at increasing the publicity of the governors’ activities, promoting the society’s participation in managing the public life, forming more transparent and accountable authorities.
The Project financial supporter: US Embassy in Armenia
The event partner in Alaverdi: “Center for Community Mobilization and Support” NGO
Source: JFF