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NGOs Visited by Armenia Tree Project, Armenian Assembly, ArmeniaNow

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ATP Country Director Mher Sadoyan, ATP Executive Director Jeff Masarjian, and NGOC Program Coordinator Hripsime Nazaretyan

YEGHEGNADZOR, Armenia (Source: Armenian Assembly)--On October 23, longtime League of Women Voters member and Armenian Assembly of America Life Trustee Gail O’Reilly, Armenian Assembly Country Director Arpi Vartanian, Armenia Tree Project Executive Director Jeff Masarjian, ATP Country Director Mher Sadoyan, ATP Public Outreach Manager Bella Avetisyan, and ArmeniaNow.com Managing Editor Julia Hakobyan traveled to Yeghegnadzor to visit the Coaching NGOs in Armenia on Coalition Building Program.

In the morning, the visitors listened to individual presentations by the NGO participants. Later in the morning, Masarjian, Sadoyan, and Avetisyan spoke with the NGO participants about ATP’s work in general, and in coalitions, both within and outside of Armenia.

Based on his experiences, Masarjian shared eight principles of successful coalition building, and then introduced a documentary film on the successful coalition campaign to protect the Shikahogh forest reserve. Sadoyan discussed some of the problems they have faced with a current issue--that of copper mining in Teghut--and subsequent environmental impacts. He invited the NGOs to work more closely with community members to expand their allies.

In the afternoon session, O’Reilly spoke about her work with LWV, the Armenian Assembly, and other initiatives and described the genesis of this program. She also presented a few words to the NGOs on behalf of the donors for this project, Armenian Assembly Trustees Charles Talanian and Peter Vosbikian.

Vartanian presented the work of the Armenian Assembly and spoke of some specific issues that the Assembly addressed by working in coalitions. Both O’Reilly and Vartanian expressed encouragement and hope for the work the NGOs are doing in their communities.

Later in the day, while addressing the NGO representatives, Julia Hakobyan provided them an unique opportunity to hear firsthand, from a journalist, how best to provide information to journalists and how to interact with journalists. Finally, she interviewed many of the NGO participants, in preparation for an upcoming story in ArmeniaNow.com.

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