A network of public journalists is being established for Armenian communities. Within the framework of “Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia (LILA)” project, EcoLur held meetings with active residents of the Project's target communities in Lori, Syunik, Vayots Dzor and Tavush Regions in order to establish a public journalism network.
In November-December, 2023, EcoLur, together with WWF-Armenia team, held meetings in the villages of Debed and Yeghegnut of Pambak consolidated community, Dsegh and Marts of Tumanyan community, Shaghat of Sisian community, Shatin of Yeghegis community, Vernashen and Gladzor of Yeghegnadzor community, Sevkar and Yenokavan of Ijevan community. Around 140 residents from beneficiary villages participated in the meetings.
During the meetings, LILA Project Coordinator Naire Yeritsyan told the attendees about the project's goals, expectations, environmental and economic development works implemented and planned in the settlements. "WWF-Armenia implements two projects, LILA and Ecocorridors, in your settlements. With LILA project, we are developing ecotourism and the value chains associated with it in mountain rural areas. This project will introduce economic incentives for the sustainable use of natural resources and will contribute to the implementation of steps aimed at mitigating climate change and increasing adaptation. We repair and heat-insulate community buildings, install solar plants," he noted.
Victoria Burnazyan, Deputy President of "EcoLur" Informational NGO, presented to the residents the role of public journalism in terms of the development of settlements, raising and overcoming problems, talking about the importance of residents being active in the community.
"By becoming a member of the public journalism network, you will make your village heard, visible and more recognizable. You will present the events, life, nature and problems of the village so that they get solutions," she noted.
The proposal to become a public journalist aroused interest among the participants of the meetings. Training courses for public journalists will be held at the beginning of 2024.
Public journalism is the type of news when the citizen becomes the producer and transmitter of information. Citizens take an active role in gathering, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information.
Public journalism, although still in new in Armenia, can become a powerful tool for advancing social and environmental agendas, contributing to raising awareness of the sustainable use of resources and climate change issues that LILA aims to address.
“Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia” (LILA) project is funded by the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Armenia in collaboration with Strategic Development Agency (SDA) NGO.
December 26, 2023 at 15:42