Posts filed under ‘Uncategorized’
ArmYouth Blog has a new location!!!!
ATTENTION everyone! ArmYouth Blog has changed to a new location….
cheers!
Volunteer opportunity
an excellent opportunity with Development of e-societies in South Caucasus program:
They are looking for three interns for the positions of
- Instructional Designer trainee
- Multimedia Designer trainee
- ICT Network trainee
Please visit http://www.hra.am/file/recruitrequirements_trainee.pdf for more information about the positions.
Police at work
This morning I observed Armenian police at work at the intersection of Orbeli and Baghramian. They were working! I mean I am not trying to be sarcastic but it was a fantastic scene really. There were officers in the middle of the street, directing traffic. And while the traffic was pretty heavy at 9am on Baghramian, their efforts were actually helping the cars move along quicker. I was delighted to see this and it made me think, well maybe there is some hope after all. If police did their jobs, there actually is law and order. You can’t really be so negative about everything ALL the time, now can you…
As a measure to fight against the corruption among Armenian police, they were given a salary increase of about 40% back in 2005. The incentive is that this salary increase is supposed to decrease the probability of police taking bribes and receiving the bills with Charents on it (1,000 tram), the typical amount which citizens pay them in order to avoid any legal actions. Interestingly enough, these same actions were taken in Georgia by the beloved Misha or President Mikhail Saakashvilli, for those of us who do not refer to him in such an endearing way. (This is actually how the Georgians refer to their president). As soon as President Saakashvilli came into office back in 2004, he fired the entire police staff and increased their salaries. Now it is said that Georgia has a police force which is hardly corrupt at all and people actually respect them for their positions. It was of course quite a courageous move on behalf of Saakashvilli at the time, but these efforts will surely go a long way for the country’s future.
Update Regarding Police at Work
In regards to the question about the salaries of the police in Armenia, I would like to state the following. It turns out that after speaking to some local police officers, they do not make between $300-400. While there was a 40% pay increase for them in 2005, the average police officer does not earn this much. However, it turns out the more senior and higher officers are making this amount. In addition, I also inquired about the military and the higher military officers are also making this amount as well. (A friend who is a soldier in the Armenian army mentioned this information. Thus I would like to say that this piece of information is from an unconfirmed source.)
Thus, I am retracting this sentence from the article that they are making $300-400. Should I find a resource that does confirm this, I will post it then. However, until then and since I have heard from the Armenian police that this is not the amount the average cop is making, then I have decided to retract this statement.
Unfortunately, trying to figure information out about the military and police institutions is rather difficult considering they are not the most transparent institutions. This of course is my opinion but some may disagree with me. After all of the bribes the police and the military officers receive, I bet these individuals are making enough money for them to “get by”.
With that said, I apologize for the misinformation that was presented in this article. I would also like to personally thank Onnik for being so persistent and consistent in pursuing the correct figures regarding this information. I misunderstood my source and confirmed that in fact it is the higher level police officers who do make approximately this much money.
Also with that being said, I would like to state that I am not a journalist nor am I aiming to be one. The goal of ArmYouth is really to present information that is from Armenia and particularly from the youth. While I myself am not a local Armenian youth, I am a young Armenian person and am trying my best to present another perspective about things happening in Armenia. I hope this is understandable and will work to be more careful in providing the exact references in the future. We all make mistakes in life and learn from them, no? I have most certainly learned my lesson from this article. I apologize for any inconvenience.
FOR THE YOUTH: A STORY GAME * YERITASARDNERI HAMAR: PATMUTYAN KHAGH
YERITASARDNERI HAMAR: PATMUTYAN KHAGH
Yerb? Urbat, Marti 17, 2006 17:00-een
Vorteg? Kaghaghaciakan Hasarakutyan Instituti Grasenyak 24 Vagharshyan 85 Yerevan
Inchu?
Deh vorovhetev hetarkrkir e linelu!!
Tarber martik tarber kerp en haskanum lur@ kam iradarcutjun@. Ays khaghei mech, menq ktesnenq teinchu ayspes klini yev inchpes lur@ kam iradarcutjun@. karevor e- hatkapes konflikti ludzman hamar.
Vor hartcer lini, inc zankaharek ofeesum- Tamar 27.20.14 Kam E-mail ooghargetsek.
Yeteh uzek, tser @ngernerin al hraverek.
Husov em ktesnvenq!
**************************************************************
FOR THE YOUTH: A STORY GAME
When? Friday, March 17, 2006 at 17:00
Where? Civil Society Institute NGO 24 Vagharshyan apt. 85, Yerevan
Why?
Well, because it will be quite an interesting event!!
A message is communicated in one way but understood by different people in different ways. In this game, we will see how that happens and try to understand how communication is the key – especially in resolving conflicts.
Please let me know if you can come. Call me, Tamar at the CSI office – 27.20.14 or email me.
Also, feel free to invite your friends!
Hope to see you there!
To Pay or Not to Pay – that is the question, the dilemma and the easiest way to receive a degree
I’ve been meaning to write a post about this for a while and recently these young Armenians have been writing their own posts and expressing themselves on ArmYouth Blog (as you can see, they have also chosen some serious topics and touched upon quite important issues).
Thus, I have decided to take a moment to reflect upon this issue of youth involvement in Armenia’s democratization processes. Frankly, my research as a Fulbright scholar is regarding this topic so this is something that I am particularly familiar with and have been studying for several months. Of course there are many factors which influence some young Armenians to become involved in different types of activities and events. Whether it is protests, working with NGOs, becoming a member of a political party or becoming involved in youth organizations- I propose that the university education system plays a significant role in youth’s involvement in the democratization process occurring in Armenia.
How? For one thing, there is much reform and change which needs to take place in Armenia’s university system. Within this article, I will not delve into the history of the university education system even though it is an important factor to consider in order to understand the current situation. However, I would like to discuss some of the current major problems within the universities which are proving to be an obstacle and discouraging the youth. And with that said, I would also like to point out that there are of course cases in which certain universities or departments are exceptions and not necessarily part of this problem. Yet through my field work, many of the university students I have spoken to have confirmed and explained such stories.As corruption has proven to be a problem within the government institutions, the same applies within the university system. Students are able to pay their way to become successful. Whether it is paying for a 5 on an exam or for acceptance into a university, students take advantage of their parents’ money and contacts in order to become successful. Recently Zarchka had pointed this out in her post, “Wanna education?… Money Talks!”
“The thing is that the so called professors, or rather «profbribers», still torture him, not grading and flunking…«You know , but in the same time you don’t know»: this is their usual eulogy to the matter. After this a slight gesture with fingers is followed, you all know that, when they want money in sordo language in case if the student has a recorder with him…
I’ve forgotten.. He receives 5000 drams scholarship for being such a good student and studying at free system. So, what we have? The money meant to be a stimulating factor for the student to study more, can also be used as a bribe. Just great! What a nice merry-go-round educational system we have! Government pays for the scholarship, professors take it, and who knows , may be in their turn they pay taxes to the university.
And as a result the students have artificial minds and artificial diplomas.
That is why nowadays we have so much dump doctors, who’d better grow plants ( it’d be of more use) and engineers who now lead so much con-de-structions in our progressing city ( I’ll not wonder if in some 10 years the buildings at Northern Avenue will just fall into ruins) and ecologists who decide in place of what tree the café table would fit more ( and also in some 10 years when you go to that cafe don’t forget to order a cup of oxygen.”
Lilit also pointed this out within her article on ArmYouth entitled, The Important thing is not the Diplom, but the mind , originally written in Armenian. In her words, translated, she says:
“I am persuaded that there are many intelligent young people, who do not have the financial means to be accepted into university or their desired major to study, which is not of their own will and does not correspond to their preference. And it so happens that, in addition, the people who are choosing these important majors are those who have no ability to understand the importance of the Diplom they are receiving in their hands. These people who become “specialists” are getting jobs and it is becoming evidence that they do not know their responsibilities. This is the reason why in Armenia there are no real higher educated and quality doctors, lawyers, psychologists…”
Interestingly, she then explains
“What is the difference if I go to the doctor, or not? It is the same and there will be no difference if they have had such consultations, during which they have supposedly been able to diagnose the reason for one’s sickness, prescribe medicine, and afterwards they are still the same and feel no changes.”
This all becomes a cyclical problem. The students know that the one of the easiest ways they can receive the high grades or a Diplom in a prestigious career, is by paying the money and also having the contacts. Thus, they continue these practices because some see this as the only choice they have in order to become successful themselves. For example, just the other day a friend was explaining that he had no desire to write a report that was due for a certain class and that he would rather pay instead of writing that report. I, of course, questioned such a decision and he responded that he had no desire to do the work nor was he interested really in this major overall. To be honest, he said, he would rather spend his time and focus on having a career in the arts rather than in international relations. Why had he chosen this major if he was not interested in it after all?
And the vicious cycle continues…
Again, as I mentioned above in regards to the bribery issue among professors, this is not the situation in all cases. I would also like to quote Zarchka as she says in a comment to the post quoted above.
“there are really honest professors who will never grade, even if you put the knife on their throats, unless the students answer. I have the fortune to be the student of some of such professors, who will never grade the student if he happen to offer a bribe. They will rather flunk him on that. Note, the problem of corruption mainly exists in State Universities and not in private ones. It’s funny, but one of my professors who is a famous bribe-taker in the Pedagogic University, never takes bribe from the students in my university.”
Fortunately, there are those professors who are fighting back– especially the younger ones and as Zarchka points out, the professors at private universities – who are seeking to combat this issue by not accepting such bribes. I am also familiar with such instances in which for example the professor will refuse to take the bribe and would rather give the student the grade he or she wants without accepting any money for it. [ In the end, is the student not learning for herself or himself? When I was studying in college in the U.S., professors would tell me at the beginning of each course – if you read, then you will be reading for your own knowledge. If you study and spend time learning, you will be doing it for the sake of your own education. ]
Besides this issue of bribery and corruption in the universities, there are other factors within the university education system which also provide obstacles to students’ motivation to learn and become involved. I will continue to touch upon these issues in future posts and hope it is of interest. Such factors also include the lack of social clubs and activities at the university level, the lack of academic freedom and the political association of the university administration, faculty and staff.
When speaking to my professor back in the U.S. about this topic, she was not surprised of such phenomenon occurring in Armenia. I inquired what actions must be taken in order to combat this and she responded that in the end time will bring about the change. Her comparison was interesting, she compared this problem with corruption in the university with a banana. As time goes by, those professors who continue these practices will begin to slowly peel away and out of the system. This takes time of course and once this occurs, then it is among the younger generation of professors who will no longer become tolerant of such practices. Yet on the other hand, this younger generation of professors currently working side-by-side with the older generation who continue these actions – how can they not be tempted to participate in such activities as well? To continue this analogy with fruits, if there is a bad apple among a bunch of good apples – will the bad apple not begin to have an effect on the good apples?
blogging party held on February 25th
Պրոբլեմները Հայաստանում
Problems in Armenia
Artyom writes
During our times, there are many so-called problems spread out through Armenia. These problems have been brought about as a result of the lack of attention from the government. If the government paid a little bit of attention in regards to the peoples’ destinies. Then there would be fewer problems.
To bring an example to light, one big problem is regarding the work issue. Let’s take a look at this problem in Armenia. There are people, who, having a diploma, an excellent major and actually being an expert in that field, is unemployed, sitting at home and are not able to find work to do. The reason why he or she is not able to work is because all of the places are already employed by these people who already have enough money or has many good contact persons who are able to more or less help this person. Therefore, those people who do not have the money or contacts, is it necessary for them to sit at home with a family which needs to be taken care of? For this reason, in order for the Armenian husbands to find work, they leave their homes and go to another country, so that they can make money and send it to their family so they can live. And this is how all of them leave their homelands and they go to another country and our homeland. And our homeland becomes empty, and the opposite happens which is that there should be more Armenians.
I hope that, there will come a time, when there is no need for the men to leave their homes and are able to find work in their homeland. This is all an important issue for the government and let them think about this all for everyone.
UPDATE: March 6, 2006
here are a few more of the English summaries…
EBH norutiuner
YSU (Yerevan State University) news
University student writes
To tell you the truth, I’m a little surprised of the results of the elections for the rector at Yerevan State University, when instead of a rector they elected a council to be led by the Defense Minister. I am convinced that in the education field he has A LOT of experience which will help him within his work as the director of the university activities. IT IS DISAPPOINTING that I am only lucky enough to have one year to enjoy this.
norutiuner haykakan kinoyic
News from the Armenian Movies
Participant writes
It is not a secret that Armenians movies are not in that good of a situation. Let’s try to fight against this!! In 2007, “Ara the Beautiful and Shamiram” is being filmed which is promising to be a development within the current situation of Armenian films. At present what is occuring is the selection of the possible actors.
Գլխավորը ոչ թե դիպլոմն է, այլ խելքը
The Important thing is not the Diplom, but the mind
Lilit writes
I think that more people are becoming worried by the current education system. I am persuaded that there are many intelligent young people, who do not have the financial means to be accepted into university or their desired major to study, which is not of their own will and does not correspond to their preference. And it so happens that, in addition, the people who are choosing these important majors are those who have no ability to understand the importance of the Diplom they are receiving in their hands. These people who become “specialists” are getting jobs and it is becoming evidence that they do not know their responsibilities. This is the reason why in Armenia there are no real higher educated and quality doctors, lawyers, psychologists… For this reason I am calling all those person who practice those villainous and corrupt bribes, which has taken hold of Armenia. May all those intelligent students turn into experts, so that people, for example, if they become sick that they do not consider or say that their visit to the doctor was purposeless.
What is the difference if I go to the doctor, or not? It is the same and there will be no difference if they have had such consultations, during which they have supposedly been able to diagnose the reason for one’s sickness, prescribe medicine, and aftewards they are still the same and feel no changes.
Here is this much. Thus, let us fight for the true and noble life, that will only bring much help to everyone alive.
Պրոբլեմները Հայաստանում
Մեր ժամանակներում պրոբլեմ ասվածը շատ տարածված է Հայաստանում : Այդ պրոբլեմները առաջանում են մեր կառավարության անուշադրությունից: Եթե կառավարությունը մի քիչ ուշադրություն դարձներ իր ժողովրդի ճակատագրի վրա, ապա պրոբլեմները ավելի քիչ կլինեն:
Օրինակի համար շատ մեծ պրոբլեմ է աշխատանքի հարցը: Եկեք մի պահ աչք գցենք մեր այսօրվա Հայաստանի վրա: Կան մարդիկ, որոնք ունենալով դիպլոմ,հոյակապ մասնագիտյուն և իսկապես լինելով շատ լավ մասնագետ, անգործ նստած են տանը և չեն կարողանում գտնել աշխատանք, չկարողանալու պատճառն էլ այն է, որ բոլոր տեղերը արդեն զբաղեցրել են այն մարդիկ, որոնք ունեն բավարար գումար կամ էլ մի քանի լավ ծանոթներ,որոնք կարող են ինչ-որ չափով օգնել այդ մարդուն: Ուրեմն, այն մարդիկ, ովքեր որ գումար կամ ծանոթ չունեն, պետք է նստեն տա՞նը`ունենալով ընտանիք, որին պետք է պահի: Այդ պատճառով էլ հայ ամուսինները, աշխատանք գտնելու նպատակով, թողնում են իրենց տները և մեկնում են արտասահման, որպեսզի փող աշխատեն և ուղարկեն իրենց ընտանիքին՝ ապրելու համար:Եվ այսպես բոլորը կթողնեն իրենց հայրենիքը և կգնան արտասահաման,ու մեր հայրենիքը կդատարկվի, հակառակ այն բանի, որ այն պետք է ավելի շատ լինի հայերով:
Հուսով եմ, կգա ժամանակ, երբ կարիք չի լինի,որ մարդիկ թողնեն իրենց տները և կկարողանան աշխատանք գտնել իրենց հայրենիքում: Այս ամենն էլ մեր կառավարության խնդիրն է և թող նրանք էլ մտածեն այդ ամենի մասին:
Ա Ր Տ Յ Ո Մ
Սպորտի զարգացումը Հայաստանում
Ասել, թե Հայաստանը հետամնաց երկիր է սուտ կլինի, սակայն, ի տարբերություն մի շարք վերը նշված երկրների, Հայաստանում այնքան ել ուշադրություն չեն դարձնում սպորտի զարգացմանը, բայց ոչ թե մարզիկները կամ նրանց մարզիչները այլ տվյալ սպորտաձևի ֆեդերացիան: Յուրաքանչյուր սպորտաձևի ֆեդերացիայի նախագահը, ոչ թե մտածում է տվյալ սպորաձևը զարգացնել, այլ փորձում են անել նույնիսկ անհնարինը` իր գրպանի կարողությունը ավելի ծանրացնելու համար: Չնայաց իրենց մեղքի բաժինը ունեն նաև մեր մարզիկները, ովքեր չեն մարզվում իրենց ողջ կարողությամբ, բնականաբար, պատճառաբանելով ֆեդերացիային,և այս ամենից հետո ինչ ակնկալիքով պետք է սպասենք որ մեր վաղվա սպորտը պետք է առաջընթաց ապրի: Բերեմ մեկ օրինակ, որից հետո կարծում եմ բոլորդ համամիտ կլինեք այս կարծիքիս. որ հայկական սպորտը մատնվել է անուշադրեւթյան. Ինչպես բոլորիս քաջ հայտնի է Ռուսաստանի դահուկորդների հավաքականը իր ձմեռային ուսումնամարզական հավաքները անցկացնում են Հայաստանի գեղատեսիլ վայրերից մեկում` Ծաղկաձորում: Եվ ինչպես բոլորիս քաջ հայտնի են նրանք լավագւըներից մեկն են աշխարհում, ի տարբերություն հայ մարզիկների, որոնք զբաղեցնում են ոչ ցանկալի տեղեր մրցաշարային աղյուսակում, ինչից կարելի է եզրակացնել, որ Ռուսաստանում անհամեմատ ավելի մեծ ուշադրություն են դարձնում սպորտի զարգացմանը, Դե ինչ, կարծում եմ այսքանը բավական է Հայաստանում սպորտի զարգացման մասին կարծիք կազմելու համար:
Հայկ
Գլխավորը ոչ թե դիպլոմն է, այլ խելքը
Կարծում եմ, որ շատերին է հուզում մեր այժմյան կրթական համակարգը: Համոզված եմ, որ շատ կան խելացի երեխաներ, ովքեր գումար չունենալու պատճառով չեն կարողանում ընդունվել ԲՈւՀ կամ էլ ընտրում են այնպիսի մասնագիտություն, որն իրենց կամքով չի և իրենց նախասիրությանն էլ չի համապատասխանում: Եվ ստացվում է այնպես, որ առավել կարևոր մասնագիտության տեր են դառնում այնպիսի մարդիկ, ովքեր պատկերացում անգամ չունեն, թե ինչ կարևոր մասնագիտության դիպլոմ են ունենալու իրենց ձեռքում: Եվ այսպիսի “մասնագիտության” տեր մարդիկ, աշխատանք ստանալով, կանգնում են փաստի առաջ, որովհետև չգիտեն, թե որն է իրենց պարտականությունը: Ահա այս է պատճառը, որ ՀՀ-ում չկան իրականում բարձրագույն կրթություն ստացած և որակով բժիշկներ, իրավաբաններ, հոգեբաններ … Այդ պատճառով կոչ եմ անում բոլոր մարդկանց վերջ տալ այդ չարագործ կաշառակերությանը, որն ընդգրկել է ողջ Հայաստանը: Թող որ բոլոր խելացի ուսանողները դառնան մասնագետ, որ մարդիկ, օրինակ, հիվանդ լինելու դեպքում անիմաստ չհամարեն բժշկի գնալը կամ էլ ասեն.
_Ինչ տարբերություն բժշկի գնամ, թե ոչ: Միևնույնն է ոչ մի փոփոխություն չի լինելու նրանց անցկացրած այսպես կոչված կոնսուլտացիայից, որի ընթացքում իբրև թե փորձում են բացահայտել հիվանդությանդ պատճառը, ինչ որ դեղ են նշանակում , որ օգտագործելուց հետո միևնույնն է ոչ մի փոփոխություն չես զգում:
Ահա այսքանը: Ուրեմն եկեք պայքարենք ճշմարիտ և առաքինի կյանքի համար, որը ոչ միայն մեզ օգուտ կբերի, այլ նաև ողջ մարդկությանը:
ԼԻԼԻԹ
EBH norutiuner
Chishtn acac mi qich zarmacac em imanalov Erevani Petakan Hamalsarani rektori yntrutyunneri ardyunqneric, erb yntrevec voch te rector ayl inch vor xorhurd pashtpanutyan naxarari glxavorutyamb. Hamozvac em vor krtutyan volortum nra unecac MEC porcy nran shat kogni mayr buhy karavarelu gorcyntacum, TXRECNUM e miayn ayn vor ayd mec erjankutyuny baxt kunenam vayelel mi tari.
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