“The anti-corruption education in Armenia has always been lagged. We do not have any major program in this sphere either. And what is even more we do not have any permanent Anti-Corruption School for Young Leaders.” Mr. Karen Zadoyan, the Founding Member of the US Alumni Association of Armenia, AYLA President, Coordinator of the CSO’s Anti-Corruption Coalition Secretariat said at the last meeting with the student and added that AYLA with its partners initiated anti-corruption schools, which operate since the past year, aimed at filling this gap.
The final meeting of the Anti-Corruption School for Young Leaders took place today. The school, which worked for three months, was initiated “The Armenian Young Lawyers Association” NGO organized the Anti-Corruption School for Young Leaders in the framework of the U.S. Alumni Outreach Grants Program with financial support of the US Embassy in Armenia.
“We see you as tomorrow’s leaders in different areas. From this perspective the knowledge that you gained at school can be a very strong base for the future of our country. The country needs professionals like you,” Mr. Zadoyan noted.
According to Mr. Aleksander Shagafyan, Executive Director of the US Alumni Association of Armenia, implementation of this project first of all was important as it ensured education. “We believe that education is just the mechanism which provides a more lasting impact and results in changing the values among the people,” he said.
“We have had an opportunity to work individually with each of you in the group work and review your individual research papers. I believe that in addition to theoretical knowledge you have obtained, we managed to provide you some practical skills as well, so that you are able to pass through the barbed roads smoother in future,” Miss Syuzanna Soghomonyan, Member of the AYLA Board, Advocate said.
Advocate Miss Mariam Zadoyan, who lectured at the school as well said, “I learned much from you as well, the lectures were really interactive. I tried to share my professional knowledge with you, to organize the methods of training so that it is not only useful but also pleasant for you and that you are able to remember the good moments. I hope that you will always bear with you the values that you obtained through this study.”
AYLA Board Member, Advocate Mr. Marat Atovmyan, considered the school a success and congratulated the participants. He also urged the students to cooperate constantly. “I wish everybody Happy New Year. Let the 2016 be a year of health and success. And I also wish that starting from the next year corruption yields its positions in Armenia,” emphasized the advocate.
The participants of today’s event watched the concluding film about the school prepared by Iravaban.net website. In addition, four students held speeches, after which a discussion took place.
“On the first day of the school you asked about our expectations from the school,” Miss Meline Nurijanyan, one of the students reminded and added, “I can definitely say that my expectations have become true. And even more, today I have gained even something that I did not expect, and even did not think about. Today, I have all this in terms of knowledge and I hope this school will continue.”
“During this course I understood that I have potential and a lot could depend on me in the sense of eliminating corruption,” another student, Miss Liana Ayvazyan mentioned.
The ceremony of handing certificates followed the discussion.
The school was summed up, as it was launched, by revealing the value system of participants. Notably, at the first lecture of the school the participants joined in the working groups to conduct group work, which was aimed to revealing the value systems. As a result of a game “The Value Auction” the participants separated three values, which were primary for them. These were: irreversibility of the punishment; morality; and transparency / accountability.
The last discussion provided the following situation: 1st place – honesty, 2nd place – equal rights, 3rd place – justice, integrity, and transparency had equal votes.
In the end, the students expressed the hope that the school would continue.
