INTER-REGIONAL VOLUNTEER ACTION “DAYS OF GOOD WILL, GOOD DEEDS AND
GOOD RESULTS” WILL BE HELD IN CAPITAL AND REGIONS OF ARMENIA
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6. ARMINFO. From October 28th to October 29th the
Inter-Regional Volunteer Action “Days of Good Will, Good Deeds and
Good Results” will be held in Aragatsotn, Armavir, Gegharkunik,
Kotayk, Lori, Shirak and Syunik as well as in Yerevan.
The press-service of Center for Community Dialogues and Initiatives
told ARMINFO that the goal of the action, initiated by (CCDI), IFES,
NGOs, local and regional authorities, is to encourage the volunteer
movement and NGOs’ activities as effective means for bringing
communities together to solve local problems. Participating in the
“Days of Good Will, Good Deeds and Good Results”, Armenians will have
an excellent opportunity to be active citizens and to make their
contribution to the community development process, united by the
principle of volunteerism.
This year is the fourth annual “Days of Good Will, Good Deeds and Good
Results” action in Armenia. The previous three actions were held in
autumn of 2001, 2002 and 2003. All of these actions, supported by
different groups of the society, were highly successful: In total,
2,899 events were held, with 278,924 participants. The number of
events and participants increased by over 50% from 2001 to 2003.
The following events are planned for this year’s “Days of Good Will,
Good Deeds and Good Results” action: Visits to schools, museums,
scientific institutions, libraries and cinemas; Aid distribution and
book gathering for schools, museums, and libraries; Visits to the
disabled, refugees, orphanages, homes for the elderly, and hospitals;
Providing free professional consultation and services, such as
Internet access, haircuts, medical exams, and shoe repair; Gathering
and distribution of cloths, shoes, food, books and toys; Sports
events; Meetings with artists, writers and other well-known local
persons; “Round-table” discussions on local problems and how to solve
them; Various cultural events, such as free concerts, exhibitions,
puppet shows, chalk drawings on the street, storytelling to children,
and contests; Visits to state officials; Clean-up efforts at schools,
courtyards, monuments, riverbanks, and the lake shore; Community
improvement initiatives
Events have been conducted by local NGOs, city and regional
authorities, small and medium businesses, schools and universities,
libraries, museums, condominiums, sports clubs, and international
organizations, as well as by individuals and groups of
individuals. Organization committees, composed of representatives of
NGOs, local authorities, mass media, and interested individuals, are
created to lead the works. Each region has from one to five
committees.
All participation or assistance is welcome. It is possible, for
example, to organize events or take part personally in a good deed or
volunteer effort. There are sponsorship opportunities as well. During
the 2003 “Days of Good Will, Good Deeds and Good Results” action, the
organizing committees managed to involve 315 sponsors. Events
conducted within the framework of the action do not necessarily
require a large investment. Many types of sponsorship are possible: in
the past, the action has received not only financial support but also
the donation of resources. In 2002, for instance, a private company in
Abovyan donated a special vehicle for cleaning monuments. In Sevan,
one stationery shop presented stationery supplies for first grade
children, and polyclinics in Lori offered free dental treatment for
kids from local homes for children. Last year a municipality provided
free transportation for those who wanted to participate in the
volunteer actions in the regional center. Some factories provided
candies and juiced to kindergartens. The action encourages all forms
of involvement and assistance.