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Newsletter 2007 -fourth
release
"Umid"
Humanitarian and Social Support Center was awarded with Certificate as a
National Winner of the World Award for Sustainability in «Energy Globe –
2007»
«Umid» HSSC participated at World Prize on Sustainability-2007 («Energy
Globe) Contest organized by European Parliament and was awarded with
Certificate as a National Winner by International Jury. Umid HSSC
received the certificate from Chairwoman of the International Energy
Globe Jury Maneka Gandhi.
The ENERGY GLOBE Awards 2007 were presented on 26 May 2008 in the
European Parliament in Brussels. The goal of the awards is to present
successful sustainable projects to a broad audience, to display the
possibility of having good and feasible solutions for many environmental
problems. Each year some 800 projects and initiatives from all over the
world are submitted to compete for the award in the categories Earth,
Fire, Water, Air and Youth.
From a grand total of 853 projects submitted from 109 countries around
the world for the awards, 15 of the most unique innovations reached the
chambers of the European Parliament in Brussels for 2007. The best
project from each nation is honored with a National Energy Globe Award.
Umid HSSC was declared a national winner by the Water category. This
category projects in areas such as drinking water supply, domestic
water, irrigation, protection of waterways, shipping, and avoidance and
treatment of waste water.
«Improvement of potable water provision in the communities along
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline» project has been implemented in Kurdamir,
Ujar and Agdash regions under financial support of BP and its partners
since 2005.
11 Water Purification Devices installed within the project in order to
provide the population’s need for clear potable water are innovative in
Azerbaijan for their character, i.e. these mobile devices, working
through ultra-violet rays which is the new one for communities, clear
potable water after which present it for the usage of population.
The Award Gala in Brussels represents a unique distinction for the
winners, whose projects target greater environmental protection and
sustainability in handling our resources, but also serves as an accolade
for the ENERGY GLOBE, which in its nine years has developed to the
world’s most prominent environmental award.
Formation of effective
relations with the Government
In order to support citizens’ efforts and
initiatives and develop their habits and skills on having access to
relevant instances some measures have been taken during the last months
within the framework of Community Development Activity Program.
First of all, round tables were arranged for awareness-raising of
organizational mechanism of municipalities in communities, activity
areal, and formation of closer relations with them. Round tables mainly
aimed at identification of citizens’ mutual activity opportunities with
local municipalities and jointly seeking for wider scale partnership
relations.
After this, «Formation of effective relations with the Government»
training was conducted in 17 communities.
Following this, meetings of citizens were organized with authorities in
order to extend communities’ activity rate and their relations with
governmental agencies. Knowledge on discovering problems, identifying
their reasons and ways of their solution, which was taught during
training sessions, was once more delivered to the CDC. Participants
developed information about problems, and visual examples of factors to
determine the problems in their specific communities.
In order to increase the practical importance of the provided trainings,
meetings of community voters were arranged with Deputy Assistants from
Davachi, Guba and Gusar regions in the target regions, as well as with
Deputy and Assistants in Khachmaz communities. Alongside with promoting
direct access of voters to authorities, meetings mainly aimed at
directing parliamentarians’ attention towards the needs of the
population. During every meeting and accompanied by intense discussions,
the inhabitants brought the local problems into attention of
parliamentarians, and did not avoid informing them about their opinion
and discontent.
Generally, as a practical result of the organized events, communities’
approaches to parliamentarians and other governmental agencies had
positive impact, and thus, communities’ social problems were settled.
Inter-Communities
Mutual Assistance Fund
foster solutions for problems of Community Based Organizations (CBO) and
Teacher-Parent Associations (TPA) and financing them, Inter-Communities
Mutual Assistance Fund (IMAF) was created in 2004. Its regulations and
statutes were approved through discussion, and the Managing Board
consisting of 3 people (Chairman, Accountant and Cashier) was elected to
manage the Fund.
IMAF was formed under the initiatives of 4 TPAs (Araz, Minkend,
Ergyunesh, Khudaferin) and 2 CBOs (Shafag, Kimyachilar-3) from Sumgait
city and surrounding areas. IMAF includes monthly membership dues from
members of CBOs and TPAs. Currently the Fund has 13 members.
The IMAF has a coordination meeting every month. These meetings are
organized within the framework of «Education for Development, Vocational
Skills Development of IDPs through Apprenticeship method, Logistical
support to the vulnerable IDPs in Azerbaijan» project is being
implemented by «Umid» HSSC under financial support of UNHCR.
Every member of CBO and TPA submits its own project proposal to the Fund
twice a year to receive financial support. Project proposals are
prioritized by their urgency through discussion in coordination
meetings, and their coherence is determined. According to their
consistency, project proposals are supported by IMAF. More than 24
project proposals have been financed by IMAF so far. Project proposals
targeted basic community problems such as potable water provision,
rehabilitation of electric and sewerage systems, repair of schools and
social-infrastructure problems. The Inter-Communities Mutual Assistance
Fund not only tried to solve community problems, but also strengthen
community-donor relations and CBOs’ and TPAs’ capacity on project
proposal writing and project management.
«Umid» HSSC supports Extension of the Youth’s
Economic Opportunities
It has taken years to organize «Umid» HSSC’s apprenticeship courses in
Azerbaijan but now they are finally being recognized for both their
professional and economic benefits.
These courses, covering beneficiaries from various spectrum, are mainly
organized after serious market research on trades needed most by the
target people. Trade-masters involved in the apprenticeship courses,
being a real vocational school teaching tailoring, confectionary,
automobile repair, carpentry, welding, carpet-making, electrical repair
and many other trades as well, provide their lessons in accordance with
a pre-developed curriculum and evaluate apprentices’ development through
regular control and monitoring and identify the next activities for the
apprentices. It is reasoning this way that the youth acquire various
trades, create new jobs or find jobs and get chances to start up their
businesses. And this fosters their material and spiritual development.
Alongside with preparing economically self-confident youth possessing
various trades another target of «Umid» HSSC is entrepreneurship
development.
While finishing the course, every youth gets a chance to start up a new
business. They need business start up, management and development
skills. Taking this into consideration, the youth acquire this knowledge
and develop into entrepreneurs by being involved in business trainings
throughout the course duration.
Thus, the youth acquire self-confidence, the unemployment rate partially
decreases, current trades develop and the need for new trades is
partially provided in various regions of Azerbaijan through these
Apprenticeship courses.
«Umid» HSSC is implementing the following projects within Economic
Opportunities Extension activity:
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Youth Employment and Economic
Opportunities Expansion Initiative along the Baku Corridor;
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Education for Development, Vocational
Skills Development of IDP youth through Apprenticeship method,
Logistical support for the vulnerable IDPs in Azerbaijan;
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Logistics and Vocational Training for
refugee and asylum-seekers in Azerbaijan;
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Strengthening Future Communities Program
in Azerbaijan.
The above-mentioned projects are being
realized under financial support of BP Exploration (Caspian Sea) Ltd.
and its Partners, Save the Children and UN High Commissioner for
Refugees.
The Living University
Concept
The Community Development Process is a
natural self-forming and self-governing educational process being
directed from a distance. One of the directions of this process, which
is being implemented in stages based on «Teach and Learn through
Observation» principle via support of a primary source, is called «The
Life University». The learning process is based on a community’s needs
and successes in this «University».
Life University Concept was first applied by «Save the Children» in
Vietnam for the purpose of building communities’ capacity for
implementation of development projects through «Do and Learn» principle
and promoting their sustainability.
«Umid» HSSC started to apply this concept first during the
implementation of the «Social Investment Program» in the western regions
of Azerbaijan under the financial support of «Save the Children» in 2005
and now continues its application within the framework of «Social
Investment Program-3». This vivacious, durable «Life University» should
be arranged so that the process is enriched, developed and grown there
by itself where others are able to benefit from it. «Umid» HSSC’s role
in the Life University Concept is mainly mentoring. These mentoring
services include round tables, training and consultations, seminars and
conferences organized for development for the purpose of transferring
knowledge and skills to others, as well as mastering useful habits.
Development of communities via this principle in any region starts with
selection of «Star» Communities (Community Group and Municipality) and
Communities under Development willing to gather around Star Communities
for development purposes (Community Group and Municipality). Selection
is conducted in mobilized communities through surveys.
The following parties are involved in the «Life University» approach:
Star Communities – These are more experienced and
developed communities that posses superb documentation, financial
management and strategic planning. They are teaching communities.
Communities under Development – These communities aim at
reaching high level of development through increasing their knowledge
and skills. They are learning communities.
Communities benefited from «Umid» HSSC’s mentoring services transfer
acquired knowledge and skills to the communities under development
during the following stage.
Mentoring, as a process, is applied for promoting the stable efficient
impact of development intervention (training, consultation etc.) in
communities. Mentoring is carried out on a voluntary basis and reflects
experience sharing between two parties – Star Communities and
Communities under Development. «Star» Community (Mentor) defines needs
of the Communities under Development and selects appropriate method to
foster their development and effective performance in future. Heads of
Community Group, Community Fund and Municipality perform as mentors from
the side of Star Community. Communities under Development have
confidence in a mentor and are inclined to develop and bear
responsibility for their own capacity building.
«Umid» HSSC program
was presented at the panel 2 on Literacy and Health during the UNESCO
Regional Literacy Conference
«Improvement of Potable Water Provision» program implemented by «Umid»
HSSC was selected to be presented at the panel 2 on Literacy and Health
during the UNESCO Regional Literacy Conference to be held in Baku,
Azerbaijan on 14 – 16 May 2008.
«Improvement of Potable Water Provision» program started to be realized
in Kurdamir, Ujar and Agdash regions under financial support of BP and
its Partners in 2005.
The UNESCO Sub-Regional Conference in Support of Global Literacy
entitled «Addressing Literacy Challenges in Europe with a sub-regional
focus: Building Partnerships and Promoting Innovative Approaches» forms
part of a series of six regional or sub-regional conferences supporting
global literacy that are being organized by UNESCO within the framework
of the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD) and UNESCO's Literacy
Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE).
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