Green Lab Armenia 2019

Project time period:

16-17 November 2019

Project Description:

On November 16-17, 2019, the Acopian Center for the Environment of the American University of Armenia (AUA), in cooperation with the Heinrich Boell Foundation South Caucasus, held a two-day event titled Green Lab Armenia 2019. Youth Leading the Green Agenda.

The purpose of the lab was to create an interactive and interdisciplinary platform where constructive discussions will lead to the identification of ‘green’ topics of concern to young people (environment, renewable energy, waste recycling, democratic governance, gender topics, technology and environment, food and environment, etc.), mechanisms and tools for publicizing them. In addition, the Green Lab aimed at bringing together the active youth from the regions to build close collaboration between individuals who are concerned with local/community social-economic problems and are ready to develop sustainable and long-term solutions to these problems.

The Lab brought together thirty young leaders from Armenia’s regions and Yerevan to deliberate on what they considered to be the major environmental concerns in their communities and to build close collaboration between individuals who are ready to develop sustainable and long-term solutions to these problems.

The Green Lab was a 2-day event, which consists of 2 facilitated discussions and trainings, workshop, and brainstorming.

AGENDA

Day 1 – November 16, 2019

9:30 – 10:00  Registration

10:00 – 10:15 Welcome remarks

Alen Amirkhanian, Director, AUA Acopian Center for the Environment

Stefan Meister, Head of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Tbilisi Office – South Caucasus Region

Eviya Hovhannisyan, Armenia Project Coordinator, Heinrich Böll Foundation South Caucasus

Participants introduction (name, community and one thing they love about their community)

10:15 – 10:50 Role of youth in leading a change agenda (with 10 min Q&A)

Lena Nazaryan, Vice President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia

10:50 – 11:30 Community change: asset-based development and inclusiveness (with 10 min Q&A)

Robert Ghukasyan, Advisor to the RA Prime Minister on Community Development

11:30 – 12:00 Refreshment break

12:00 – 13:15 Ice-breaking session: participants introduce themselves in more detail, including the idea(s) they have for community change, their thoughts on what is part of a green agenda

13:15 – 14:00 Lunch break

14:00 – 14:45 Round table 1: Psychology and the environmentFacilitator: Alen Amirkhanian   (download here)

14:45 – 15:30 Round table 2: Food and the environment

Facilitators: Vahram Elagöz, Ani Harutyunyan

15:30 – 16:15 Round table 3: Waste and the environment

Facilitators: Harutyun Alpetyan (download here), Hripsime Mkrtchyan

16:15 – 16:30 Refreshment break

16:30 – 17:15 Round table 4: Energy and the environment

Facilitators: Norayr Benohanian (download here), Njdeh Andriazian

17:15 – 18:00 Round table 5: How do communities change? How does human behavior change? How would you make your idea(s) a reality?

Facilitators: Harutyun Alpetyan, Njdeh Andriazian

18:00 – 18:10 Concluding remarks for day 1

18:20 – 20:45 Group dinner and team building

20:45 Transport to hotels/home

Day 2 – November 17, 2019

9:00 – 11:00 Assignment 1. Your change ideas for a green agenda: peer review and refinement of ideas, discussing how to make it a reality (from concept development, to team building, to change action, to critical reflection and review of effort) (download here)Finalizing topics and project team members (or individual)

Peer reviewers and domain experts advising (refreshments available throughout)

11:00 – 12:00 Round table 6: Setting a public agenda with public participation, advantages and drawbacksFacilitator(s): Artur Grigoryan

12:00 – 15:00 Assignment 2. How your change ideas can lead to a bigger green agenda: aggregating a green agenda or diverging green agendas

Activity: Crafting green agenda(s)

Critical overview: Identifying agreements, contested territories

(working lunch)

15:00 – 15:30 Participants evaluate the event

15:30 – 16:30 Closing summary of initiatives and agenda(s)Event closing

16:30 Return home