"We have the right to be equal members of the society"
The ISHR Armenian working group started a long term project for disabled people
"Our Right of Leisure"
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ISHR Armenian working group arranged a great three-hour-charity-concert in the large hall of the State Opera and Ballet Theatre of Yerevan on March 31, 2009.
More than 20 Armenian stars singers and dances, some of them disabled themselves like the blind singer Sasha Isaev were on the stage. The concert hall with 1500 places was full, disabled people from all over Armenia - mostly disabled children and young people - as well as representatives of state and international organizations came to the concert and were a grateful audience. According to the statement of the Armenian Ministry for Culture this concert was in the scope of its destination and quality the best in the last half a year.
We are thankful for the participation of Illios Yannikakis, representative of the ISHR France, who came to Armenia to work out our Armenian-French project "Free Journalist status". He introduced the audience about the ISHR activity and welcomed our program.
The concert was the start of our project "Our Right of Leisure".
Short about our project:
There are a lot of leisure places in Armenia which are not available for disabled people, not suited for them and are too expensive. About 85% of disabled people are unemployed; the benefit of disabled is very small, they are the fringe group of the society. Therefore they feel very uncomfortable in such public places.
In the scope of this our long lasting program we envisage buying a space (building) for establishing a kind of a club which will be free for disabled people. It will have a training room, a small concert hall, a café etc. This kind of leisure centre for disabled will be a pioneer in Armenia.
We have already opened an account for sponsors and foresee in future to take measures to organize a marathon to gather financial means.
The next event will be a trade exhibition show. It will take place in June 2009 and will show and sell handworks made by disabled young people.
A lot of state and nongovernmental organizations approved our program as well as the Armenian Diaspora too.
We are also expecting the participation and support of ISHR sections in our program.
Bela Shikaryan
President of the ISHR Armenian working group
Announcement: ISHR Armenian working group's long term project for disabled people - Part II
The next event for creating the leisure centre will be realized on 8 July 2009.
In the Aram-Khachaturyan-Hall of the Erivan Opera and Ballet Theatre a trade exhibition of needlework of disabled people will take place. 30 NGOs of Disabled present talents of their members. During the day this exhibition will be accompanied by a phone marathon. In the evening a benevolent concert of disabled artists will underline this event. At the end all NGOs of Disabled will receive encouraging gifts.
Businessmen, deputies, representatives of international and public organizations are invited to take part in the event and do investment for the project.
During this year we foresee many other benevolent events.
We expect your participation in our event and charity marathon.
July 08, 2009: Event for our long-term project "Our Right of Leisure"
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In the scope of our project "Our Right of Leisure" for disabled persons the next follow-up event of the ISHR Armenian Working Group was realized on July 08, 2009. About 30 NGOs dealing with problems of disabled took part in the event witch was accompanied by a phone marathon and a trade exhibition of handworks of the disabled.
The exhibition in the Aram-Khachaturyan-Hall of the Erivan Opera and Ballet Theatre was frequented by 1500 visitors who could admire and value the excellent and elaborate handicraft of handicapped persons.
Reports about the event were published in newspapers and on internet sites, broadcasted in the TV and radio stations. Volunteers made a phone marathon calling up firms and companies - private and state owned as well - proposing or asking them for a donation for our project. In was very successful.
At this point we would like to say a special "Thank You!" to the mayor of the town of Gyumri, Mr. Vardan Khuasyan. Gyumri is after Erivan the next largest city of Armenia, was terribly hit by an earthquake several years ago and has the highest number of disabled inhabitants throughout the country. Mayor Khukasyan proposed to give a comfortable premises to our disposal and donated the highest sum for the start of our project - 10 000 US dollar.
In the evening a concert in the Philharmonic Large Hall and a report about the results of the event presented to the visitors rounded up this eventful day.
The well-known Armenian film director Tigran Khzmalyan prepares now a 30 minutes film about our project which will be in Armenian and English language, a contribution of this marvellous film director to our work. The film will be broadcasted by the main Armenian TV station and in Armenian Diasporas as well.
Here some more donators and sponsors whom we thank for helping us to start up the project:
- The Parliament of the Republic of Armenia
- The ARMEKONOMBANK which is the sponsor of our project's account and made the first donation to this account
- EVROSTAN UYUT Company
- The Humanitarian Foundation of the ARZNI Company which financed the most part of the organizational sector of the event
- The regional centre of the Kotyakovsk Region
- The mayor office of the Hrazdan city
To organize the event-day helped:
- The Armenian LOGOS EXPO CENTRE who gave free technical support and equipment and installed free 30 exhibition sections for each NGO taking part
- The Ministry of Culture of Armenia
- The printing house Bavigh
In order to realize our project the ISHR Armenian Working Group prepares now new events.
All who wish to support our project for disabled people in Armenia can send donations to our following account:
Bank: ARMEKONOMBANK
Beneficiary: "ISHR Armenia" NGO
Beneficiary's account Nr: 163008158772 /USD/
Beneficiary's account Nr: 163008158798 /EUR/
Beneficiary's account Nr: 163008158764 /AMD/
Thank you so much!
Bela Shikaryan
President of the ISHR Armenian working group
