Volunteering and Internship Scheme

We have launched a Volunteering and Internship Scheme to provide volunteering and internship opportunities to students and other interested persons lacking work experience in order to help them compete in the current demanding job market. An important objective of the initiative is to promote the volunteering and internship scheme among the disabled and other disadvantaged groups.

Na/Ne Media Award

Na/Ne is an Annual Media Award aimed at encouraging media coverage of issues related to gender equality. Journalists representing printed, online media, TV and radio companies of Armenia as well as independent journalists are eligible to submit their publications to take part in the competition. The published and broadcast publications and their authors may also be nominated by NGOs and individuals. Find out more.

Above the Ordinary
20 September 2008

An event organised by the British Council to celebrate the handover of Paralympic Games to London and to welcome the Armenian delegation back from Beijing. Please read a brief story of this event here (MS Word, 166KB).

Mainstreaming Diversity in the Government
3 December 2008

On the occasion of the International Disability Day, the British Council Armenia jointly with the Ministry of Labour and Social issues, with the support of World Vision, organised a disability fair aimed at designing ways of mainstreaming equal opportunities in the government and NGO activities around disability issues. Find out more here (MS Word, 83KB).

“Black & White” Radio Programme

The British Council in the framework of its Wo/Men in Politics project had commissioned a “Black & White” radio programme on Radio Hay which aimed to increase women’s role in the society by getting their voices heard on various social and political issues. Since the British Council’s role is to facilitate debate and discussion, in 2009 the topics of the discussion also included diversity issues that are controversial in our society. Issues relating to women’s rights, religious sects, employment discrimination according to the age and the rights of the sexual minorities were discussed. Here you can find the list of the programmes.

Together towards Inclusive Society
28 October 2009

For three years now the British Council has been supporting the Ministry of Labour and Social Issues in various events aimed at social inclusion for the disabled and the elderly. On 28 October 2009 an exhibition-sale of handcrafts prepared by the children and the elderly from the special care institutions was held. It was attended by the South East Europe Director of the British Council, who was on a visit to Armenia for the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the British Council worldwide. In his speech SEE Director Michael Bird expressed his appreciation of the Ministry’s efforts in promoting inclusion of vulnerable groups in social and public life, particularly endorsing their entrepreneurship activities.

A World without Discrimination

The British Council in Armenia in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Issues launched an awareness-raising city campaign "A world without discrimination" on 10 December, the International Human Rights day and in the framework of the one-month disability campaign announced by the Government.

The campaign featured posters and flyers devoted to the British Council's main six areas of equality and diversity – Age, Gender, Disability, Religion, Race and Sexual Orientation. You can download the leaflet in English (PDF, 2.19MB) or Armenian (PDF, 2.01MB).

The aim of the campaign was to promote equality in these six areas through positive images of diversity and flyers containing a number of general etiquette and communication tips that would help people to avoid discriminatory language and manners in regard to the representatives of different communities to create a fair and inclusive society that values diversity and respects human rights and individual differences.

During 2010 the campaignl reach higher educational institutions, transport and other public areas in the capital and marzes of Armenia.

Coming Out with the Media

From 12 to 14 November 2010

Six journalists and six representatives of the LGBT community spent three days at the workshop discussing issues of discrimination and the role of the media in promoting tolerance and raising awareness of LGBT issues.Please read a story of this event here (MS Word, 183KB).

11 Months to go to the London 2012 Paralympics

28 and 29 September

In countdown to the opening of London 2012 Paralympics, the representatives of the British Council Armenia, the British Embassy Yerevan, Armenian Paralympic Committee and Samsung Representation climbed Aragats to celebrate the Games. On the eve of climbing Aragats the athletes participated in the photo exhibition organized by the British Council, the British Embassy Yerevan and the Armenian Paralympic Committee, supported by the Samsung Armenian Representation. 22 photos of Armenian Paralympians and athletes with disabilities were displayed in Yerevan. Find out more here (MS Word, 36KB).

Four Senses interactive event

To mark the International Day of People with Disabilities, the British Council Armenia organised Four Senses interactive event, which sought to raise the society's awareness of the issues facing the visually impaired. Please read a story of this event here. (MS Word, 150KB).

Excellence through Inspiration

Ludwig Guttmann was 15 years old when he promised himself that he would dedicate the rest of his life to helping the patients with spinal cord injuries. However, it was only 10 years later when he left the college that he decided to start doing research into rehabilitating patients with disabilities. Years later he founded the Paralympic Games while living in England.

On 21 June, the British Council Armenia hosted a workshop on the history and development of Paralympics for the athletes with disabilities in Red Cross. During the workshop, the participants learned about the first Paralympics Games that were hosted on Guttmann’s initiative in Rome in 1960, listened to the 2012 official anthem of Torch Relay, learned the meaning of agitos, the   symbol of Paralympics and in teams competed over questions related to the Olympics and sports.