CYSCA Hosts Young NGO Leaders from Armenia

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—The Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association (CYSCA) hosted a delegation of young NGO professionals from Armenia this spring, sponsored by the Open World exchange program of the U.S. Congress. Five young women and a male facilitator took part in a whirlwind week of meetings and site visits in the Boston area on topics covering NGO management, civic participation, the U.S. legislative process, and civil society.

The group met with Harvard JFK School of Government professors; Tufts University professors; federal, state and municipal legislative/administrative heads; NGO leaders and their organizations; and local Armenian organizations. Highlights included a meeting with Harvard Professor Kenneth Winston that covered anti-corruption. He had provided the group with a case to study beforehand, and during his meeting with them used it to demonstrate corruption issues in government. Another highlight was a panel discussion hosted by the Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA) involving the delegates as panelists. They discussed women’s issues in Armenia and shared their hopes and concerns for the future of women in Armenia. They proudly commented that today there are more NGOs managed and staffed by women in Armenia than ever before. The group also met with staff from Congressman Edward Markey and Senator Elizabeth Warren’s offices, as well as State Representative Jonathan Hecht, Cambridge Mayor Henrietta Davis, and other Cambridge city officials.

Participants from the panel discussion hosted by the Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA)
Participants from the panel discussion hosted by the Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA)

Other meetings included an evening with the AGBU Boston YP group and a session with Jack Antounian, the founder and head of the Armenian Business Network. CYSCA’s project manager, Alisa Stepanian, said, “It was a privilege to host these young NGO leaders from Armenia. We are indeed encouraged that several of the professionals whom they met expressed interest in a return visit to Armenia to continue their dialogue on civil society issues.” Program director Jack Medzorian remarked, “I am pleased to report that during my visit to Armenia in May I was able to organize a meeting of the group with U.S. Embassy Open World management, during which it was agreed to organize a conference with peer groups and invite return visits of the professional hosts our group met in the U.S.”

During a meeting at the Massachusetts State House
During a meeting at the Massachusetts State House

This group was sponsored by Open World, a congressional legislative exchange program that brings groups of young professionals from post-Soviet republics to the United States. During their stay, groups are immersed in a week of activities and meetings on their respective themes.

CYSCA was formed in 1987 as a non-profit corporation by a group of concerned citizens of Cambridge. In the 25 years that followed, many citizen exchanges and training programs have taken place. In the past 15 years alone, CYSCA has hosted 20 professional groups from Armenia on a variety of themes, such as entrepreneurship, social work, education, theater management, museum management, university administration, historic and cultural preservation, NGO management, public health, and environmental protection, as well as 10 youth exchanges, school partnerships, and school aid. For more information, visit WWW.CYSACA.org.

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Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.

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