NGO Fair at "Espaces" Youth Training Center, Yerevan

Martin and Shoushanna, the representatives of CDCS, showed up at Espaces in central Yerevan, a little unsure about what exactly was going to happen. We knew that it was an exhibition for NGOs, so we brought a colourful presentation-poster with us to describe who we are and what we do here at CDCS. We were ready to represent CDCS.

At the beginning we were shepherded into one room in the office of Espaces, and we had 1 minute to explain our organisation. Shoushanna spoke like a machine-gun and not even a brain surgeon could be more precise with the information. The other presenters were from such diverse countries as Ukraine, Portugal, Estonia, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey and many others, and all of us tried to tell each other of our goals, our mission and the projects in which we have been and are engaged.

After all the presentations were finished all the European representatives talked to the Armenian ones, and the questioned us on our project and discussed the possibility of cooperation. The room was thick with the voices of people finding ways to cooperate, connect and exchange information.

Subsequently, the Armenian organisations went to the European organisations, and the questions and answers continued.

The result of the NGO Fair was that each organisation had a chance to find someone who was willing to cooperate with them in their future projects, some organisation in Armenia who did the same things as them. Plans were made for youth exchanges, ideas for new international projects germinated, and as we left the crowded room we realised we had a lot of new contacts we could use in the future.

Sincerely,

S and M