Internet Access and Training Program (IATP)

IATP News from the Caucasus

March 4-17, 2005

GEORGIA

chat
The minister of education and
science gets ready to take
questions

IATP Hosts Web Chat with Georgian Minister of Education and Science
On March 12, IATP hosted a chat session with Georgian Minister of Education and Science Kakha Lomaia to discuss new reforms in the national education system. Georgian authorities insist that the proposed reforms will stop corruption in schools and higher institutions, while many students and professors see it as an attack on the universities' autonomy. The new reforms require schools and universities to adopt a compulsory curriculum. Those students wishing to continue their studies in higher institutions will have to take a final school exam covering the Georgian language, one foreign language, and general knowledge. Georgian students and teachers from 11 IATP access sites throughout Georgia had the opportunity to discuss these new reforms online with Lomaia, who gave comprehensive answers to an array of questions from the participants. Ruizan Mekvabidze and Mamuka Jilbordi, assistant professors from Gori State University, asked the minister about the future of the universities that are not on the list of accredited institutions of higher education. Lomaia replied, “Probably the university will be united with other high institutions.” The questions mainly addressed the results of the new education reform being undertaken, focusing on such areas as accreditation, national exams, and military studies. Following the chat, on March 16, the Tbilisi Alumni Center hosted a meeting between representatives of the Student Union of the Georgian Technical University and the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. The meeting was organized by FLEX alumni who are taking an active role in the activities of the newly-formed student self-government movement at the university. Levan Gakhelidze, head of the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Education and Science, discussed further the main framework of the educational reforms currently undertaken in Georgia. The discussion was followed by a lively debate of the role of students in regards to the new management structure and implementation of national exams for individuals interested in pursuing higher education. Participants discussed the self-government structure within universities and cooperation between students and the Ministry of Education and Science. A number of future meetings for in-depth discussion of these and other related issues were planned by the end of the meeting. The combination of the Web chat and discussion empowered the students to quickly and effectively gain information on the developing state of their nation’s educational system while ensuring their voice is heard on concerns therein.

Khashuri Unions Discuss Human Rights on International Women’s Day
On March 7, in commemoration of the International Women’s Day, the IATP access site in Khashuri conducted a seminar on “Labor Legislation and Women Rights” for representatives from various local professional unions. The trainer began a discussion about the traditional and modern social functions of men and women in society. Then the participants navigated the website of the International Labor Organization at www.ilo.org to learn about their fight for gender equality in the workplace. They then talked about the difference between theory and reality in the protection of human and women’s rights. The audience shared their own experiences and discussed what professional spheres have the most difficulty accepting women. The trainer gave some examples where labor legislation supports gender equality. The event spawned a greater interest in how legislation affects gender equality and participants made plans to conduct further online research on the matter and meet again. Issues such as women’s rights are sometimes overlooked when citizens have little money to research them; IATP provides a free location for this kind of gathering, teaching, and researching. Nona Tepnadze, a union member, expressed her appreciation to IATP by saying, “Today when so many people are unemployed, IATP is the only information source for us while fighting for human rights.”

AZERBAIJAN

alumna
PiE alumna (Zemfira
Mahammadova, and psychologist
Vugar Guliyev)

IATP Hosts Online forum on Religious Values and Youth
On March 5, twenty-seven teachers gathered at the IATP sites in Baku, Nakhchivan, Imishli, Ganja, Mingachevir, and Ali-Bayramli to participate in the online forum “Religious Values and Youth.” Last summer, the Ministry of Education launched a new program to teach religious history in high school. In response to this new initiative, PiE and Community Connections alumni asked IATP to host a forum to learn the opinion of teachers from different regions about differences and advantages of this curriculum over the previous one. Zemfira Mahammadova (PiE 03) and Tarlan Guliyev (CC 2004) began moderating the forum with a quote from the Constitution of Azerbaijan stating, “Azerbaijan is a secular, democratic country …., religion is separate from the State …” With these words the moderators started the forum dedicated to the religious values and youth. During the forum the participants discussed relevant issues both with moderators and with their colleagues from other regions. The teachers commented on the materials necessary for teaching this subject, about how the approach of the subject should be taught, and the general status of religious diversity around the world. Another focus of the discussions was the importance for students to learn about the religious values of the rest of the world, regardless of their own religious identity. Gunay Jalalova commented, “Religious values are a very sensitive topic. While talking to classes at a secondary school, it is very crucial not to make any mistake delivering information to the students, since any careless action or information given can influence their psychology and thus, play role in building their personality as a future citizen.” The participants also emphasized that religions should be viewed as cultural and historical heritage of a nation, and therefore it is important to take a scientific approach to teaching these themes. Only following this path will the students develop open ideas about different religions. As a result of the forum, the participants will begin writing resolutions based on their ideas.

artists
Young artists learn how to display
their work online

Ali-Bayramli Artists Find Outlets Online for their Skills
On March 16, IATP’s Ali-Bayramli site hosted a seminar for young painters. Four painters from various age groups and schools participated in the seminar. IATP staff used the seminar to show the young painters how useful personal Web pages could be for their art. They learned how a website could help them to promote their work, to meet others with similar interests, and to further their own knowledge of art. The participants showed great interest in exhibiting their works online in order to get their material to a larger audience. During the seminar they explored the online resources aydin.aznet.org and best.iatp.az. As a result of the seminar, the participants decided to take part in the Web design trainings at the IATP site to develop their skills and promote their work.

ARMENIA

Armenian Deaf Children Learn American Sign Language
On February 28, IATP Vanadzor trainer Sona Sargsyan, in cooperation with Karine Matinyan (UGRAD 04) conducted a seminar on online American Sign Language resources for seven deaf children. Deaf youths have limited opportunities to study foreign languages in Vanadzor, as classes at local schools are not designed for non-hearing students and few students can afford private lessons. Thus, IATP organized a seminar to teach the American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet to the children and give them a feel for the language by teaching them how to sign their names and favorite words. The trainers presented their lesson by means of a PowerPoint presentation and directed participants to the following websites: library.thinkquest.org/J002931 and library.thinkquest.org/10202/. This also gave an opportunity for the pupils to practice their computer skills, which they gained as a result of an IATP training in January and February of this year in a course led by Sargsyan and Matinyan. After the seminar, the children expressed their gratitude and said they were proud to participate in the course and learn their first signs in ASL. Alumni are planning a follow-up training, during which children will practice the alphabet, learn new words, and receive a handout on learning ASL.

IATP Kapan Users Learn How to Use Online Resources for Proposal Writing
On March 11, Kapan Alumni Advisory Council member Satenik Sargsyan (FLEX 04) conducted a two-hour seminar entitled, “Learning Proposal Writing Online” for a group of nongovernmental organization (NGO) members and university students interested in developing their skills in proposal writing for professional or academic purposes. Students majoring in management and economics from State Engineering University of Armenia and Kapan College, as well as members of Youth Scientific-Cultural Organization NGO and Fund against Violation of Law NGO participated in the seminar. The purpose of the seminar was to assist and give direction to participants on how to write different types of proposals, such as business proposals, grant proposals, as well as students’ research and academic papers, using information technology (IT) resources. During the seminar, Sargsyan discussed the importance of properly writing and submitting proposals and explained how IT can help one research and create a winning proposal. He also talked about the various types of proposals: proposals for business planning, grant proposals, and research papers. Sargsyan also stressed that proposals are just one part of a process of planning and research to cultivate potential foundation and corporate donors. Participants also explored the The Foundation Center Learning Lab, visited the virtual classroom on that site, and passed the short course of proposal writing. Sargsyan advised participants to sign up for a distance learning course, for which four participants registered in order to obtain more in-depth knowledge in the field of proposal writing.