Armenian teens participate in Tawassol 2009 summer camp at Balamand University

Four teenagers who are active in the youth activities of the JMP–L’s Community Development Program participated for free in the youth summer camp “Tawassol 2009” (Communicate 2009), held from August 1–10, at the University of Balamand.image021

The fee for participation was $300 per person but JMP–L paid only for their transportation.

Organized by the Arab Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Organization IJMA3 (meaning “come together”) in collaboration with Partnership For Lebanon, the camp was considered the first of its kind in Lebanon because it dealt with ICT. It gathered 100 participants between 14 and 17 years of age, who were introduced to ICT through several practical activities, including sports, recreational activities, and computer applications.image023

One of the goals of the camp was to bring together young people from various backgrounds and regions of Lebanon. From the beginning, the program enabled participants to quickly connect and easily mingle with each other. The participants showed great interest and enthusiasm in the subjects taught by the trainers.

Caroline Baghdassarian, one of the JMP–L participants, said: “The camping program was an amazing experience in my life. I enjoyed every second of it. I learned information related to computer programs and their use. Moreover, I gained new friends from different cultures and societies.”image025

The camp also aimed at raising the youth’s awareness on human rights and civic engagement at an early age, and at enhancing their conflict-resolution and problem-solving skills. Besides the series of practical trainings on technology and communication, the program also featured sessions on human rights, civic values, and the importance of the concept of “IJMA3” (“coming together”) developed by the Arab ICT Organization.

One of the goals of the camp was to bring together young people from various backgrounds and regions of Lebanon. From the beginning, the program enabled participants to quickly connect and easily mingle with each other. The participants showed great interest and enthusiasm in the subjects taught by the trainers.image027

Caroline Baghdassarian, one of the JMP–L participants, said: “The camping program was an amazing experience in my life. I enjoyed every second of it. I learned information related to computer programs and their use. Moreover, I gained new friends from different cultures and societies.”

The camp also aimed at raising the youth’s awareness on human rights and civic engagement at an early age, and at enhancing their conflict-resolution and problem-solving skills. Besides the series of practical trainings on technology and communication, the program also featured sessions on human rights, civic values, and the importance of the concept of “IJMA3” (“coming together”) developed by the Arab ICT Organization.

The program was supported by the Michel and Fadwa Fattoush Organization for Development and was sponsored by Nicola Fattoush.image029

At the closing ceremony of “Tawassol 2009,” Mr. Samy Shidiak from Microsoft Corporation lectured about current information technologies. At the end, certificates were granted to the participants.image030