EcoLur
“Mining-impacted Communities – Full Participants in EITI Process” project is in full swing: on March 1 and 2, EcoLur’s team held discussions with the residents of Shnogh Community and Teghout residential area in Lori Region. The slogan of the discussions was “Be Aware and Demanding, Protect Your Interests and Rights in Armenian Processes of the EITI.” Project Coordinator, EcoLur’s President Inga Zarafyan, who is also a representative of the Civil Society Constituency of the EITI Multi-Stakeholder Group, presented the objectives of this program to the attendees and urged to take an active part in the discussions and to submit their proposals on the EITI process. Project Expert, sociologist Anahit Mkrtchyan carried out a sociological survey among Shnogh residents to find out to what extent the social expenses of “Teghout” CJSC comply with the needs of the community, to what extent the mining has impacted the development of Shnogh optimized community, the social state of the residents, their health and environment. The findings of the surveys will be summarized and published later.
Project Expert Harutyun Movsisyan, a representative of the Civil Society Constituency of the EITI Multi-Stakeholder Group, presented the EITI process in Armenia and the published national report, as well as the provisions of RA Law “On Expedient Use of Environmental Fees paid by Company” discussing how this law can cover Shnogh Community, how they can make use of environmental fees, as well as what kind of environmental and health programs need implementing in the community.
The residents discussed whether the financial expenses of “Teghout” CJSC are adequate to the social and environmental projects implemented by the company and the damage caused to the people and nature. The residents have been distributed awareness-raising leaflets in the EITI process, which were also posted in the public places.
Director of 'Community Mobilization and Support Center' NGO Oleg Dulgaryan took active participation in the discussions and supported organizing meetings together with his team.
This article is made possible by the generous support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this article are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
March 04, 2019 at 19:56