People In Ecological Hot Spots of Armenia, Make Your Voice Heard

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People In Ecological Hot Spots of Armenia, Make Your Voice Heard

Armenia
Organization type: 
nonprofit/ngo/citizen sector
Budget: 
$10,000 - $50,000
Website:
http://www.ecolur.org
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

In the www.ecolur.org/blog, locals have the opportunity to voice their problems and to demand solutions.

About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

A new model for network of bloggers in hot ecological regions has been set up. The new ideology of network functioning is currently in development progress, so as to concentrate the works of different hot lines directed to solve certain environmental problems. Now the network includes 24 communities where 24 webpages have been created within 5 months. Each webpage is used by a group of local bloggers: 10 more communities are planned to involve in the network and to create 10 more webpages.

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

The innovation we propose is that we create hotlines for communities in single information space on www.ecolur.org/blog where there are risks for health and environment. We give an opportunity to local people to share news and express their opinions on community webpages so as these opinions are taken into consideration by people taking decisions. The blog activities are supplemented with professional video and photo materials and news on www.ecolur.org, the materials are disseminated on Facebook and Twitter, published in the mass media in the form of press releases.
Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

This project uses all the facilities of multi-media technologies - www.ecolur.org news and informational website where environmental news and analytic materials are published, www.ecolur.org/blog blog, here you can find 24 web pages of communities in hot spots, where the locals express their ideas and upload photo and video materials under working project “Make Your Voice Heard”, work with socially active movement groups on Facebook and Twitter,press releases for the mass media with exclusive materials based on the alarm signals from hot spots: the mass media is EcoLur’s beneficiary, as it uses and makes use of the website and blog informational resources.
Sustainability

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

EcoLur is the moderator of the network for bloggers and a partner for all its participants. Many mass media work with the regions and have their own correspondents who prepare news materials. Only EcoLur network can give local people the opportunity to express their own opinion in operative manner and to raise alarm signals: EcoLur expands the audience of the alarm signal, as well as addresses the alarm signal to decision making persons and publishing the response to the alarm signal.
About You
Organization:
EcoLur Informational NGO
About You
First Name

Victoria

Last Name

Burnazyan

Twitter URL

http://twitter.com/#!/EcoLur

Facebook URL

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ecolurorg/181097155276008

About Your Organization
Organization Name

EcoLur Informational NGO

Organization Country
Country where this project is creating social impact
How long has your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

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Innovation
Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)

How long have you been in operation?

Operating for less than a year

Social Impact
FOUNDING STORY: We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.

On Sotq webpage, www.ecolur.org/blog, the campaign is run against disposing production facilities by Geopromining Company into Sevan drainage basin. Sevanis the water priority of Armenia, which has 34 billion square meters of freshwater reserves and is protected by Armenian Law “On Lake Sevan”. The company operates in contrary to this and other Armenian laws, the Armenian President’s political will expressed in autumn 2009 and in contrary to the conclusion issued by the Supervisory Chamber by the Armenian Parliament, where it says the Public Prosecutor’s Office should start investigating the activities of Geopromining Company. Sotq Villagers signed a letter of protest against the activities of Geopromining Company and were supported by Dilijan Town residents through EcoLur blog and social networks (see Dilijan webpage in the blog and materials in “Sevan” section on www.ecolur.org). The network has called on other activists in hot spots to support Sotq villagers.

Specify both the depth and scale of your solution’s social impact to date

We are trying to help people who, as a result of the high risks of corruption in the sphere of nature, deprived of water, territory, and whom do not pay compensation for allowing their habitat.

What is your projected impact within the next 1-5 years? Is your idea replicable? If so, how?

The population learns how to protect its interest without directly clashing with heads, who may exercise pressure on them and get support from other regions, NGOs and social groups. This has a positive vector of development within the next 1-2 years. Five years is rather a large period for forecasting results taking into consideration rapid technological progress in multi-media technologies. We will likely master new opportunities and incorporate them into our project. What about idea repeatability, the module developed by us can be used in other thematic areas such as human rights protection or gender. Just external information parameters should be adapted to the specific topic.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and mark growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

To set up prerequisites for the first Armenian Public Environment Internet TV, to make EcoTV platform, which can be used by all

Six-Month Tasks
Task 1

To develop a project to create the first Armenian Public Environment Internet TV – Eco-TV

Task 2

To hold internet conferences and to discuss topics in the Ecolur-blog which later may become main topics for Eco-TV

Task 3

Find people holding the same ideas and willing to take part in EcoTV project.

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
12-Month Tasks
Task 1

To provide Eco-TV with equipment

Task 2

To prepare a series of TV reports based on SOS alarms from ecological hot spots under common title of “Please, Reply Mr. Ministe

Task 3

To hold a series of TV bridges from the hot spots based on SOS signals in the format of “Burning Territories” TV shows with TV r

How many people have been impacted by your project?

More than 10,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

More than 10,000

Sustainability
Explain how your company, program, service or product is structured

Non-profit

What barriers have hindered the success of your project to date? How do you plan to overcome these and other challenges as you grow your solution?

The main barrier is non-stable funding, which is allotted in the form of grants. Armenia like other countries in transition period has no existing practice of donation for public interests. We are seeking to overcome this barrier by opening EcoLur branch in the countries where such practice is available and to find a partner interested in setting up the first public environmental internet television.

How do you see the information-technology and media sectors shifting over the next decade? How will your solution adapt to and/or drive that changing environment?

We see the development in mobile communications, which assumes more and more of functions from multi-media technologies and which is suitable for rapid response.

Failure is not always an option. If your solution fails to gain traction in the next two years, what other applications of the idea could you explore?

Our modules give an opportunity to get adapted to the particular situation. If there are no conditions for setting up public television, we will use non coast-based technologies, for example, the work with blogs based o SMS and MMS messages, information exchange through Facebook and Twitter.

Expand on your selections, explaining how you will sustain funding

Taking part in grant competition and receiving invitations from donors

Tell us about your partnerships

Since 2005 EcoLur has held the coordination of 15 public campaigns, out of which 4 campaigns were a success, 7 documentaries shot, 21 projects implemented, funding from 14 donor organizations. You can find all the information about our partners, donors, programs, public campaigns, documentaries and EcoLur administration from www.ecolur.org in “About us”.

What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section?

Professional people will be involved in the project, as well as volunteers and people interested in the outcomes - local activists, NGOs, socially active movements, especially those in formation stage.

Changemakers is a collaborative and supportive space. Please specify any community resources you would need to grow and sustain your initiative. Select all that apply

Human resources or talent, Collaboration or networking.

Specify any resources you might offer to support other initiatives. Select all that apply

Human resources or talent, Research or information, Collaboration or networking.

Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren’t specified within the list

The information displayed on EcoLur website is unique, as it’s a kind of information file for all current environmental problems – forest, wastes and mining (see http://www.ecolur.org/en/hot-spots/34), and where yoи can get comprehensive information about each problem - information from the scene based on alarm signals, news and standpoint of official department, expert and analytical information, photo and video materials. You can follow chronological development of the problem in the file.

Summary
Define your company, program, service or product in 1-2 short sentences

Since 2005, EcoLur has run 15 public campaigns,7 documentaries, implemented 21 projects,& received funding from 14 donor orgs.