ABCD Innovation Center

🌱 Closing the online training phase

Yesterday, we held our final online session for the change actors of the WE: Connect – Connect. Empower. Transform. project.

💬 The session, led by Kristine Mikhailidi, focused on the Do No Harm approach — a crucial framework for ensuring that development initiatives strengthen communities without reinforcing existing tensions.

Over the past weeks, participants have engaged in a series of interactive sessions, building their skills in project design, community mobilization, gender awareness, and conflict-sensitive approaches.

Now, it’s time for a short pause — giving space for participants to develop their project ideas.

📍 We will reconvene at the end of April for an in-person workshop, where these ideas will be further developed into concrete community initiatives, deepening the knowledge gained throughout the training phase.

Step by step, we move from learning to action.

This measure is implemented by ABCD Innovation Center within the framework of the Women Empowerment for Wellbeing (WoW) project commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

As part of the WE: Connect – Connect. Empower. Transform. project, ABCD Innovation Center conducted a Connectors & Dividers Assessment across eight consolidated communities in Tavush, Gegharkunik, Aragatsotn, and Armavir.

This month, we started validation meetings in these communities—Armavir, Talin, Aparan, Dilijan, Sevan, Vardenis, Noyemberyan, and Berd—presenting the assessment reports to community members for their feedback. This participatory process ensures that the findings reflect local perspectives and sets the stage for the next step: training 20–25 women from these communities to design projects that strengthen the social connectors identified in the assessment.

This is an important milestone in fostering inclusive community engagement and empowering women as agents of local development.

*This measure is implemented by ABCD Innovation Center within the framework of the Women Empowerment for Wellbeing (WoW) project commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.”

🌍 The 6th European Rural Parliament is officially open in Inverurie, Scotland!
Over 400 delegates from 43 countries have gathered to explore how rural communities can turn challenges into opportunities under the theme “Strength from Opportunity: Rural Community Solutions to Global Challenges.”
We’re proud to see ABCD Innovation Center represented among Europe’s leading voices shaping the future of rural development.
💬 Power to the People!