CAMPAIGN FOR CLEAN WATER IN ARTSAKH VILLAGES NEARS 3-DAY DEADLINE
http://asbarez.com/107971/campaign-for-clean-water-in-artsakh-villages-nears-3-day-deadline/
Tuesday, January 29th, 2013
Water is vital for the future generations
New non-profit platform ONEArmenia~Rs online crowd-funding campaign
to build a clean water system in Nagorno Karabagh is speeding toward
its deadline, with 3 days left to raise $22,000.
ONEArmenia Leads Movement Toward Transparent Giving New York funding
platform uses online crowd-funding and social media marketing to
modernize humanitarian projects and shine a light on change-makers
in Armenia.
NEW YORK~WAs Armenia~Rs preparations for next month~Rs presidential
election go into full swing, citizens and the expansive diaspora are
asking questions~Vsome new, some old~Vabout what sort of policy change
it would take to dramatically improve the state of the country. With
multi-sector corruption and extreme socio-economic disparities
continuously driving out its dwindling population in droves, Armenia
is still struggling to adapt to democratic capitalism over 20 years
since the fall of the USSR in the early 1990s.
Kindergarten students in Karabakh
Nevertheless, there is change taking place in the country, and much
of it is driven by enterprising citizens who are taking cues from
grassroots movements all over the world to advocate for justice and
equity from the ground up. The current fight against mining in the
Teghut forest, for instance, has brought the state of Armenia~Rs
environment to the forefront for the first time, while human rights,
freedom of expression, military transparency and economic equality
are also pushed for by a dedicated activist core.
Non-profit funding platform ONEArmenia was founded in September 2012
to stand side-by-side with these individuals and the organizations
they represent, using social media and crowd-funding to involve anyone
with an Internet connection in boosting projects that are geared toward
making tangible change in Armenia now. With Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr
and Instagram dominating the marketing world, ONEArmenia has tailored
its approach to maximize the influence these massively-trafficked
sites have on raising awareness on pertinent issues and bringing
people together.
The non-profit is based on its three-pillar commitment to global
collaboration, efficiency and transparency. This means that the
ONEArmenia network makes it possible to not only raise money for
a project based in Armenia as a worldwide community, but to also
track the progress of said project with complete access to financial
information. ONEArmenia only accepts project proposals from other
non-profits with a proven track record, fundraises for approved
projects via crowd-funding site IndieGoGo, and then continuously
reports on project implementation, process and completion using video,
photo and written documentation that is posted publicly online.
Manhattan-based entrepreneur Patrick Sarkissian founded the
organization with the intention of bringing Armenia~Rs progress
into the digital age and finding a solution to the growing cynicism
around donating to Armenian charities. Well-aware of the numerous
occasions where misused funds have halted development and humanitarian
initiatives in the country, Sarkissian brought together a team of
young Armenian-Americans to establish a funding and reporting model
that is, essentially, fool-proof.
ONEArmenia successfully crowd-funded its first project in October,
raising over $19,000 in 30 days to renovate a kindergarten in
Moshatagh, a remote village in northern Nagorno-Karabagh. The
construction is set to begin in spring 2013, and will create
educational and employment opportunities for hundreds of families in
the area. The project itself was initiated by the Tufenkian foundation,
ONEArmenia~Rs first member organization founded by board member James
Tufenkian (of the eponymous boutique hotel and artisanal rug brands).
Their current campaign is also for a project based in
Nagorno-Karabakh. Three days are left to meet a $22,000 funding goal
to construct a clean water system in and around Karotan village,
where a recent outbreak of water-borne illness has forced residents to
often travel several kilometers by foot to find potable sources. This
effort, along with a consistent social media presence that highlights
change-making people and movements in Armenia, is at the forefront of
the organization~Rs operations. With plans to continuously expand its
reach and the scope of projects it promotes, ONEArmenia is positioning
itself on the cusp of what may very well be a new age in boosting
Armenia~Rs progress.
To learn more about ONEArmenia and donate to the campaign for clean
water in Karotan, visit onearmenia.org/projects.
http://asbarez.com/107971/campaign-for-clean-water-in-artsakh-villages-nears-3-day-deadline/
Tuesday, January 29th, 2013
Water is vital for the future generations
New non-profit platform ONEArmenia~Rs online crowd-funding campaign
to build a clean water system in Nagorno Karabagh is speeding toward
its deadline, with 3 days left to raise $22,000.
ONEArmenia Leads Movement Toward Transparent Giving New York funding
platform uses online crowd-funding and social media marketing to
modernize humanitarian projects and shine a light on change-makers
in Armenia.
NEW YORK~WAs Armenia~Rs preparations for next month~Rs presidential
election go into full swing, citizens and the expansive diaspora are
asking questions~Vsome new, some old~Vabout what sort of policy change
it would take to dramatically improve the state of the country. With
multi-sector corruption and extreme socio-economic disparities
continuously driving out its dwindling population in droves, Armenia
is still struggling to adapt to democratic capitalism over 20 years
since the fall of the USSR in the early 1990s.
Kindergarten students in Karabakh
Nevertheless, there is change taking place in the country, and much
of it is driven by enterprising citizens who are taking cues from
grassroots movements all over the world to advocate for justice and
equity from the ground up. The current fight against mining in the
Teghut forest, for instance, has brought the state of Armenia~Rs
environment to the forefront for the first time, while human rights,
freedom of expression, military transparency and economic equality
are also pushed for by a dedicated activist core.
Non-profit funding platform ONEArmenia was founded in September 2012
to stand side-by-side with these individuals and the organizations
they represent, using social media and crowd-funding to involve anyone
with an Internet connection in boosting projects that are geared toward
making tangible change in Armenia now. With Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr
and Instagram dominating the marketing world, ONEArmenia has tailored
its approach to maximize the influence these massively-trafficked
sites have on raising awareness on pertinent issues and bringing
people together.
The non-profit is based on its three-pillar commitment to global
collaboration, efficiency and transparency. This means that the
ONEArmenia network makes it possible to not only raise money for
a project based in Armenia as a worldwide community, but to also
track the progress of said project with complete access to financial
information. ONEArmenia only accepts project proposals from other
non-profits with a proven track record, fundraises for approved
projects via crowd-funding site IndieGoGo, and then continuously
reports on project implementation, process and completion using video,
photo and written documentation that is posted publicly online.
Manhattan-based entrepreneur Patrick Sarkissian founded the
organization with the intention of bringing Armenia~Rs progress
into the digital age and finding a solution to the growing cynicism
around donating to Armenian charities. Well-aware of the numerous
occasions where misused funds have halted development and humanitarian
initiatives in the country, Sarkissian brought together a team of
young Armenian-Americans to establish a funding and reporting model
that is, essentially, fool-proof.
ONEArmenia successfully crowd-funded its first project in October,
raising over $19,000 in 30 days to renovate a kindergarten in
Moshatagh, a remote village in northern Nagorno-Karabagh. The
construction is set to begin in spring 2013, and will create
educational and employment opportunities for hundreds of families in
the area. The project itself was initiated by the Tufenkian foundation,
ONEArmenia~Rs first member organization founded by board member James
Tufenkian (of the eponymous boutique hotel and artisanal rug brands).
Their current campaign is also for a project based in
Nagorno-Karabakh. Three days are left to meet a $22,000 funding goal
to construct a clean water system in and around Karotan village,
where a recent outbreak of water-borne illness has forced residents to
often travel several kilometers by foot to find potable sources. This
effort, along with a consistent social media presence that highlights
change-making people and movements in Armenia, is at the forefront of
the organization~Rs operations. With plans to continuously expand its
reach and the scope of projects it promotes, ONEArmenia is positioning
itself on the cusp of what may very well be a new age in boosting
Armenia~Rs progress.
To learn more about ONEArmenia and donate to the campaign for clean
water in Karotan, visit onearmenia.org/projects.