Jenn Beard, senior program manager of the Internet Society Foundation (ISF), and Rigdzin Collins, associate program manager, visited Armenia, Yerevan in July. Meetings with representatives of foundation-funded organizations, stakeholder groups, and members of the non-governmental organization “Internet Society Armenia Chapter” were the main goals of the tour.
Igor Mkrtumyan, the Chairman of the ISOC Armenia chapter PO, welcomed the attendees and guests to the meeting at the Chapter’s office. He noted that the organization actively organizes a number of events to raise public awareness of media literacy, cyber security, internet hygiene, and other topics. The ISOC Armenia Chapter NGO is also focused on the issues surrounding the provision of Internet resources and infrastructure in Armenia’s towns and regions.
“With small investments, we achieve great things. We work with a number of business associations that promote the development of Internet connectivity in local areas “Igor Mkrtumyan stated.
The ISOC Armenia Chapter’s NGO’s program results and implementation process were greatly welcomed by the ISF representatives. It was observed that resolving social issues in marzes through technical support is another effective development approach.
Additionally, the guests got to know the representatives of Armenia’s Internet community. At the meeting, representatives from Smart City, Digi Lab (UNDP), UNICEF Armenia, and other organizations discussed the outcomes of the projects carried out with the financial assistance of ISF. They also demonstrated the digital products they developed during the two-month course, including “Anahit,” the first voice assistant developed in the frames of “Internet of Things” classes.
The ISOC NGO board vice-president, Kristina Hakobyan, summarized the discussion by adding that many ideas still remain unrealized but that those that have been effectively implemented inspire enthusiasm from interested parties and the Internet community.
When the discussion came to a conclusion, the participants talked about fresh approaches to collaboration.
