Armenian Children Speak Out

March 27, 2010
Yerevan, Armenia




















Last week Mr. Emil Sahakyan, Communications Director at UNICEF-Armenia accompanied my team from The Forest State Monitoring Center to Zhackadzr, a mountain village community about 45 minutes north of Yerevan. We were conducting a survey on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of people towards the forest and illegal logging. My team spread out in the village and collected data from adults while Emil and I conducted a community mapping session with children. We were invited to use the principles' office - while he waited outside. So it was just Emil, me and 17 children. We asked them to draw pictures of how they understand the issue of illegal logging. The results were startling.

One young boy illustrated a dialogue between two people he described as an innocent villager and the other was a 'liar from the government - he said the innocent person was trying to make the government liar feel remorse about selling all the trees. Another girl illustrated a government official (wearing epaulets with three stars - indicating a general in the army or an officer in the Ministry of Nature Protection - probably the latter) In her drawing the government official has ordered his sun glasses-wearing body guard to cut down trees. She describes the body guard as having second thoughts about why he is doing this. She says the body guard is 'forced' to cut the trees.

The entire group of children told us they 'know' exactly what the problem is ... and went on to describe how the government needs to change and they need real laws to make this activity a crime. Moreover they all said they are not afraid - even though their parents are. They want to protect the Forests. They want to understand all the data from the Forest Monitoring Center and they see themselves as leaders.

When my colleagues from The Forest Monitoring Center returned from their survey work the children all told them they would help and that 'they are not afraid' The principal was holding back tears as he tried to convey the pride he has in his students and his embarrassment for the condition of the school. We all assured him the students will never care about the crumbling walls or the lack of heating. They will only remember this courageous principal and his faith in the students.

My client and took these drawings to The Ministry of Nature Protection - to show them how this situation is perceived. Now they are taking the drawings to the media. I'm so proud of them for stepping forward and putting this evidence forward.

As much as I hate the bungled bureaucracy here, I am proud of myself for re-focusing my energies on the saving the trees. So I will be financially bankrupt in a few weeks - but I feel strangely liberated and able to say what I want - though I could never speak as clearly as the children of Armenia.

What a difference a chicken makes ...

Friday, March 19th 2010
Yerevan, Armenia

OK ... so I had a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture (Salvan Galustyian) - an old Soviet Style bureaucrat. I was seated at one end of a long table. He was seated on the other end. My colleagues from The Forest State Monitoring Center were on the sides. The World Bank people didn't show up.

The meeting started with a long-winded introduction by His Excellency Galustyian. He thanked me for being a principled person and described a bunch of positive things he had heard about me. He pontificated a bit about the role of the government, the importance of the trees, the heritage of the Armenian Christian church and as he was sliding into a lecture about global warming my client (another old Soviet Style bureaucrat) whispered something into his ear - at which point all hell broke loose. The Deputy Minister starting screaming at everyone at the table - while waving his hand for me to stay seated. He yelled for his body guard and there was a muffled exchange of something and the body guard ran out of the room.

Within seconds a woman appeared with a tray full of cookies and odd looking crackers and began nervously serving tea. She slid a tray of cookies in my direction and a tray of what looked like crackers in the other direction. I dove into the cookies as politely as possible - trying hard not to leave a speed-boat spray of cookie crumbs all over the place. Galustyian and the rest of the Forest Monitoring Center people were suddenly relaxed and eating tea and the cracker-bread things. Again, I was trying to act like the sudden food was an unnecessary courtesy - while devouring it. (not easy) Everyone was chuckling and munching ... and my translator began telling me that Galustyian was talking talking about the need to treat consultants well ... (hmmm) I kept munching on the cookies.

Then about 3 minutes later (I swear to God, no longer) the body guard appeared with a huge plastic bag full of chicken kabobs, lavash bread, yogurt, cheeses, loads of herbs and greens etc. Everyone got up and started passing the food around. I was served an enormous plate. His Excellency pounded his fist on the table and said he wanted to propose a toast with vodka but it wasn't there yet and commanded us to eat. We ate.

A few minutes later His Excellency pulled out a bottle of vodka and shot glasses from his desk and passed them around the table. I managed to look up from my food and prepare myself for what I was sure would be a long-winded toast. His Excellency said, [bad translation alert] "...Miss Wood, I just heard you have not eaten a meal in four days because our office has not wire transfered money to you ... I am so sorry ... please eat ... and I have just given my man money which he will accidentally loose at your apartment ... which, if you are interested in returning to me when you receive the wire transfer you can do ... but let me explain that one of the reasons we are so screwed-up about paying the consultants the World Bank gives us is that they force us to have procurement 'teams' review everything - for transparency purposes I guess ... but what happens is these teams have no idea what they are supposed to do without the approval of the World Bank and the World Bank never calls us unless we make a mistake ... so the teams do nothing ... which, as you know, is part of the Armenia problem ... ... and with the departure of man who was managing your contract the rest of the procurement team has 'absolutely' no idea what to do ... so again, they are doing nothing ... but please Miss Wood, you should never go without food and I promise you this issue will be taken care of by Monday - Tuesday at the very latest ..."

To which, my grumbly client muttered, "...For Gods Sakes Galustiyan, Miss Wood isn't asking for a favor we owe her money ... she doesn't need a lecture about food, when will the wire transfer happen?" Galustiyan got up from his chair and left the room ... my client followed him. We all continued eating. About 30 seconds later my client came in chuckling ... and said, "...Galustiyan is in the procurement office waving a chicken leg at the team and telling them how unprofessional they are ..."

Galustiyan came back in the room and looked at his watch and told us we had to leave because he had a meeting. I shoved another piece of chicken in my mouth, shook his hand and we all left. Outside we all doubled-over laughing. We started off in our separate directions ... when Galustiyans' body guard came running after me with a 20,000 dram note (about $50 dollars) He shoved it in my hand and ran back in the office.

So I spent the rest of the day at a little cafe devouring yummy soup and reading a book. Now I feel focused and ready to work again. Funny how food really does fuel the brain.

Weird Start

March 11, 2010 - Yerevan

"Niet, Niet, Niet"

Today was my first day back in Yerevan, so I went to the The Ministry of Agriculture to submit my paperwork and begin working. To my surprise my contact people were not available. Instead I met with a woman who could only say "Niet" (no). She informed me they cannot authorize payment for my expenses or fees because suddenly the guy who has been managing The World Bank grant money was fired in some kind of scandal and there is nothing they can do. Nothing? Answer: "NIET" Could you ask the World Bank? Answer: "NIET" Could you pay for my plane ticket? Answer "NIET" Since you authorized me to come here, what will you do to solve the problem? Answer: "NIET"

It's a good thing I am too jet-lagged to panic.

So ... The World Bank 'gave' money to The Ministry of Agriculture to pay for me to develop a campaign strategy for The Forest State Monitoring Center (FSMC). I did an amazing communications strategy for FSMC the last time I was here. The World Bank representative asked me to make several revisions to the strategy in January and February ... and referred me to a Geologist in Washington D.C. who will be working on the big World Bank-funded FLEG project. This Geologist has no background in behavior change communications or campaign development and has never worked in Armenia. What he lacks in experience, however, he makes up for in bravado. Now suddenly this Geologist is here in Yerevan with my strategy and is planning to roll out a campaign. ... while I am eating ramin noodles in a crappy apartment wondering how or if I will be paid ... and whether to keep working.

I've been asked by The World Bank to have dinners with the Geologist while he is here and to offer as much help as possible ... whatever that means. I wonder what would happen if I just said "NIET"

Well, here I am ... I'll just keep working on some cool ideas and have a glass of pomegranate juice and try to relax.
Tomorrow is another day. I will get a good nights' sleep and hopefully things will be better tomorrow. The good news is that the weather in Yerevan is delightful!

Why Does Social Marketing Always look like S*@t?

March 8th, 2010

So we've been hired to develop a communications strategy for the Armenia Forest Monitoring Center. This is my second time to the country to work on this project. It is my ninth trip to Armenia. I have lived and worked all over the world, and have rolled out a few campaigns for social and environmental issues in Armenia - notably the Avian Influenza campaign. In fact, I lived in Armenia for a year.

I'm getting the creative juices flowing now - after a depressing snow-bound January and February in Washington, D.C. As usual, there is politics swilring this project. The World Bank FLEG Project (no kidding, that's it's name: 'FLEG' - stands for Forestry Law Enforcement and Governance) ... is a large project that is giving money to the government of Armenia to help stop deforestation. (That's a stupidly simple description, I know, but this is a blog) Anyway, the big FLEG project is focused on governance issues. They've loaded up their team with former World Bank employees who are now suddenly forest specialists and behavior change specialists. Reading the documents they produce is like reading the directions for refrigerator wiring. They are all very nice, but this is a team of geologists and agricultural economists who are now faffing around with do-it-yourself books on how to make a campaign. For some reason they don't seem inclined to want to work 'with' Armenians. It's a very weird scenario. I think my funding actually comes out of FLEG - so I shouldn't complain. But I've only heard FLEGers (is that what you call them?) make cynical, snide comments about the Armenian system. I know it's a mess ... but [ahem...] I belive we are all in this to come up with a solution - not to swagger around. It never ceases to amaze me how these big projects loose sight of the bigger mission - which is to pass over skills and technology to people in developing countries - so that they not only 'own the problem' but they 'Own the Solution'.

As I plan out the next five weeks, I am determined to have a really good analysis of the behavioral determinants around ilegal logging. I'm also determined to make it an enjoyable process. I'm just going to blast forward with creative ideas and have fun with my clients. This Forest State Monitoring Center (my client) is really working hard to monitor the fragile forest system. The director, Ashot Papazyan is delightful and a dedicated environmentalists. So ... I'm packing now, and farting around on the drawing table and thinking about what I'm going to do. I hope whomever reads this blog will chime in from time to time. This is a wicked issue with more than one solution.

Please ... do chime in!

I leave tomorrow and 'll be in Armenia until April 2nd.



March 8th