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
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