1. History
    Founding  Background  Process 

2. Projects
    2012-2013  2014-2015  2016-2017 

3. Partnering Organizations

4. External links

ONEArmenia is a nonprofit organisation that funds charitable and philanthropic projects in Armenia. The organisation is based in Santa Monica and Yerevan, Armenia, and was founded in 2012 in response to the growing cynicism around donating to charitable causes in Armenia. ONEArmenia runs campaigns that invest in sustainable projects and aim to develop Armenia's technology, agriculture, and tourism sectors, primarily through crowdfunding, partnering and collaborating with grassroots organisations and reporting to connect donors with projects. ONEArmenia is a gold-level Guidestar Participant.{{Infobox organization

History

Founding

ONEArmenia was founded in 2012 by Patrick Sarkissian as a platform for individuals around the world to invest in Armenia. Sarkissian cited the growth of the domestic Information Technology sector as a sign that Armenia's economy would benefit more from developing the technology and talent of the country than relying on natural resources and services. Sarkissian highlighted the importance of creating non-profit that would depict Armenia as a contemporary society and attract the global community in order to address the issues in corruption and transparency that were affecting diaspora support of Armenia. The company was founded in 2012 and granted 501(c)(3) status in 2014.

Background

One of the major reasons for the creation of ONEArmenia began in response to scepticism around sending money to Armenia. While the Armenian Diaspora has historically provided financial support to the country through individual donations and organisations committed to ensuring the economic well-being of Armenia, the perception of corruption has undermined faith in these channels and the financial and governmental institutions handling money. Reports by Transparency International and The World Bank have cited Armenian corruption and patronage networks to be a major hurdle for economic growth and development since its independence in 1991. As a result, communities in the Armenian diaspora have expressed concern and scepticism around the merit of donating financial resources to the country.

In addition to Corruption, many events shaped the socio-economic structure of the Armenian State during its initial years of independence. The Nagorno-Karabakh War, an ethnic and territorial conflict that took place in the late 1980s to May 1994, an economic blockade of the Armenian border by Turkey and Azerbaijan, a devastating earthquake in Northern Armenia in 1988, and the challenge of building a republic following the fall of the Soviet Union proved challenging in developing a sustainable system of economic development. The campaigns run by ONEArmenia aim to address the lingering consequences of the difficulties faced during those years though specific campaigns that address individual communities. Their goal is not widespread well-being, but cumulative growth through pinpointed investment.

Process

ONEArmenia selects four projects a year in agriculture, tourism, technology and made-in-Armenia products. The organisation funds projects through online promotion and crowdfunding. Campaigns are not aimed at a specific issue or Armenia in general, but address specific communities and interests in Armenia that are otherwise lacking resources or support. Each campaign is advertised through newsletters and social media channels such as Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, and Twitter and is driven by individual fundraisers through events and personal donations. ONEArmenia publishes budget and project sheets that detail the total cost of each project. Once a campaign is finished, implementation and lasting impact are communicated in a similar way.

Projects

2012-2013

[https://onearmenia.org/build-a-kindergarten-in-moshatagh Renovation of Moshatagh Kindergarten]

• Project Duration: 10/2/2012-11/3/2012
• Location: Moshatagh
• Renovation of the first floor of a Soviet-era school building in Moshatagh, Nagorno-Karabagh. The first floor was turned into a kindergarten for the children of 60 families across 4 villages. The kindergarten had its official grand opening in April 2014.

[https://onearmenia.org/activism-in-armenia Activism in Armenia]

• Project Duration: 11/23/2012-3/23/2013
• Location: Yerevan
• Offers a profile the men and women fighting for a sustainable, just and progressive Armenia. Content included video, photo and prose to communicate the lives of activists in Armenia

[https://onearmenia.org/a-wave-of-clean-water A Wave of Clean Water for Armenia]

• Project Duration: 12/10/2012-9/23/2013
• Location: Karotan
• Built a stone basin into which fresh water was diverted from a nearby stream. It provided clean water for 465 people in Karotan.

[https://onearmenia.org/support-a-womens-safe-house Support a Safe House in Armenia]

• Project Duration: 3/4/2013-4/5/2013
• Location: Yerevan
• Provided a safe space for women from abusive situations that employs social workers, legal counsel, and psychologists that work with the women to build up a sense of independence and self-actualization.

[https://onearmenia.org/shift-culture-crowdsourcing-competition SHIFT: Culture Crowdsourcing Competition]

• Project Duration: 4/24/2013-6/2/2013
• Location: Yerevan
• A cultural competition for anyone over the age of 16 to pitch a project under $10,000 that transforms an element of Armenian culture

[https://onearmenia.org/capturing-yerevans-mood Capturing Yerevan’s Mood]

• Project Duration: 6/18/2013-6/23/2013
• Location: Yerevan
• Created a community mood board in Yerevan's Lovers’ Park over the course of a week. Each day, new questions were posed to gauge the thoughts, fears, desires, regrets and pain of passersby.

[https://onearmenia.org/sustainable-farming-in-berkaber Bring Sustainable Farming to Armenia]

• Project Duration: 8/7/2013-9/17/2013
• Location: Berkaber
• Created four greenhouses for the backyards of families in Berkaber to provide a source of income for the border village and incentivize others to develop their own agricultural practices.

[https://onearmenia.org/shift-tech-mobile-app-crowdsourcing-competition SHIFT: Tech Mobile App Crowdsourcing Competition]

• Project Duration: 8/7/2013-9/17/2013
• Location: Yerevan
• A crowdsourcing competition looking to seed an innovative mobile app idea with $25,000 to develop its first version in Armenia.

[https://onearmenia.org/levon-a-wonderous-life Levon: A Wondrous Life]

• Project Duration: 10/16/2013-12/16/2013
• Location: Yerevan
• A video about the 60-year-old rollerblader living in the post-Soviet landscape of Yerevan, Armenia. The video aims to use Levon as a way to raise awareness of the struggles the Armenian population faces, and understand why emigration rates are so high.

[https://onearmenia.org/build-community-and-make-music Build a Community and Make Music in Armenia]

• Project Duration: 11/1/2013-12/15/2013
• Location: Yerevan
• Provided Armenian students with instruments and musical education to supplement the standard education they receive through the national curriculum and has gone on to establish a centre in Yerevan

2014-2015

[https://onearmenia.org/make-armenia-healthy-and-nutritious Make Armenia Healthy and Nutritious]

• Project Duration: 4/17/2014-5/17/2014
• Location: Aragatsavan
• Crowdfunded the construction of a cafeteria and toothbrushing station in the school building of Aragatsavan, a village located about an hour and a half outside Yerevan.

[https://onearmenia.org/onebus ONEBus]

• Project Duration: 6/30/2014-8/14/2014
• Location: Yerevan
• Commissioned a free, air-conditioned, wifi-enabled, smoke-free alternative to Yerevan's marshrutka system of public transportation

[https://onearmenia.org/support-small-businesses-in-vardenis Vardenis Wheat Festival]

• Project Duration: 8/5/2014-9/4/2014
• Location: Vardenis
• crowdfunded a portion of the operational costs of a wheat-themed festival in the rural town of Vardenis, Armenia. The Golden Wheat Festival took place on September 20, 2014.

[https://onearmenia.org/its-time-to-shiftperspective SHIFTPerspective]

• Project Duration: 9/15/2014-11/1/2014
• Location: Yerevan
• Asked the Armenian Diaspora to show ONEArmenia what their Armenian community means to them. The winner received a prize of $1500

[https://onearmenia.org/help-find-a-solution-to-pollution-in-armenia Let’s Protect Armenia from Toxic Pollution]

• Project Duration: 10/3/2014-11/14/2014
• Location: Mining Communities
• Raised the funds necessary to provide the American University of Armenia's Center for Responsible Mining with the laboratory equipment needed to survey the impact of mining on 40 communities.

[https://onearmenia.org/teach-through-technology Teach through Technology]

• Project Duration: 12/22/2014-1/21/2015
• Location: Yerevan
• Crowdfunded to sponsor Armtab, Armenia's first tablet factory, and their first batch of made-in-Armenia tablets. ONEArmenia then distributed the tablets, with Armenian language resources and educational apps installed, to teenagers at Orran centre in Yerevan.

[https://onearmenia.org/building-health-and-hope-in-aghavnatun Building Health and Hope in Aghavnatun]

• Project Duration: 3/2/2015-4/4/2015
• Aghavnatun
• Built a health clinic for the residents of Aghavnatun. In addition to funding costs of construction, labour and transportation, this campaign arranged for visits by trained professionals–both dentists and primary physicians–from urban centres in both Armenia and Karabakh, who travelled to the community and provide the villagers with routine check-ups.

[https://onearmenia.org/kyanq Kyanq]

• Project Duration: 4/1/2015-2/25/2016
• Location: Yerevan
• A short skate film that was shot around Yerevan, Gyumri, and Stepanakert by filmmaker Brett Novak, who travels all over the world to film skateboarders in new and different skate scenes.

[https://onearmenia.org/women_farmers Build Sustainable Opportunities for Women Farmers]

• Project Duration: 5/4/2015-6/29/2015
• Location: Tavush
• Address the role of women in the future development of rural, agrarian regions, and the additional burden of being devalued members of society. The Campaign implements projects that will create economic opportunities for rural people, particularly women, to build reliable and steady incomes and self-reliance that will contribute to the improvement of the overall community livelihood.

[https://onearmenia.org/inside-yerevan Inside Yerevan]

• Project Duration: 4/17/2015
• Location: Yerevan
• A non-commercial, crowdsourced map of the city of Yerevan. ONEArmenia collected information about restaurants, bars, museums, shops and random spots in the city that are otherwise only known to locals

[https://onearmenia.org/santas_wanted Santas Wanted 2015]

• Project Duration: 11/23/2015-1/7/2016
• Location: Lori
• Provided Made-in-Armenia Christmas gifts for children in the Lori Region, including:
  • 83 books from Zangak Publishing House
  • 82 honey jars from Honey.am
  • 79 pairs of winter boots from AVA shoes
  • 54 pairs of tennis shoes from AVA shoes
  • 49 hand-knit scarves, hats and socks from Homeland Development Initiative Fund
  • 26 tablets from ArmTab

2016-2017

[https://onearmenia.org/bring_on_the_buzz Bring on the Buzz]

• Project Duration: 2/3/2016-5/19/2016
• Location: Baghanis
• Brought 18 families in Baghanis the tools and training to become expert beekeepers in the border village

[https://onearmenia.org/santas_wanted_2016 Santas Wanted 2016]

• Project Duration: 11/17/2016-12/25/2016
• Location: Yerevan
• Crowdfunded to create locally produced packets of gifts for Syrian-Armenian children who recently moved to Armenia.

[https://onearmenia.org/remove-landmines-from-artsakh Remove Landmines from Artsakh]

• Project Duration: 2/24/2014-4/26/2017
• Location: Meghvadzor
• Raised funding for the clearance of one minefield covering 31,839m² of land located 2.5 kilometres from Meghvadzor village.

[https://onearmenia.org/hike_armenia HIKEArmenia]

• Project Duration: 9/24/2016-10/26/2016
• Location: Hiking trails around Armenia
• HIKEArmenia is an ongoing project which is working towards boosting the tourism industry in Armenia by making hiking trails that exist all over the country more accessible to tourists.

[https://onearmenia.org/hye_tech_kids Hye Tech Kids]

• Project Duration: 5/30/2016-10/31/2016
• Location: Tavush
• Built Armath engineering and robotics laboratories in five public schools in rural Armenia. These labs are open to all students and provide them with the opportunities and tools to study computer science and robotics at an early age, receive coaching and mentoring and potentially go on to pursue a career in Information Technology

[https://onearmenia.org/campaign/ Farm-to-Bottle]

• Project Duration: 6/8/2017-8/31/2017
• Location: Vayots Dzor
• Connecting small grape farmers in the Vayots Dzor region with Semina Consulting to provide the tools and means to produce their own unique brands of wine

Partnering Organizations

ONEArmenia selects implementing partners for each campaign, based on the specific issues a campaign addresses and the resources needed to carry it out. The group has partnered with thirteen different organisations, some on multiple projects.

External links

Guidestar International https://www.guidestar.org/profile/46-1085868

Interview with ONEArmenia Founder Patrick Sarkissian http://newswhistle.com/life-and-tech-in-armenia-an-interview-with-onearmenia-founder-patrick-sarkissian/

Transparency International https://www.transparency.org/files/content/corruptionqas/Overview_of_corruption_in_Armenia_1.pdf

Corruption in Armenia https://www.transparency.org/whatwedo/answer/overview_of_corruption_and_anti_corruption_in_armenia

World Bank https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/3112

Global Security http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/nagorno-karabakh.htm

Hetq Remove Landmines from Artsakh http://hetq.am/eng/news/76313/onearmenia-launches-mine-free-lachin-campaign-to-spur-economic-development-in-artsakh.html

Hetq Armath Engineering Labs http://hetq.am/eng/news/70503/armath-engineering-labs-how-technology-is-changing-the-way-we-approach-education-in-armenia.html

Tufenkian Involvement http://www.tufenkianfoundation.org/news/james-tufenkian-is-one-of-the-co-funders-in-the-one-armenia-project-which-the-huffington-post-had-an-article-on-as-a-most-successful-it-project/

• Symphony No. 34
• Symphony No. 34 (disambiguation)
• Symphony No. 35
• Symphony No. 35 (disambiguation)
• Symphony No. 36 (disambiguation)
• Symphony No. 36 KV 425 "Linz" (Mozart)
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• Symphony No. 39 (disambiguation)
• Symphony No. 3 (Ching)
• Symphony No. 3 (Corigliano)
• Symphony No. 3 (Enescu)
• Symphony No. 3, "Eroica"
• Symphony No. 3 (Gliere)
• Symphony No. 3 (Hanson)
• Symphony No. 3 (Harbison)
• Symphony No. 3 (Henze)
• Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major (disambiguation)
• Symphony No. 3 (MacMillan)
• Symphony No. 3 (Madetoja)
• Symphony No. 3 (Panufnik)
• Symphony No. 3 (Price)
• Symphony No. 3 (Pärt)
• Symphony No. 3 (Rorem)