On July 7-8, 2018, UNFPA Armenia Supported and Took Part in the Fourth Hartak (“Platform”) Workshop Festival for Young People. Hartak (see also the facebook page) is a two-day long marathon of experience exchange for young people (and not only). It is a platform for sharing knowledge and experience through master classes, workshops and speeches in a non-formal environment. 

Hartak Festival was held the fourth time since 2015 and included more than 40 workshops on arts and crafts, design, technology, and healthy lifestyles, with over five hundred participants. Over thirty partners supported the festival.

This year, the Festival was held in Gyumri, the central city of Shirak region in Armenia. The central theme of the festival was social entrepreneurship and socially responsible business models. All the workshops had a social component and most of them were intended to inspire the participants in their social business ideas, to improve their lives and to support their communities.

The central theme of the festival was social entrepreneurship and socially responsible business models. All the workshops had a social component and most of them were intended to inspire the participants in their social business ideas, to improve their lives and to support their communities.

The festival program consisted of four main blocks: 1. Know-how; 2. Technology; 3. Arts & D.I.Y.; 4. Body and Soul.The workshops were led both local and international speakers who led informative and inspiring seminars that were a pool of knowledge and networking, where participants could walk from one workshop to another, and workshop holders could collaborate and work with one another.

As part of the festival program, UNFPA Armenia held a “Virtual Health” workshop where presented the concept of its “Ayr Health” mobile phone application on men’s health. Anna Barfyan, UNFPA Armenia Youth Program Coordinator, and Doctors Hrach Petrosyan and Aram Shahverdyan led the workshop. The participants learned about the features of the application. For example, how to anonymously get useful and evidence-based information and advice about male reproductive health concerns by one click when and where they need it. The application will also allow getting online advice from reproductive health specialists about different men's health concerns.