Day: March 29, 2024

IDF commando killed, 16 others wounded during fighting in southern Gaza https://t.co/Lld177aRMi

— The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael) March 29, 2024

YEREVAN—In response to the mass forced displacement of the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh (also known as Artsakh) in September 2023 and the resulting humanitarian crisis, the University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health and the American University of Armenia Turpanjian College of Health Sciences joined forces and launched “The Community Wellbeing Project” to address the immediate and long-term health and social needs of the forcibly displaced.

The Community Wellbeing Project, co-led by Dr. Alina Dorian, Associate Dean for Public Health Practice at UCLA FSPH, and Dr. Varduhi Petrosyan, CHS Dean and Director of the Zvart Avedisian Ohanian Center for Health Services Research and Development, is a novel grassroots initiative aimed at improving the overall wellbeing of the Artsakh population currently residing in the Republic of Armenia. The project is funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, with matching funds through a generous donation made to The Poppy Project at UCLA FSPH. The initiative builds community capacity, links individuals and communities to resources, and promotes education and outreach in order to support and empower the Artsakh population.

The ‘Community Wellbeing Project’ training team

As part of this initiative, the project team designed and implemented the “Community Wellbeing: Strategies and Frameworks for Engagement” training program, bringing together dozens of community advocates from Armenia and Artsakh, as well as representatives of community organizations and local government bodies, to widen their perspectives on community wellbeing, enhance their skills for authentic community engagement, and support the displaced population.

The training presented a holistic approach to defining and improving community wellbeing, focusing on centering community needs and ensuring active community engagement and mobilization. A wide range of topics were covered including the construct of a community wellbeing framework, the principles of community organizing and engagement, legal aspects of forced displacement, the impacts of social determinants of health, and the importance of a trauma-informed programming lens. The project team engaged local and international experts from Armenia and the United States in the development of the training curricula and implementation of the training, including presentations by faculty and subject matter experts from UCLA, AUA, and World Vision.

The Community Wellbeing Project launched in the town of Masis in the Ararat Province of Armenia in December 2023. The initiative will continue to engage community stakeholders, identifying both community needs and assets to build social cohesion and community resilience. Through building community capacity and by strengthening existing systems and community structures, the Community Wellbeing Project promotes self-reliance, reduces active health and social disparities and inequities, and improves overall community wellbeing.

The Poppy Project at UCLA FSPH aims to advance public health and equity for Armenian populations. The initiative focuses on centering wellbeing in public health programming and development in order to build resilient and sustainable communities.