PARTNERSHIP
Through its collaborations with other governmental and non-governmental structures, the Armenian Association Social Workers has become a united voice for social justice. By working jointly with other agencies, the Association has been able to disseminate best social work practices by connecting social workers to specialized organizations at the international level.
Circle of Partners
From its establishment, the Association has worked closely with state and non-state structures in order to better participate in the processes of development and implementation of social policy reforms. Past and current collaborators include: the United Nations, the European Union, OSCE, USAID, the UN Democracy Fund, the Austrian Development Agency, Hilfswerk Austria, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, the National Institute of Labor and Social Research of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan State University, State Pedagogical University of Armenia, and Shirak State Pedagogical Institute.
International Cooperation
The Armenian Association Social Workers is a sister organization to a number of European and American associations. In particular, a memorandum of cooperation was signed with the American National Association of Social Workers and the Austrian and “ANAS” French social workers associations. In 2012, the Association signed a collaborative agreement with its Iranian counterpart and in 2014, an agreement was signed with social worker associations in Georgia and Moldova.
The Association is also a member of a number of international coalitions, such as CHILDPACT, the EASW Institute, ICSW, and Child Helpline International (CHI) of the Black Sea region. Participation in these coalitions allows Armenian social workers voices to be heard on the international stage while also furthering their support of critical social policy implementation.
Local Cooperation
Throughout its history, the Association has cooperated with a number of local networks, in particular, networks for the protection of the disabled, women’s rights, children, and the elderly.
The Association initiated the creation of the Child Protection Network and now supports many local networks by providing small grants to raise awareness of specific sector issues and develop recommendations to address them.
University Collaborations
The Association also actively cooperates with European institutions of higher learning for the training of social workers. Partnered universities–such as the University of Applied Sciences in Bern, Switzerland and Linz, Austria–provide access to intensive training programs for local social workers as well as exchange programs and summer schools for students studying social work.