Social workers from the Armenian Church dioceses learn modern media techniques to enhance family well-being

Social workers from nine socio-educational centers of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church dioceses, along with representatives from the Mother See’s computer and internet service offices, explored techniques and methods for using online platforms to promote family well-being.
An open talk facilitated by Tovmas Arakelyan, a deacon of the Armenian Church, blogger, and producer was organized in collaboration with the WCC Armenia Round Table Foundation and UNFPA under the .second phase of the “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence” programme.

“People have questions, they’re seeking answers, and they genuinely want to have a Christian family, to live in what our fathers called “that small church”— as family indeed referred to a “small church”. It truly is a microcosm of society, which determines the security of our entire Homeland, especially its spiritual security. We must use modern means to have absolute information to prevent dangers. Consequently, media literacy within the family can lead to wonderful results,” says Tovmas Arakelyan.

At the beginning of the lecture, he presented the information campaign implemented by the project, which included videos dedicated to gender equality, prevention of domestic violence, and responsible parenting. Tovmas Arakelyan discussed with participants the most frequently asked questions about family raised during the campaign and addressed issues that have become common in families in recent years. The open talk concluded with a discussion on “How does awareness raising of family problems contribute to family well-being?”

“Social work contributes to family well-being: through various events organized by relevant specialists, not only are cases of violence revealed, but appropriate steps are also taken to prevent and eliminate them. The organized lectures, seminars, and counseling meetings help raise awareness about types of violence and their consequences, emphasizing the urgent need for prevention,” says Melanya Rafayelyan, one of the social workers, highlighting the importance of organizing such events to train specialists.

The “Awareness Raising: Steps Towards Family Well-being”  project is implemented within the framework of the second phase of the “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence” programme, funded by the European Union, implemented jointly by UN Women and UNFPA, in collaboration with the World Council of Churches Armenia Round Table Foundation. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the WCC Armenia Round Table Foundation, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union, UNFPA, and UN Women.