The ecumenical WCC Armenia Inter-church Charitable Round Table Foundation (ART) started the Armenian Apostolic Church’s initiative and the World Council of Churches, with the participation of the Armenian Catholic and Armenian Evangelical Churches.
Founded in 1996, the ART has evolved its activities in diverse areas, including development, education, reconciliation, diakonia and humanitarian aid. At present, the ART focuses its activities on Integrated Community Development and Diakonia; Capacity Building; Emergency Response and Relief.
For a decade now, the ART has implemented projects to prevent domestic violence in Armenia with the United Nations Population Fund. Within these projects’ framework, ongoing training has been organised for the clergy and social workers of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
They aim to build their capacities to prevent domestic violence and raise awareness in the communities.
Domestic violence has a complex and multifaceted nature that requires a comprehensive approach; therefore, the Church and ART are represented in interdisciplinary working groups to develop multi-professional practical mechanisms, including men involvement in addressing gender-based and domestic violence.
The current project, “Church Combatting Domestic Violence and Promoting Men’s Engagement in Addressing it” aims to prevent domestic violence, promote responsible fatherhood, and provide services to the victims of DV and their families in the communities of Armenia in collaboration with the Armenian Apostolic Church. The project includes 60 priests and social workers from various dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.
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