As usual the training started with the introduction. After several words about the project, organization and project Team, name-games were introduced to the participants.  The group was international and the names were so different but to work all together we were to get to know each other. It is obvious, that it is much easier to work within a group of people when the rules are set up. So, we worked all together to develop and accept the common rules agreed by all the participants.

Threads

Today is exactly one month since I left Jordan. But everything is still bright, and even bulkier. Because the mind is always throws us this trick - when you're interested in something, then you meet the subject at every turn, it seems like the whole world screams about it and is related with it by thousands of invisible threads, or thick clear ropes. For a month I live under the pressure of news, talks, movies, articles, items, references to/about the Middle East. And my news now have bindings to my own experience and to the specific people, it gives a different perspective, a different perception of the topic. This in fact was the main point of the project, in which I happened to participate. The essence and value of such a study visit is to feel the position and state of refugees and migrants from the East, which are inclined to believe to be the wild hordes from the East, leading to the death of the West. Try to understand the new neighbors. Break some of my prejudices. See the ways to live together.  

On the 30^th of July during the peaceful demonstration of citizens there was arrested Coordinator of Working Group 4 “Contacts between People”, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) Hovsep Khurshudyan.  Hovsep Khurshudyan implements very important work on the international level as a Coordinator of Working Group 4 and a member of The Steering Committee EaP CSF.  

West–East Bridges Foundation addressed Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia with a letter asking  the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia to do everything possible for  Hovsep Khurshudyan’s release.

West–East Bridges Foundation under the frame of EaP CSF have successfully worked in Working Group 4 EaP CSF and actively cooperated with its Coordinator.  We consider that Hovsep Khurshudyan’s arrest will not help the Armenian authorities to solve political crisis in the country but also strongly hurts the international image of the country.

One of the  brick-set causes is the fact that the British people got tired of fighting with bulky and clumsy bureaucracy of the European Commission.   EaP Civil Society Forum is a great example of how a good idea could got stuck in a quagmire. We have already spoken about the   results of EaP CSF conference in Riga (http://www.west-east-fund.com/index.php/en/news/48-eastern-partnership-civil-society-forum-or-give-us-some-water-as-we-are-so-hungry-that-don-t-have-no-place-to-sleep). Unfortunately,  7th EaP CSFAnnual Assembly in Kyiv  developed more questions rather than provided the participants with answers. The main paradox is that The Steering Committee  EaP CSF has the same  authority as the Belorussian president Lukashenko.  Only the   Steering Committee  knows which EU organizations sent the application forms to participate in the next   EaP CSF Annual Assembly and only Steering Committee decides what organizations are to be accepted or rejected. EaP CSF National Platforms have the right to recommend the organizations representing their countries at the  EaP CSF Annual Assembly. We would like to remind  that the participation in EaP CSF Annual Assembly  gives the right for the organization to become a member of  EaP CSF. Thus, even though the EU organization got the membership of EaP CSF to receive the information about other EU members, addresses and e-mails in particular,  is impossible. This is a secret under lock and key. So, even when the EU Organization got the membership of  EaP CSF it is still very restricted in its opportunities to influence anything. Such organizations have