MOCI is needs based!

MOCI Caucasushasstarted 2021 as a hybrid capacity building andnetworking project connecting 12 urban andrural civic groupsin the South-Caucasus by several workshops,webinars and social happenings and wassupported by the Federal ForeignOffice of Germany.The project empowers rural and vulnerable communitiesthrough a specific blended learning environment for youngpeople outside the capitals and regional urbancenterslacking solidarity, cultural participation and peer exchange.In 2022 a follow-up collaboration willsustain regional cooperationby focusingon locally madeprototypes and short-term residenciesin the regionOffice of Germany.

We combine global trends with regional expertise!

The main partners in the South-Caucasus are experienced professionals and activists of creative and informal education and social inclusion in the regions. All partners of the consortium work already with the relevant target groups and have an elaborated network of stakeholders in the region to support the MOCI project.

The approach is strictly collaborative!

Challenged by increasing emigration, brain drain, and ceasing funding recourses, communitiesand civilinitiatives in the South-Caucasus rarely haveaccess to innovative skills, opportunities to network or shareexperiences.Even though the creative sector has been growing in the capitals, mainly driven by the privatesector that is not always related to what is perceived as culture and arts. Actors outside the capitals orotherurban centers have been struggling forlimited management and technical capacities and regionalcollaboration.

2021: MOCI - Participatory Mapping:

At the beginning of the project, a participatory mapping of social and cultural constraints and potentials of the target groups gave the basic data for partnership building and the curriculum development. In the end, 12 local small organizations in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia were involved in the process.
 
The need for flexible methods and adapting content to the specific contexts of young people is obvious and has been observed and clearly identified by our partner organizations in their practice. In particular, questions of self-perception and individual development potentials seem to have a high priority.
 
Typical organizational challenges in terms of financial sustainability and advocacy in the local environments were also identified.

2021: MOCI - Tours

The so called MOCI-Tours and Community-Gatherings in each partner country of our collaboration have addressed participants on the local ground to initiate an emerging network for self-empowerment and social design. In a very short period of three months in 2021 more than 60 young members of the identified 12 partners took part in the ToT-workshops to support their peers and involve them in local activism for culture and education.

Approx, 400 community members have got the possibility to take initiative to sustain their actions of informal education, creating community spaces, or address their needs to authorities and stakeholders. The mapping of community resources and identities, the aspect of learning through the arts, and the role of social action for environmental protection were key topics of the very diverse activities.

The different accompanying webinars have supported the capacity and network building of the initiated cooperations.

2021: MOCI - Summit

A Co-creation and Regional Networking Event in Georgia brought up young active citizens of the rural initiatives and local action groups together to foster collaborative efforts and the peer learning approach.
 
A flexible workshop schedule provided a forum to present the experiences and to talk about the framework of potential future activities. The follow-up in 2022was discussed and shall focus on collaborative hands-on activities on the local level and sustain the network via capacity-building measures, prototyping of local solutions, and a short-term in-residence program for creative drivers in the region.
 
Big thanks to Teo, Wato, and Salome for hosting us in Georgia, to Lusine, Gulnaraand Ivo for the co-facilitation, to Una and Pan for photography, and inspiration from the Balkans, and to all peers for coming and joining the MOCI experience in 2021 in the Caucasus.

MOCI is made for and by people!

Exchange and co – production are of fundamental importance in creating free and open societies. Our particular fo cus is on how these mechanisms can enable reconciliation and foster resilience in rural settings. Therefor we work with following local partners in the South – Caucasus.

Georgia

Transformer, Gori

Creative Lab, Rustavi

Youth Initiative for Change, Bolnisi

Samezoblo, Sighnaghi

Armenia

Youth Center, Margahovit

Gradarak, Amrakits

Helsinki Group, Spitak

Peace Dialogue, Vanadzor

Azerbaijan

Quba Development House

Barda Female Group

Mingachevir Youth Initiative

TFD Alumni Network Youth Advisor Club

Have a look at the MOCI community map to find out who we are!

Donors

Helping in our Growth and Development

MOCI seeks to support sustainable and hybrid forms of social innovation and creative activism by a selected variety of actions and tools for empowering young citizens. We believe that exchange and co-creation are of fundamental importance in moving towards free and open societies. Our particular focus is on identifying and designing mechanisms that enable well -being, reconciliation, and foster resilience in (post -) conflict and transitional post- socialist societies.

The project MOCI Caucasus 2021 in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in close collaboration with German partners is supported by the German Federal Foreign
Office through it’s program https://civilsocietycooperation.net