Who Are We?

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Voluntary Service of Armenia HUJ - the Republican Headquarters of Student Brigades was established in 1965. HUJ is a member of the Coordinating Committee of International Voluntary Service CCIVS at UNESCO, the Alliance of European Voluntary Service organization and a partner organization of SCI Service Civil International and Exchange Platform.

HUJ organizes volunteer exchanges with partner organizations worldwide and maintains a database with over 3000 volunteers. Primarily focused on young people and students, HUJ engages in diverse activities aimed at enhancing social competencies and employability. HUJ has consistently prioritized addressing significant social issues within the country and the region, including democracy, social equality, inclusivity, and refugee concerns. Through various initiatives such as events, seminars, training sessions, joint workcamps, and informative sessions, HUJ actively raises awareness among youth and encourages them to take action. By organizing these diverse activities, HUJ aims to empower young people to become informed advocates and catalysts for positive social change in their communities.

One of the fields of operation involves managing long-term European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programs, organizing local summer workcamps, and facilitating the participation of Armenian volunteers in international work camps and seminars. These efforts aim to foster cross-cultural exchange, promote solidarity among youth, and cultivate skills in volunteers that contribute to development goals. By engaging in these activities, HUJ not only enhances the personal and professional growth of participants but also strengthens global cooperation and understanding among diverse communities.

All of this is achieved through collaboration with partners from various countries who are also members of the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations. These partnerships enable our activities to foster collaboration among organizations and amplify their global impact. By working together, these organizations strengthen international cooperation and extend the reach and effectiveness of our initiatives worldwide.

What is our mission?

Our mission at HUJ is to empower youth through national and international volunteer programs, promoting inclusivity and collaboration. We advocate for vulnerable groups such as refugees, children with special needs, and marginalized individuals, striving to amplify their visibility and support across local, national, and international platforms.

Our mission at HUJ is multifaceted and driven by several core objectives. We prioritize collaboration with both local and international entities to enhance the effectiveness and reach of our initiatives. By forging partnerships with organizations and stakeholders across borders, we strive to create sustainable solutions and amplify our impact on social issues.

Our mission emphasizes the empowerment of youth through meaningful engagement in national and international volunteer programs. By offering opportunities for personal growth, skill development, and leadership roles, we aim to equip young people with the tools and confidence to become active agents of positive change in their communities.

Lastly, diversity is at the heart of our approach. We celebrate and promote diversity in all its forms, fostering an inclusive environment where individuals from different backgrounds can thrive and contribute to our collective efforts. Through these principles of giving help, collaboration, youth empowerment, and embracing diversity, we work towards our vision of a more equitable and compassionate society.

Historical Overview

Our Activities

During Soviet times every year 10,000 volunteers as part of Armenian student brigades worked in big construction areas and enterprises of the former Soviet Union and Armenia. Right after the disastrous earthquake that struck Armenia in 1988, HUJ formed rescue teams which spared no effort to save more than thousand living people from the ruins.

Every year from 1989 to1993 HUJ organized brigades, consisting of 14-15 thousand people, to work in the earthquake zone doing rehabilitation and construction work. They actively participated in the reconstruction of 7 towns and 149 villages, which had appeared on the destructions. From 1993 till 1999 HUJ organised the care for lonely old people at home by 600-700 students of Medical Universities and colleges of Armenia. Since 1992 HUJ is implementing international volunteer exchanges.

In 2015, HUJ celebrated the 50th anniversary of Armenian student brigades movement, where the bright pages of this long history were presented to the public.

Every year many Armenian volunteers participate in ecological, construction, rehabilitation, cultural, aesthetic, social projects, seminars and educational workcamps abroad.

Every summer HUJ organizes international and joint workcamps in Armenia, where Armenian volunteers hand in hand with foreign volunteers do ecological and renovation work, take care of sick and disabled children, contribute to the aesthetic education of orphans and lonely children.

Every year Armenian volunteers leave for European countries to do their ESC projects with HUJ as their Sending Organisation. European long-term ESC volunteers in Armenia are hosted in projects in 12 Host Organisations supported by HUJ.

Impacts and Achievements

Seminars/Trainings organized by HUJ in Armenia

Training Course “Volunteering go for better world” held with the support of the Youth in Action Programme of EU.
Training Course “Democracy, freedom of speech and NGO-s” held with the support of the Youth in Action Programme of EU.
Training Course “Human rights learning and trainings” held with the support of the Youth in Action Programme of EU.
Training Course “Victory of Good over Evil” held with the support of the Youth in Action Programme of EU.
Joint seminar with EstYes (Estonia) “Volunteering as an Effective Means to Support Orphans and Children with Disabilities” held with the support of the Youth in Action Programme of EU.
Anti-Corruption “Building Capacity of the Civil Society to Participate in Anti-corruption initiatives in Armenia” joint project of the Government of Armenia, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) implemented by HUJ.
Seminar for “Medium and Small Enterprises” organized in cooperation with OSCE.
Technical Meeting of the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations.
General Assembly and Conference of Alliance of European Voluntary Service organizations in Armenia, Yerevan “International Voluntary Service as means of effective cooperation of youth of the post Soviet countries and the countries of the EU”.
Post Camp Event Seminar of the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations “When the East meets the West”.
“Human Rights-Learning and Training” seminar organized by HUJ supported and organized together with the Italian Government and OSCE.
International seminar of Coordinating Committee of International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) at UNESCO “Volunteering for a vision”.
“Technical Meeting” of Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations organized by HUJ in 2010, 2015, 2020.
Monitoring on “Qualification examination for candidates to receive licenses for advocate’s activities” administered by the RA Chamber of Advocates, American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA/ROLI) and USAID.
Organization of events on “Yerevan World Book Capital” by the Ministry of Culture of RA.
Seminar "Young Journalists for Democracy" organized for 30 young journalists, in collaboration with SCI Germany.

Support our charity project in

GlobalGiving

Since the Nagorno-Karabakh wars in 2020 and 2023, over 120,000 Armenian refugees have been displaced, forced to leave their homes with nothing. Many now live in inadequate conditions, facing urgent needs for housing, food, medicine, and other essentials. Our program aims to provide critical support to refugees and wounded soldiers, including food packages, hygiene products, medical care, psychological assistance, and rehabilitation equipment. By addressing these immediate needs, we help refugees and soldiers adapt to their new reality, overcome trauma, and regain independence, fostering long-term recovery and social integration.

HUJ also completed a complete renovation of one of the buildings of the rehabilitation center where wounded soldiers and disabled kids get treatment. Additionally, HUJ procured many exercise equipment designed to assist the correction of injured limbs of soldiers resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Funds from Global Giving donations were also allocated to the reconstruction of the "Happy Room" in the Republican Pediatric Rehabilitation center. It is now used as a space where sick and disabled children, including from Nagorno-Karabakh, play and participate in activities with volunteers.

Volunteers from HUJ repaired a local playground previously equipped with amusement structures previously funded by our organization.

After people of Artsakh were forcibly displaced, HUJ provided emergency aid packages containing food, hygiene products, and other essentials.