October holds great significance for the Armenian Progressive Youth (APY), as it marks the culmination of a remarkable journey that began back in 2015 – when representatives from APY and Swedish organization Fryshuset met in Stockholm. The APY delegation was inspired by Fryshuset’s outstanding work, innovative approaches, world-class facilities, and their extensive experience in youth engagement. Notably, Grigor Yeritsyan, the President of APY, found this encounter particularly inspiring.
This meeting ignited a shared aspiration – to bring the inspiration and expertise of Fryshuset back to Armenia. It marked the beginning of a transformative journey that has led to the historic partnership. This October, two organizations completed the formalization of a groundbreaking partnership – signing a strategic partnership agreement.
Starting from October 2023, APY will proudly assume the role of the official representative of Fryshuset in Armenia. Furthermore, the Alternative Youth Center, operating under the APY banner, is now officially affiliated with Fryshuset.
During the official partnership signing ceremony, Grigor Yeritsyan, President of the Armenian Progressive Youth and Johan Oljeqvist, CEO of Fryshuset, spoke with enthusiasm about the inception of this truly exciting partnership, underscoring the confidence in the positive outcomes that this collaboration will yield, offering young individuals fresh experiences and making a meaningful contribution to the global community.
In the years ahead, both organizations will work closely to establish new youth centers throughout Armenia, thereby initiating a transformative impact on the youth and, indeed, on a global scale. Through this partnership, APY will have access to a wealth of concepts, methodologies, and results that Fryshuset has developed over the past four decades – making these invaluable resources accessible to youth organizations in Armenia.
In 2022, the Alternative Youth Center, a youth center in Yerevan, was jointly established by two organizations. This center stands as the finest embodiment of the partnership, providing a vital meeting place for young people. The shared vision of APY and Fryshuset is to replicate and scale up these meeting places throughout Armenia, creating more spaces where the potential of Armenia’s youth can be nurtured and realized.
