In October 2024, a working meeting was held with the Head of the Masis community, Davit Hambardzumyan, representatives of the community resilience team, and the UNDP Project Coordinator, Armen Chilingaryan, as part of the UNDP "Resilience for All" project. 

The goal of this project component is to strengthen the disaster preparedness and response capacity of the community, with a focus on addressing the specific needs of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh and other vulnerable groups. During the meeting, participants discussed the establishment of a volunteer rescue team, the development of a community Disaster Risk Management (DRM) plan, current challenges, and upcoming tasks.

It was emphasized that the creation of the volunteer team is guided by the community's DRM plan and the national DRM strategy. This approach aims to foster a supportive environment between the community's youth and the refugees residing in Masis. Engagement platforms like this will help strengthen DRM skills among community residents and refugees, promote social and civic interaction, and enable the application of acquired knowledge to address DRM challenges in Masis.

The formation of both the volunteer rescue team and the resilience team is being carried out on a participatory basis, ensuring the active involvement of community youth and refugees, with an emphasis on gender equality.

The meeting also covered the technical equipping of the volunteer rescue team and the organization of specialized courses and training exercises. The team will be formed according to international INSARAG (International Search and Rescue Advisory Group) standards. Armen Chilingaryan noted that the necessary technical equipment will be provided through UNDP Project funds and suggested that the Crisis Management State Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia conduct the volunteer training. This training will provide essential professional knowledge and certification for performing specific activities during emergencies.

Davit Hambardzumyan expressed gratitude for the support and mentioned that the Masis community’s Resilience Development Center is nearly complete, with its renovated space and technical resources. He added that it is planned for volunteers trained under the project to staff the center around the clock to ensure prompt responses to incidents.

Alik Ohanyan, a representative of the community resilience team, stated that the center, established through the joint efforts of the UNDP project and the Masis Community Council, will serve not only as a DRM hub for the community’s youth but also as an innovative educational center for implementing a range of programs for residents and refugees. Initiatives such as the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), drone applications for monitoring natural hazards, first aid provision, and the use of artificial intelligence in emergency situations are already being considered.

The "Resilience for All" Project is funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation in collaboration with the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia.