Guria. A meeting was organized on October 6 at the initiative of the Ozurgeti Youth Center in the office of the "Young Teachers' Union", aimed at discussing current problems and prospects with respect to tourism in the region. Heads of the Ozurgeti Municipality Services for the City, Sports, Youth and Tourism and foreign volunteers have attended the presentation. Along with invited guests, youngsters have discussed the attractiveness of Guria for tourists and what must be improved in the region in this respect.

Shida Kartli. Active members of environmental clubs (clubs of eight public schools of the Gori Municipality) set up by the charity humanitarian center "Apkhazeti", who are preparing for the schoolchildren's conference on environmental issues, were on a field trip to forest tracts in the Ateni Valley on October 5. Field trip was organized so that schoolchildren could receive consultations on spot on issues of interest to them - schoolchildren were accompanied in the forest by the heads of their clubs as well as environmental protection experts and the local forestry farming specialist. The activity was implemented as part of the project - "Youth Participation and Development", funded by USAID and implemented in partnership with UNICEF

Tbilisi. The Youth Parliament of Georgia appeals to everyone to notify the organization about their own and regional problems.The organization has released a statement in the social network. "Would you like your problem to be heard from the CoE tribune? Would you like for the international community to pay more attention to the challenges that the youth and not only the youth face in Georgia?Let us know about your and your region's problem today". For the full text. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Shida Kartli.  Representatives of the United States Agency for International Development have visited on October 1 the Gori Youth Center functioning with the "Center for Welfare and Development". They have met with the local schoolchildren and students. Meeting participants have discussed problems that the youth face and ways of overcoming them. Youngsters have shared with the guests experience and examples of successful partnership between students and their senior colleagues. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. Union "Anika" has opened the youth club "Anika Room" on September 30. The integrated youth club aims to secure dignified life in the society for youngsters with disabilities and their other peers. The club already hosted the exhibition of works by young painters. The audience had the opportunity to get familiar with and purchase T-shirts, fairy tales, books and other items with paintings and drawings by the beneficiaries of "Anika". Representatives of the diplomatic corps, the authorities, as well as the organization's partner CSOs have attended the opening of the club. Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Imereti. Seminar was delivered for members of the Kutaisi Youth Center in "How to hold schoolchildren's self-government elections at schools". The meeting aimed to inform youngsters and develop their practical skills in respect of the role, objectives, functions and duties of self-government in public schools. Accordingly, training participants have discussed polling procedures of the schoolchildren's self-government elections and other related procedural issues. Youngsters participating in the training will themselves organize schoolchildren's self-government elections in the public schools of Kutaisi and the Imereti municipalities.The event was organized as part of the Advancing National Integration project. Source: the Center's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The Association of Young Economists of Georgia has started receiving articles on various topics. 10 best works will be printed and 3 winners will be identified. The articles should cover topics such as: ways of increasing the transparency of public finances in Georgia, opportunities for increasing direct foreign investments, need for amendments in the business regulatory legislation, etc.One student is allowed to submit several articles. For the full text. Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Kakheti. CHCA’s new Peace Corps volunteer, Sara Feldman, took a trip to Telavi with Thea Kacharava, Program Manager for CHCA’s Small Group Homes, supported by the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia. Sara and Thea visited two homes and met with caregivers, children and parents. Source: the organization's page in the social network

Tbilisi. Three mobile teams, 4 day care and overnight centres have already become operational in Tbilisi to address the needs of hundreds of children working and living on the streets. The services are part of the two year project beingimplemented by the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs in partnership with UNICEF and funded by European Union.  The initiative has established services and mechanisms that identify children living and working on the streets, offer them immediate support and protection and work with them and their families with the ultimate goal of integrating them into existing social and child protection services. The initiative also involves the Ministry of Education and Science, Ministries of Justice, Internal Affairs, Finance, and the Tbilisi Municipality. The NGOs World Vision, Caritas Georgia and Child and Environment are providing the children with appropriate, individually tailored services. For the full text Source: unicef.ge

For school children exchange program (FLEX) for future leaders has been announced. The first round will start on September 27 and participants will have opportunity to take testing in Kutaisi, Gori, Borjomi, Akhaltsikhe, Batumi, Zugdidi, Telavi, Marneuli and Tbilisi for a month period. The program is entirely financed by the US State Department.  For the full text about the program Source: The US Embassy’s page in the social network 

Kakheti. The new school year has started in Telavi Democracy School. In the fall term 25 candidates selected by competition will take training course in Telavi Democracy School.Telavi Democracy School was open on September 15, 2011 with support of Democracy Institute of Netherlands. NIMD Democracy schools represent intensive educational program destined for representatives of local self-governments, non-governmental sector, media, political parties, academic circles and active citizens interested in modern democratic issues. Participants shall be older than 18.    

Guria. On September 15 International Day of Democracy was held in Ozurgeti Youth Center. Local media representatives and foreign volunteers took part in the meeting together with young people. Each group represented portrait of democracy by illustrations and messages. At the end of presentations they discussed democracy as the most important value. Source: Center web-site in social network      

Imereti. Training– "Identification of problems, selection of priorities and their advocacy to authorities” was held for Kutaisi Youth Center members. The meeting was led by the Region Development Center trainers Nino Loladze and Maka Shengelia. The following issues were discussed at the training: identification of problem, negotiation techniques, providing advocacy campaign, self-governing role and functions, citizens’ participation in decision- making process, budget planning and etc. Source: Organization web-site in social network      

Samtskhe-Javakheti.On September 12 an encampment was held on Aspindza rugby base for youth with disabilities; within its framework sport-creative festival and social movie days will be held.The participants will gradually come to the camp from various centers of Tbilisi and Samtskhe-Javakheti. Exhibition of photos and hand-made things of youth will be held at the base. Also folklore events and movie shows will be provided; excursion will be held for young people. Sport-creative festival of youth with disabilities and social movie days in Aspindza has been held organized by the Union "Rea” and supported by Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of Georgia.The camp will last for 4 days; up to 50 young people with disabilities are involved in it.        

Adjara. The Head of the "Young Collegium" has presented a project on September 11 in the Batumi Civic Engagement Center.As part of the project "European Course - Conscious Choice of Young Politicians", meetings to raise qualification of young leaders of political parties in Adjara will be organized in the future as well. As part of the meeting, the participants were informed about drawing up political documents, public appearances and debating skills. The project aims to prepare young politicians for the future activities in order to achieve the sustainability of the country's foreign vector and the stability. The project is supported by the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy.

Imereti. Training in "Health Lifestyle - First Initiative" was delivered on September11 for 15 members of the Kutaisi Youth Center.Training aimed to raise youngster's awareness and develop new, practical skills for the healthy lifestyle as the priority initiative, making a useful choice for one's own health, etc. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Shida Kartli. "Friendship Bridge - Kartlosi" implements project - "Enhancing Youth Engagement at Regional Level in Georgia".The project aims to activate youngsters and increase their involvement in the development of local communities, create favorable environment for rethinking the significance of the civil society, and promote broader education for youth required for carrying out the advocacy process.The young self-government school is set up as part of this project. Training in the self-government issues was already delivered to the Gori group. Similar trainings will be delivered to the Kareli and Kaspi groups as well. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Adjara. On September 10, the Batumi Mayor Giorgi Ermakov and representatives of the City Hall services have met with youngsters who have participated in developing the Batumi Youth Support Program. This Program was developed by the union for development and cooperation "Progress", which aims to engage youth in the self-government work and share experience to interested youngsters. As part of the Program, youngsters will be involved not only in the development of various programs of the City Hall Services, but in their implementation as well.

Samtskhe-Javakheti.At the initiative of one of the members of the Akhaltsikhe Youth Center Viktoria Eghian, another presentation on "Domestic Violence and its Impact on Children" was delivered on September 9 in Akhaltsikhe, in the conference hall of CSO "Union of Democrat Meskhetians".Youngsters interested in the issue have attended the event, which ended with active discussion among the participants.The presentation was developed as part of the project - "Advancing National Integration in Georgia", implemented by the UN Association of Georgia (UNAG) with financial support of the US Agency for International Development.

Guria. Youngsters of the Ozurgeti Youth Center have celebrated the International Literacy Day on September 8. At the event, youngsters have discussed books of their interest and expressed opinions on the need to read books. They have advised peers to read this or that book and talked about the importance of the Literacy Day.A mobile library program is functioning in the Ozurgeti Youth Center for the third consecutive year, as part of which interested readers can get familiar with the works of contemporary Georgian and foreign writers. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Imereti. As part of the "Advancing National Integration in Georgia" project, peer educators have delivered a training in "Leadership and Active Citizenship" for the Center members on September 9 in the Kutaisi Education, Development and Employment Center.The training aimed to raise youth's awareness on active citizenship and leadership skills. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Samtskhe-Javakheti. As part of the environmental project, 15 youngsters are in the Atskuri eco-camp, who were selected from Borjomi, Atskuri and Kharagauli based on the contest.The project "Introducing Co-Participative Monitoring System of Rare and Endangered Species in the Borjom-Kharagauli National Park" is implemented by CSO "Nacres" in partnership with the Samtskhe-Javakheti Media Center and the Borjom-Kharagauli National Park.Along with environmental organizations, up to 30 youngsters are involved in the project. In the Atskuri camp youngsters are undertaking trainings and practical exercises.Trainings aim to broaden experience in the field practice and application of present-day methods, which the youngsters will use in the future biodiversity monitoring activities.