Samtskhe-Javakheti. On February 14, the youth group of the NGO Union of Democrat Meskhetians has organized the event in the Akhaltsikhe Central Park dedicated to the St. Valentine’s Day.Youngsters have gathered in the city’s central park since morning. They have decorated the city’s central park with the colorful hearts and air balloons, put up the posters on the walls and made inscriptions dedicated to love. They have presented similar accessories to the park visitors as well.

Samtskhe-Javakheti. As part of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Program, the internal school discussion was held in the public school of village Didi Smadi of the Adigeni Municipality on the "Georgian Folklore or Contemporary Music”.Prior to the start of the discussion the schoolchildren were informed about the key principles of conducting the debates and participation in them, which the youngsters have used during the discussions. The older school pupils have participated in the debates, who expressed their opinions on the folklore and contemporary music. In addition, they discussed the extent of copyright protection of the Georgian songs and finally have summarized the discussion results.

Samegrelo. As part of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Program, the association "Atinati” has hosted the screening of the video "Safe Internet is the Ark of Useful Information”. The club members have recorded interviews with the celebrities in Zugdidi, in which they discuss the safety of the Internet. Discussion over the safety of Internet has followed after the showing of the video.The discussion and the video aimed to popularize safe Internet among the public and to disseminate information on the duties and responsibilities of Internet users. Source: civics.ge Video – Safe Internet – an ark of useful information.

Tbilisi. The League of Free Debates invites students to participate in the Georgian championships in political format debates. Those interested in participation can send as individual as well as team applications. Deadline for filing the applications in February 25. For the full text. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Samtskhe-Javakheti. As part of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Program, the conference was held in the Borjomi Public School #3 on "From Davit to Tamar".Schoolchildren of the Public School of village Arali of Adigeni Municipality were the initiators of the conference. The civic club members of 8 public schools have participated in the conference. The works of schoolchildren were presented, out of which three best works were identified. To raise their level of literacy, the civic clubs of winner schools were awarded with the reading literature, while all presenters have received certificates for participating in the conference.The conference aimed to support the club initiatives and to make various civic clubs involved in the Program friends with each other.

Tbilisi. Young trainers of SIQA have delivered the seminar on the Karl Popper debate format for the students of TSU on February 9. 25 participants got familiar with various types of formal debates and discussed the Karl Popper format in details. Model demo-debates were organized as part of the event. The seminar was organized within the framework of the project of ELSA - European Law Students' Association, which foresees organizing the tournament of debates among the Tbilisi-based universities.

Imereti. On February 8, another meeting of the photo-school was held for the schoolchildren of partner schools of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Program. The photo-school was founded in the Kutaisi Education, Development and Employment Center at the initiative of the civic club of Public School #7, which has united schoolchildren from the target schools of the Kutaisi program interested in photography.At the meeting the audience received information about artistic photos, portraits, news and secret recordings. In addition, they got familiar with the history of photography and the life of prominent photographers. Attendees of the photo-school will participate in the photo-contest announced as part of the program of the Kutaisi Education, Development and Employment Center. Source: kedec.ge

Imereti. The discussion "Millennium development goals in Georgia" was held for the members of the Kutaisi Youth Center on February 8. At the discussion, the audience was briefed about what should be achieved by 2015 and the 8 goals of the Millennium were discussed, obligation of implementing of which Georgia has undertaken by signing the Millennium Declaration. The discussion was held as part of the "Advancing National Integration in Georgia" project. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Imereti. On February6, as part of the project – "Active Civic Club a Prerequisite of Democratic Society", the posters and flyers were prepared in the school of Kveda Gora of the Vani Municipality. Prepared materials reflected the rights and duties of self-governments. The schoolchildren have distributed the flyers and posters to the pupils and the school staff, as well as the community residents. The activity was implemented as part of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Small Grants competition. Source: kedec.ge

Imereti. On February7, at the initiative of the civic club of the Kutaisi Public School #40, the screening of short films was organized, during which Chris Nolan's "Doodlebug" and the film produced by the program "Literature Weightlessness" were shown. A discussion has followed after the screening of the films.The event was organized as part of the small grants project "Youth against Inaction". Source: kedec.ge

Tbilisi. The Club of Young Diplomats will hold the winter session of the model Parliament on February 8-10. As part of the event, youngsters of 16-22 years of age participating in the project will get familiar with the specifics of work of the Parliament of Georgia. Youngsters will have an opportunity to become part of the events and solve the problems facing the country on their own.

Kakheti. The film "Life Continues” was shown in the office of "Media Center Kakheti” in Gurjaani. The schoolchildren, interested citizens and the NGO sector representatives have attended the film screening.According to the Youth Project Coordinator of Media Center Ilia Sakvarlishvili, similar events contribute to activating the youngsters: "the organization pays huge attention to the cultural-educational events, including the screening of films.”The discussion has followed after the film. According to the Head of NGO Day Center Guliko Rostoshvili, screening of such films and the discussions should be taking place more often: "the adolescents with disabilities and other children should meet each other more frequently and at least should be watching such films together, after which they should be discussing the problems in their city in this respect. This will help them to integrate into the society.”

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Diplomats’ Club and the course of International Relations of the TSU Faculty of Social and Political Sciences announce the submission of works for the student conference. The participants can submit works on issues of interest to them drafted within the framework of discipline of international relations.Deadline for submitting the works is 23:59 on February 24. For the full text. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Kvemo Kartli. The club "Skills for Professional Success” set up by the Georgian Association of Education Initiatives – SIQA – invites youngsters of 17-25 years of age interested in leadership and debates. Trainings in the club will be launched in February and during three months the attendees will acquire the skills of debating, argumented discussion, writing culture, analytical thinking, art of conflicts management, etc.Interested youngsters can get familiar with detailed information on the organization’s page in the social network. Source: the organization's page in the social network

Kakheti. At the joint initiative of CSOs "Civic Initiative” and "Leli”, the school-leavers residing in village Leliani were given an opportunity to live the life of students for one day. On February 2, the "Civic Initiative” has hosted the school-leavers in Tbilisi and in the first half of the day they have attended lectures in the Ilia University to better understand the quality of teaching and specifics of various specialties. In the second half of the day they have attended the meeting of the "Civic Initiative” and the "Smile of the Future” Foundation, where they have participated in planning of the activities.Authors of the initiative believe that such events will increase the motivation of school-leavers and facilitate their active involvement in the public life. Source:facebook.com/samokalakoiniciativa

Samtskhe-Javakheti.On January28, as part of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Program, the civic club members of the Public School of village Klde of the Akhaltsikhe Municipality have delivered the training in "healthy life style".The training was delivered in three stages. Peer educators have discussed the use of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes among the youth and its deplorable results. Schoolchildren have discussed what is the healthy life style, what are the harmful habits that youngsters tend to have, which problems accompany these habits and what should be done for the adolescents not to be addicted to alcohol, drugs and nicotine.

KvemoKartli. SIQA has organized the interim summary event of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Program on January 30 in the MarneuliSakrebulo. At the event attended by over 120 active club members and supervisers, five clubs of the region have presented their club work. Program Coordinator in the KvemoKartli Region has reviewed the results achieved during the current year. Source:the organization's page in the social network.

Samtskhe-Javakheti.On January 30, the Adult Education Association of Georgia has organized in the Akhaltsikhe Civic Engagement Center the awarding ceremony of graduates of the "Scholarship Program for Access to Learning English Language” (Accss). In addition, the program results were summarized.This program is being implemented in four cities of Georgia and is funded by the US Embassy. 26 adolescents have undertaken the full program course in Akhaltsikhe. Head of the Public Relations Department of the US Embassy Michael Turner has awarded the first graduates with certificates and gifts.The Scholarship Program for Access to Learning English Language aims to make learning English language accessible to adolescents from economically poor families. Apart from learning English language, children will get familiar with the American culture and customs and develop leadership skills.

Guria. As part of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Program, the Guria Youth Resource Center has organized an interim conference on January 29 in the Ozurgeti Civic Engagement Center. The conference aimed at informing the local population about the activities carried out as part of the Program in July-December 2012. Members of the civic clubs and initiative groups operating in the target schools of the Program, supporting teachers, representatives of the Education Resource Center and mass media have attended the event.Awarded at the event were 5 adolescent and host organizations participating in the Program’s internship component.

Samtskhe-Javakheti.As part of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Program, the meeting was organized on 26 January in the assembly hall of the Akhaltsikhe Municipality between the Sakrebulo Chair and leaders of civic clubs of partner schools involved in the Program.The meeting aimed at identifying the ways of future cooperation. The Director of the Akhaltsikhe Youth Center has informed the Sakrebulo Chair about the Program and the activities already carried out. He also informed the civic club members about targeted utilization of funds intended for co-funding of small grants in the budget of the Akhaltsikhe Municipality Sakrebulo.The civic club leaders have shared with the Sakrebulo Chair the existing problems in the Municipality and their vision on solving them. Absence of ramps in the town, street dogs, cleaning, non-observance of food sanitary norms, unrestricted sale of cigarettes and alcohol to minors, absence of control on admission of minors to betting and poker clubs – these very problems were raised at the meeting.The Sakrebulo Chair has offered to youngsters to develop projects for solving these problems within the scope of amounts allocated in the Municipality budget for supporting the co-funding of youth initiatives.

Adjara. The initiative group „BATUMI REPRESENTS" has held the conference in the Batumi Civic Engagement Center on the topic – youth and drug addiction. In addition, the problem of use and distribution of psychotropic substances was discussed at the meeting. As the conference organizers have stated, the interested persons have access to psychotropic substances in drug stores with no restriction and without doctor’s prescription. One of the speakers, the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Adjara Levan Gorgiladze pledged to take effective steps on behalf of the Ministry together with youngsters to solve the identified problems. Students, schoolchildren, CSO and media representatives have attended the meeting, as well as the representatives of the Ministry of Health and young artists, who at the end of the meeting have read out the poems of modern poets to the attending audience and have exhibited their creations, and in particular the felt works.

Samegrelo. As part of the project of the charity humanitarian center "Abkhazeti" - "Youth Civic Partnership Initiative", the cinema club was founded with the Public School #7 in Poti. Opening ceremony was held on January 18 and it was attended by the representatives of local authorities, media and other guests. After the presentation, the first Georgian documentary - "Akaki's Travel in Racha-Lechkhumi" was shown, following which the schoolchildren and film critics have discussed the film.The project of the humanitarian fund "Abkhazeti" is financially supported by the "Open Society – Georgia" Foundation. Source:the organization's page in the social network.