Under USAID and Sida funded project Increasing Youth Participation in Georgia, Europe Foundation conducted Cross-cultural communications training for 10 YB members prior to the leadership conference in Sarajevo. While prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination were discussed among all Youth Bank members during the Youth Bank methodology training, this training also put specific emphasis on tolerance building and communicating across cultures, in order to heighten the participants’ awareness of key issues around stereotypes, active listening, and non-aggressive communication before leaving to Sarajevo. The trainings also provided a space to address any concerns they had prior to meeting their peers from other ethnic backgrounds and with different perspectives regarding conflict.

Tbilisi. On June 15, 2016, the Public Defender of Georgia and members of the Council of National Minorities met with Mikheil Giorgadze, Minister of Culture and Monument Protection. ''Irine Saganelidze, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Art of the Ministry of Culture, presented a report on the Ministry’s activities in the field of preservation of culture of national minorities in 2015-2016,'' is noted in the statement. In full… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Electronic Book House "Saba" starts working on the first Audio Books in Georgia with the support of the ''Open Society Georgia Foundation''. ''In a few months blind people will receive from ''Saba'' hundreds of audio books as a gift that will be fully adapted to them, which means that blind people will be able to "listen” to those books independently, without a help of others'' – is stated on the web-page of the organization. In full... Source:www.osgf.ge

On 15 March, the opening ceremony of the exhibition "The First Women Members of Parliament in the Democratic History of Georgia 1919-1921" took place in the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The exhibition, organized by Women's Information Center and by the Permanent Representation of Georgia to the United Nations, with the support of the National Archives of Georgia, the Georgian Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection and the US State Department, will be open until 24 March within the framework of the 60th Session of UN's Commission on the Status of Women. In full… Source: Social network

Tbilisi. The European Union Delegation in Georgia together with the Embassies of the EU Member States are proud to announce the 4th EU Film Festival in Georgia from 09-18 March 2016 in Tbilisi, Rustavi, Bolnisi, Kutaisi and Mestia. This year the festival features 17 films spanning 72 years of European cinema specially selected to address the theme ''Turning Points'', and explore the importance of decisions in our personal, social and political lives. All films will be shown in their original language version, with Georgian subtitles. In full… Screening Time… Source: www.eufilm.ge

Tbilisi. On February 24, at the conference hall of the National Library, the Human Rights Center has held a presentation of the report - "status of cultural heritage of religious minority in Georgia". The Human Rights Center has prepared a report within the framework of the project - "Retention of heritage of religious minorities". The project has been implemented with financial support from the Canadian government. In full… Source:The web-page of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. The Cinema Art Center ''Prometheus'', with the financial support of the South Caucasus regional office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation has prepared a special, gender section at the 16th International Film Festival. ''Main theme of the festival of this year is namely the rights of women, while within the frames of the section ''Womeneyes'' seven full-length feature films, made by the female directors, will be shown'' – is stated on the web-page or the organization. In full... Source:www.feminism-boell.org

On Saturday 31 October 2015, the European Union Delegation to Georgia in cooperation will the EU Member States will launch the 2015 EU Week of Culture with the theme: Cultural Bonds. With over 30 different artists from 8 EU member states presenting 20 events in 7 cities in Georgia, EU Week of Culture reaches out to Georgians all over the country to emphasise the common cultural values between Georgia and European Union member states through music, visual arts, literature and theatre.  In full... Source: eeas.europa.eu

Tbilisi. Information meeting of the Culture Office of The European Union program "Creative Europe” has been held at the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia, where the funding priorities and conditions of Cooperation Projects have been discussed. Georgia is the first among the countries of Eastern Partnership of the European Union, which has become a member of the European Union program "Creative Europe”. "Creative Europe” has been established to support European cinema, culture and creative sectors and sets an objective to increase their role in economic growth and creation of jobs. On August 6, within the framework of the Culture Office, the acceptance of Cooperation Projects has started. In full… Source: culture.gov.ge

Adjara. On August 6-8 the society witnessed "Batumi Backyard Stories”, organized by "Micro-foni” entity. It has been the 4th year already since the project takes place in Batumi. "Batumi Backyard Stories” represents cultural-art initiative, which brings joint creative process of artists into societal, public environment. Public environment involves one of the backyard streets of Batumi and several courts, where, in the framework of the project, artists from Batumi, Tbilisi and abroad, together with inhabitants of the court, "interpret” interesting personal stories, family photo material, household items, urban-architectural environment of court and daily life into the language of art. 6 foreign and 8 Georgian artists have participated in the project.

Tbilisi. The 16th Tbilisi International Film Festival will be dedicated to women's rights. The agenda of the Tbilisi International Festival, to be carried out under the auspices of the first lady of Georgia, will enable the audience to once again discuss through international movies the key issues such as gender equality, women's political, social or cultural realization, violence against women, feminism, women's cinema, and women in art. Read more... Source: www.ginsc.net

Kakheti. CSO ''Heritage for Future'' has organized a meeting to discuss immaterial cultural heritage. The organization was implementing a project concerning immaterial cultural heritage. As part of the project, the organization has carried out field works and registered immaterial heritage, including the technology and culture of making a 'churchkhela', Kakhetian bread-baking technology, Kakhetian hat-making technology, etc. According to the organization's representatives, they plan to provide relevant agency with documentary and registration cards in order to launch the procedure of granting the status of cultural heritage monument. At this stage the Kakhetian hat-making technology and the 'Churchkhela' making technology and culture have been submitted.

Tbilisi. From May10, four thousand miniature soldiers have occupied a cross road at Vazha-Pshavela and the Pekini Street. "Green Cover" is the name of this installation, created as part of the art project initiated by CSO "Walk". 5 winners of this project will appear throughout May in various public spaces and present young artists' vision on social or ecological issues prevailing in the city. For the full text... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. "Tiflis Hamqari" has released a statement over Mirza Shaf project. "On 2 March 2015 the Tbilisi Architecture Service and investor ("Apollo G.S." LLC) have announced a contest on drawing up a sketch design for the development of Mirza Shaf Street in Tbilisi. ... Mirza Shaf's contest has demonstrated that all nine submitted designs violate uniform scale of the district formed traditionally, ignore landscape's characteristics, neglect the nature of traditionally formed urban texture and artistic-architectural integrity, and contradict international principle of gentle revitalization concerning the development of historical cities... For the full text... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Kakheti. "Go Group" and the youth CSO "Droni" are organizing a festival in isolated village Udabno. The event will involve international volunteers and artists, who will assist the local population in rethinking their own interests and potential. The festival is organized through the sole efforts of volunteers of "Go Group" and "Droni", and therefore requires further support. For the full text... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has appealed to the Chief Prosecutor's Office of Georgia, "urging it to launch investigation into explosion of the Sakdrisi-Kachaghiani archaeological site on 13 December 2014". "... According to official information at GYLA's disposal, during the explosion on the Sakdrisi-Kachaghiani license block N1 on 13 December 2014, "RMG-Gold" LLC did not have a relevant permit from the Technical and Constructions Supervision Agency", the appeal disseminated by the organization states. For the full text... Source: gyla.ge

Kakheti. At the initiative of CSO "Regional Development Center", pending cultural projects in the municipality were discussed in Sighnaghi. CSO representatives, students and active youngsters have attended the meeting in a dialogue format. Participants have discussed pending cultural projects in the Sighnaghi Municipality and the future plans. This event aims to involve youth in democratic processes, workshops, and to establish examples and forms of citizen participation by implementing the project they had planned.

Tbilisi. CSO "Heritage for Future" reports that Georgia is preparing to submit in UNESCO the nomination "Three scripts of the Georgian alphabet – majuscule (asomtavruli), miniscule (nuskhuri) and modern lay (mkhedruli). "Collecting signatures is an imperative condition for submitting the nomination ... therefore, please join the petition ...", the report says. The petition... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. As "Liberal's" journalist reports, the Tbilisi Appellate Court has rejected a lawsuit of the company RMG GOLD, the Agency for Cultural Heritage, and the Government of Georgia. They were challenging the decision of the City Court, which has partially granted a lawsuit by "Green Alternative" and individual citizen Davit Sakhvadze. For the full text (geo)... Source: liberali.ge

Tbilisi. The EU Delegation to Georgia launches the "EU Film Festival 2015" in Georgia from February20 through March 1. Films will be screened across Georgia in 5 cities: Tbilisi, Gori, Kutaisi, Zugdidi and Poti. Detailed schedule of the film festival Source: www.eufilm.ge

Tbilisi. The "School of Liberalism" has hosted historian Buba Kudava's lecture - "Cultural heritage – heading towards past or future?". The School offers video recording of the lecture in the social network. The lecture     Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. Georgian Young Lawyers' Association released a statement regarding the Renewal of Works at the Sakdrisi-Kachaghiani Site. "The decisions made by the Ministry and the Agency are particularly outrageous since there is still no information on whether the prosecution is conducting the investigation on the fact of damaging Sakdrisi-Kachaghiani as the archaeological site (the facts of damage were properly documented on January 8 and March 13, 2014). Unfortunately, despite a number of efforts of GYLA to obtain  information on whether the investigation has started or not, such an information was not provided". For the full text Source: gyla.ge