The Georgian Institute of Politics in partnership with German grass-root organization Polis180 launched a new project – “GeoNext2022: Partnerships for Youth Engagement”. GeoNext2022 aims to support local initiative groups across Georgia to implement small projects that would further the country’s advancement in the fields of digitalization, inclusion, climate change, and regional economic development.
On June 9, a kick-off meeting took place online introducing eight winners of small grants competition, who bring forward initiatives that encourage their peers, engage businesses and local authorities and strive for change in local communities.
SELECTED PROJECTS:
Climate Change / Sustainability
“Youth against climate change”
Location: Kazbegi, Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Activities: The project aims to raise awareness among young people about environmental issues and climate change. The initiative group will conduct trainings and a local info campaign on environmental issues. The project also foresees holding an essay competition; writing blogs, and hosting a youth conference on climate change, challenges and solutions.
“Act for climate”
Location: Pankisi, Kakheti
Activities: The initiative group will focus their efforts on awareness-raising about waste management and climate change. Addressing the infrastructure and informational needs in Pankisi, they plan trainings, cleaning events of the picnic spots and advocacy campaign to boost recycling in the region.
Mentor: Polyvim LLC
Inclusion
“Youth for change in the regions”
Location: Tbilisi
Activities: The project also aims to develop social skills in people with disabilities and their peers by creating a “Friendship Club”. The Club will become a space for young people to share experiences with each other, raise awareness and promote inclusive education.
“Accessibility of public spaces for the people with disability”
Location: Senaki, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti.
Activities: Aba Ula is a Megrelian fighting cry, aimed at uniting young people around local problems. Aba Ula has just been established and already unites about twenty young people. The aim of the project is to start a discussion on creating an inclusive environment in Senaki; Promoting awareness of the needs of people with disabilities; Access to public space for people with disabilities. At the same time, Aba Ula’s Senaki initiative group will be strengthened for future initiatives.
Mentors: Caritas Georgia; WECF
Regional Economic Development
“Camp of the Youth Ideas”
Location: Kobuleti, Adjara
Activities: The aim of this project is to deepen the knowledge of young people living in the Adjara region, in particular in Kobuleti municipality, about start-ups: how they work and function and what is needed to start your own micro and small business venture. Throughout the project, participants will be able to study the necessary stages for the start-ups and to put it into practice.
“Utilization of the Bagdati and Dusheti municipalities’ economic potential”
Location: Baghdadi, Imereti / Dusheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti.
Activities: The project initiators will engage with young people living in Baghdati and Dusheti, and surrounding villages, to promote entrepreneurship in the fields of tourism and agriculture. In total 50 people will be trained, informing them about business support opportunities in Georgia (ARDA, Enterprise Georgia, GITA), and teaching how to write a plan to increase the efficiency of their business.
Mentor: GIZ
Digitalization
“Digitalization of studying of Georgian language for the integration of the ethnic minorities”
Location: Tbilisi
Activities: In order to facilitate the integration process of ethnic minorities, the project aims to digitize Georgian language teaching, in particular, the idea of the project is to create and launch a new 3,000 exercises for the Anidabani mobile language learning application tailored to the needs of ethnic minorities. In addition, public consultations are planned to disseminate the project activities.
Mentor: Sweeft
“The Business Accelerator – Tsageri”
Location: Tsageri, Racha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti.
Activities: The aim of the project is to equip locals and startups interested in obtaining micro and small grants in Tsageri Municipality with the appropriate skills. This will enable them to properly identify promising economic activities and create relevant grant projects. Project activities include raising awareness among 15 participants about promising economic areas and teach them business project writing techniques; Give them information about potential donor organizations and hold 3 consultation meetings; Selected 5 participants will be mentored to help them turn their business ideas into a specific grant project.
Mentors: 8000 Vintages
At the kick off event, eight selected initiative groups met meet with mentors and experts on civic engagement and the project thematic areas to discuss challenges and identify leverage points for action. Later on, each group will be matched with German youth representatives selected in a separate process who will support them in organizing the local events from a grassroots perspective.
#GeoNext2022: Partnerships for Youth Engagement“ is implemented by the Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP) in partnership with the German grass-root organization Polis180, with the support of the German Federal Foreign Office.
