In order to promote civil society
activities in the region, a Volunteer Forum was held in Ozurgeti, Guria, within
the framework of the ”Georgian Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” and as
a part of the local celebration of Europe Day.

Carl Hartzell, Ambassador of the European
Union to Georgia, visited the Volunteer Forum, joined activities, and learned
about the participating local organizations, which presented their work and
services to their constituencies and potential volunteers.

Participants also got to know the bilateral
volunteerism platform “Time Bank” and had the opportunity to register
right away. Furthermore, Teona Sadradze, Coordinator of EuroClub and the local Student
Youth Council project gave a public lecture about the traditions of
volunteering and new opportunities. The film “Initiative is not Punishable,” the
interactive game “City Games – Find the Story, Discover Georgia, Discover
Europe” and the TimeBank Quiz enjoyed great popularity. The winners of the
games received memorable gifts.

The Volunteer Forum was organized by the
Innovations and Civic Development Center “Progress House” within the framework
of the project ”Georgian Civil Society Sustainability Initiative.” It was
developed and is implemented by a consortium led by the
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in cooperation with four Georgian Civil Society
Organizations: the Civil Society Institute (CSI), the Center for Training and
Consultancy (CTC), the Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia
(CSRDG) and the Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC). The initiative
is funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.