Initiated by the regional hub partner, the Young
Scientist Union “Intellect,” a Regional Civil Society Forum was held
on the 10th of July at the hotel “Georgia Palace” in Kobuleti, Adjara. The goals were to present the activities of local CSOs and to promote volunteerism.

Throughout the event, guests had the chance
to get to know the bilateral volunteerism platform “Time Bank” as well as
up to twenty local CSOs with differing focuses such as formal and informal
education, empowerment of persons with special needs, gender-related issues and
support small businesses.

Within the framework of the forum, a memorandum
of the partnership was signed by five Adjarian city halls to promote volunteerism in
the region. A first joint initiative, a new platform to encourage corporate
social responsibility in the Adjara, was already presented during the fair.

The forum was organized in the frame 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.