In the Culture and Recreational Park in
Ozurgeti (Guria region), a Regional Civil Society Forum has been organized to present
the activities of local CSOs and to promote volunteerism. Up to ten local CSOs
and the representatives of small businesses participated in the forum.

The event was opened by a concert of the children’s
group “Binuli” and the organizers’ speeches, which underlined the
importance of the forum. Moreover, the most active volunteers in Guria, the
members of the “Euro Club,” were awarded by representatives of the
volunteering platform TimeBank.

The regional forum also offered a variety
of smaller and bigger activities for visitors such as learning about the
processing and preparation of local teas, as well as making bamboo items; they
were also constantly able to familiarize with the work of local organizations
and sign up for volunteering.

After a presentation of the volunteerism
platform to all on the big stage, the TimeBank tent not only attracted people
with small giveaways but also with a challenging quiz related to the culture of
volunteering in Georgia.

The forum was organized as part 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.