On November 17, 2022, within the framework of the EU – supported “Civil Society STAR Initiative” project, a regional volunteering forum was organized by the Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC) and Guria Regional Hub – Innovation and Civil Development Center – “Progress House”.

The forum was attended by young people (high school pupils, students), civil education teachers and vocational schools, volunteers, representatives of local non-governmental and community organizations, self-governments, media, and various groups of society.

The goal of the forum was to actively involve the youth of the Guria region in solving the needs of the local community, promote the culture of volunteering, communication between volunteer organizations and people interested in volunteering, and the role and activities of youth councils. Also, increasing the awareness of regional public organizations among the population, informing forum participants about their activities and implemented projects.

Within the framework of the event, an exhibition/presentation of the activities of civil and community organizations and social enterprises operating in Guria was organized in a specially allocated space. The representatives of the organizations offered young people interested in volunteering to engage in volunteer activities.

At the forum, Lanchkhuti Youth Council introduced its activities to the audience to popularize the role and activities of youth councils. The second part of the forum was devoted to a panel discussion on the topic “Volunteering and active citizenship”.

The forum was organised within the framework of the European Union (EU) and Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) funded project “Civil Society STAR Initiative: CSOs as Sustainable, Transparent, Accountable and Resilient Development Actors in Georgia” (2021-2025).