Policy Forum – Public Attitudes towards European Integration and the State Communication Strategy regarding the EU

Date: December 15, 2015

Time: 14:00 – 17:00

Venue: Tbilisi Marriott Hotel

The East-West Management Institute’s (EWMI) ACCESS project is organizing policy forum on public attitudes towards European integration and government’s EU communication strategy. Purpose of the forum is to review findings of the recent public opinion polls and discuss opportunities for using these data for improving Communication and Information Strategy of the Government of Georgia in the Sphere of EU Integration for 2013-2017.

What is the public knowledge about EU? What are the specific myths regarding EU integration disseminated in public and how can they be debunked? What are the specific areas to be addressed by policy-makers? How can the European integration best be promoted within the ethnic minority population? What information channels should be used to reach the target audience?  – These are the questions the Policy Forum will try to address.

Representatives of Georgian government institutions, civil society organizations, media, academia, businesses, and donor organizations will participate in the panel discussion.

Agenda

Introductory remarks

14:00 – 14:10 – Tamar Karosanidze, ACCESS Chief of Party

Key Presentations

 14:10 – 14:30 – Tamar Kinsturashvili, Chair of the Board, Media Development Foundation (MDF),  Lela Khomeriki, researcher at MDF – Presentation of the survey results: “Youth Attitudes towards EU Integration Process” & policy recommendations

14:30 – 14:50 –  Koba Turmanidze, President of CRRC Georgia – How can the survey results “Knowledge of and Attitudes towards the EU in Georgia” inform communication policy?

14:50 – 15:10 – Ehtel Halliste, Senior Expert on Communication and Public Diplomacy, Estonian Center of Eastern Partnership –  Sharing Estonia’s experience: ideas for Georgia’s communication strategy

15:10 – 15:30 – Salome Samadashvili, Executive Director and Founder, Center for Strategic Communications and Democracy – Effective strategic communication in face of Russian propaganda and rising Euro-skepticism

 15:30 – 15:50 – Mariam Rakviashvili, Deputy State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration – State Communication and Information Strategy on EU Integration: Assessing Past, Looking Ahead

16:00 – 17:00 – Discussion