In August, The Independent Journalists House, a local CSO from the Ajara region, launched a series of open discussions about Europe with EWMI ACCESS support. Purpose of the discussions is to raise public awareness about Western values, educate public about the anti-western disinformation, and engage citizens in reflecting on Georgia’s Soviet past and European future.
The series started with a discussion about the influence of the Soviet era on Georgian literature. The invited speaker, writer David Gabunia, elaborated on how Soviet-era censorship affected Georgian literature, and how the Georgian literature promoted human rights and European values before and even during the Soviet period.
The second discussion featured lawyer and psychologist, Anna Arganashvili, and focused on women’s rights and social protection in the Soviet Era, modern Georgia, and modern Europe. Giorgi Kikonishvili, a prominent blogger and social activist, participated in the third topic of discussion “Homophobia as a Political Weapon” where he spoke about the common practices of using homophobic messages for cultivating anti-western attitudes and for depicting the West as an enemy and a threat to Georgian culture and traditions.
The Independent Journalists’ House will continue these discussions throughout Ajara in the coming months. The discussions will highlight that European integration is not a threat to Georgia’s national identity, as often argued by anti-western groups, but rather a powerful instrument to defend it. Discussions will engage well-known speakers from various sectors, including arts, media, and CSOs. In order to reach wider audiences, the Independent Journalist’s House will additionally employ new tools, including informational videos, posters, urban art, and essay competitions.
