Strengthening and supporting new and experienced civic activists is a top priority for the USAID Civil Society Engagement Program. One activity aimed at furthering this priority is the five-day training course in nonviolent and creative forms of activism, which is held twice a year and delivered by the Belgrade-based Center for Applied Nonviolent Actions and Strategies (CANVAS). CANVAS has 20 years of experience in training and mentoring pro-democracy activists from over 50 countries.
The third round of training was held on March 25-29, with 17 students from Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, and Batumi attending. They learned about nonviolent methods of civic activism, self-organization, and citizen engagement. In addition to theoretical lessons, the participants worked on practical assignments, including formulating campaign plans.
In the coming months, CANVAS will continue to be involved with the participants, conducting individual consultations and additional group sessions on important aspects of civic campaigns, such as campaign branding, visual communication, and media relations.
