EDUCATION www.georgiatoday.ge
Issue no: 008
facebook.com/ georgiatoday
• APRIL 2017
• PUBLISHED MONTHLY
PRICE: GEL 2
In this issue... European School: What Makes a Great Teacher PAGE 2
Continuing Professional Development, Teaching for Success Conference Held PAGE 5
Learn, Save & Earn!
FOCUS
PAGE 9
ON A BETTER WORLD What can you do with your old mobile phone? What problems do wheelchair users have? What makes a brilliant teacher? How can you save money to make your wish come true? This and more inside!
18-year-olds Try to Fix the E-Waste Problem in Armenia PAGE 12
Photo by: Andrew McConnell/Panos Pictures
Year-Long Celebration Launched Marking Georgia-Germany Relations BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI
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n April 21, the Georgia-Germany Year 2017 officially began with an opening ceremony at Tbilisi City Assembly, celebrating two of the most important dates: the arrival of the first German immigrants to Georgia 200 years ago and the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. 2018 will then mark 100 years since the recognition of independence for the first Democratic Republic of Georgia by Germany in 1918.
The Georgia-Germany Year 2017 program will be celebrated with a series of important events, including theatrical performances, concerts, exhibitions, literature evenings, business forums and projects in the development, economic and sports spheres, to be organized in both
countries with the financial and organizational support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Goethe Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia. In addition, Georgia is to be the Guest of Honor at the
Frankfurt Book Fair in 2018. Goethe Institute President, KlausDieter Lehmann, and the Charge d’ Affairs of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cultural Policy Issues, were in Tbilisi to attend the official opening ceremony on April 21. Within the opening ceremony framework an exhibition titled ‘The Heritage of the Future -200 years: Georgian-German Stories’ was held, showing materials illustrating the history of Georgian-German relations using a web archive.
More information regarding the Georgian-German Year can be found at www.facebook.com/ DeuGeo2017
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European School: What Makes a Great Teacher
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ost parents look for schools where their children will get the best education and comfort. The best education depends not only on the textbooks the schools choose, but also on the staff they hire. Unlike public schools, private schools can pay higher salaries and offer more comfort not only to their students but also to their teachers. European School (ES) administration tries to motivate its staff and students to perform in different ways. At ES, the Board of Founders and Supervisors wants to see a satisfied school community, so every year they ask for feedback from the students and their parents. This year, due to the results of the survey, five teachers (Nana Ivanidze, Lela Melikishvili, Linda Tsitskishvili, Tamuna Arabidze and Khatuna Kapanadze) were awarded a 7-day tour in the capital of Hungary for the spring break. And this was not the only surprise for school staff! To celebrate two staff weddings (an ES Geography teacher married a Middle Years Program teaching assistant and an ICT teacher married one of the employees at ES), the two couples were sent on a oneweek trip to Egypt. Other teachers who received positive results in the surveys were also given various expensive prizes. Here are what some students think
of the ES staff: “Teachers give us knowledge and share their rich experience,” says student Giorgi Macharashvili. “But coordinators play a major role in student development, too. Ms. Nana Ivanidze is a great motivator in the Georgian section. She helps us to try our best. She always listens very attentively and gives useful advice, suggesting innovative projects and ideas to improve the learning process. Students trust her and always speak with her openly. I think it’s really unusual to see such professionalism in the modern learning system. I think that she really deserves the award for the Best Coordinator in 2016”. “In assessing a teacher, there are two criteria I consider: first, knowledge of the subject; second, love of students,” said student Giorgi Leluashvili. “Everything else that turns a lesson into a remarkable one comes naturally. Mrs. Khatuna Kapanadze, my Chemistry teacher, is a person who fits both those criteria and I’m happy to be her student. This year I had the chance to use my opinion in practice and name her as the best teacher; other students did the same and she won the prize. All good teachers should be respected and we should express our gratitude every time and value their efforts”. “European School is a family where you can find professionals and the most competent teachers. Ms. Lela is one of them,” said student Ani
What’s That? Staff – employees, people who work there Hire – pay to work/use Satisfied – happy Feedback – opinions, comments Survey – list of questions Spring break – short holiday in spring Results – answers, comments, scores Trust – believe in Deserves – as good as necessary [to win] Assessing – evaluating, judging Remarkable – special Gratitude - thanks
Info Box Did you know there is a Global Teacher Prize? The Global Teacher Prize is a $1 million award presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession. In the prize’s first year, there were over 5,000 entries from 127 countries! The prize aims to show the importance of educators and the fact that, throughout the world, their efforts deserve to be recognized and celebrated. It seeks to acknowledge the impacts of the very best teachers – not only on their students but on the communities around them. Find out more online: globalteacherprize.org
Jafaridze. “She is not just a teacher but a friend who gives the best advice. She teaches that “work is a blessing not a curse” despite disappointment and difficulties. Ms. Lela is dedicated to her job; she is a born
teacher who enriches her students’ lives. I’m a lucky person to have her as my teacher. So I’m happy she won the trip to Budapest. I think that she deserves it as she’s the most creative teacher I’ve ever met”.
Food for Thought What makes a good teacher? Who would you award? Why? What would be the prize(s)? How can employees be inspired to work harder and better?
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Info Box
How to Be a Good Tour Guide
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tour guide is a person who guides groups or individual tourists to show them the cultural and natural heritage of the area they visit; they may also have knowledge of contemporary social and political life in the area. In many European countries it is necessary to complete a special course to become a guide. Below, the world’s best guides reveal exactly what makes a great guided tour. • “You need to be patient,” says Jonny Bealby, founder of Wild Frontiers, who started guiding after being a travel writer. From taking time to explain a complicated historical event, answering questions you’ve already answered many times before, or walking as slow as possible waiting for some elderly tourists to catch up with you, and always with a smile. • Be empathetic, keep it simple “Keep the information short. If people want more, they will ask,” says Sophie Campbell, a qualified Blue Badge guide. • Be punctual and organized - “It’s
important you see and solve the problem before the clients even know there is a problem,” says Jonny from Wild Frontiers. You should also turn up on time! • Be calm in a crisis - “One of my tourists fell off a ledge in northern Pakistan and broke her leg,” said Jonny Bealby. “Getting her off the mountain, dealing with her husband and then getting her home, was a very emotional challenge. But she still travels with us, so I guess we did it right.” George Gvishiani, a certified guide with the Georgian Association of Guides, agrees: “The hardest thing about this job is to keep your temper and use diplomacy in any situation”. • Be able to improvise and have a sense of humor - Maybe the site you’re going to see is shut for some reason. Have a Plan B and be able to keep the waiting tourists smiling. • Listen to your tourists - “A good guide needs good listening skills so he can understand what the group are interested in,” says Monty from Intrepid Travel. • Help your tourists to be friends – “A tour is often successful when the members of the group get on
What’s That? Heritage – history Contemporary – modern Reveal – show, tell Travel writer – a person who travels and writes about their experiences Punctual – on time Challenge – difficult to do Improvise – change your plans quickly Get on well – have a good relationship
Useful Phrases: Welcoming tourists and introducing yourself Hello everyone. I’m ........., your guide for this tour. Introduce a place (give the name) We are now standing in front of… As you can see,… Give key information about a place It is the most important/famous... This is one of the best examples of... Give detailed information (history, architect, etc.) ed by... It was built/founded/designed n... It was completed/restored in... Point out specific details What is interesting is that... … If you look [up], you will see… Invite questions Have you got any questions? Get ready to move on de. If you are ready, let’s go inside. Follow me, please. Moving ee... On your right/left you can see... ssing... In a few minutes we’ll be passing... Our next stop is... Please be back at the bus at... Explaining the rules Please do not... For your own safety... Please stay with your group / Please stay on the marked path well and enjoy the shared experience,” says Jonny from Wild Frontiers. “The best thing is when tourists say or later message you to say they miss your country and you,” says Natia Tikaradze, a certified Georgian guide with 8 years’ experience. • Love what you’re talking about - “The best guides that I’ve seen are enthusiasts. There’s nothing more depressing than someone who sounds like they’ve said the same thing again and again – and there’s nothing more illuminating than
someone who adds a whole new dimension to a place because they love it and know a lot about it,” says Telegraph Travel’s Sophie.
Ready to give it a try? Check out these courses: • www.guides.ge (Kate Meladze 599 51 68 42) • icarus.ge/index.php/en/swavleba.html • iliauni.edu.ge/en/siaxleebi-8/ gancxadebebi-347/tour-guidecertificate-program-5554.page (Giorgi Qemertelidze 599 70 64 61)
Food for Thought Plan an interesting tour route around your town/school/ local area. Work in groups and take turns being a Tour Guide. Use the Info Box to help you.
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Pankisi Students Visit US BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI
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group of students from Pankisi Gorge visited the USA from January 20 to February 17, in the framework of the ‘Youth, Inspiring Leadership & Civic Participation in the Pankisi Gorge’ project. The three week stay was organized by the US Embassy in Georgia and Roddy Scott Foundation. “For me, the visit to US was extremely important, and I think this experience will help me grow personally,” Mariam Margoshvili, one of the program participants, told GEORGIA TODAY. “When I first heard about it, it sounded unbelievable, but as it turns out, nothing is impossible and everything depends on your own hard work.” Mariam is a first-year student at Ilia State University Tbilisi and she says she has always been actively involved in civil activities, and has volunteered at many organizations. She went to the US as a representative for the McLain Association for Children, an organization that works with children with disabilities. “We spent 21 very busy days in the US meeting with different organizations, foundations and associations, and visiting schools and shelters. We tried to listen very carefully to their representatives and if we have a chance, we will definitely share and use their experience and practice back home,” Mariam tells us. In the three weeks the Pankisi youth visited five states: Washington, Oklahoma, New York, New Mexico and Michigan. Every state was different, Mariam says, and the type of organizations they visited also differed. The group visited the US State Department while in Washington and met with representatives of Running Star, an organization that educates young women and girls about politics and helps them get the necessary skills to become leaders. “We visited schools for Native Americans and those meetings were hugely important to me, person-
ally,” Mariam says. “In our country, we, the Kists, are an ethnic and religious minority. We’re studying in the official state language at school, but still preserve our traditions, culture and language in our communities. For us, it was crucial to understand what it means to represent a national minority in your country, and be struggling to preserve your identity and your language.” Mariam expresses her gratitude to the Roddy Scott Foundation, who recommended her as a candidate to the US Embassy in Georgia. “It is the hard work of the Foundation, which teaches English to students in Pankisi Gorge for free, that helped me use this great opportunity,” Mariam says. Beka Umarashvili, a first-year student at Tbilisi State University in Applied Bio Science & Technology, was another participant of the project. When not studying, he works as a guide and interpreter in Pankisi, helping tourists and visitors.
“I tell them about the area, its history and try to introduce them to my culture,” he told us. “We give them the chance to explore nature and taste our cuisine—it’s another world in that small valley,” Beka said of his work as a tour and mountain guide. Beka says he and the other young people were chosen to participate
in the visit to the US because they are active members of their community “who really have an ability to show the problems that youth have in Pankisi.” For Beka, it was especially interesting to see how the US government solves the problems of civic engagement and issues of drug use among youth. He was particularly impressed meeting people and volunteers who work with mentally challenged youth, those in detention, or those with low incomes. “I am so glad that the US Embassy in Georgia gave me the chance to explore America and its culture,” Beka says. “I got lots of information and experience from these meetings, and learned a lot about youth problems and ways to deal with them. I hope to use this experience for the prosperity of Kist youth and to help them develop,” he says.
What’s That? Involved – working, part of Volunteered – worked without asking for pay Hugely – very (huge = very big) Minority – small number Crucial – very important Struggling – fighting, having difficulties Gratitude – thanks Civic engagement – how people work, live and communicate together in a community Prosperity – success, improvement
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Continuing Professional Development, Teaching for Success Conference Held
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conference held on March 25 presented the British Council and St. George International School joint Teaching for Success (TfS) program to teachers of other subjects and parents, as well as English language teachers and administration representatives of the private education sector. The continuing professional development (CPD) is a planned, continuous and lifelong process. Teachers develop their personal and professional qualities, and improve their knowledge, skills and practice. This leads to improvements in their performance as teachers, the outcomes for their learners, benefits for their schools, and the teacher’s own confidence and autonomy as a professional. This process requires the teacher to change habits, experiment with new methods and find solutions to the challenges that developing their
teaching presents. TfS leads the teacher towards being an expert who takes full responsibility for their own professional development, and is committed to continuous learning, practice and reflection. “At the conference, teachers had a chance to diversify their teaching practice, to become more confident in the teaching process, and to get acquainted with methodological novelties, which of course showed in the students’ success: they became more motivated and more active during the classes,” said Maka Makharoblidze, Director of the St. George International School. The invited teachers took away some useful tips by attending the planned activities and by simply networking throughout the day. All this raised their awareness of upto-date, effective methods recommended to make their teaching process more productive and enjoyable for learners, as well as for the teachers themselves.
“This training helped me a lot professionally. It helped me to be more modern as a teacher. It means that I started thinking more in-depth about my classes. I’m in the constant process of searching. Being a teacher means you have to always develop and move ahead,” said teacher Sophio Gurgenidze. In the second part of the conference, a variety of practical ‘How To’ Sessions were conducted for English language teachers. “Within the framework of the conference, English language teachers
had an opportunity to work with British experts and be involved in different activities after which they could implement new, innovative approaches in the teaching practice,” said Zaza Purtseladze, Director of British Council Georgia.
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Info Box
Welcome to Café #2Run by Teens for the Whole Community BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES
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afé #2 in the mountain town of Dilijan, Armenia, population 17,000, is the first youth and community café in the region, an example of social entrepreneurship that was established with the support of IDeA Foundation, the Dilijan Development Fund and the TUMO Center of Creative Technologies. The idea of the café was to be a unique socializing platform in Dilijan for local teens, students of UWC Dilijan and other educational institutions to communicate and develop social activism and grassroots initiatives on the grounds of the café. It recruits teens aged 14 years and above to work as waiters and assistants, making it, for some, the very first place they work, giving them a chance to try out the hospitality area and learn key skills in customer service. GEORGIA TODAY spoke to Katya Bredikhina, one of the founding members who came from Russian to Dilijan for the love of seeing such projects bloom. She has lived in Dilijan for 1.5 years and works as a Project Manager in UWC Dilijan, trying to build up the alumni devel-
opment platform for under-graduates and post-graduates, to build up the partnership and scholarship program for the students and to help develop and expand the Café. “I used to work for Skolkava Business School which is where I met Ruben (founder of UWC) there helping to launch new educational projects. The last project was to launch a research center on urban development. Through that I heard about UWC Dilijan. They were looking for volunteers and I was invited to join them.”
TELL US ABOUT THE CAFE The idea of the Café was to establish a platform in Dilijan in the middle of the town so that the local and UWC communities can do some joint activities. It’s the only place in Armenia where teenagers from the age of 14 work legally, contracted, with work hours determined by age and parental permission. This is a place for them to give the hospitality business a try, which can help them support themselves once they move to Yerevan to study at university. We can accommodate up to 300 people standing during concerts and have 50 seats, and we’ll expand that outside in summer.
DILIJAN WAS ONCE A
Food for Thought Would a project like Café #2 work in your community? Why (not)? Can you think of any other projects that can bring young people together successfully?
The chairs were renovated by the teens in the Dilijan Community Center under the leadership of Natacha Kalfayan, designer of TUMO, who developed the design of the cafe. It serves European meals using good Armenian products to diversify the Armenian cuisine in Dilijan. It tries to regularly organize social, recreational and cultural activities alongside the Dilijan Community Center. You can hear DiliRadio in Café #2 – the first online radio in Dilijan run by the local teens (visit at diliradio. airtime.pro). POPULAR RESORT
and take over from us. They enjoy Yes. And that will come back, with the events and cultural exchanges more guest houses, cafes, hotels, that happen here, as well as coffee! souvenir shops and places of interest for tourists. After the collapse HOW DO YOU SEE of the Soviet Union, working in the DILIJAN IN FUTURE? hospitality and service sectors In Soviet times there was a factory became shameful but this is chang- producing electronic parts. Now, it ing. Both boys and girls work in the is a re-developing summer tourist café and then go on to train their resort- loved especially by Armenifriends. We just started the second ans for the mild climate, though training, with our current teen staff famous composers and filmmakers providing in-house training ready also used to come here. More work for the summer season. There’s also needs to be done to keep tourists a musical college, art college, and here for longer periods. Since Café vocational college for restaurant #2 opened, another café, a pastry shop and one restaurant have opened, service in the town. plus the number of guest houses is increasing. When you see results WHERE DO THE PROFITS and changes, it keeps you going. FROM THE CAFÉ GO? We’re aiming to reach operational • Anna, Café #2 Waitress, 22: “I’ve sustainability, but at present all worked here for six months. My the profits go into the Armenia friends are here and I get a chance Foundation Fund (AFF) to support to practise my English, Russian and French with guests. The café is a other initiatives in Dilijan. new chapter for the town and a meeting point for the people. For WHAT DID THE young people it’s a good chance to LOCALS FIRST THINK learn the skills needed to work in OF THE CAFÉ? At first they were skeptical but once a restaurant. In future, I want to they saw it up and running they stay in Dilijan. It’s not easy to find became more willing to get involved work but things are changing here.
What’s That? Social activism – trying to make changes to society Grassroots – for common people Recruits – employs, gives work to Bloom – grow and be successful Determined – decided, chosen Shameful – embarrassing, socially unacceptable Sustainability – able to continue for a long-time Mild – not too hot, not too cold Chapter – part of a story
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Georgian Cities Share Gender Equality Solutions
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djara and Samegrelo are the first regions of Georgia to introduce gender equality to municipal practices. Representatives of all 10 municipalities of Samegrelo met in Batumi on March 31 to discuss local gender equality with representatives of selfgovernments of Batumi and Tbilisi and the Supreme Council of the Adjara Autonomous Republic. The conference was organized by the Women’s Information Center (WIC) with help from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Government of Sweden under the UN Joint Program for Gender Equality. “Decisions taken at the level of local governance have the most direct effect on the everyday lives
of citizens. It is positive to see that self-governments in Georgia are working together to respond to the needs of people and ensure gender equality for all,” said Maka Meshveliani, UNDP Project Manager. Tbilisi and Batumi top the list of Georgian cities that have successfully introduced organizational and financial mechanisms, such as the establishment of gender equality councils, to strengthen gendersensitive policies in self-governance. These practices and solutions were shared during the conference with the municipalities of Samegrelo which are currently planning to adopt gender-sensitive policies. Topics of discussion included institutional mechanisms for achieving gender equality as well as new obligations faced by local governments under the
Info Box Find out more about the Law on Gender Equality here: https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/91624
What’s That? Discuss – talk about Respond – react, answer Strengthen – make stronger Adopt – legally start a new law/policy Amended – changed Boosting – increasing, making bigger Efficient – works well amended Gender Equality Law. “Boosting gender policy at the level of local self-governments is as important as making changes within legislative and executive branches. Self-governments should do their best to process the amend-
ments to the Law on Gender Equality. Efficient fulfilment of these regulations by the municipalities will have a positive and direct effect on women and men, girls and boys,” said Elene Rusetskaia, director of the Women’s Information Center.
Food for Thought What is gender equality? Why does gender inequality exist? What needs to be done in YOUR community?
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My Happy Family Movie Wins at Sofia International Film Festival Info Box Nana Ekvtimishvili is a successful female Georgian director. The phenomenon of Georgian film has always been strong, being maximally independent even during the strict Soviet censorship. Another directing project of hers with Simon Gross, the movie ‘In Bloom’, was also very successful internationally. The film premiered at the 63rd Berlinale, winning the C.I.C.A.E. Prize, and was selected as the Georgian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards.
BY MAKA LOMADZE
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he Georgian film ‘My H a p p y Fa m i l y ’, directed by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross, is already world famous. On March 18, it won Best Director at the Sofia International Film Festival, where it was chosen from 13 films from different countries. My Happy Family was first shown at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Drama Competition. Later, it was screened at the Berlin 67th International Film Festival where some international journalists said it could go to the Oscars in 2018. My Happy Family is the first Geor-
gian production for which Netflix purchased the rights to global distribution. In future, the movie will be shown in 130 countries around the world. After its victory in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, the film was sent to New York, to be screened at the Museum of Modern Art during its Film Week. The New York Times covered the Week, naming Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross among nine directors whose movies are a must-see. My Happy Family was released on January 22. It runs for 120 minutes and stars Ia Shughliashvili and Merab Ninidze. For Shughliashvili, this was the first leading role. “I believe that this is the start of a new and grandiose part of my life,” she
What’s That? Chosen – choose (past participle) Shown – show (past participle) Purchased – bought (past of buy) Victory – success, good work Screened – shown (a film) Released – made public Role – character in a play or film Reacted – had a reaction, showed emotions A standing ovation – people stood up Censorship – controlling, hiding details from the public
Food for Thought Why would a woman get tired of her children or husband? Imagine you are a normal housewife (or house-husband) in a small town. Write about one day in your life- what you do, how you feel... said. “The public reacted quite strongly and the end got a standing ovation. The story highlights national Georgian problems, but was enjoyed by the American audience very well.” 52-year-old Manana, Shughliashvili’s character, stops living with her family without saying why and without arguments. Although she
does visit them, it’s clear she doesn’t want to stay in the role of “wife”, “mother” and “daughter” anymore. Shughliashvili says her heroine is a very traditional Georgian woman, always doing what other people want, until suddenly she decides to focus on herself. “I hope Georgian women can find their own way to live doing what they love,” the actress says.
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FINANCIAL LITERACY Presented by
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n March 27, Georgia joined the Global Money Week celebration, an annual event organized by the Child & Youth Finance International (CYFI) and held in 130 countries around the world for everyone. Global Money Week aims to educate children and youth on what money is, why it’s important to save it, how to become an entrepreneur, and how to acquire business skills. The National Bank of Georgia organizes Global Money Week every year, and FINCA Bank actively participates in it. This year, Learn, Save, Earn was the main message of the event. • Learn: Children and young people must have information on their economic and social rights so they can make better decisions. • Save: Mastering saving skills helps children and young people to manage their money, which will be useful in their adult lives. Without saving and planning, it is difficult to achieve your goals. • Earn: By aquiring business skills, children and youngsters learn how to work or start their own business and create a better future for themselves.
Learn more about the Global Money Week at http://globalmoneyweek. org WHAT IS MONEY? Coins and paper banknotes issued by the National Bank of Georgia is called money. It’s a tool for exchange, saving and paying. In ancient times, before money was invented, people exchanged goods. They could exchange a sheep for grain, or fish for an iron tool. The exchange of goods is called barter. As time passed, people started to use precious metals as they exchanged goods. Precious metals
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Learn, Save & Earn! were then made into coins. Did you know… • The first coins were made in 600 B.C. during the rule of King Alyattes in Sardis, Lydia (present day Turkey), and were made from gold and silver? • Paper money was first invented in China? • The idea to create the first ATM came to an American inventor while he was in a bathroom? • The first Georgian money was the Kolkhuri Tetri, Georgian silver coins which date back to the VI and III centuries B.C.? Today, the Georgian national currency is the Georgian Lari and its symbol is this: ? Only the National Bank of Georgia has the right to produce money in Georgia. The banknotes have special symbols on them preventing people from copying them.
WHAT IS MONEY SAVING? Money saving is keeping (saving, not spending) part of your income. You can save money in a jar, a piggy-bank or in the bank. Advice: Make your own money box and start saving. A money box can be a small box, a jar, or a wallet, that no one can open except you. Every month take your savings out of the money box to the bank. If you’re saving money for something, you can write it or even draw a picture on the money box so that whenever you see it, you will be motivated to save more! Don’t forget that you can save a lot by saving coins. Advice: It’s always nice to make your wishes come true, but don’t spend all the money- save some! Winter and summer holidays are the best time to make money savings. With the money you save, you can make lots of surprises for you and your loved ones.
Food for Thought Are you saving money now? For what? What are the benefits of paper banknotes compared to coins? If you save 50 Tetri every day for a year, how much money will you have?
Info Box My Wish Tree Learn, Save, Earn! How to make your wishes come true: Write down your wish. Work out how much money you’ll need. Think when you want the wish to come truesoon or later? Think how to collect money- from pocket money from your family, money that you get as a gift from relatives on your birthday, etc…) Start saving money. Make your wish come true with the money you saved!
What’s That? Annual – every year Educate – teach Acquire – get Rights – the thing you should be able to do; the way you should be able to live Achieve – win, get, succeed Issued – made and sent out into society Preventing – stopping Income – money you get by working
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18-year-olds Try to Fix the E-Waste Problem in Armenia Food for Thought What can you do to change your community? Think of a problem and then a solution. Talk to friends and adults. Can you make it work?
INTERVIEW BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES
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ven though they come from different countries, Cedric Solms from Germany and Mikhail Zamskoy from Russia shared the same goal: to get international education and experience to be able to make the world a better place. That is what the United World College movement empowers you to do through education, which evolves your abilities and talents. Among hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of students applying, only a few can join. Cedric and Mikhail believe their UWC experience and university level education will enable them to work on socially important and beneficial projects. Both are studying Economics and Math on Higher Level to expand their knowledge of how society is built on economic and mathematical ideas. Cedric also decided to study Global Politics to
learn how governments work in the 21st century, while Misha decided to learn from the past to avoid mistakes and implement successful working models by studying History. They also study Physics, English Language & Literature, and German. While UWC Dilijan offers the best technology and comfort, the town and surrounding country is still struggling to overcome the low years following the collapse of the Soviet Union. One issue the boys noticed was waste management. They decided to do something about it and set up the company “Reapaga”.
WHAT HAVE YOU ACHIEVED SO FAR IN SETTING UP RE-APAGA? We’ve set up a formal charitable foundation with important international people as Trustees: Veronika Zonabend (international philanthropist and entrepreneur, RVVZ Foundation), His Excellency Matthias Kiesler (German Ambassador
What’s That? Enable – help Beneficial – good, useful Avoid – stop from happening, prevent Struggling – having problems Dismantling – breaking into pieces (a computer or TV, for example) Potential – possible
in Armenia), Nadezhda Rodicheva (Inclusive Ventures), Maximilian Count of Solms-Laubach (Solms Consulting), Alexey Komov (RVVZ Foundation), David Yang (ABBYY and Ayb Schools), and Martin Galstyan (Central Bank of Armenia). We raised enough money for a publicity campaign which caught the interest of politicians, schools, and other organizations, and helped us to set up electronic-waste, plastic, and aluminium storage and collection methods. We also hope to get funding from UNDP and the GEF Small Grant Program, as well Inclusive Ventures, an impact investment group, to establish the first Armenia-based electronic waste, plastic, and aluminium dismantling and recycling facility.
WHAT DID THE ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES THINK OF YOUR IDEA? HOW ARE THEY HELPING? They were surprised, at first, because we are young and not Armenian, but now the Municipality of Dilijan is our partner and donated space in the city center to store electronic waste, aluminium, and plastic. The Ministry of Nature Protection also said they support us. But this is only the beginning- we want to connect to more governmental institutions, other organizations and individuals, and work together not just to develop the project, but to change national policy.
HOW DID YOU FIND SUPPORTERS FOR YOUR PROJECT? UWC Dilijan doesn’t only teach you how to change the world, but also helps you to do it. We got a lot of support there to find mentors, advisors and potential investors, and we looked ourselves out-
side of school.
WHAT WILL YOU DO AFTER YOU GRADUATE UWC DILIJAN? For us, this isn’t just an extra-curriculum activity, it’s a long term initiative which will connect us to Armenia all our lives. We want to establish a system of waste collection, dismantling, and recycling all over the country- we guess that could take around five years to finish. After we graduate, we plan to spend time in Armenia working on Re-apaga, while also studying at university. We would love to go to INSEAD, Harvard, Yale, or Wharton. This kind of experience will help us to start new socially important initiatives all over the world. We believe that UWC Dilijan gave us friendship for life, and that kind of bond can help change the world.
FROM THE TRUSTEES: Veronika Zonabend: “Re-apaga has all chances to spread throughout Armenia. E-waste management is a huge problem, not only for Armenia but the entire region and humankind, too. The students plan to involve a large number of young people in the initiative this year by visiting schools and universities.” Matthias Kiesler: “When I first visited UWC Dilijan and met young people who want to do something about electronic waste, I was very inspired and agreed immediately to become a member of the Board of Trustees. It is unfortunate that environment protection is not a priority in Armenia. Germany also has a problem with e-waste, but communities there already have special centers where people can leave their electronics - TV sets, old phones, etc.”
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Info Box
Hear the Voices of the Georgian Disabled BY TEDO IOBIDZE, WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY MLADEN PETROV
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t the end of Ureki there is an old building, located right on the beach. The building is not beautiful, but it is very important: every summer, buses pick up children and teenagers with disabilities from all over Georgia and bring them here: they are excited to come to Ureki every summer. On this beach I saw the same scene day after day: a loving little grandma pushing her grandson’s wheelchair to the water. It was a difficult task: the ramp ends halfway across the sand, leaving those in wheelchairs stuck and
wondering how to make it those few extra meters to the cool, pleasant water. So close and yet so far. My friend Tedo is a smart high school student from Kutaisi. For the two years I’ve known him, I never heard him complaining, though he is in a wheelchair. A fluent English speaker, he is graduating from Public School #6 in Kutaisi this May. He wants to travel and to be a journalist. I’m sure he will soon achieve both. I wanted him to be able to report on the situation of people with disabilities in Georgia... and so here is his letter. Hello, I’m Tedo Iobidze from Kutaisi. In this short letter, I would like to tell you about a few successful projects recently implemented for the disabled throughout Georgia, and to explain some of the prob-
What’s That? Pick up – collect by bus/car Task – job/work Implemented – started Encounter – find, see Carried out – done Decade – 10 years Fail – not work well Ongoing – continuing Ramp – path to help wheelchairs cross a difficult place Social integration – join in with other people Ineffective – useless, not working well Adapted - changed Profound – deep, very important Inclusive education – when disabled persons come to state schools Sustainable – started and continues for a long time
Did you know the first wheelchair is thought to have been made in China around 525 CE? Before that, they moved disabled people in wheelbarrows and wheeled beds (a wheeled bed for a child was painted on a Greek vase, 5th century BCE). Wheelchairs appeared in Europe in the Renaissance and became more common after 1760. In 1887, wheelchairs (“rolling chairs”) were introduced to Atlantic City so disabled tourists could rent them to enjoy the Boardwalk. In 1933 Harry Jennings and his disabled friend Herbert Everest, both mechanical engineers, invented the first lightweight, steel, collapsible wheelchair. Everest had broken his back in a mining accident. Everest and Jennings saw the business potential of the invention and went on to become the first mass-market manufacturers of wheelchairs. Their “x-brace” design is still in common use, albeit with updated materials and other improvements. lems young persons with disabilities encounter in their daily lives here. In reality, a lot of good projects have been carried out for the social integration of persons with disabilities over the last decade. Still, unfortunately, we see many ways these projects fail- maybe because they don’t know how to make them work, or because they don’t care enough, or for other reasons. For example, you can see sidewalks with ramps, which, instead of helping independent access, often present additional difficulties for the target group. Of course, setting up facilities for persons with disabilities in public and private spaces is an ongoing process all over the country. And while it is a very positive practice, as I mentioned above, these developments often fail to meet the usual standards, making the good intentions meant by implementing them ineffective. Access to public transport is still a big problem for persons with disabilities and, aside from the capital city, Tbilisi, where
adapted buses are starting to appear, the same change is still something we are waiting for in other towns and cities of Georgia. In my opinion, the development of Para Sports in Georgia could have a profound effect on the social integration of persons with disabilities, increasing their willingness to accept challenges independently and achieve success. Impressive examples are sportspersons Irma Khetsuriani and Zviad Gogochuri. Projects are also being implemented for inclusive education, another very important link for the social integration of those with disabilities. Above all, we have to change public opinion in Georgia about persons with disabilities. The problems that persons with disabilities have are serious and should be seen and heard by society as a whole. I understand that they cannot be solved immediately; but if the sustainable positive tendencies of society are continued, positive results will soon be seen.
Food for Thought Play a game. Imagine you can only move in a wheelchair. Look around. What problems can you see: a) in your room/building? b) in the streets? What can you do to make it easier to move your wheelchair in these places?
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GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 2017
Thinking out of the Box: The Annual Public Speaking Competition from ESU BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES
T
he British Corner, Vake Park, hosted the annual English Speaking Union’s P ublic Speaking Competition which saw ten young Georgian English-speakers braving the stage before an audience of experts and fellow students. The aim of the English Speaking Union (ESU) is to promote friendship and understanding through the English language. The Public Speaking Competition is one of its most successful projects, with 40,000 youth from over 60 countries taking part in the Final in London- up from just three when the project was started in 1981 (Great Britain, the USA and Australia). Georgia has participated for 20 years and has so far sent 34 youngsters aged between 16 and 20 to speak at the Finals. The jury members were the UK Ambassador to Georgia, Justin
McKenzie Smith; Irakli Gulauri and his wife, and Archil Gachichiladze, Deputy Director of the Bank of Georgia. Aiming to inform, persuade, entertain and inspire the audience, the ten young speakers conveyed their opinions in a variety of styles, from personal accounts to lectures and jokes. Some were clearly nervous; others were notably at home on the stage; all were admirable for their strength of character to have come
so far with both language and ability to communicate. The winners were: 1st place: Tatia Kakhetelidze, with the title: “Back to my desk.” Tatia is a schoolgirl from Khashuri who says she learned English from watching movies. 2nd place: Akaki Makatsaria, with the title: “Box” 3rd place: Irakli Chkhikvadze, with the title: “Human- a limited creature or a labyrinth.” The winner will go to London to
take part at the ESU International Public Speaking Competition in May. The ESU was set up in London in 1918 as an independent, non-political, non-governmental, educational charity. The Patron of the ESU is Queen Elizabeth II, the President - HRH The Princess Anne. One of the ESU’s first chairmen was Sir Winston Churchill. Georgia joined the ESU in 1998 and is supported by the British Embassy.
Enviroserve Launches E-Waste Recycling Program in Georgia BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI
E
nviroserve, a Dubaiheadquartered company operating in recycling e-waste, launched its electronic waste recycling program in Georgia. In partnership with the Caucasus Environmental Network (CENN) and the Waste Management Technologies in the Regions program (WMTR) and Eco-
vision’s Spare Project, Enviroserve plans to distribute e-waste collection boxes across the country, in easy-to-access locations, around Georgia’s major cities. After collection, waste from the collection boxes will be shipped to Dubai for recycling. They will then send a “Green Certificate” back to Georgia to confirm the waste was completely destroyed. Enviorserve only entered Georgia last December- it is now the 7th country in the company’s network. “It’s a call to action
Food for Thought Find out more about the global e-waste problem here: http://www.electronicstakeback.com/how-to-recycleelectronics/resources-for-kids/
for Georgian citizens and for the companies to benefit from the program; to have a healthier, greener Georgia. E-waste affects every one of us,” said Stuart Fleming, CEO of Enviroserve, presenting the goals and solutions the company plans to offer in Georgia. According to him, corporate social responsibility programs are an important part of the company’s activities. Enviroserve has ideas to also start recycling Distribute – send and put Georgian plasBenefit – get good things from tics and metals, making GeorHub - center gia a regional
What’s That?
recycling hub. Enviroserve uses Swiss technology for recycling. According to Fleming, e-waste or computer waste is the fastest-growing source of waste in the world, in addition to being the most toxic. “We’ll be assisting Georgia in meeting EU directives on environmental controls,” he said. During the presentation, Ekaterine Grigalava, Deputy Minister of the Environment Protection and Natural Resources of Georgia, stressed the importance of the new initiative, especially regarding the recycling requirements Georgia has to start complying with after signing the EU- Georgia Association Agreement.
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Do You Want to Go to Eurovision? NINI TSIKHISTAVI, ECOLE FRANCAISE DU CAUCASE, 4EME
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he Eurovision Song contest is a famous event in which countries from around the world are represented by a singer. These singers participate in a huge concert where they sing their song of choice to try to win points from juries and votes from the general public around the world. Every year an estimated 180 million viewers watch the Eurovision Song Contest and support the participants. Georgia has participated in Eurovision since 2007. It will appear in the competition this year, too, represented by a singer named Tamara Gachechiladze, who also performs under the name Tako. She will sing a song titled “Keep the Faith,” composed by famous Georgian pop singer, Anri Jokhadze. Tamara often takes part in international jazz festivals and has participated in the World Youth Delphic
Games as well as numerous festivals and concerts. Tamara was a member of a group selected to represent Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009, ‘Stephane and 3G’. But, later, Georgia withdrew from the competition. In 2015, she won the TV show “Your Face Looks Familiar” and since 1997 she has been a soloist in the Tbilisi Concert Orchestra. If you are interested in taking part in the massive event Eurovision Song Contest, here is how you can make your dream come true: All the entries and singers are
picked by the Participating Broadcasters. At the Eurovision Song Contest, broadcasters take part rather than countries. For example, in the UK -BBC, in Germany –NDR and so on. Each Participating Broadcaster has a right to choose their entry in the format they want. This means that in some cases, the entries are picked internally and in others, the artist or the song are picked by the broadcaster. In the majority of cases though, usually up to a jury. both the song and the performers When the countries and their repare picked in a show called a national resenting singers are chosen, the selection. There, the decision is participants go through a number of stages. The contest is composed of three live shows: two Semi-Finals and the Final. The jury and people watching the show can vote for their favorite singers, slowly eliminating the countries in the competition until one remains with the most points and is declared winner. The country that wins then hosts the competition the following year. Here’s hoping Georgia will beat their previous highest rank of 9th place this year and win the Eurovision Song Contest 2017!
French Speaking Month in Georgia AUDREY ZARKUA, ECOLE FRANCAISE DU CAUCASE, 4EME
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his March, the whole world was participating in the “Mois de la francophonie” (French-speaking month), a celebration that has existed since 1970. The French Institute of Georgia (Institut français de Géorgie) presented a variety of events for French speakers and organized multiple contests throughout the country; in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi and Patardzeuli, allowing guests to discover and appreciate France and its language. One of the events which met with the biggest success was the meeting
with Olivier Rolin, a French writer who came to Georgia to talk with his readers about his latest book, recently translated into Georgian: “The Meteorologist”. The Week of Cinema also welcomed a large number of participants: more than six French movies were shown to the public. Multiple contests were organized for all ages, including the “Dis moi dix mots” (Tell me ten words) competition run by the French Institute. The participant had to draw, write or create GIFs about ten selected words. Prizes were given to the winners on March 20. The Embassy of Switzerland also created a competition, which had contestants creating videos to “Present Switzerland to our Georgian friends”.
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George Sharashidze COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT
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GEORGIA TODAY
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT:
Editor-In-Chief: Katie Ruth Davies
Journalists: Tony Hanmer, Zaza Jgarkava, Maka Bibilashvili, Karen Tovmasyan, Dimitri Dolaberidze, Maka Lomadze, Tim Ogden, Joseph Larsen, Vazha Tavberidze, Nugzar B. Ruhadze, Nino Gugunishvili, Thea Morrison, Natia Liparteliani
I interviewed the mother of one of the winners: Tamuna Lomidze, Executive Assistant at the French School of the Caucasus (EFC). “My daughter created a video about the stereotypes of Switzerland. She won 3rd place. She got a Swiss Army Knife, a Swiss Watch, an umbrella, a kepi, CDs…she was really happy, but the Swiss Chocolates were missing!” Were those events reserved only for French speakers? Absolutely not! As mentioned above, the goal of the French speaking month was also to help non-speakers discover the French language. As Mr. Lavoir, the director of the French Institute, said : “We assure, as much as we can, simultaneous or consecutive translation of our activities. The movies of the Week of Cinema, and of our “Ciné-Club” Photographer: Irakli Dolidze Layout: Misha Mchedlishvili Webmaster: Sergey Gevenov Circulation Managers: David Kerdikashvili, David Djandjgava
are all with Georgian subtitles. You can also borrow books of French authors translated into Georgian from the French Mediatheque of the French Institut.” This year, the French Speaker’s Month was a success, “with the help of the government, and of French language lovers,” said Mr. Lavoir. “[…] the preparation of those events takes time, and we started work on it last September”. The French speaking month may have been hard to prepare, but the result was an interesting one, leaving many in Georgia eagerly awaiting next year’s offerings.
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GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 2017
Impact Hub Tbilisi: Work, Connect & Generate Ideas BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI
Info Box
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EORGIA TODAY met with one of the From Amsterdam to Singapore and now Tbilisi, Impact founders of Impact Hubs can be found in over 85 cities around the world with Hub Tbilisi, Ketevan Ebanoidze, to more than 15,000 members. talk about a new venue she and her two friends, Giorgi Akhalkatsi and create a business model, and carry place for that. Elene Zhvania, recently opened. out a number of projects…we did TELL US ABOUT IMPACT it right and in October 2016, we HUB TBILISI MEMBERS became members of the global inter- As a member of Impact Hub Tbilisi, WHAT IS IMPACT national Impact Hub family! HUB TBILISI? you can gain information on all activImpact Hub is a global community itiesandprogramsinotherhubsaround network that offers interesting pro- WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? theworldandimplement themlocally. jects for people of different professions and organizations; it’s a common workplace for all its members. It’s a place for enthusiastic, motivated people who are ready to share their experience to create a better tomorrow, who want to influence and have an impact on society development in any sphere, be it their city or their country.
Our membership packages cost from 20 to 390 GEL (fixed desk, locker, and a card which gives you access to the space all week, day or night). We’re happy to be located at Fabrika - a popular meeting point and a place where young people with wonderful new ideas always gather.
WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS? We plan to start the Business Model Challenge - offering trainings for startups in marketing or improving their financial and business models.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO OPEN ONE IN TBILISI? First, the idea of creating Impact Hub Tbilisi came to Giorgi while he was living in London next to one of the first Impact Hubs in the world. He then shared the idea with us and we didn’t hesitate, because we knew Tbilisi needed a place where ideas could be generated and shaped. We started working on the project in February 2016. It wasn’t easy and involved passing several stages for us to get accredited by official Impact Hub. We had to do market research,
We want Impact Hub Tbilisi to be a place where new ideas are born. We’re trying to connect all our members with each other and maximize the contribution of every member to the hub through the generation of new ideas and projects. We want to contribute to the process of civil society development, and we think that Impact Hub Tbilisi is an open and transparent
What’s That? Common – united, for everyone Influence – affect, make a difference Market research – questioning the people who might use your product/service to find out what they want / need, investigating how the business will work in your country Carry out – do Contribution – what you add to an idea or project Implement – start
Food for Thought How could YOU use an Impact Hub? In which ways do new businessmen usually need help?