EDUCATION www.georgiatoday.ge
Issue no: 019
facebook.com/ georgiatoday
• DECEMBER 2018
• PUBLISHED MONTHLY
PRICE: GEL 2
In this issue... The Tbilisi School Fair PAGE 3
La Fête des Lumières de Lyon PAGE 4
Kind Wishes Page Make Wishes & Create a List PAGE 5
10 Young Georgian Scientists Visit CERN PAGE 6
FOCUS ON A BETTER WORLD We look at making our societies cleaner, greener and easier to use. Image source: buildup.eu
2018 Youth Summit for School Students PAGE 8
Tbilisi to Have 200 New Electric Buses from 2020 PAGE 13
Christmas & New Year in Georgia: What Do Foreigners Think? INTERVIEWS BY TOM DAY
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hristmas and New Year are the most anticipated celebrations of the year for Georgians. The New Year Supra starts on December 31 and continues until January 14 (including Bedoba [Day of Luck] on January 2 and Christmas on January 7). It is strange for foreigners to celebrate New Year twice and Christmas after New Year. The Georgian traditions are strange for them, too. GEORGIA TODAY interviewed
some travelers to find out how they celebrate, and what they think about the Georgian Christmas and New Year traditions.
HAZEM ALHALABI, SYRIA I come from an oriental society, and my family usually celebrates the New Year on December 31, putting up lights and decorations. In Syria, people compete for the best decorated house because it shows the status of the family. In the streets, Christmas trees are everywhere, to share happiness. We buy gifts for the children, or something special for the house. Continued on page 2
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Christmas & New Year in Georgia: What Do Foreigners Think? Continued from page 1
We prepare a New Year dinner or some sweets and cakes and invite close family to spend the night together. Sometimes, families meet at a restaurant or café where they can celebrate with live music and fireworks. I love the way Georgians celebrate the holiday together; they enjoy the moment like they enjoy every moment when they are together at the Georgian table. I also love how the city gets brighter because of decorations and lights, and how people start wearing Christmas jumpers.
kids home, too- and that morning we open our presents. I always buy my kids a lot of presents, like they do in the UK! My husband is Georgian so we have a ‘Supra’ on December 31, then go out with friends. Georgian Christmas (January 7) is quiet. We’re not religious, so my mother-in-law might take my eldest daughter to church, while I cook a roast dinner for family and friends. Old New Year on January 14 is barely celebrated, but we try to meet up with friends and enjoy the last celebration before work really starts again.
KATIE DAVIES, UK
DARIA KHOLODILINA, UKRAINE
I find it strange that people work on ‘Christmas Day’ (December 25) here. The kids are still at school and the shops are still open. If I’m not in the UK with my parents, I try to get the day off work and keep the
I’ve lived in Georgia for more than four years and I live alone, so I can choose which events to attend and which friends to visit! I celebrated New Year 2015 and 2017 in Batumi, which was a nice
experience with all the lights reflecting in the sea, beautiful plants and local omelette borano for a very, very late breakfast of January 1. If I’m in Tbilisi, I prefer to spend it with my friends. I like the Georgian family spirit and big gathering and I’m in love with chichilaki instead of a dead fir tree. Bedoba, the Day of Luck, was something new to me in the beginning. If you spend January 2 in a good way, the year will be happy and successful, and I find it cool that Georgia gives you a chance to celebrate Old New Bedoba after the Old New Year in case you totally failed to be happy on the 2nd of January.
NATALIE ANNE TAYLOR, USA In America, I celebrate Christmas on December 25 with my close family. On December 24, Christmas Eve, we have a big feast that includes baked chicken, ham, mashed potatoes, persimmon bread, and many types of pies. My family and I each choose one gift to open before midnight. We leave a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa. On
Christmas Day, we open our presents and make sure to write down who sent us what, so we can send them thank you cards. After opening presents, we usually visit family and have a lighter Christmas dinner that night. New Year’s is usually spent with close friends, watching the fireworks at midnight. I love most of the traditional Georgian New Year’s dishes. Satsivi is my favorite. I’ll never forget making churchkhela in Martkopi with my host family last year; the process is unique and the love for tradition is alive and well, especially in the village. One of the most memorable Georgian Christmas traditions is ‘Alilo’, with a church service in the morning and afterwards people walk around the village wearing traditional Georgian outfits and singing traditional Christmas songs. As one big group, we walked from door to door singing songs. Every house offered food and wine, and the party was long! It was a very special day. From the GEORGIA TODAY team, we wish all our readers and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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The Tbilisi School Fair Info Box UCMAS is a unique and scientifically-proven mental development program designed for children to develop their mental power at a very early age when brain development is reaching its peak. Learners practice with an age-old tool (the abacus), a learning process that not only stimulates the brain, but also trains their ability to independently perform mental calculation in their head. UCMAS with 25 years of experience in 79 countries, has been recognised worldwide for its proven results – with the most obvious being the learners’ fantastic mental arithmetic ability and speedy calculation after undergoing the mental arithmetic program. Mental arithmetic compromises arithmetic calculation regardless of the complexity, using only the brain. It also develops other mental abilities like concentration, observation, listening, imagination & visualization, as well as memory. BY SOFO BOCHOIDZE
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ducation is very important for life in the 21st century. That is why parents think carefully when choosing a school for their child, because making the right decision can put a child on the path to lifelong learning, a prestigious college education and a successful career. There many things a school needs to do to make a parent happy enough to choose it, including learning environment, tuition fees, location and more. This year, on 7-8 December, ExpoGeorgia hosted the School Fair. Many companies were there, including private schools, summer schools, education programs, resource centers, exchange programs, school book publishers, foreign language teaching centers, musical, art, dance and sports schools and more. The event gave visitors the chance to get important information in one
space. Educational establishments presented their programs, teaching methods, infrastructure and cur- the Georgian market and offers a The skills achieved help youth in riculum. Meeting school represent- unique program of brain develop- school and life by teaching them atives and students and other young ment that improves thinking ability. through fun. people who had similar goals for their education or career was helpful to the youth who went to the Fair. There were presentation corners, entertainment spaces and very interPrestigious – important, well-known esting activities for visitors. The Japanese Language and Culture Tuition fees – cost of studying Center showed visitors how to write Hosted – held, presented their names in Japanese. ExperiEstablishments – companies, institutions mentorium offered fun and educational experiments for young visitors to do. Nata’s Studio had some painting activities and Zaza Pachulia’s Basketball Academy gave classes in basketball, while the Georgian publishing houses had special gifts for guests. Smartman’s Corner, owning the international franchise of UCMAS in Georgia, was one of the most eye-catching, as they were teaching 4 – 14-year-olds how to use an Abacus. UCMAS, famous worldwide for 25 years, only recently entered
Food for Thought Imagine your perfect school. Describe it to a friend. Think of how it looks, what the classrooms are like, what the teachers are like and how you learn in class (activities etc.).
What’s That?
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La Fête des Lumières de Lyon
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a ville de Lyon a célébré la fête des Lumières du 6 au 9 décembre. Il s’agit d’une fête annuelle qui dure quatre jours. À cette occasion, les monuments, les places, les façades de bâtiments de Lyon prennent vie grâce à des mises en lumière et des spectacles lumineux. une lumière : შუქი L’origine de cette fête traditionnelle et populaire remonte à l’année une façade : ფასადი 1852. Cette année-là, on devait inaugurer une statue de la Vierge Marie prendre vie : გაცოცხლება le 8 septembre, jour de fête très important dans l’histoire de ville de Lyon et qui date du Moyen-âge. Cependant, à cause d’inondations, la inaugurer : ინაუგურაცია fête a été reportée au 8 décembre. Quelques jours avant cette date, tout un orage : ქარიშხალი était prêt pour les festivités : des lumignons, des feux d’artifice, des reporter : გადადება parades, des processions... Malheureusement, le jour de l’inauguration, spontanément : სპონტანურად de violents orages ont éclaté. À cause du mauvais temps, la célébration a été reportée au dimanche suivant. Finalement, le soir du 8 décembre, allumer : ანთება le ciel s’est dégagé. Spontanément, les Lyonnais ont allumé les lumiun lumignon : სანთელი gnons qu’ils avaient préparés et les ont installés sur le bord de leurs féérique : ზღაპრული fenêtres, illuminant ainsi toute la ville. Depuis cette date, chaque année, le soir du 8 septembre, les Lyonnais ont pris l’habitude de placer des lumignons à leurs fenêtres. Cependant, 1999, il dure quatre jours et transforme la ville en un spectacle féerique de nos jours, cette tradition s’est perdue et a été remplacée par le festi- qui met l’accent sur les arts contemporains, arts plastiques et la musique. val de la fête des lumières. Le premier festival a eu lieu en 1989. Depuis Cet événement a tellement de succès qu’il attire chaque année des millions de visiteurs en quelques jours !
Matière à réflexion: La fête des Lumières existe-t-elle en Géorgie ? Si oui, à quelle date et qu’y trouve-t-on ? Si non, aimeriez-vous qu’elle existe en Géorgie et pourquoi ? En Géorgie, existe-t-il un événement qui attire beaucoup de visiteurs ?
Liens utiles: Institut français de Géorgie : ifg.ge Fête des Lumières : http://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr
Mots clés:
GEORGIA TODAY DECEMBER 2018
EDUCATION
FINANCIAL LITERACY Presented by
Kind Wishes Page Make wishes and create a list of them FINCA Bank Georgia Wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
How to make wishes come true: 1. Make a wish 2. Count how much your wish might cost 3. Make a note of when you would like the wish to come true 4. Start saving money in your money-box, then in your bank account 5. Let your wish come true
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10 Young Georgian Scientists Visit CERN Info Box
(Image: Anna Pantelia/CERN)
BY SAMANTHA GUTHRIE
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en of the top students from Buckswood School’s Science Summer School program traveled to CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) near Geneva, Switzerland, in November. The students came from both public and private schools and were selected because of their work during the Buckswood Science Summer School. A group of teachers went with the students. During their visit to CERN, students met with Georgian and international scientists, learned about the latest technologies, new findings and important projects that CERN scientists work on.
The visit started with a lecture where students received detailed information about the main purpose of CERN - fundamental research in high energy physics, innovations, education and sharing experiences. Later that day, students saw the famous ‘Globe of Science and Innovation’ exhibition and learned about a major experiment being conducted using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) called CMS and led by Georgian scientist Alexander Mestvirishvili. The students’ visit to CERN peaked their interest in technological sciences. The visit was supported within the framework of a project initiated by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, aiming to attract young people to scientific research, engineering, IT technologies and mathematics.
What’s That? Selected – chosen Findings – discoveries Lecture – a talk by a teacher/professor Fundamental – important Peaked – increased, raised Initiated – started
LARGE HADRON COLLIDER The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator. It first started up on 10 September 2008 and consists of a 27-kilometer ring of superconducting magnets with a number of accelerating structures to boost the energy of the particles along the way. Inside the accelerator, two high-energy particle beams travel at close to the speed of light before they are made to collide. The beams travel in opposite directions in separate beam pipes – two tubes kept at ultrahigh vacuum. They are guided around the accelerator ring by a strong magnetic field maintained by superconducting electromagnets. The magnets need to be cooled to 271.3°C – a temperature colder than outer space.
Image source: Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport
Food for Thought Look at the explanation of nuclear energy on the next page. What do you think of nuclear energy? Imagine a nuclear power plant (factory) will be built near your town/village. Would you be for or against it? Why? Divide into teams: one against the new plant, one for. Prepare your talking points and discuss.
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Discovering Nuclear Energy
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oday, nuclear energy is one of the most environmentally friendly sources of energy as it produces fewer negative gasses during the production of electricity compared to traditional sources like coal power plants.
Source: www.conserve-energy-future.com
CONS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY PROS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY 1. Low Pollution: Nuclear energy has the least effect on nature because it doesn’t produce any gasses like methane and carbon dioxide, which are the primary “greenhouse gasses.” 2. Low Operating Costs: Nuclear power makes very inexpensive electricity. Uranium, the fuel, is cheap. The normal life of a nuclear reactor is long: 40-60 years. 3. Reliability: Planet Earth has enough uranium for another 70-80 years. Solar and wind energy are affected by the weather, but a nuclear power plant can run non-stop in any weather condition. 4. More Proficient than Fossil Fuels: The amount of fuel needed by a nuclear power plant is less than what is needed by other power plants because energy released by nuclear fission is ten million times more than the energy released by fuels like coal and wood. 5. Renewable?: Uranium, the nuclear fuel used to produce nuclear energy, is limited and cannot be produced again and again. But we can produce plutonium though chain-reactions. If we know how to control atomic fusion, the same reactions that fuel the sun, we can have almost unlimited energy.
1. Environmental Impact: The process of mining and refining uranium is not clean, and once it is used, you can’t throw it away because it’s radioactive and dangerous. 2. Radioactive Waste Disposal: A nuclear power plant creates 20 metric tons of nuclear fuel per year, and with all the nuclear plants on Earth that’s around 2,000 metric tons a year. Most of this waste is radioactive and hot, so it will destroy any container it is put in and damage the environment. Even low-level radioactive waste takes hundreds of years to become safe. 3. Nuclear Accidents: The 2011 Fukushima accident in Japan was the worst nuclear accident in history. Its damaging effects on humans and nature can still be seen today. 4. High Cost: The fuel might be cheap but it is expensive to safely dispose of nuclear waste and/or store it. 5. Uranium is Finite: Just like other sources of fuel, uranium is also limited and exists in few countries. 6. Hot Target for Militants: Nuclear energy is powerful. Today, nuclear energy is used to make weapons. If these weapons get into the wrong hands, that could be the end of this world.
What’s That? Environmentally friendly – good for the planet Source – where it comes from Plants – factories Greenhouse gasses – gasses which damage the planet Inexpensive – cheap Run – work Fission – (see Info Box) Chain-reactions – actions that affect something else, which affects something else, etc. Container – box Dispose of – throw away Weapons – guns and bombs
Info Box NUCLEAR ENERGY: HOW IT WORKS Nuclear energy is energy that is stored in the nucleus or center of an atom. The nucleus is made of tiny protons (+ positive charge) and neutrons (no charge). The electrons (- negative charge) move around the nucleus. Nuclear energy is the force that holds the nucleus together in an atom. In order to use this energy, it has to be freed from the atom. There are two ways to free the energy inside an atom: 1. FUSION Fusion joins the atoms to make a new atom. The energy from the sun is produced by fusion. Inside the sun, hydrogen atoms join to make helium. Helium doesn’t need much energy to stay together, so the extra energy is released as heat and light. 2. FISSION Fission is splitting an atom into two smaller atoms. The two smaller atoms don’t need as much energy to stay together as larger atoms, so the extra energy is released as heat and radiation. Nuclear power plants use the heat released from fission to make electricity. By splitting uranium atoms into two smaller atoms, the extra energy is released as heat. Uranium is a mineral rock, a very dense metal found in the ground, and it is non-renewable. Non-renewable means we cannot make more of it. It is a cheap fuel source and there is lots of it on our planet. Heat created by fission is used inside a nuclear reactor to turn water into steam. The steam turns huge turbines that drive generators to make electricity. The steam is then changed back into water and cooled down in a cooling tower. This water can then be used over and over again. Source: c03.apogee.net
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2018 Youth Summit for School Students BY KETEVAN KVARATSKHELIYA
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n December 17, Tbilisi Marriott Hotel hosted the culminating ceremony of the 2018 Youth Summit for School Students, held within the scope of the USAID Program named ‘Waste Management Technology in the Regions, Phase II (USAID WMTR II/ CENN).’ The summit took place over three days from 15-17 December and students from different schools of the regions of Kakheti, Adjara, Shida Kartli and the city of Tbilisi participated. The aim of the project was to unite determined and motivated adolescents to exchange experiences and discuss challenges in the waste management sector; develop dialogue among youth representatives of the governmental and non-governmental sectors, encourage between these institutions, and develop a specific action plan regarding waste management problems (e.g., establishing a waste separation system, awareness raising campaigns, etc.). The first two days of the program were devoted to the workshops for consideration of major problems in waste management sector in the regions, while on the 3rd day the participants gave presentations about waste management related cases, presenting their views and conclusions and offering particular ways to solve the problems. There were four groups of 23 students in total presenting different topics. The first group delivered a presentation about the challenges of the waste management sector in the regions of Georgia through particular cases. Burning wasted crops after the harvest was outlined as one of
the major issues. Due to the lack of infrastructure and awareness of the problem among the population, in some regions crops are burnt after harvest in large areas of land, thus causing enormous damage to the ecosystem. The shortage of rubbish bins in Tusheti also leads to another significant issue – burning waste, as the locals do not have any way to get rid of waste other than burning it, despite the destructive effect on the ecology and health. An example from Adjara region was also discussed at the presentation. Adjara is an extremely important region for Georgia as it represents a major summer tourist attraction. The weak system of waste management decreases its potential and may prevent tourist flow, as part of the waste that leaks into the rivers and sea pollutes the coastline and damages the sea ecosystem. According to the results of a study carried out by one of the students on the example of his family, the approximate amount of waste collected in one family in one week can be up to 8kg, within one month 32kg and 384kg for the whole year. This helps us to understand the need for proper waste management.
The students also focused on the importance of forests and recreation zones in the regions of Georgia and offered three ways to eradicate the problems: increasing awareness of locals about the negative effects of waste leakage, restricting control on pollution and developing special equipment for waste management. The second group of presenters focused on the significance of separation and recycling of waste material, which represents one of the best and the most effective ways of waste management. The students shared their own examples for decreasing waste management problems, including equipping schools with boxes for waste paper, launching exhibitions to demonstrate the usefulness of recycling, and creating libraries for recycled books. The given group also presented the results of a study regarding the process of recycling waste paper. The next group of students dedicated their presentation to the innovative circular economy, which means minimizing the amount of waste and emission by recycling, a policy effectively used in the majority of developed countries and some less developed ones. A circular economy has other positive effects such as maintaining the ecosystem. It also created a great number of jobs. The students also focused on Georgia’s potential to become the part of the circular economy. The group was advised to also investigate the disadvantages of the circular economy. The final group emphasized the importance of the inclusion of youth in the process of the development of waste management sector in the regions. The students presented the results of studies carried out to find
the level of awareness of Georgian youngsters about the problems related to waste management and shared their experience after launching a number of campaigns for eradicating this issue. The members of the given group clearly outlined the significance of the education system in this case. The summit covered the impressive work of the young students and along with outlining the major difficulties of waste management technology in Georgia, the participants agreed that the most significant problem is the lack of awareness and lack of infrastructure which catalyze the problem and turn it into an interminable cycle of pollution and destruction of the nature and ecology of the country. As solutions, the students emphasized the need for the inclusion of the government and launch of a number of campaigns to become an example to the rest of society. One young participant of the summit stated the project was a wonderful experience for him, making him part of an important program and helping him make new friends at the same time. The structure of the summit gave an opportunity for invited guests to participate in the discussions after the presentations. The summit was concluded by awarding the participants with certificates and a celebratory dinner.
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Exhibition Dedicated to the History of Georgia is Hosted by the University of Tokyo Info Box There were both female and male candidates for the Constituent Assembly elections. Of 20 female candidates, 5 were elected in the Constituent Assembly. Georgia was one among very few countries in which elections were held by universal suffrage and gender equality was promoted. Aside from supporting equality between men and women, the founders of the Georgian Democratic Republic protected and promoted values and high standards that at that time were controversial even in Europe, such as the abolition of the death penalty, and recognition of prisoners’ and other human rights.
BY KETEVAN KVARATSKHELIYA
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ntil December 7, an exhibition dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the establishment of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia was hosted by the University of Tokyo, Japan. The exposition, prepared by the National Archives of Georgia and
the University of Tokyo, reflected and establishment of the govern- tive body ‘The Constituent Assemthe short history of the First Dem- ment of independent Georgia; the bly;’ and adopting the first Conocratic Republic of Georgia (1918- elections of the supreme legisla- stitution of Georgia. 1921), including the major events that took place in those years and the vital decisions the country had to make then to maintain democratic values within its borders. A wide range of documents and photographic material was shown at the exhibition, including of the restoration of state independence
What’s That? Dedicated – focused on, made for Establishment – start, foundation Reflected – showed, displayed Vital – important Maintain – keep, not lose Borders – the edges of the country Restoration – bringing back, return Elections – people choosing by vote Adopting – starting to use Constitution – list of laws Abolition – making it illegal, stopping it
Source, Image source: Ipress
Food for Thought How has Georgia changed in 100 years? Look at the Info Box. Are these values still present in Georgia? Where is improvement needed?
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Tbilisi Observes International Day of Persons with Disabilities Info Box City Hall’s ‘Day Centers’ program is co-financed by the state which gives 25% of the cost of a voucher for people with disabilities living in Tbilisi and attending day care centers. Since 2015, City Hall has financed over 200 projects within the ‘Program for Supporting the Integration of Persons with Disabilities.’
BY SAMANTHA GUTHRIE
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bilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze went to an event supporting the rights of people with disabilities. According to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1992, December 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The Mayor said that one of City Hall’s main priorities is to ensure that people with disabilities in the city can live an independent life and be engaged in their communities. “Our main goal is to ensure the
independent life, engagement and equality of people with disabilities. The State and private sector must create the right infrastructure for the movement of people with disabilities in buildings and on streets, to support their employment and independent life. Tbilisi City Hall arranges [ground level] road crossings in the city at all projects where rehabilitation works are done - the rights of people with disabilities are thought about. We also see this in the new, European-type, ecologically clean buses, purchased by City Hall, which are all wheelchair-accessible,” said Kaladze. Tbilisi is trying to become an
What’s That? Disabilities – when a persons body works differently from “normal” Priorities – focuses, goals Ensure – guarantee Engaged – involved, active Equality – seen and treated the same as others Rehabilitation – making like new, fixing Inclusive – everyone can use it Issuing – giving an official agreement Ramps – a smooth place (not steps) that wheelchairs can move on co-financed – part is paid
Photo: Graham Turner for the Guardian
inclusive and comfortable city for all citizens. “While issuing construction permits, the construction companies must include ramps and lifts for people with disabilities in the pro-
ject. Schools and kindergartens also need them. The city center already has a parasports center and five municipal programs are working with people with disabilities,” Kaladze said.
Food for Thought How can your school / street / town be made better for disabled people? Think of wheelchair users, blind, deaf and elderly people.
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UNICEF Study on Georgian Parenting Reveals Nationwide Struggles
Photo: UNICEF at the Tbilisi state school N123
BY SAMANTHA GUTHRIE
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new report from UNICEF Georgia analyzes the parenting style of Georgian families, looking at parents of teenagers. The report concludes that “The majority of adolescents’ parents in Georgia have an authoritarian parenting style and apply physical and psychological punishment methods” and that parents focus more on their teenagers’ material and physical wellbeing, than “psychoemotional development.”
“Adolescence brings an important opportunity to influence the development of children’s brains and their futures,” said UNICEF Representative in Georgia Dr. Ghassan Khalil. The goal of the study, which was conducted through “Parents need to know just how influential they are in their adolesinterviews and focus groups, was to collect the basic inforcent’s life. Parents need to help their mation on how parenting is understood and practiced by children’s ability to cope with difparents of Georgian teens; to understand how individual, ferent developmental challenges. interpersonal and other factors affect parenting and influBut parents also need help to understand this. In Georgia there are no ence parenting styles and practices; and to understand parenting support programs. With where parents turn to for support. our study we want to support the government to develop national constructive support to teenagers.” of the most emotional periods, which policies and programs for parents The report also notes that “many negatively affects their psycho-social of adolescents, so they have what caregivers in Georgia struggle to wellbeing. Not many parents are they need for positive parenting and give basic psycho-emotional care. active in the health, behaviour, sexThere are cases when adolescents ual and reproductive health, psyfeel that they are not being sup- chological wellbeing, and prevenported by their parents during some tion of violence in their teens’ lives.”
Info Box
What’s That?
Adolescents – teenagers Influence – affect Cope with – deal with, solve work in Constructive – with positive results Caregivers – people who work with children Struggle – have problems Wellbeing – health Conducted – done, carried out
Food for Thought In which ways do teenagers need their parents’ support? Think of problems you have / have seen at school. How can parents support their teenage children? (think health, emotions and other things talked about in the text). Who can help the parents help their children?
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Tbilisi to Have 200 New Electric Buses from 2020 Info Box Go to this website for 101 ideas to make YOUR town or city a better place to live in: https://www.curbed.com/2016/9/22/13019420/urbandesign-community-building-placemaking
BY THEA MORRISON
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n 2020, the Georgian capital Tbilisi can expect 200 new buses, said Mayor Kakha Kaladze. Kaladze stated that at the end of 2019, the existing fleet of
old buses will be completely replaced by new ones. City Hall has already purchased diesel-based 10-meter MAN 90 buses, which will start operating from February. The Mayor said a tender for the purchase of 220 units of dieselengine, 8-meter buses has been completed and soon the winning
company will be revealed. “In 2019, we are preparing a tender for the purchase of 240 units of CNGengine eight and 10-meter long buses. The process will be finished by the end of 2019,” said Kaladze. In the frames of the bus replacement program, a total of 750 buses will be purchased which will replace the old buses completely and increase the total number of buses in Tbilisi by 200.
Kaladze explained that in 2019, Tbilisi will have a program for buses implemented by the French company ‘Sistra’. He said there will be 11 special lanes on roads for the largest buses to use. “This will make public transportation more comfortable and faster compared to travel by car,” he said. And there will be more new projects in future, including one which will use the River Mtkvari.
Food for Thought How many ways can you think of for people to travel around the city? Which are best (why)? Which are worst (why)? Which are healthiest for people and the environment?
What’s That? Fleet – group of vehicles (buses, ships) Replaced – old out and new in Purchased – bought, paid for Tender – invite companies to take the job [provide buses] Revealed – announced, made public Implemented – created, made
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The Kiwi Vegan Café EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY MÁTÉ FÖLDI
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We haven’t had any serious problems, except for two years ago when a group of ultranationalists came to the café and interrupted a movie screening event. It ended in a fight that involved even the neighbors. Once or twice we had some drunk youths who didn’t like us being kind to minorities. But most people want to know more about it. There are some people who don’t know about veganism and animal rights. This is something new for Georgia and Tbilisi and we didn’t expect things to be easy for us.
iwi Vegan Café is a small restaurant in Tbilisi which offers a space for friends to meet, talk, eat and drink. They serve vegan food and play jazz, rock and classical music. They love all animals and the environment. GEORGIA TODAY went to meet Soroush Negahdari, cofounder of Kiwi Vegan Café, to find out more about the café. WHAT MAKES
TELL US HOW THE CAFÉ STARTED I moved to Georgia four years ago. I was and still am vegan and an animal rights supporter. I opened Kiwi Vegan Café with a group of vegans who cared about animals and the environment. We set it up with our personal money and, with the help of friends and many supporters and volunteers, we opened the café on July 4, 2015.
WHY A VEGAN CAFE? Tbilisi needed a nice vegan place for people to enjoy vegan food and share ideas and love. There were some vegans and a lot of vegetarians living here and tourists were looking for vegan restaurants. We also wanted to raise awareness about animal rights, environmental issues and health and diet problems in Georgia.
WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED?
KIWI UNIQUE? We offer a free space for people to have meetings and events. We also have a free work/study room where people can read or write, work online or meet with friends and stay as long as they want without ordering any food or drink. We also support all minorities that might have a difficult time visiting other cafés and restaurants in Tbilisi.
Info Box Vegetarian diets mean you don’t eat meat, poultry, game, fish and shellfish. Vegans diets are like vegetarian but they also exclude dairy products and are against using anything that came from an animal: they believe that animals have a right to be free from human use, be it for food, clothing, science or entertainment. AND DAIRY PRODUCTS. WHAT DO THEY THINK OF KIWI VEGAN CAFÉ?
In the beginning, almost all our guests were tourists and foreigners, but we wanted Georgian people to learn about veganism, too, so we changed our advertising style and TELL US ABOUT THE menu. Now, half our guests are Georgian and are giving good FOOD YOU SERVE Our menu has dishes from different reviews: sometimes Georgians come countries and cuisines, including to Kiwi with their kids to enjoy a Middle Eastern, Indian, Mexican healthy and tasty dinner. and Asian. There are also some dishes that we came up with that DO YOU GROW ANY OF are different versions of popular YOUR INGREDIENTS? dishes, like our “Tofu Shawarma” We have friends who make soymilk and “Buckwheat with Tofu.” We and tofu from local ingredients and also offer vegan smoothies and fresh we also use organic greens. We don’t juices. produce any other ingredients yet, but we plan to from this summer GEORGIANS LIKE MEAT with the help of local farmers in the villages around Tbilisi. We always try to buy local products from Georgian producers where possible.
What’s That?
Serve – cook and sell Set it up – launched, started, prepared Supporters – people who liked the idea and helped Volunteers – people who like to work for free Raise awareness – work so more people know about it Interrupted – stopped Drunk – affected by alcohol Came up with – created, invented Foreigners – from other countries
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS?
We’re happy to have helped people learn more about being kinder and more respectful to animals and the environment. By serving a minimum of 60 meals per day at our café, we have a calculation that shows we’ve saved about 2,500 to 4,000 thousand animal lives per year. It’s also positive for the environment and air pollution and saves millions of liters of clean drinking water. There are now more vegans and people who care about animals and the environment in Tbilisi and Georgia, and there are also meetings, presentations and social events held here which help people to spread their ideas and discuss their issues with others.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? We plan to open a vegan shop and maybe a second Kiwi Café in Tbilisi. We’re also going to get involved in organic farming in Georgia. We already help people who are active in animal rights and environmental issues, but we are planning to do it on a larger scale.
Food for Thought What do you think of veganism and vegetarianism? Could you do it? What would you need to change about your life (think diet, habits, clothes etc.) to be a vegan?
EDUCATION
GEORGIA TODAY DECEMBER 2018
15
Bulgarian Embassy in Georgia Celebrates Upcoming Holidays with Children’s Crafts & Entertainment Info Box
BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES
T
heBulgarianEmbassy in Georgia invited children and their parents from the Bulgarian diaspora and local community for an evening of crafts, delicious Georgian and Bulgarian savories and sweets and traditional singing at the Embassy on December 7. Ambassador Desislava Ivanova welcomed the Bulgarian citizens, their families and their Georgian friends, and talked about the importance of coming together to celebrate the New Year holiday and of preserving the Bulgarian traditions of song and crafts. Children of various nationalities sat together around a table which
had paper, card, scissors, glue and other materials, to create Christmas decorations. Guests were told about the Bulgarian ‘survachka,’ a tree branch which adults bent and tied to look like the Cyrillic letter “f” (Ф). The children then decorated them with popcorn, small cookies, wool and beads. We were then told of the Survakane tradition where a member of the family, usually the youngest, gently hits the back of others with a survachka during Christmas or on the morning of New Year’s Day while reciting a short verse, wishing their relative well for the new year. Afterwards, the children are given snacks, candy, or small amounts of money. Children at the Embassy event sang together, first in Bulgarian and then ‘Jingle Bells’ in English and were then gifted chocolates.
Food for Thought What traditions does Georgia have for New Year and Christmas? Imagine you are writing an email to a friend from another country. Tell them about your traditions. PUBLISHER & GM
George Sharashidze COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT
Commercial Director: Iva Merabishvili Marketing Manager: Anuka Poladishvili
GEORGIA TODAY
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT:
Editor-In-Chief: Katie Ruth Davies
Journalists: Tony Hanmer, Zaza Jgarkava, Maka Bibilashvili, Dimitri Dolaberidze, Vazha Tavberidze, Nugzar B. Ruhadze, Thea Morrison, Samantha Guthrie, Amy Jones, Ketevan Kvaratskheliya Photographer: Irakli Dolidze
FEEDING THE POOP LOG: A CATALAN CHRISTMAS TRADITION Here’s another Christmas tradition involving wood and presents, this one from Catalunya (Spain)! Tió de Nadal (Christmas Log) is a hollow log with stick legs, The Catalan Christmas Log. Photo by Josep a happy face, and a red hat. On Ma. Rosell December 8, families bring out the log and every night until December 24, children “feed” the log nuts, dried fruit and water. He also needs a blanket to keep him warm and comfortable. On Christmas Eve, children hit him with sticks while singing a traditional song which says they will hit him if he doesn’t give them sweets. Then the children look under Tió de Nadal’s blanket and see that he has pooped out candies and presents. When everyone has collected their gifts from Tió de Nadal, the family burns him for warmth.
What’s That? Diaspora – a group of people living in a different country from where they were born Delicious – tasty, nice to eat Savories – not sweet (with salt) Preserving – keeping, protecting, continuing Various – different Gently – soft, not hard Reciting – speaking a poem Hollow – empty, nothing inside Log – piece of wood Website Manager/Editor: Katie Ruth Davies Layout: Misha Mchedlishvili Webmaster: Sergey Gevenov Circulation Managers: David Kerdikashvili, David Djandjgava
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