EDUCATION Issue no: 026
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• OCTOBER 2019
• PUBLISHED MONTHLY
In this issue...
FOCUS ON THE SILK ROAD
At the end of October, 2000 people from 60 countries came to Tbilisi to talk about trade and Georgia’s promising future. Find out more inside.
PRICE: GEL 2
Festival d’Automne à Paris PAGE 2
The Immortalization of Gandagana- the Ajaran Folk Dance
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Now it’s Easier to Buy an Electric Car and Help Protect the Environment! PAGE 5
Georgia 39th in Global Hunger Index 2019 PAGE 7
Zero is More than One - When Free is More Expensive than Cheap PAGE 13
Young Georgians Celebrate Int’l Day for Disaster Risk Reduction in Tbilisi Zoo
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n October 15, Tbilisi Zoo became an educational playground, showing the benefits of climateproof urban development that protects people and infrastructure from catastrophic disasters. Interactive and fun activities united over 50 schoolchildren and representatives of Georgia’s government, city, schools, civil society and international organizations. The day in the Zoo was organized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as part of a project to reduce the risk of disasters,
working in partnership with the Tbilisi Zoo, the Environmental Information and Education Center at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and the Emergency Management Service at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. October 13 was International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2019. The zoo day reminded people of the flood that hit Tbilisi in June 2015, killing 23 people and 300 animals, destroying the zoo and causing $24.3 million in damage. The Government of Georgia began to look for solutions to protect people and buildings from the impact
of climate change. In 2019, with support from the Green Climate Fund and the Government of Switzerland, UNDP began a $70 million program that covers all 11 of the country’s major rivers and protects 1.7 million people. “The Georgian government is being pro-active, and climate education is an important part of this,” said UNDP Head Louisa Vinton. “It gives people the knowledge and tools needed to understand and address the impact of global warming.” The Disaster Risk Reduction Day in the Tbilisi Zoo included quizzes and games to help young Georgians
Image source: UNDP
understand climate change and how it affects Georgia and the planet. At the end of the day, all participants visited Beglar the hippopotamus, a symbol of survival from the 2015 Tbilisi flood, who enjoys his new home in the reconstructed Zoo.
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Festival d’Automne à Paris
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e festival d’Automne à Paris se tient de septembre à décembre chaque année, réunissant plusieurs disciplines: Théâtre, musique, danse, arts plastiques, cinéma.
ORIGINES DE FESTIVAL PLURIDISCIPLINAIRE Le Festival d’Automne à Paris date depuis 1972 et accompagne les artistes en produisant et diffusant leurs œuvres, à la fin réunissant près de 50 manifestations. Depuis 2012, le festival consacre des «Portraits» à des figures marquantes de
la scène internationale: Robert Wilson (Etats-Unis), William Forsythe (Allemagne), Romeo Castellucci (Italie) etc.
MISSION PRINCIPALE La mission principale du festival est à réunir les arts contemporains et faire rencontrer plusieurs disciplines. En associant toujours les principaux festivals internationaux et les grandes institutions culturelles étrangères, le Festival d’automne à Paris dédie de grands programmes aux arts de la scène extra-européens: Corée, Mongolie, Afrique du Sud, Chine, Inde, Iran, Mexique, Japon,
Mots clés: diffuser: გავრცელება consacrer: მიძღვნა marquant: აღსანიშნავი l’art contemporain: თანამედროვე ხელოვნება discipline: დისციპლინა collaborer: თანამშრომლობა l’evenement culturel: კულტურული მოვლენა Sites utiles: https://www.festival-automne.com/ Plus d’information du festival GIFT : https://www.giftfestival.ge/ https://institutfrancais.ge/fr/
Et en Géorgie ? L’automne est la saison préférée des artistes géorgiens. Le mois d’octobre est particulièrement chargés par les évènements culturels très intéressants. Le 19 octobre, à Tbilissi se tient la 22ème édition du festival GIFT ( Festival international des arts de Géorgie), dont L’institut Français de Géorgie est partenaire. Cette année, la France est représentée par deux grandes artistes: Maguy Marin - danseuse et chorégraphe française de danse contemporaine et Carolyn Carlson - danseuse, chorégraphe, ainsi que poétesse et calligraphe, grande figure de la Nouvelle danse française. Le festival GIFT s’ouvrira par un classique absolu - „May B“ de Maguy Marin. Cette adaptation originale du drame de Samuel Beckett a été créée en 1981 au Théâtre municipal d’Angers et continue d’être jouée dans le monde entier. „May B“ a permis à Maguy Marin, grande dame de la danse contemporaine en France, de bâtir sa réputation internationale. Egypte. La diversité des genres, la beauté des langues, voilà ce que le groupe du festival essaie de montrer à tout le monde.
PROGRAMME Le festival n’a pas un lieu spécifique, associant et collaborant avec plusieurs espaces théâtraux, par exemple l’Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe à
la MC93, Le Centre Pompidou à Nanterre-Amandiers, Le Théâtre de Chelles à la Philharmonie de Paris. Chaque année une quarantaine de lieux partenaires accueille sa programmation, permettant aux artistes de présenter leurs œuvres à un large public. Le festival a déjà commencé le 10 septembre et aura lieu jusqu’à 31 décembre.
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PM: Georgia Historically Played an Important Role in Silk Road Development Info Box
BY ANA DUMBADZE & BEKA ALEXISHVILI
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am happy that Georgia continues to host such an important event,- said the Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia at the third Tbilisi Silk Road Forum which opened on October 22. “Today, we have over 2000 delegates from more than 60 countries. Georgia has historically played a very important role in the Silk Road. With modern economic integration and globalization, traderelated economic development is vital.” This year a free trade agreement was signed between Georgia and the Republic of China. The PM said the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum is an important chance to deepen ties between Asia and Europe and is an excellent place to discuss new ideas and opportunities in the fast-changing world and to start high-level discussion on future cooperation in the areas of trade, transport, infrastructure, innovations and energy.
“The forum is a useful platform for representatives of the Silk Road Initiative, international organizations and the private sector to share experiences and discuss economic challenges in the region,” Gakharia added. Joe Lynam, the Chief Business Correspondent of the BBC, was one of the guests at the Silk Road Forum in Tbilisi. He said Georgia is competitive, affordable and attractive and that Georgia’s position in the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ rating (World Economic Forum) makes it a great country for investors. “Such ratings are a good reason why investors are coming to Georgia. It has rule of law, it has the infrastructure and human capital. If Georgia continues on this path, in 15 years, it will be the leader in the Caucasus,” he stated. Lynam also compared the Georgian economic example to that of his homeland, Ireland. “I want to you a story about a small open republic and how it transformed itself. In the early 1970s, the Republic of Ireland was the poorest country in western
What’s That? role – part integration – joining a group trade – selling and buying products vital – very important free trade – trading without paying taxes or other costs ties – connections discuss – talk about cooperation – work together challenges – difficulties affordable – not expensive human capital – people who can work (workforce)
The Silk Road was a group of trade routes that went across Asia to the Mediterranean Sea. This let China trade with the Middle East and the Mediterranean world. It was called the Silk Road because silk was traded along it. At the time, silk was only made in China, and it was a valuable material. The Silk Road not only earned a lot of money for China, it also benefitted the cities on the route. Trade on the Silk Road played a big part in the growth of the ancient cultures of China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, and Rome, and helped to make the beginning of today’s world. Many other things were also traded, even ideas. Because the traders came from many places, different ideas were brought to China, and China’s ideas were taken to other places. Some of the other things traded were porcelain and other types of pottery, food, wine, and spices. Chess pieces from northern India were brought to China and Persia. Paper arrived in the west from China. Metals and jewels were transported, and slaves. Probably no trader went the whole way along the route. Goods would be traded on at every stopping-point. Deals might be needed to get past difficult places. The Silk Road first traveled west from northern China. Then the part of the Silk Road on land split into two. One branch went north of the Tibetan Plateau, and the other branch went south of it. After the two parts rejoined, it went in an almost straight line west through mountains via north Iran and the north tip of the Syrian Desert to Syria, Israel, and Palestine. From there Mediterranean ships took products to Italy, and land routes went north through Anatolia or south to North Africa. The sea route was also called “Silk Road”. It ran from South China, to the Philippines, Brunei, Siam, Malacca, Ceylon, India, Pakistan, and Iran. In Europe it went between Israel, Lebanon, Egypt and Italy. Past the Mediterranean Sea, it continued to Portugal and Sweden. Europe. It was agriculture-based and its young people were emigrating. 60% of its trade went to one big powerful neighbor. Then we joined the European Community, which invested in infrastructure, in universities, in tax reforms. In 2019, Ireland is the second richest country in the European Union:
only little Luxembourg is richer. Georgia could learn from that lesson. Georgia could be the Republic of Ireland in this region, and the Silk Road could be the start of a major transformation for this country: one that makes this country wealthy and a good home for its young people,” Lynam said.
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The Immortalization of Gandagana- the Ajaran Folk Dance Info Box
BY ELENE DZEBISASHVILI
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he Ajaran dance Gandagana has been granted the status of an Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Ajaran Agency for Cultural Preservation reports. Since its introduction in 1946, Gandagana has long been one of Georgia’s favorite national dances. The dance has a fun and playful style. The male dancer tries to catch the lady’s attention through moves that show strength and grace, while the lady keeps avoiding him playfully, with pride and beauty.
What’s That? granted – given heritage – something important from history preservation – protection grace – elegance, gentle movements avoiding – not letting him catch her
Food for Thought Do you know any Georgian dances? Is it important for people to learn the folk dances of their country? Why (not)? Choose a Georgian dance. What does it say about the relationship between men and women?
Georgia isn’t the only country with its own folk dances. Get onto Youtube and check out the Russian, English, Greek, Turkish, Iranian and Indian folk dances. The Bharatanatyam is an Indian dance worth seeing. India has a very rich culture of dance and music, traditional, classical, folk and tribal dance styles. The incredible traditional dances of India originated in ancient times and are considered the mother art of classical dances. The Classical Dances of India include Bharatanatyam, the oldest form of classical dance in the country and one of the most popular classical dances in India. In Bharatanatyam a woman dances with a fixed upper torso, legs bent or knees out. There is spectacular footwork, and the movement of her hands, eyes and face muscles are important. The dance is accompanied by music and a singer, and typically the woman’s guru (teacher) is present as the director and conductor of the performance.
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Now it’s Easier to Buy an Electric Car & Help Protect the Environment!
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eorgia is starting to care about protecting its environment- it is “going green,” and both the government and banks want to help. ProCredit Bank, for example, now offers ‘Eco-Mobility Loans,’ a new service for business and private clients. The idea is to encourage customers to replace their fossil fuelpowered cars with electric cars. If they do it, clients can help reduce their negative environmental impact. The electric cars on the market today only need one full charge for drivers to move in and around the city for a day.
You can get a Pro-Credit loan from GEL 15,000 to 90,000 with a fixed interest rate. ProCredit Bank was one of the first businesses in Georgia to start using hybrid and electric cars and it is now starting to replace all the fossil fuelpowered cars it has with electric cars and to offer charging points. By using environmentally-friendly cars and developing the right infrastructure, companies like ProCredit Bank raise awareness of eco-mobility. Tbilisi City Hall has installed a number of charging points around the city and soon a factory will be built in Kutaisi to make electric cars.
What’s That? protecting – keeping safe, caring for environment – the world around us (nature) loan – money borrowed from a bank for financing needs under certain conditions agreed in advance encourage – push someone to do something replace – use one thing instead of another fossil fuel – from old geological materials (gas or coal) reduce – lessen impact – effect interest rate – the amount charged on top of the principal by a lender to a borrower for the use of assets installed – put in place
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Info Box English inventor Thomas Parker, who invented an electricity system for the London Underground and tramways in Liverpool and Birmingham, built the first production electric car in London in 1884, using his own specially designed high-capacity rechargeable batteries. The Elwell-Parker Company, later named the Electric Construction Corporation, built electric trams and then Parker’s electric cars. France and the United Kingdom were the first countries to support the development of electric vehicles. The first electric car in Germany was built by the engineer Andreas Flocken in 1888 and the first electric car in the United States was developed in 1890-91 by William Morrison of Des Moines, Iowa; the vehicle was a six-passenger wagon capable of reaching a speed of 23 kilometers per hour. Because electric car batteries couldn’t hold much charge or travel very fast, they lost popularity until about 10 years ago. As of December 2018, there were about 5.3 million light-duty all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in use around the world.
Food for Thought What are the positives and negatives of using these in Georgia: 1) fossil fuel cars? 2) electric cars? 3) no cars and only buses, trains and bikes?
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Fabrikaffiti Urban Art Festival 2019 Info Box T-Kid, an artist respected for his talent and style, is called Julius Cavero but he is better known in the modern art world as T-KID 170. He started graffiti work by tagging the name “King 13” in the 1970s. He was in a street gang and after nearly dying in a gun fight, T-KID gave up the dangerous street life for street art. Now he is famous for his unique letters, illustration, and train-bombing. BY NINI DAKHUNDARIDZE
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bilisi is not just a city where West meets East; it’s also a place wh e re t ra d i t i o n meets modern. One example is 18th and 19th-century buildings and next to them Soviet apartments with urban street art painted on. Street art has become important to Tbilisi’s culture: no matter what you’re leaving and where you’re going to, you will see it on your way, in tunnels, on abandoned buildings or the walls of shops. And the city even has a festival to celebrate it. The Fabrikaffiti Urban Art Festival has existed in Tbilisi since 2016. This
year’s festival showed not only the street art culture and potential of Tbilisi, but skateboarding, b-boy battles, dancing contests and workshops on emerging urban culture. Fabrikaffiti Urban Art Festival’s goal is to: • Support the Georgian graffiti scene and artists; • Transform Georgia into one of the main street art destinations in the world; • Support and promote different urban art by practice, showcases and educational activities; • Support the knowledge- and experience- sharing among Georgian and foreigner artists by bringing them together. Fabrikaffiti Urban Art Festival 2019 was held in Fabrika Tbilisi, a hostel and multifunctional social space
Food for Thought What do you think of street art? What do you think of tagging? Look at some of Tbilisi’s new street art on facebook. com/TbilisiMuralFest Which do you like most/least?
that hosts many culturally or artistically important events. On October 11-13, more than 20 local and international artists came to the Fabrikaffiti festival. The headliner of the 2019 festival was T-KID, a world-renowned graffiti artist from New York. He held a closed workshop and a public talk at Fabrikaffiti this year. The Fabrikaffiti Urban Festival 2019 included other international artists, like M-CITY from Poland, GVIIIE from Spain, and WIESTE HENDRICKX from Belgium, who
is known for creative graffiti illustrations of Jimi Hendrix in Brussels. Guests could attend workshops and see the graffiti art being done by the artists. The festival was organized by Artists’ Union Tsru in collaboration with Fabrika and Impact Hub Tbilisi. Fabrikaffiti was supported by Fabrika Hostel, TBC Bank, Urban Art Georgia, the US Embassy to Georgia, Embassies of Germany and Italy as well as Tbilisi City Hall, Creative Education Studio and Margo Skate Shop.
Image source: Fabrikaffiti
What’s That? abandoned – left, no-one lives there potential – future prospects multifunctional – can be used for many things hosts – the people who own the place the event is happening in headliner – most important person at the event renowned – famous tagging – when atrists spray their names gang – street group- usually violent gave up – stopped doing unique – special, nothing else like it train-bombing – spray-painting train carriages at night, without permission
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Georgia 39th in Global Hunger Index 2019 Info Box
Image source: Kviris Palitra
BY TEA MARIAMIDZE
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eorgia ranks 39th in the Global Hunger Index 2019. The report covers 117 countries, among which there are no high-income countries. This is the 14th annual Global Hunger Index (GHI), a report published by ‘Concern Worldwide’ and ‘Welthungerhilfe.’ The GHI ranks countries on a 100point scale, with 0 the best score (no hunger) and 100 the worst. The GHI scores are based on four indicators: 1. Undernourishment: how many people don’t eat enough food; 2. Child wasting: how many children under the age of five weigh too little for their age because they don’t eat enough calories; 3. Child stunting: how many children under the age of five are too short for their age because they don’t eat enough calories; 4. Child mortality: the number of children under the age of five who
die because they don’t have enough food. Scores under 10 = low hunger; 10 to 19.9 = moderate hunger; 20 to 34.9 = serious hunger; 35 to 49.9 = alarming; and 50 or more = very alarming. The survey shows that Georgia has a worse score (9.2) than other countries in the region: Turkey (5) ranks 15th, Russia (5.8) 22nd, Azerbaijan (7.4) 29th, and Armenia (7.8) 30th. The report says that Georgia’s hunger index is better in 2019 compared to 2005, but the latest figure is worse than in 2010. Georgia had the best ranking, compared to its neighbors, in 2000, (14.5 in the ‘Moderate’ hunger category), and the lowest score in 2010 (8.4). It is now worst in the region for the amount of child stunting: the report said 10.5% of children under five ‘have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition’. According to the Index, the biggest change was in child wasting, which jumped from 1.6% in 2010 to 4.3% in 2019. GHI measures hunger at global, regional, and national levels. GHI scores are calculated every year to
Food for Thought Why do some people not have food, although it is the 21st century? What can we do to help make sure EVERYONE has enough food: in our school, in our town, in our country?
In the Global Hunger Index, 10. Latvia the countries which had less 11. Lithuania than 5 points were: 12. Montenegro 1. Belarus 13. Romania 2. Bosnia & Herzegovina 14. Slovak Republic 3. Bulgaria 15. Turkey 4. Chile 16. Ukraine 5. Costa Rica 17. Uruguay 6. Croatia The countries which had 7. Cuba the worst indicators are Chad, 8. Estonia Yemen and the Central Afri9. Kuwait can Republic. watch progress and difficulties in fighting hunger. The 2019 report shows that 43 countries of 117 have levels of hunger that remain serious. Concern Worldwide says that climate change is affecting the global food system. “Countries with high GHI scores are vulnerable to climate change and have the least ability to adapt,” it said. “Climate change affects the quality and safety of food. It can result in toxins on crops and worsen the nutritional value of cultivated
food, reducing, for example, the amount of protein, zinc, and iron in crops. “By 2050, 175 million more people could be deficient in zinc and an additional 122 million people could have protein deficiencies,” it said.
What’s That? ranks – listing, numbers hunger – needing food high-income – which earn a lot of money published – made public scale – measurement score – points, marks moderate – medium, not so serious alarming – serious, worrying chronic – existing for a long time remain – stay vulnerable – easily hurt adapt – easily change crops – plants we grow to eat deficient – not having enough
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Prospero’s Books Turns 20 Info Box Prospero is a fictional character in William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. Prospero should be the Duke of Milan but his brother Antonio sends him out to sea in a boat with his sister. Prospero and Miranda survive and live on a small island where he learns magic from books. He uses it while on the island to protect Miranda and to control spirits, the weather, the dead and the monster Caliban. At the end of the play, he promises to throw all his books into the sea. The Tempest is the last play Shakespeare wrote alone.
BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES
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n October 17, Prospero’s Books, a book-and-stationery store and café in a sunny courtyard on Rustaveli Avenue, invited old friends and customers to celebrate the 20th year since it first opened its doors. The idea for a book store selling English books came to author and guide Peter Nasmyth, and Irakli Topuria in 1999. Topuria quickly found the right place: an unloved courtyard at Rustaveli 34. The funds were raised to buy the property, with Nasmyth putting in almost all the money he had, and the renovation work began. Finding investors was hard but then they met General Manager of Hotel Betsy’s, Steven Johnson and his brother, and Steve’s wife Tamara (Tako).
GEORGIA TODAY spoke to Prospero’s Manager Tako Johnson about the Prospero’s journey. “The best thing for me has been giving some benefit to society, meeting wonderful people and customers from all over the world and making them feel at home. There have been many challenges. The worst was the difference between the Western standards and local practices and keeping the professionalism and quality of service.” Many people say Prospero’s is like an island of western calm in the busy city. It sells many fiction, nonfiction and educational books to Georgia’s English-speaking community. It also hosts book launches, meet-the-author signings and a variety of educational events. It already has three branches in Tbilisi and in future wants to open another store on Abashidze Street and expand to other cities of Georgia.
What’s That? stationery – pens, pencils and school/office equipment courtyard – open area with buildings around it unloved – not loved or cared for funds – finances, money raised – collected benefit – help challenges – difficulties, problems launches – introducing new books to the public expand – increase, create more
Food for Thought Some people say it is better to read books in their original language. Why? How often do you read books? Start a Reader’s Diary. Buy a notebook, make a list of the books you would like to read, read them and then write about them- the characters, the story and what you liked and didn’t like.
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Studio 9 - House of Architects in Tbilisi
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ave you ever thought of becoming an architect, interior designer or going into construction? We had a look at Studio 9, which not only offers design services but also unites Georgian and foreign architects and professionals in construction and design to work in a healthy learning environment as role-models for future generations. The company offers many services, including architectural design, production and monitoring of construction works, development of concepts and packages for investment and competition, and legal and consultation services. Studio 9 has a long track record of success. Founder Mamuka Chkhaidze always wanted to make Studio 9 a market leader, a large-scale “Architectural Home” that connects different fields and highly skilled people who work together to achieve shared business-related goals. The projects created by Studio 9 stand out as models of artistic individualism and determination. They create a company style, which is unique, professional and lives up to international standards. The projects synthesize traditional trends in architecture with modern concepts of architectural design. Studio 9 recently opened a new office to help engineers, constructors, transport specialists, and interior designers to work as a team to create new trends in architecture and offer state-of-the-art services to customers for designing, building,
What’s That? and supervising renovation works. Does it sound right for you? Well, Studio 9 welcomes interns in its company-based training center, and offers practical, on-the-job courses. Young architects have a chance to learn the basic design principles in architecture, modern construction technologies, essential materials, and more, and have access to all Studio 9 services. Studio 9 puts customers as Number 1. The goal is to maintain a high quality of services, pay due attention to environmental considerations, and combine the modern and historical into a whole. It’s hard work and takes time but at the same time it’s very exciting and rewarding.
unites – connects, brings together role-models – examples, good people for the young to copy track record – history stand out – are special, unique lives up to – reaches, achieves synthesize – combine, mix state-of-the-art – super modern supervising – watching, checking rewarding – the results will make you happy
Food for Thought What do you think of the style of buildings in Georgian cities? What’s your favorite city? Which is your favorite building? Choose two buildings and compare them.
Info Box Find out more about Studio 9 on facebook.com/studio9architecturedesign
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Gamarjoba! I’m the Editor-inChief of the Georgian edition of Entrepreneur magazine and I’m here to share the top Entrepreneurial news with you:
Unmanned Air Technologies is Georgian tech that can fly without a pilot, ideal for everything from supporting rescue operations and discovering fire hazard zones to transporting medical loads. The idea united Ivane Maisaia, Amiran Ananiashvili, and Nikoloz Tsutskiridze who, with the support of Georgia's Innovation and Technology Agency, completed a test-run product. The three agreed on one goal: to found a small-scale enterprise which will produce Unmanned Air Technologies for European and American markets. They also want to develop methods that will become globally-important for producing unmanned air-transportation systems, and to interest the representatives of optics, robot-technology, electronics, alternative energies and other fields. Waffle Nest is the dream come true of 25-yearold married couple Ana and Anzori. They admit to having been inexperienced when they came to facing the challenges and tireless work, but their love for the job meant they kept at it. Their hard-work soon paid off and the café is now a favorite for many. Anzori and Ana decorated it themselves and work daily doing the job with love and dedication. At Waffle Nest, the most important thing is the comfortable, welcoming environment making guests feel at home.
TBC, to contribute to the development of a startup ecosystem, gives time and space to its most innovative employees to test their skills in startups and then decide whether to put all their energy into the new business or return to TBC. TBC's new project ‘Maternity Leave,’ received great feedback and the jury heard dozens of interesting ideas. The winners, ‘Ge Parts’ (Paata Beriashvili, TBC Bank Credit Business Development League, Service Expert), ‘Inventor’ (Tornike Kipiani, TBC Bank External Sales Network Development Manager) and ‘Mushroom’ (Tornike Kachkachishvili, TBC Bank's Business Mobilbank Group Digital Service Expert) won their own, paid business-making “maternity leave.” Young entrepreneur Giorgi Sheshaberidze, who owns a nationally successful homemade lollipop business in Gori, introduced a new idea at the Entrepreneur Magazine event: Photo Candy. Giorgi knew the event was dedicated to Anna Wintour and so put her photo on his lollipops to show off his new idea. The talented young entrepreneur started making and selling lollipops at the age of 11, using his brand ‘Dora’ to protest the Russian occupation by featuring the inscription "Stop Russia" on his candy. Influence Georgia, the winner of the 2nd round of the grant program of the Georgian Innovations and Technologies Agency (GITA), has launched an investment agreement with David Zerah, the investor of the Global Startup Fund. The winning project will be financed by GITA and the Global Startup Fund with 50% each. Influence Georgia envisages the development of a fully automatized influence marketing platform. The aim of the project is to make the company’s product the world’s leading influence marketing platform, boasting two directions: e-commerce and travel.
Brim Tbilisi is the name of the first eco-friendly hotel in Georgia. 70% solar powered, the hotel is the brainchild of German and Georgian creators for whom ecology and sustainable development while protecting the environment was something they wanted to focus on. Eco-friendliness is the policy inside the hotel, too – only ecological production is used in the menu and the design is as authentic as it could be while also keeping the “vintage effect” of Old Stack is a Georgian startup Tbilisi. The founders of the 52-room hotel report that each person that which is launching an alternadecides to stay at Brim Tbilisi leaves the place very satisfied, but that tive internet browser. The app this is “only the beginning.” is set for a lot of success and has already been named as GeorExploring Tbilisi is now possible without a direct gia’s business card on the world visit, through VR application ‘Virtual Tbilisi’ by map of internet applications. Georgian company Vrex Immersive. The app offers Austrian 360 LAB Accelerator 22 videos depicting 360-degree images of 22 pophas recently selected Stack ular tourist locations in Tbilisi, with an audioguide among its 5 best apps. Through engagement in the acceleration process, included. Users can virtually visit the tourist attracthe startup obtained an investment worth a million and upgraded to a tions of the capital and listen to their history. Take new level of development. Stack was co-founded by Giorgi Laliashvili. a virtual ride on the Rike ropeway to Narikala Fortress or a funicular climb, explore samples of Tbilisi street art, the Ethnographic Museum, various recreational areas, colorful Tbilisi yards and more. The app is available on Android Play Store and Oculus Go App Store platforms and is free to access.
Follow the Entrepreneur Georgia Instagram page to get the latest updates from Georgian Entrepreneurs. For doing business with Georgian Entrepreneurs, write us on business@entrepreneur.ge
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Beka Adamashvili- First Georgian Writer to Win EU Literary Prize
BY ANA DUMBADZE
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ourteen emerging authors from across Europe were awarded at the 2019 European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL), including Georgian Beka Adamashvili, who was the first writer from Georgia to win
the prize. The President of European Publishers awarded him in Brussels on October 2. Beka received the award for his book titled ‘Everybody Dies in the Novel,’ which he wrote in 2018. “A great sense of humor and deep knowledge of world literature, combined with marketing and advertising skills, makes Adamashvili’s prose
What’s That? emerging – starting their careers sense of humor – way of joking hilarious – very funny entertaining – enjoyable, fun outstanding – special, different from others highlights – shows that it is outstanding shortlisted – put onto the short list of possible winners
Info Box Beka Adamashvili is a young writer, journalist, comedian and blogger. In 2013, he participated in the literary contest for students ‘Legend of the Fall’ and his short story ‘XXVIII: Full Stop’ took the first prize. In 2014, he published his debut book ‘Bestseller,’ which is a satirical fiction. The novel was shortlisted as the best novel for literary award SABA and the Tsinandali Award. hilarious and entertaining. He very often uses references from classic literature and sometimes even puts famous characters into his work,” it says on the official EUPL page. The EUPL is an award that recognizes outstanding new and emerging literary talent across Europe and highlights the rich contempo-
rary European literature. Representatives from 14 countries participated in the contest in 2019: Australia, Finland, France, Georgia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Poland, Greece, Slovakia, Great Britain and Ukraine. Georgia and Ukraine participated in the contest for the first time this year.
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GEORGIA TODAY OCTOBER 2019
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Zero is More than One - When Free is More Expensive than Cheap BY NIKO NERGADZE, TRANSLATED BY ANA DUMBADZE
I
magine you know English well and a relative asks you to translate 10 pages for them, saying “my dear, I need it and I have no-one to help me except you.” How could you refuse, even if you were very busy and had no time or strength to translate anything? You might feel lazy to do it, but you would have to do it. Now imagine the same relative offered a small amount of money for that translation, say 4 GEL. Even though you were ready to do it without payment, the extra 4 GEL isn’t much and you will be even more likely to say no. But why? What has changed with this 4 GEL? The power of “free” has been studied by many researchers, including American economist Dan Ariely who proved in his books that when it comes to “free,” rational theories of economics often do not work and other forces are involved. He ran an experiment. He placed a stand in the yard of a university, where the same sweets were sold at different times for different prices. Sometimes, the price of one candy was 1 cent, sometimes it was free. The researcher then compared how many students stopped by the stand and how many candies each of them took. When the candy was free, four times more students came to the stand than when it cost 1 cent. But the answer to the second question was not in accordance with economic logic: when the candy cost 1 cent, each student took 3-5 pieces. So, the free candies should have disappeared fast, right? You lose nothing, it’s free– take as much as you want! But, no! When the candy was free, almost no-one took more than one candy, despite the fact that no-one set a maximum limit and no-one told them to leave some for others. It seems there was no need to ask – the students decided to care about others and leave them some candy. The point is that adding or sub-
tracting even one Tetri can fundamentally change the form of the relationship. When we pay even a small amount of money, we look at this transaction from the perspective of the norms of market relations. However, when we get or give something for free, then social norms come into effect. That’s why the students took one free candy. When it comes to the social norms, people have to be polite and consider the interests of others, thinking – “if I take too much, I look greedy: I should leave something for others.” However, when you pay money, you don’t have to think about others – “that’s the price of this concrete product, I buy as much as I want and I don’t need to worry what is left for others”. The same idea applies in the translation case. When a relative asks you to translate something and offers nothing but “thanks,” it is almost impossible to refuse – you will feel guilty by doing so, and in addition, your parents will scold you (fairly), saying “you should have done it, why did you give a reason for our relatives to gossip about us?” However, if you were offered 4 GEL for translation, we switch from social norms to market relations.
Now you can assess how busy you are, if it is worth you working for this price, how lazy you are to translate this text… Now you are able to say – “Oh, I’m so sorry, I would translate it for you with pleasure, but I can’t.” And now you can tell your parents “they offered me 4 GEL! Do you have any idea how much the translation of 10 pages actually costs?” Of course, this is an imaginary example, but researchers have many real stories where mixing the social and market relations brought an undesirable result. At an Israeli kindergarten, the parents were late picking up their children. They would come at 17:10 instead of 17:00. This was a problem for the teachers and the cleaners. The director of the kindergarten decided to fine parents who were late. How much did the fine reduce delays? That’s right! The delays did not reduce, but increased. Previously, the parents were ashamed to be late as they knew it was unfair on the staff. However, imposing the fine turned social norms into market relations. Now, the parents were not in a hurry anymore if the boss ordered them to do something at work at the last minute. They no longer used a taxi if the public trans-
port was late. Of course, they would be late again, but it was no longer a shame but a service – they had to pay the fine, but it was worth it! The most interesting aspect was when the kindergarten authorities realized their mistake and canceled the fine. What do you think- did the delays increase, decrease or remain the same? Surprisingly, delays increased even more after the fine was canceled. The point is that social norms transformed into market relations remain as market relations for a long time. The fine was abolished but the parents did not forget the idea they had to pay money for the delay. Therefore, the delay was still acceptable, even though now they did not have to pay a fine! This is just one aspect of the power of “free:” it is about social and market norms.
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GEORGIA TODAY OCTOBER 2019
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Rezo Gabriadze’s ‘Rezo’ Nominated for the Oscars Info Box
Image source: stagerussia.com
BY NINI DAKHUNDARIDZE
R
evaz“Rezo”Gabriadze is a Georgian theater and film director, playwright, writer, painter, and sculptor. Based on his short stories, a Russian animated film Rezo - in Russian “Знаешь, мама, где я был?” (Mom, Do You Know Where I Have Been?) was released in 2018. Rezo is one of the 32 animated features submitted for the 2019 Oscar. On January 13 of 2020, it will be revealed which of these 32 animated movies will go to the “short-
list”. The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony will take place on February 9, 2020, and the public will discover the final winners of all the categories then. Rezo is a movie told and painted by Rezo Gabriadze. The movie is an autobiographical animated documentary questioning ideas of deep humanity and kindness during difficult times after World War 2. Rezo Gabriadze worked with Giya Danelia, legendary Georgian film director of Soviet times, on the cinematographic masterpieces Mimino (1977) and Kin-dza-dza (1986). Gabriadze founded the Marionette Theater in Tbilisi in 1981.
Revaz “Rezo” Levanovich Gabriadze (Georgian: რევაზ გაბრიაძე) was born on 29 June 1936 in Kutaisi. He is a Georgian theater and film director, playwright, writer, painter and sculptor. His son, Levan Gabriadze, is also an actor and film director. Gabriadze graduated from the Higher Scriptwriters’ Courses in Moscow and worked as a correspondent for the newspaper Youth of Georgia. He began working as a screenwriter for director Giya Daneliya and co-wrote some of his most popular films, including Mimino and Kin-dza-dza. Gabriadze also works as a scenographer, painter, sculptor, and book illustrator. His puppet theater has toured the world, appearing at New York City’s Lincoln Center Festival; The Edinburgh Festival; San Sebastián Festival, Spain; Toronto World Stage Festival; Theatre de la Ville, Paris; Barbican Center, London and more. Gabriadze was awarded a USSR State Prize in 1989.
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