Georgia Today Education - Issue 005

EDUCATION www.georgiatoday.ge

Issue no: 005

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• NOVEMBER 2016

• PUBLISHED MONTHLY

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In this issue...

Fourth International Accessible Tourism Conference Held in Batumi PAGE 2

FOCUS ON PROSPERITY AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES

Prosperity Index: Georgia’s Democracy Level One of ng Best among Ex-Soviet Countries PAGE 3

European School Has un n Some Halloween Fun

This issue we look at Georgia’s Prosperity Index score, Accessible Tourism, books for IDPs, healthy living and more!

Georgian Schools to Be Equipped with Wi-Fi by

BY THEA MORRISON

T

he Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, and American company Microsoft signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), in which Microsoft will support the implementation of Wi-Fi infrastructure in Georgian schools and provide teachers and school leaders with the educational materials and expertise needed in order to support the use of the internet and modern technologies in the educational process.

Initially, Microsoft will install Wi-Fi technologies in 32 schools in various cities and towns throughout the country for free. The long-term strategy is to provide free internet

in all schools and other educational institutions of Georgia, as many schools now have internet but do not have Wi-Fi modems.

After the project is implemented, the teachers and students will be able to connect to the internet at school for free which will remove barriers to access to knowledge. The MoU also covers the MS Office 365 Cloud Service, which will assist Georgian teachers and students to use engaging teaching and learning practices.

The cooperation between Georgia’s Education Ministry and Microsoft began seven years ago and since then the company has conducted trainings and conferences for teachers, and organized seminars and consultations on how to use the internet in educational practises.

Before signing the MoU, the representatives of Microsoft met with

Georgia’s Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili.

The meeting focused on the opportunities of Microsoft Game and Education Resources to be offered at Georgian schools, introduction of simple teaching and learning applications, development of a single space for e-learning and exchange of information, along with the design of e-textbooks.

The Georgian government and Microsoft have a License Agreement which permits the Georgian side to use copyrighted products of the Microsoft Corporation within public institutions throughout the country.

Kvirikashvili thanked Microsoft representatives for their support and cooperation in education and innovation and expressed hope that this bilateral cooperation would develop further in future.

PAGE 6

British Author Launches 3rd Translated YA Book in Georgia PAGE 7

Ilia Chavchavadze & the First Georgian Bank

PAGE 9

TbilisiMarathon 2016 Supports Hospice Construction for Children PAGE 15

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Info Box Accessible tourism enables people with special requirements, including mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive problems, to function independently and with dignity by offering universally designed tourism products, services and environments- ramps, wide pathways, lifts, braille, adapted announcements for those with hearing difficulties and more. This definition is for all people including those travelling with children in prams, people with disabilities and seniors.

Giorgi Chogovadze, Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration

Fourth International Accessible Tourism Conference Food for Held in Batumi Thought

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

A

ccessible tourism for economic development and social responsibility was the main topic of the 4th international conference held in Batumi last month.

Organized by the center of accessible tourism, Parsa, and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), it aimed to share existing international experience in creating an adapted and inclusive environment according to international standards.

Giorgi Chogovadze, Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA), introduced the projects that were already considered as successfully implemented, giving the example of Mtskheta, the former ancient capital of Georgia and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, now fully tailoring to the needs of people with disabilities. As Chogovadze noted, Tskhaltubo- a balneological resort in Georgia, is next on the list, with trainings for private sector representatives now being regularly organized.

“Tours throughout the country are also being planned and, in cooperation with Sighnaghi, Kvareli and Telavi Municipalities, packages for accessible tourism are already set,” Chogovadze said.

What’s That?

Accessible – easy to enter Responsibility – what you must do Adapted – changed Inclusive – for everyone Former – previous, before Ancient – very old Tailoring – working, adapted to Disabilities – not able to move, see, hear or think as others do Packages – holidays planned by an agent

 How do you think Georgia could be made more accessible?  Is your school adapted and accessible? How (not)?

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Prosperity Index: Georgia’s Democracy Level One of Best among Ex-Soviet Countries

BY THEA MORRISON

Legatum Institute released the Prosperity Index 2016 Source: prosperity.com

T

he 10th annual Global Prosperity Index 2016 of Londonbased sed Legatum Institute te revealed that Georgia has improved roved its prosperity over the last decade. It now ranks 84th among 148 countries.

The results of the e study were based on various factors, s, including: economic quality, business usiness environment, governance, e, education, health, safety and security, personall freedom, social al capital and environment. nment.

According to the report, Georgia’s most noticeable achievements have been in the Governance and Business Environment sub-indices, with more than a 36 rank increase in both over the last decade.

Factors holding back Georgia’s prosperity level are Social Capital and Natural Environment, both of which are amongst the global lowest thirty and declining.

However, the study revealed that Georgia performs best on Education and Governance and scores lowest on the Social Capital subindex, which has a small prosperity deficit.

“Nevertheless, this is an excellent result compared to its regional peers. Armenia and Azerbaijan have much larger prosperity deficits than Georgia despite having similar wealth and prosperity ranks,” the report reads.

The Legatum Index also says that Georgia’s Governance sub-index has improved, surpassing that of its regional peers, adding that between 2007 and 2016, Georgia experienced a 38 percent improvement in perceptions of corruption, a 52 percent increase in judicial independence, and rule of law has progressed substantially, all of which are the best scores in the region.

“Georgia’s democracy level is one of the best amongst ex-soviet countries. The level of Political Rights has risen above the global average.

Such improvements are not common for an ex-soviet country,” the Legatum Institute said.

However, the report stressed that since 2013, the country has noticed a decline in confidence in the honesty of elections and in the government.

What’s That?

Prosperity – Success Decade – 10 year period Holding back – stopping it from being better Deficit – lack of, not enough Peers – friends, colleagues Surpassing – better than, going past the results of Risen – gone up Unprecedented – never seen before Think tank – group of people who discuss issues and come up with solutions and ideas

Most impressively, according to the Index, it seems that improvements in governance have come alongside huge efforts to augment Personal Freedom in Georgia.

As for the global prosperity, the report says that after the 2008 and 2009 global financial crisis, global prosperity has risen to unprecedented levels in the past decade.

Info Box The Legatum Institute is based in London and is an independent charity within the Legatum Group, a private investment group with a 30-year history of global investment in businesses and programs that promote sustainable human development. It is also an international think tank and educational charity focused on understanding, measuring and explaining the journey from poverty to prosperity for individuals, communities and nations.

The Legatum Prosperity Index, the Institute’s signature publication, provides a way to view a comprehensive assessment of national success. It offers a unique insight into how prosperity is forming and changing across the world.

Food for Thought  In the Prosperity Study, Georgia got a low result for ‘Natural Environment.’ Why do you think this is? What needs to be changed to make the result better?  Look at the results for Education, Governance, Political Rights and confidence in honest elections. How do YOU see these things in your experience- improved, the same, or needing more improvement? How?

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Info Box

Women Working for Free: Report Highlights Gender Pay Gaps across Europe What’s That?

Highlighting – showing the important details Average – typical, normal Gender pay gap – the difference between what women earn and what men earn Conducted – carried out, done Improving – getting better Benefit from – take good things from Patriarchal – society controlled by men Demonstrates – shows Disparity – difference Losing out on – missing, not getting

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

F

ollowing the Equal Pay and Gender Pay Gap debate, a new study was conducted and a report released by Expert Market, which claims to be Europe’s leading B2B marketplace, highlighting that the average woman in Europe earns 16.68 percent less annually than men, which is the same as working for free for nearly two months of the year.

The report gives a number of examples, including Bosnia, where, according to Expert Market findings, the gender pay gap is the highest in Europe at 46 percent.

Slovenia appears to have the lowest at 3.20 percent, the UK shows 19.70

percent and a 34.80 percent pay gap is shown in Georgia.

The report was conducted using existing European data and a selection of European studies about the gender pay gap, which helped Expert Market to calculate the dates on which women this year started “working for free” across Europe,

THE BIG NUMBER: 80 PERCENT Did you know that in 2015, women working full time in the United States (US) were typically paid just 80 % of what men were paid, a gap of 20 %? According to the US Census Bureau, the earnings ratio hasn’t had significant annual change since 2007. The gap has narrowed since the 1970s, due largely to women’s progress in education and workforce participation and to men’s wages rising at a slower rate. Still, the pay gap does not appear likely to go away on its own. At the rate of change between 1960 and 2015, women are expected to reach pay equity with men in 2059. But even that progress has slowed in recent years. If change continues at the slow rate seen since 2001, women will not reach pay equity with men until 2152.

Source: http://www.aauw.org which, for Georgia, was August 25 and for the UK, October 19. The calculation is made using the average earnings of women in each country as a percentage of men’s earnings.

When it comes to Georgia, according to another study titled: ‘Priority gender issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Georgia; Moldova; Serbia; and Ukraine – with consideration to gender and governance,’ by Pamela Pozarny and Brigitte Rohwerder, conducted under the GSDRC (June 2016), despite the improving economic environment of the country, there still remain challenges related to women’s participation in business and their ability to benefit from economic opportunities. A weak entrepreneurial and promotion policy and legal environment, poorlyskilledemployees and limited access to finance are the decisive factors for this, plus the absence of a “culture” of entrepreneurship.

For women, patriarchal attitudes

and social customs are what keep traditional gender roles and limit women’s opportunities.

The report also demonstrates the low rate of female employment in Georgia: 48.8 % in 2016 compared to 54.5 % in 2015. Salaries for woman are often lower, while the pay gap is visible in both the private and public sectors.

In commenting on their latest workplace report, Michael Horrocks from Expert Market notes: “When we examine gender pay disparity across Europe, it can be difficult to imagine how this difference in pay is reflected in everyday life. Our findings highlight the amount of money women across Europe are losing out on in comparison to their male colleagues. It is disappointing to see that in many European countries, women are essentially working for free for two or more months each year.” http://www.expertmarket.co.uk/genderpay-gap-in-europe

Food for Thought  Why are there more women with jobs today than in the past? Is it a good thing?  Should women earn the same as men for doing the same job? Why don’t they in some countries?

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European School Has Some Halloween Fun What’s That?

S

ome years ago nobody in Georgia knew about Halloween and certainly nobody here celebrated this ancient Celtic festival designed to scare off hungry ghosts.

Later, a few international schools in Georgia started to let their pupils have fun wearing colorful costumes.

At the same time some people started protesting Halloween parties as the worship of witches and as a contradiction to Christian traditions, though history shows that Halloween has both Pagan and Christian roots. But over time the original meaning of the festival was lost and people started celebrating Halloween just for fun with friends.

There’s been an annual Halloween party at European School for several years, with the program improving from year to year. This year was definitely the best and GEORGIA TODAY went along to meet some of the pupils there and to ask them about their Halloween experience.

Ika Bezhuashvili, 9 grader, Mid-

Protesting – complaining, speaking against Contradiction – opposite to Roots - origins Annual – every year Decorate – to make a (room) look different with ornaments and details Hung up – suspended on the wall Scary – frightening, makes you feel afraid Haunted – with ghosts living there Tasty – delicious, nice to eat dle Year Program (MYP): Our school told us we could decorate our classrooms and win a prize for “The Scariest Classroom in School.”

We hung up some scary costumes, put broken dolls in the corners, coloring the broken parts in red to look like blood, cut bats from black paper and stuck them on the windows and walls, the outside part of the door was like a mouth you had to walk into… and we won! I also wanted to turn the school gym into a haunted maze and have a gift shop in the entrance and sell fun stuff to collect money for an orphanage. The school liked the idea but there was no time to set it up. But they promised to support my idea next year.

Nina Sieger, 8 grader, MYP: I decided to be Harley Quinn and made the costume myself. I liked Harley from the time I first saw her in Suicide Squad- she’s crazy as well as beautiful.

Taha Atasoy, 8 grader, MYP: The haunted rooms were very scary.

I went in one and was so frightened, I didn’t dare go in another - when I first walked in I thought it was

Food for Thought  Do you celebrate Halloween? What do you think about it?  Write a Halloween poem.

empty, but then a clown face lit up and girls hiding behind the door started screaming. Then the door slammed shut! It was terrifying!

Niki Bezhuashvili, 7 grader, MYP: I didn’t go the Halloween party because I don’t like that kind of thing. I don’t like a lot of noise.

I prefer more intellectual games like “What? Where? When?”- I hope they organize that at school, too!

Elene Tskhadadze, 11 grader, DP: Students organized a great per-

formance to show off their many talents. Students dressed up and made scary-looking but tasty cakes.

Students decorated the school. It gave them a chance to express themselves, to develop their artistic skills and imagination. As a whole, the whole celebration was very nice and well-organized. I think it was a great contribution to making our school a part of something bigger, something international, which is what it always strives for.

Info Box Halloween was a mix of a pre-Roman Empire Pagan ritual for scaring away evil spirits, and the Christian festival of All Hallow’s Eve dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the Christians who had died. Modern Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, going to Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, playing jokes, telling scary stories and watching horror films. In many parts of the world, the Christian religious observances of All Hallows’ Eve include going to church and lighting candles on the graves of the dead.

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Info Box

Katie signs the book of a young fan- the daughter of artist Zaliko

British Author Launches 3rd Translated YA Book in Georgia

BY DIMITRI DOLABERIDZE

T

he Halloween weekend saw teens and adults around Tbilisi celebrating in various ways- with teens happily experimenting with makeup, costumes and venues to better taste the western culture of traditional Halloween fun and frights, now becoming ever more accepted in this small Orthodox country.

Katie Ruth Davies, author of a fivebook vampire saga for Young Adults (YA) decided to launch the third of her books to be translated into Georgian- Blood Omen 3: Fulfilment (in Georgian, vampiruli omebi). The event was held in Biblus Gallery, Vake, and around 50 fans aged 10-19 packed into the presentation area, which Katie had decorated with a generous collection of horror-house props.

“It was the best presentation,” said

Khato Geliashvili, 16, a sentiment echoed by another of Katie’s longterm fans, Salita Chankvetadze, 15.

Both have been avid readers of Katie’s saga since it was first published in Georgian (translator: Ana Chichinadze) two years ago.

“This presentation was the best!”

Salita said. “Everything was wellplanned. The author’s creativity is unlimited. She’s an incredible person and is always ready to talk to her fans on facebook when we contact her.”

Katie divided the guests into two teams, depending on which of the two main love-interests of the story they most supported (the bad guy or the good- the result was more or less 50-50). The author then gave a brief history of her writing and publishing before asking the group 13 questions, with special Halloween prizes for the winning team.

“It was a very special evening for me,” Katie said. “Lots of fun and lots of fans! I know a lot more fans

What’s That?

Experimenting - trying Venues – event locations Supported – liked Keep up - continue Proof-reading – checking for mistakes

The book blurb is what at is written on the back off the y and book to describe the story ead it. make people want to read nts from There are usually comments famous people who have already read the book. Try writing the blurb for a book YOU like.

Here is the book blurb for Blood Omen 1: The Vampire Wars.

How would you feel if you learned that your blood could bring about the next war that would damn or save Mankind?

And what if you knew that just seven people were all that stood between you and death?

And if those seven people were vampires?

Blood Omen is a gripping new vampire series for readers of L.J. Smith, Stephenie Meyer and Richelle Mead.

Set in and around London, Dea’s story puts a new exciting twist on an old genre- pulling you in from the very first page.

Join her as she delves into the vampire world- so believable, you’ll start seeing vampires on your street at night!

Let the darkness draw you in…

“Vampire Wars changed my daughter’s life!” Dato Turashvili, prominent Georgian writer. wanted to come to the presentation but couldn’t- I’ve promised them I’ll do a book tour around Georgia in the near future. In the meantime, I keep up communication on my facebook page. It’s really something incredible to see young people reading my books so enthusiastically and drawing on the ideas and emotions within- to find them believing in the messages and the characters.

I love all my fans!”

The author is in the process of final proof-reading her fifth book of the saga. She is also working on a paranormal YA fantasy set in Georgia.

At the presentation, she invited her fans to think up a title for the new book.

“I like to get my fans involved in the process. In fact, the cover of Book 3 was designed in a competi-

tion. The winner was 16 year-old Natalia Nozadze from Opiza school.

IT designer Beqa Giorgadze then took the design from paper sketch to digital form.”

“Everyone should read this book,” said Mancho Sikharulishvili, 17. “It contains so much emotion...Blood Omen teaches us that we must always fight even if things go wrong...

Even when people think there’s no hope, this book teaches us that we must believe! We feel everything that Dea [main character] feels. It will make you cry, laugh, make you believe everything is possible...I finished it in a day and now I can’t wait for the next one!”

To support the writer or find out more, go to www.fb.com/bloodomensaga. The books are available in English on amazon.com

Food for Thought  Book reviews help authors to become more popular.

Have you ever written a book review? Try.  The author in this story gave a book presentation. Look at the British Council activity on page 5 to find out about Body Language.

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INTERVIEW: Blood Omen Cover Designer, Natalia Nozadze, 16

BY DIMITRI DOLABERIDZE

FAVOURITE SCHOOL SUBJECT?

I actually love chemistry and physEORGIA TODAY ics! spoke to Natalia Nozadze, 16, winner DO YOU THINK IT’S of the Vampiruli IMPORTANT TO READ O m e b i ( B l o o d FICTION? SOME PARENTS Omen) book 3 cover design comDON’T LIKE THEIR petition.

G

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF I have a mother, a father and an 8 year old sister who’s also a fan of the Blood Omen books. She was very excited when we discovered that the book would come out with my cover design. I have so many hobbies, but mostly I draw and dance.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL I go to Opiza School in Varketili.

We have final exams at the end of the academic year and most pupils in our country need a tutor to pass them, but our school spends most of its resources on our education, so that only a few students need an extra tutor to pass exams.

WHICH IS YOUR Natalia with the author of Blood Omen, Katie Ruth Davies

CHILDREN READING IT…ARE YOUR PARENTS STRICT ABOUT THE BOOKS YOU READ? YOUR TEACHERS?

Of course it’s important to read fiction. In my opinion, it evolves our imagination.

However, it depends on the book, too, as many fiction books are violent and can damage children’s psyche. I don’t read many fiction books so my parents have no problem with the books I read, though they agree with me.

The teachers don’t know what books I choose to read at home.

the design was displayed there, so that many people could see it. That’s another reason I like my school so much- it gives us a perfect opportunity to grow.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO KNOW THAT 1000 COPIES OF YOUR PICTURE ARE NOW IN BOOKSHOPS AROUND GEORGIA?

Natalia’s original design, made digital by Beqa Giorgadze

at least a little bit about art.

WHERE DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE COVER DO YOU STUDY ART? I studied art at school but now I DESIGN COMPETITION? don’t. I think it’s important to know When the author came to present her books at our school. I read the book blurb and my design idea- a girl and a snake- just flew into my mind and wouldn’t let me go until I drew it.

I’m so excited about it! I nearly cried when I found out that my design would be on an actual cover. After the book was published, I saw many pictures of it on the Blood Omen facebook page but I couldn’t believe it until I was holding it in my own hands. Sometimes I glance at the book and still can’t believe it!

YOU’VE MET THE AUTHOR. TELL US ABOUT HER

Oh my god, she is so cute! At first I was afraid I would freeze and get tongue-tied but she made it very comfortable to speak. She is really nice and loving to all her fans and WHAT DID YOU WIN? There were so many prizes! There people around her. was a pen with the logo, a vampire fridge magnet, a badge and my WHAT DO YOU favorite- a Blood Omen T-shirt! I THINK OF THE BLOOD also got a copy of the book which OMEN STORY? has my name in it as Cover Designer. To my mind this is a perfect example of life in general. It shows that

YOU HAD AN EXHIBITION you should never give up, be brave WITH THE COVER DESIGN and don’t let problems beat you.

Yes, our school ran an exhibition of pupils’ paintings and drawings in the Georgian Public Library in spring and I thought it would be great if

The story itself is very interesting and full of surprises. I’m looking forward to reading the next books in the saga.

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FINANCIAL LITERACY Presented by

ი ასის წიგნ ჩვენი კლ

Ilia Chavchavadze &

the First Georgian Bank

ჩვენი წიგნი ა კლ სის

Info Box

BY NINO GUGUNSHVILI

D

id you know that Ilia Chavchavadze famous Georgian writer, poet, publicist and one of the most influential figures in Georgian history and culture - was also the first Georgian banker?

On September 5, 1874, Ilia Chavchavadze was appointed the head of the Land Bank governing body, formed by Georgian nobles of the time. He kept that position for 32 years and managed the first ever Georgian bank that officially opened on February 15, 1875.

At first the Bank operations were limited to Tbilisi, but slowly it From 1891, the Bank was able to expanded to Kutaisi, Yerevan, Baku fulfil larger credit operations and and Sukhumi. it was with the tremendous effort

“For us, the only ground on which our abilities and our moral strength must grow and flourish is the Bank.

Those who honestly love our country, and wish us good, should be very attentive to any subject, any thought about the Bank.” - Ilia Chavchavadze

What’s That?

Influential – having a big effect on society Fulfil – carry out, do Tremendous – great, big Merchants – salesmen Funding – giving money to Established – started, founded Issued – given Real estate – property, buildings Net – the money they get after tax is deducted (taken out)

Although banking as a practise can be traced back to the Roman Empire, the first official bank in the world, the Taula de la Ciutat, opened in Barcelona in 1401 to act as a treasury resource for the Catalonian government.

The oldest non-stop operating bank in the world is Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, which has been in Italy since 1472. It was originally named The Monte di Pieta. The original aim of the bank was to give charitable loans to the poor. The bank continues to operate today and has branches throughout Italy.

Other old banks include the Berenberg Bank, which has been operating in Germany since the 16th century, and C. Hoare & Co., which was founded in London in 1672. The Bank of New York, which is now known as The Bank of New York Mellon was founded in 1784. of Ilia Chavchavadze that wealthy Georgian merchants and entrepreneurs took part in funding the newly established first Georgian financial institution.

According to the Bank regulations, loans were issued for land and for real estate in the city. The loans were both short and long-term.

With a specially established financial fund within the Bank, Ilia Chavchavadze and the founders of the institution supported Georgian schools and various social and cultural organizations. 40% of the Bank’s net earnings went to the fund directly. From 1881, that sum decreased to 35%.

During his time at the Bank, Chavchavadze assigned almost 2 million in national currency to support various organizations. The

reconstruction of the Georgian Theater building was among the many projects he financed through the Bank, as well as the Society for Spreading of Literacy among Georgians, founded by Chavchavadze, Dimitry Kipiani and Iakob Gogebashvili. It was a society that promoted Georgian language learning in schools, trained teachers and published Georgian journals, newspapers and magazines. Don’t forget, it was the period of the Russian Empire’s rule, and Georgian language teaching and learning was very limited (if at all available) in the country.

Food for Thought  How can banks help people who have little money but big dreams?  What should people / the bank think about BEFORE taking out a loan?

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A Look at London’s Georgian Restaurants

BY SANDRA BUCHANAN

G

Lasha opened Iberia in 2009. Soon after finishing his law studies in Tbilisi he came to London and enrolled on a course of UK law, but found the fees too expensive to continue. He wanted very much to have his own business, but why a restaurant? Because, he says, he couldn’t get the food he liked. Longing for some real Georgian cooking, he found a property in north London and Iberia was born.

Everything is delicious there, but how authentic is the cooking? Lasha says that he imports sulguni cheese, all the spices and some of the herbs from Georgia to get the true flavours. Other specialities like dried barberries and pomegranate seeds are available in the UK.

eorgian restaurants began to appear in London about 10 years ago. Sandra Buchanan went to meet three Georgians who came to the UK in the early 2000s and decided to make a home, and a restaurant, in London.

So far, there are only six Georgian restaurants in London and the population of the city is 8.6 million – that’s only one for every 1.4 million people, which is definitely not enough. Of those 8.6 million not many are Georgians – maybe 15,000 or 20,000, and while they are the natural customers for these restaurants, native Londoners are finding MIMINO out that they love Georgian food, too. Each restaurant has a different style and is located in a different part of London – but whether it’s a cosy café or a smart dining room, the same traditional dishes and wines are served.

IBERIA

This smart dining room was opened in 2006 by a native of Adjara. George lived in London for six years before he decided to start a restaurant.

With a course of UK business education behind him, George found a suitable property in up-market Kensington and created Mimino.

In the early days, Mimino was a magnet for Russians, who more or less filled the place. But as more Russian restaurants opened in Lon-

Food for Thought  What do you think are the risks of opening a restaurant of your native food in another country?  What are the most important things you must do when you start a business to make it a success?

GEORGIA TODAY

NOVEMBER 2016

Info Box Did you know? McDonald’s started out in California in 1937 selling hamburgers and barbequed meat. Over the next 10 years brothers Mac and Dick McDonald worked to limit their menu to the most popular items (hamburgers, fries and milkshakes) and to make their restaurant better, the service faster and the style more eye-catching. They opened restaurants in Arizona and California but it was Roy Kroc who put McDonald’s on the map in the rest of America. The first non-US McDonald’s opened in New Zealand in 1976. don, their number dwindled, and now London’s cosmopolitan population, including Georgians, fill the tables. The meat is marinated in Svanuri salt, imported from Georgia, before it is cooked over charcoal. Spices are imported from Georgia, too, but sulguni cheese is imported from a specialist company in Germany.

THE GEORGIAN Nino is an artist who loves cooking.

She graduated art school in Tbilisi in 2000, but after a couple of years with poor employment prospects, left for London to study English, and in 2009 she opened The Georgian café-restaurant. She loved London from the beginning, especially the art galleries, and says she felt so comfortable and so little like a guest, that staying was an easy decision. Besides which, she met and married an Englishman.

Driven by the desire to introduce the art of Georgian cuisine to Londoners, Nino hunted down a small property close to Clapham Common in south London. The café opens at 8am to serve Georgian breakfasts with aladzki and khachoiani very popular, lunches that

include Georgian salads, blinis and pelmenis, and stays open till 11pm for chakhokhpili, chaqapuli, kotnis lobio and other familiar main courses. Nino does all the cooking herself.

For the interior, Nino has reproduced a Georgian home with china plates brought with her from home.

Around the walls hang photographs from the early 20th century showing uniformed soldiers and officials, street vendors and mountain villagers in old Georgia.

Photo © Sandra Buchanan

What’s That?

Longing for – wanting to have very much Property – a flat or house Authentic – real, original Imports – brings into the country Suitable – perfect, just right Dwindled – reduced, went down in number Marinated – left overnight to sit in the juices Hunted down – looked for Reproduced - copied

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Three Days of Estonia in Tbilisi The Capital of Estonia Tallinn.

Source: Sean Pavone Photo / Getty Images

BY ZYGIMANTAS KAPOCIUS

B

etween November 2 and 4, the small Baltic nation of Estonia presented itself to the Georgian public within the framework of Estonian Days in Georgia. Estonia is fast embracing innovation and technology as the driving forces of its economy, and has been acknowledged worldwide for its outstanding performance over 26 years of independence.

The first edition of the Estonian Days in Georgia drew particular attention to young, ambitious Georgians, as events connected to Estonian higher education and research took place across the Georgian capital. Speakers from prestigious Estonian universities held lectures and workshops on a wide variety of topics, emblematic of Estonia’s positive experience in the respective fields.

Globally known as the motherland of Skype, Estonia is also a champion of cyber security and digital democracy, as in 2005 it became the first country in the world to hold nation-

Info Box Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Estonia and the Republic of Georgia were established on 16 June 1992.

In September 2003 an Embassy to the Republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia was opened.

By Decree N606 of the President of Georgia issued on 13 October 2006, an Embassy in the Republic of Estonia was established.

Georgia is a priority country for Estonia. Development and Humanitarian Aid projects financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia concentrate on the establishment of good governance, development of a modern educational system and sustainable democracy.

The Development and Humanitarian Aid projects include: training Georgian national officials in the Estonian School of Diplomacy, supporting IDPs of Georgia in the villages of Shida Kartli and Mtskheta-Mtianeti, organizing seminars on European Eastern Partnership and developing the EU Georgia Mobility Partnership Project, training Georgian police and law enforcement officers in the Public Service of Estonia, consulting Georgia’s national public radio-TV company (GTVR - Georgian TV and Radio) on reforms which aim to form a balanced media organization appropriate for a democratic society.

wide elections via internet. Furthermore, this tiny Baltic state has ranked first in the International Tax Competitiveness Index for three consecutive years, making it one of the most business-friendly environments in the global context.

Estonia’s success mirrors the strong academic tradition in the country. A country with a population similar to that of Tbilisi has 12 public higher education institutions, offering more than 130 degree programs fully taught in English. Estonia’s most prestigious University of Tartu belongs to the top 2 percent of world’s best universities.

Estonian Days in Georgia concluded with an Estonian Fair, hosted by Tbilisi’s Fabrika. In addition to pres- “In today’s world, the quality of an opportunity to study or work in entations by Estonian universities, international relations is one of the a new environment are sure to grow visitors had the chance to taste key points for building a strong as individuals and as citizens,” Mr. Estonian food and learn first-hand education sector. People who have Toompere said. about the Estonian culture and mentality.

The Chairman of the Board of the Archimedes Foundation, one of the organizers of the Estonian Days in  Why is it important for Georgia to have diplomatic relaGeorgia, Mr. Rait Toompere, expressed his enthusiasm about the tions with other countries and participate in their develincreasing ties between Georgia and opment programs?

Estonia in the field of education.

Food for Thought

What’s That?

Embracing – using with pleasure Driving forces – power, pushing energy Acknowledged - recognized Emblematic – symbolic Ranked – scored Consecutive – in a row, one year after another without pause Mirrors – reflects, shows

Estonian food

12

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY

NOVEMBER 2016

A Gift from Focus Mokus to All Participants of the Everest Olympiad Info Box Fokus Mokus is a family entertainment center with a unique concept, built on a circus theme. It offers:  More than 70 attractions spread over a 3,500 square meter space  Includes a restaurant for the whole family  A magic center for celebrating your perfect birthday party!

International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the oldest of the International Science Olympiads which takes place annually and is designed for pre-university students.

The first IMO Olympiad was held in Romania in 1959.

What’s That?

Partnering – joining, supporting Motivate – make them want to do more and better Claim – take Coupon – ticket

F

amily entertainment center Focus Mokus is partnering with the Everest Olympiad in Mathematics which started in 2009 and hosts pupils from all around Georgia. Focus Mokus wants to motivate the participating pupils and give all of them a gift coupon for the fantastic Fokus Mokus trampoline and climbing wall.

Participants of the Everest Olym-

piad will need to have a good rest after the challenge and that’s why Focus Mokus is inviting them to the biggest family entertainment center in Georgia.

To claim your gift, find the Focus Mokus page on your Everest answer sheet and keep the coupon attached to it (you can see detailed instructions about the gift on your answer sheet). Bring the coupon to the box office before December 31 and receive your exciting gift from Focus Mokus.

Food for Thought  Have you ever participated in an Olympiad? What are the stresses and difficulties you might encounter?  How do you overcome stressful situations? How do you relax after a competition or test?  What can motivate YOU to work harder?

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EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY

NOVEMBER 2016

Social Entrepreneurship Festival Held in Uplistsikhe Info Box DID YOU KNOW? IN THE UK: 1. There are currently 1.3 million disabled people in the UK who are available for and want to work.

2. Only half of disabled people of working age are in work (50%), compared with 80% of non-disabled people.

3. 23% of disabled people have no qualifications compared to 9% of non-disabled people.

4. Nearly one in five people of working age (7 million, or 18.6%) in the UK have a disability.

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

T

he medieval Georgian cave town Uplistsikhe, outside Gori, was a beautiful place for ASB (ArbeiterSamariter-Bund) to choose as a venue for a social entrepreneurship festival.

From a mobile car workshop, natural juices, wooden crafts, wines, and handmade postcards, to scarves, carpets and Svanuri salt, it was a bright example of emerging social entrepreneurial skills in Georgia.

The idea of organizing the festival belongs to ASB Georgia which opened its office here in 1992, initially focused on supporting IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons). After re-opening its Georgia office in 2010 after a 13-year break, social entrepreneurship became a very active direction of its work, with projects already financed and active in Pankisi, Western Georgia, and Gori.

ASB aims to promote the development of social services throughout Georgia by spreading information

to even the remotest regions, and giving technical and financial help to start social enterprises- working closely with local authorities and local communities. ASB sees social entrepreneurship as an opportunity to support persons with disabilities, children and older people.

“We’re here to celebrate social entrepreneurship and to demonstrate the different places and possibilities that a social enterprise can work in. But none of this would be possible without the initiative, motivation and creativity of those here today. You are the driving force,” Matthias Wohlfeil, ASB country director, told Festival participants.

“Social enterprises are very important to persons with disabilities who need social inclusion in our society,” David Oniashvili, Head of Gori Municipality, said. “It is thanks to the hard work of ASB that so many people are now involved in social entrepreneurship and able to show their skills. Through social enterprises, they can participate in the process of the economic development of our country and play an active role in it.”

Food for Thought  Imagine being disabled for a day. What challenges would you face? How could you overcome those challenges? How would having school or work to go to help you?

Look here: https://www.gov.uk/rights-disabled-person/employment. How does the situation compare to Georgia?

What’s That?

Emerging – new starting Social enterprise – a new business that benefits society Supporting - helping Promote – market, advertise, support Development – growth, change for the better Local authorities – town and village ‘governments’ Initiative – wanting to do something new and different Inclusion – part of, included in

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 2016

15

TbilisiMarathon 2016 Supports Hospice Construction for Children

I

n October HeidelbergCement organized the 5th Tbilisi Marathon, this year the biggest marathon Tbilisi has seen. International guests from 60 countries visited Georgia, 120 teams participated, 2346 people registered and 1185 crossed the finish line. 23,196 GEL was raised and then doubled by HeidelbergCement.

The total of 46,392 GEL was given for the construction of the first Children’s Hospice in Georgia.

The Tbilisi Marathon track was set in the city center and roads leading to the central streets were

blocked for the race. The Marathon included three runs: the Half Marathon (21,097km); the 10 km Race, and the Kids Run (500m and 1.2 km). Children aged 6-11 ran 500 m and kids aged 12-15 ran 1.2 km.

The Half Marathon winner was David Kharazishvili (Georgia), crossing the finish line in 1 hour and 07 minutes, after 18 minutes followed by the fastest Half Marathon female to finish, Susanne Miller (Georgia).

The fastest man to run the 10 km race, was Saba Khvichava (Georgia), finishing the race in 32 minutes, and Ellada Alaverdyan (Armenia), who

What’s That?

Registered – put their name on the list to participate Construction - building Hospice - a place that provides care for people who are dying Track - way Blocked – they stopped the cars from coming Accredited – recognized, accepted Promoting – telling other people about something, advertising

Info Box WHAT CAN I DO? There are five simple ways for you to lead a healthy lifestyle: GET ACTIVE EACH DAY Getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity is important for the healthy growth, development and well-being of children and young people.

CHOOSE WATER AS A DRINK Water is the best way to quench your thirst – and it doesn’t come with the added sugar found in fruit juices, soft drinks and other sweetened drinks.

EAT MORE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES Eating at least two servings of fruit and vegetables every day helps children grow and develop, boosts their vitality and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.

SWITCH OFF THE SCREEN AND GET ACTIVE Don’t spend more than 2 hours having ‘still’ time per day (sitting for a long time watching TV, surfing online or playing computer games is linked to kids becoming overweight or obese).

EAT FEWER SNACKS AND SELECT HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES Snacks based on fruit and vegetables, reduced fat dairy products and whole grains are the healthiest choices.

PUBLISHER & GM

George Sharashidze COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT

Commercial Director: Iva Merabishvili Marketing Manager: Mako Burduli

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

finished the race in 42 minutes.

Tbilisi Marathon is first race in the Caucasus to have international status and it is an official member of The Association of International Marathons and Distance races (AIMS). The winners’ results are accredited worldwide.

TbilisiMarathon is organized with the support of Tbilisi City Hall, the Embassy of Germany in Georgia and the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of Georgia.

Besides promoting a healthy lifestyle and charity, Tbilisi Marathon also aims to develop tourism and to promote the city of Tbilisi worldwide.

Promotion of a healthy lifestyle is an integral part of the Health & Safety programs that represent a major aspect of HeidelbergCement’s corporate policy, which, together with the charitable contribution, are the main reasons for holding the Tbilisi Marathon every year.

Food for Thought  What are the best ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle?  Why do some people not maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Photographer: Irakli Dolidze Layout: Misha Mchedlishvili Webmaster: Sergey Gevenov Circulation Managers: David Kerdikashvili, David Djandjgava

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