Georgia Today Education #1 by Georgia Today

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Issue no: 001

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• FEBRUARY 2016

• PUBLISHED MONTHLY

Tech Park to Support New Ideas

PRICE: GEL 2

In this issue... ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Sponsored by

At the Heart of ENTREPRENEURSHIP

BY WILL CATHCART

ntrepreneur is a word that gets used quite often by experts to explain a person’s financial or commercial success. The truth is that entrepreneurship is more about failure than success. A true entrepreneur will fail a number of times in creating a new business, service or product. What really defines an entrepreneur is the ability and perseverance to get back up and try again. An entrepreneur is not defined by the end success of the venture but by the way they believe in their idea and keep moving forward.

Info Box Enterprise Georgia, the first of its kind entrepreneurship promotion agency in Georgia, focuses on improvement of the production environment, development of the local private sector, increasing exports and increasing the competitiveness of small and medium size enterprises. It provides employment opportunities by supporting small and medium entrepreneurship and export stimulation, introducing and encouraging an entrepreneurial culture, increasing the competitiveness and export potential of the country, and pushing for the diversification of Georgian products and the establishment of new enterprises.

www.enterprise.gov.ge

What’s That?

u to quality that allows yo al on rs pe a ce an Persever cult, hing even if it is diffi et m so do to ng yi tr continue sition despite failure or oppo plan or business Venture – a risky new le to satisfy Insatiable - impossib make it stronger or ng hi et m so t or pp su Bolster ncial investor who gives fina y lth ea w a or st ve Angel in an entrepreneur or ss ne si bu l al sm a r support fo ed ey that is needed or us on m al iti in e th g in Seed fund to start a business

An entrepreneur will learn from their mistakes, they will adapt, they will risk not just failure but financial stability, until one day they succeed. Even then they will not accept simple profit. Just as the entrepreneur continued to get back up after each failure, they will continue to push their business or idea past what others believe is possible. This is the insatiable energy at the heart of

entrepreneurship—the drive to risk everything to create something out of nothing and to try something new. The term “entrepreneurship” comes from the French word “entrepreneur” which means “one who does.” Entrepreneurship, as it is used today, refers to creative new businesses or products. But true entrepreneurship requires three basic elements: innovation, leadership and risk-taking. The other necessary element is failure. All great lessons come from it. This may seem an awful thought but the good news is that among the many ventures an entrepreneur will try, only one of them needs to succeed. As more and more governments and institutions recognize the value of entrepreneurship for the economy, programs are being created to reduce the chances of failure and bolster the chances of success. Angel investor groups are being established to provide seed funding to innovative new business ventures. In this new world, surrounded by technological innovation and information, there has never been a better time to be an entrepreneur.

Food for Thought  What do you do if you fail at something? What should you do?  Do you know any entrepreneurs? Would you like to be one?

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 2016

TECHNOLOGY

Tech Park to Support New Ideas BY EKA KARSAULIDZE

he First Technology Park (Tech Park), which recently opened in Tbilisi, will provide young creators with high quality equipment and the ability to turn their ideas into reality. The new facility is also expected to create a big impulse amongst civilians to develop small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and positively affect the country’s economy as a whole. According to Tech Park representatives, this project was created especially for those who had no possibilities to realize their ideas or contact with potential investors. “Anyone can come to Tech Park with an idea and get a free expert consultation. We will support the imple-

mentation of the project, not only with technology and equipment assessment, but also by providing training, consultation with our foreign partners, and even conduct learning courses,” said Irakli Kashibadze, Chairman of the Innovation and Technology Agency. The facility was built on an area spanning 18,000m2 in Okrokhana, in Tbilisi’s recreation area near Mtatsminda Park. Tech Park provides resources for start-ups and is

? t a h T What’s s or tools – machine

to help us

nt Equipme work agement r u o c n e , h pus Impulse – ke reality a m ate – e z i l test, evalu Rea : s s e s s a nt – from Assessme country is h t m o r f not Foreign – usinesses b w e n e – s ment to us Start-up ip u q e d n – places a Facilities

Info Box Small businesses contribute to local economies by bringing growth and innovation to the community in which the business is established. Small businesses also help stimulate economic growth by providing employment opportunities to people who may not be employable by larger corporations. Small businesses tend to attract talent who invent new products or implement new solution s for existing ideas.

equipped with small incubators, learning centers and laboratories, a library, as well as large offices for companies. It also includes co-working spaces, training centers, show-

rooms, conference rooms and a recreational space. “The Park’s facilities provide an opportunity for young people to go beyond the borders of their ideas. When there is a chance to use the latest equipment and technology, you can reach a completely different level,” said Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Dimitri Kumsishvili. “The potential of our young people is very high and we hope many interesting projects will be launched here that help to develop not only small businesses, but large ones as well.”

Food for Thought  If you could set up a company, what would it be?  What is the difference between a large business and an SME? (services, customers, profit…)

Pre-reading task 1 Do you work for a multinational company? 2 What are the advantages and disadvantages of working for a multinational company? Now, read the article and compare your ideas with those outlined in the article.

Developmental issues by Graham Bradford 1 Scottish writer Iain Banks’ 1999 novel The Business tells the story of a mysterious multinational company who decide to try and buy an entire country in order to give themselves a seat at the United Nations. While Banks’ novel is still, fortunately, a satirical fantasy, some aspects of it are becoming disturbingly true. 2 The connections between commerce and colonisation, and between business and international politics are becoming stronger. Some historians have recently started to look at how the whole idea of colonialism is based on trade and commerce. British and Dutch colonialism began with merchants trying to find new trade routes. The East India Company has been described as the first multinational company. Starting as a trading company in 1600, the group of merchants won the right to have a monopoly on trade in India. Their power steadily grew until the conquest of Bengal in 1757, after which the company collected taxes and had their own army. At a certain point it was easier for them to take a direct part in governing India than it was to try and deal with the people who lived there. This was the beginning of Britain’s involvement with India.

3 The old 19th century empires have now gone, or at least changed, but they are being replaced by new ones. Companies such as Microsoft, Coca-Cola and Time Warner now have annual turnovers far larger than those of many nations. It would, in theory at least, be easy for them to buy an entire country. Of course, no company has tried to do that openly (at least, not yet), but governments in many developing countries are aware of the huge influence and importance of multinational companies in their countries.

Exercise 1 Comprehension: Matching. Match a topic with one of the paragraphs in the text (there are two extra topics): a power b prophetic novel c politics and money d two sides to every story e new empires f

Exercise 2

4 There are, of course, many positive aspects to this. Big companies can provide jobs and bring money into poor and developing countries. However, critics say that multinational companies invest in developing countries only because labour costs are very low – much lower, in fact, than they would be in Europe or the United States. When there is an economic downturn, the companies will leave as suddenly as they arrived. They are not interested in the country’s overall welfare, but only in their own profits.

Word search

Vocabulary: Matching. Match a word from the first column (1 to 8) with a word from the second column (a to h) to make common collocations:

5 multinational

e downturn

6 state

f monopoly

7 trade

g Nations

8 United

h routes

K O M Z O O Y T

P Y S

COMPA_Y

E C N A G W L U N P

M_NOP_LY

P O R U W N O T R A D E H

DOWNTU_N

Z M C T T

MULTINAT_ON_L

K P M B W D Y H F N

ECONOM_C

S C L B N A E P O R U E

TR_DE

Y U S

EUR_PEAN

M V C X N R U T N W O D K

TURNOVER

E C N E U L

T U R N O V E R K

Want to find more learning activities? Visit www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish

INFLUEN_E

Exercise 2

E Q Y H

Exercise 1

The ideas factory

Answers

D C M P Q D M F

COM_ERCE

d countries

O H G E

4 labour

V I

c costs

See if you can find these words in the grid. They can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal and backwards.

R N E

3 European

L C P N N L U A V N F Q F

b company

J Q Y V L

C B S A N Q A A

G E O T Q L

2 economic

F O I

a colonialism

Y Z

1 developing

a and c were not used

N B E U D T D K

the historical context

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 2016

UK Bridge Offers Study Programs Abroad BY WILL CATHCART

K Bridge is a Georgian education agency, established in April 2008, which places students in European and American study abroad programs, boarding schools and universities. In less than eight years it has placed more than 2000 students in programs in the UK, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Malta, Germany, Switzerland and Spain. UK Bridge offers everything from summer language courses to postgraduate programs. It works very closely with boarding schools in Great Britain, Switzerland and the USA, and it places students at various institutions according to their needs. The agency guarantees clients that it will find the right program, whether they want to play sports, specialize in a certain degree or simply improve their language skills over the summer. UK Bridge offers carefully selected all-inclusive summer programs for children and teenagers from age nine to 17. Summer school programs abroad provide children with an unforgettable experience that will shape their academic future, build their confidence and develop their language skills. UK Bridge guarantees a safe, secure and caring environment with student supervision available 24 hours a day. Each year the agency receives generous positive feedback such as that from Jaba Baratashvili who remarked, “I will never forget these three weeks of my life. I will never forget the friends I made during summer school, the experience and the knowledge that I gained. What I loved most were the extracurricular activities, especially the excursions to

the London Eye, the Spirit of London, etc. This was the best summer I’ve ever had.” For students who already know the language, UK Bridge offers academic summer courses abroad specializing in creative arts, design, medicine, business, finance, law, political science and international relations. The 2016 application process for American and European summer schools has already begun.

What’s That?

Food for Thought  What extracurricular ac tivities would you offer someone studying in Geor gia?  How could using an agen cy like UK Bridge benefit Georgian students and (ultimately) the Georgian economy?

Study abroad - pursuing education in a country other than one’s own Boarding school - a school in which most or all of the students live during the part of the year that they go to lessons Post-graduate - advanced study after graduating from college Feedback - information or criticism about reactions to a service, a person’s performance of a task, etc. which is used as a basis for improvement Extracurricular - an organized activity or subject that is not part of the usual school or college course

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY FEBRUARY 2016

Play Your PartShare Your Shakespeare BY PAUL SMITH, DIRECTOR, BRITISH COUNCIL USA

hakespeare is studied in school by over 50% of the world’s population. No other creative figure from history is studied by more than 1% or 2%. As the world marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, we ask: what is his extraordinary power? His power lies in his mastery of the dramatic, not the literary - of human experience rather than scholarship. We misrepresent him when we call him our greatest poet or writer. Theatre can only be created of the here-and-now and so is necessarily contemporary. However ancient the text, it can only be presented by real people in specific places in actual time - and it can only be given life by a receptive audience. This is what makes any Shakespeare play contemporary, and what accounts for millions of people finding relevance and personal truth in what they see. And we could add: explorations of government, leadership, law, justice, corruption, diplomacy, social mobility and - certainly in every comedy - how to make communities work. “The world must be peopled” and Shakespeare was the most intense analyser of the vital importance of tolerating people’s differences. A contemporary take on diversity emanates from all his plays – gender (women solve most of his comedies), class, age, ethnicity, sexuality, disability and religion. Above all we celebrate Shakespeare’s awesome human insight, recognised by every commentator since Ben Jonson championed him as “not of an age but for all time”. Shakespeare is the world’s voice for greed, lust, anger, jealousy, hypocrisy and betrayal - but also for mercy, loyalty, justice, friendship, honour, respect - and for love, which is the most fundamental dynamic of the worlds that he created. And in this commemoration year, we remember that Shakespeare was also our greatest explorer of the “undiscovered country” of mortality. Actors, audiences, “this great globe” itself will “fall and cease,” leaving “not a  Why is Shakespeare still so popuwrack behind”. But Shake- lar? speare himself will sur Should Shota Rustaveli be ‘modvive – the man who, someernized’? How? how, left us everything.

Food for Thought

No White Space! We don’t like white space- so fill it with your thoughts, ideas and new words to look up and learn.

Info Box William Shakespeare (April 1564 – April 1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor, thought to be the greatest writer in the English language. He wrote about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. His plays have been translated into every major language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. In his last period, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and worked with other playwrights.

What’s That? Misrepresent - give a false or misleading account of the nature of Ancient – belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence Receptive - willing to consider or accept new suggestions and ideas Relevance – from relevant: important to the matter at hand Tolerating – from tolerate: allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of (something that one dislikes or disagrees with) without interference Greed - intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food Survive - continue to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hardship

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 2016

Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy Fosters Critical Thinking

BY WILL CATHCART

ast year the graduating class of the Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy in Tbilisi was comprised of 54 students. These 54 young scholars were accepted to 150 different colleges and universities in the United States. For the academy’s Director, Andrés

J. Cruz, this is business as usual. Every year this small prestigious academy of mostly Georgian students sees similar college acceptance rates. For an outsider this is mind-blowing. This is a place where young dynamic minds are reaching their full potential. The Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy is a private high school in Tbilisi, founded in 2001. Currently, 285 students are enrolled from grades nine through 12. The

What’s That? Prestigious - being greatly respected and admired Enriching - to improve or enhance the quality or value of something by adding something else Critical thinking - rational thinking involving critique, objective analysis and evaluation Curriculum - the courses and academic content taught by a school Abatement - a process of reducing or decreasing something

Director Andrés J. Cruz emphasizes, “This is not an international school.” Most of the students are Georgian. Although every student is welcomed, GZAAT does not put any particular emphasis on being an international school. The school always had as a mission to play a role in enriching the academic life of young Georgians. “It was not easy to break away from the Soviet style of teaching,” Cruz explains. They do this by encouraging critical thinking, discussion and an open-minded environment. “For first year students used to sitting behind a desk, it can be quite a shock coming here.” Students don’t quietly memorize tons of information from a strict lecturer. Instead they use the Harkness table method. This is a cutting edge technique of teaching and learning that encourages the discussion of ideas and open-minded thinking. According to Cruz this works well because, “Georgian society is more open than it was 10 to 20 years ago. They see the practical benefits of our methods.” American Academy has only one set curriculum, which all students follow. Subjects are taught in English except for language classes in Georgian or Russian wherein those languages are used exclusively. The outcome of this method is a wellrounded student prone to critical thinking and independent ideas. This is a recipe for later success in university or college.

“Faculty participate in all decisions and teachers take on one project of personnel development,” Cruz explains, clearly proud of his advanced faculty, all of whom spend at least one year in the U.S. to study. American Academy is expensive and so ten percent of the budget goes to tuition abatement to assist students. The school has less than 300 students and as Cruz puts it, “We want to keep it small. We know the students by name.” This small academy’s dedication to excellence is inspiring and unique for a Georgian high school. There is no doubt that one can expect big things in the future from these bright students. You can learn more about the American Academy’s programs, curriculum, and the admissions process at either of the two up-coming open houses on February 26 and March 11 at 17:00, Lisi Campus.

Tel: (+995 32) 2227889 (+995 32) 2227441 Email: info@aat.ge Website: www.gzaat.org facebook.com/GZAAT2001/ Lisis Tba (Lake) 01/014 0186, Tbilisi, Georgia

Info Box The Harkness table method is a cutting-edge process of teaching that focuses on discussion, where the teacher takes on the role of a facilitator or guide and not a lecturer or instructor. Students sit in a large oval shape so that everyone can see everyone else- this encourages discussion and participation.

Food for Thought  What is critical thinking?  How can one learn to think critically?  What are the overall advantages of critical thinking?

GEORGIA TODAY FEBRUARY 2016

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 2016

Nonviolent Communication Institute to Launch Bullying Prevention Project in Schools

BY ANA AKHALAIA

he Nonviolent Communication Institute will launch a bullying prevention project in schools with support of the Open Society Georgia Foundation. The one year

pilot project will be implemented in two private schools in Tbilisi. The project aims to prevent bullying in schools and develop an effective mechanism for private and public schools in order to reduce various forms of abuse among pupils and to improve the learning environment. In the first stage, the working

Info Box The Nonviolent Communication Institute is a non-governmental organization which aims to contribute to the positive development of juvenile justice.

Food for Thought  What advice would you give to a child, cl assmate or work colleag ue being bullied?  What can schools do to prevent bullying?

group will study the internal culture of the school- relationships between students, between students and teachers, and between teachers and parents. Then a mechanism to tackle bullying will be developed. Training materials and methodologies will be developed and at the end of the program, trainings will be carried out for school com-

munity members (the school administration, staff, teachers, parents and students of different age groups). According to the project executives, planned cooperation with the Ministry of Education and distribution of the pilot program in private schools within the project has failed.

What’s That? Launch – start a project Bullying – treating someone badly (common between children and young people) Prevention – from prevent: stop from happening Pilot – first, experimental (project) Implemented – done, put into force Abuse – treat someone badly Executives – people in charge, managers Distribution – from distribute: to send out (The newspaper is printed and distributed to kiosks on Fridays) Failed – not worked

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY FEBRUARY 2016

American Degree Now Available in Georgia BY WILL CATHCART

ecently, EurasiaNet. org journalist Matt Miller reported the following, “Georgia has struggled to overcome a high-tech deficit and institutional roadblocks that hamper entrepreneurial activity, in particular the education system’s inability to produce graduates who have the skills needed to fill high-tech, wellpaying jobs. In 2015, the country ranked 73rd among 141 countries surveyed in the Global Innovation Index, an annual ranking that evaluates how government policies facilitate technological innovation.” This won’t come as a surprise for most Georgians, but the question is what is being done to fix it? Dr. Kenneth Walsh, Dean of San Diego State University Georgia located in Tbilisi, may just have the answer. San Diego State University (SDSU) is a prestigious American university that has been established in Georgia through the financial support of the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Millennium Challenge Account Georgia. For an American university to establish a branch here is an unprecedented development. “What makes this project work is the collaboration between the Georgian and the US governments,” Dr. Walsh explains. The first students of SDSU Georgia began in 2015. Students have the opportunity to enroll in internationally accredited Bachelor of Science programs to receive high-quality STEM education and earn American degrees. Courses are taught in English by the SDSU faculty from the US and Georgia. SDSU Georgia partners with three Georgian universities where students can take classes and use the renovated facilities. These are Tbilisi State University, Georgian Technical Univer-

neer in Phoenix before entering academia. Dr. Walsh explains that he never imagined he would leave the private sector. “I loved driving around and showing my kids bridges and buildings in Phoenix which I was involved in constructing.” And yet he has found teaching to be immensely rewarding. “It’s all about being there that moment when somebody understands something hard, when the student has an ‘aha!’ moment right in front of you.” Dr. Walsh doesn’t even miss seeing the things he built because now his students show him all the things that they’ve built, and so the number of Dr. Kenneth Walsh, Dean of San Diego State University Georgia projects he has helped create perspective.” The dean has no doubt increases exponentially. sity and Ilia State University. What’s truly remarkable is that that such Georgian professionals Georgian students will receive an are already being prepared. His American Bachelor of Science Degree experience with Georgian students and a Georgian degree from the cor- is remarkable. The dean’s face lights responding local university. Four up when he talks about them, their different degrees in the science and drive and desire to learn. “These technology fields are currently are really bright kids. They are hard offered. As Dr. Walsh explains, these working, and they’ve already outdegrees don’t have an asterisk beside performed their fellow students in them saying “SDSU Georgia”. The San Diego. I’m certain they will be degree is the exact same degree that engines of economic growth. They American students in San Diego are more entrepreneurial and they receive. “The transcripts are actu- are already inventing things.” Students who register before March 15 are eligible for additional Dr. Walsh has been teaching for ally held in the US database.” financial assistance This means that Georgian students 22 years. In all that time he has had who graduate from SDSU Georgia maybe “a handful” of students come can apply to US masters programs to him early before the semester with the exact same degree and begins to ask for the textbooks. San Diego State University have an equal chance of acceptance “Here, I had 20! There is a hunger. Georgia as any other American student who They understand that they have to 5 Kostava Street, 3rd floor studied at SDSU in the US. Thanks work hard. I sometimes say that Phone: +995 32 2 311 611 to the Millennium Challenge Cor- these students are a testament to Cell: +995 593 498 512 poration and the Georgian govern- the human spirit.” Website: www.georgia.sdsu.edu facebook.com/SDSU.Georgia/ ment, tuition that costs international The dean spent 10 years in the priSDSU students in the US $20,000 vate sector working as a civil engia year is only $7,500 a year for Georgian students. In addition, SDSU offers need- and merit-based financial assistance opportunities. Dr. Walsh is an engineer himself and he sees a great need for the Unprecedented - never done, known or experienced programs SDSU is offering, “It’s obvious that in Georgia there is a before need for engineers with a different

Food for Thought  How else can Georgia improve its rating in the Global Innovation Index and produce graduates with the skills needed to fill high-tech, well-paying jobs?

Info Box

What’s That?

STEM - an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education Asterisk - a symbol (*) used in the text to indicate an annotation, an exception or a footnote Testament - undeniable proof that something exists Academia - the part of society or community, especially universities, that is connected to research, education, and scholarship Exponentially - increasing very quickly and steadily

EDUCATION

GEORGIA G EORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 2016 FEB

Come Be a Dude at the EAST POINT LEBOWSKI BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES

hroughout the ages, bowling g has captivated ed many people, both famous and infamous. Presidents Truman, Nixon and Obama loved to roll, the Ancient ncient Egyptians started it and now w people like my Uncle Bob do it every week! One of the most well-known n bowling movies is the 1998 American can comedy ‘The Big Lebowski’ which h was written, produced, and directed d by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Jeff Bridges idges as Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, a Los Angeles slacker and enthusiastic bowler. After er he is beaten up because of mistaken identity, ty, The Dude meets the man the criminals really y wanted- a millionaire also named Jeffrey Lebowski. owski. When the millionaire Lebowski’s beautiful ul wife is kidnapped, he asks The Dude to deliverr the ransom to get her back. The plan goes bad when en The Dude’s friend Walter Sobchak (John Goodman)) decides to keep the money himself.

Food for Thought  What makes bowling fun or difficult?  Why do you think people bowled in ancient times? For fun? For religious reasons? Look online to find out!

What’s That?

ur attention or interest yo ld ho d an t ac tr at Captivate - to g intelligent, doesn’t in be le hi w , ho w ne Slacker - someo ything really feel like doing an Beat up – hit and kick he was someone else t gh ou th ey th – ty ti Mistaken iden ally) ask for money to su (u d an on rs pe a l’ Kidnap – ‘stea return them home you to pay in exchange ks as r pe ap dn ki a ey Ransom – mon ’ person for returning a ‘stolen Concept - idea friends Hang out – relax with hing who loves to do somet on rs pe a – t as si hu Ent

While at the time of its release the film got mixed reviews, it has since become a cult classic and a symbol of bowling. It can even be found in Tbilisi- at East Point Mall, the top spot for shopping and P entertainment. en The Lebowski Bowl Club was established at Eas East Point Mall in 2015. Before it, there were no bowling clubs of such size and concept in bow Tbilisi. Tbilisi, a city full of fun-loving youth, Tbilisi needed a place where people could hang out, relax, have fun, and play their favorite gameh all in a different and unique environment. Lebowski Bowl Club is enjoyed by over 1,400 Lebow visitors a month- both experienced bowling enthusiasts enthusias and casual fun-loving players following the easy-going Dude lifestyle. easy Lebowski Bo Bowl Club offers its visitors 12 professional bowling lanes, 4 pool tables and 2 Russian pyramid tables, VIP room rooms for bowling and billiards, a conceptual café with a diverse diver menu for every taste, big-screen TVs for live sporting events, friendly staff and a pleasant envie ronment in the best be traditions of The Big Lebowski. Go on- be a Dude! For more information informati please contact: LEBOWSKI BOWL CLUB 2 Tvalchrelidze Street, Shopping center “East Point” Tval Phone: (591) 50 10 10; Website: www.lebowski.ge (5 facebook.com/lebowskibowlclub

Info Box Today the sport of bowling is enjoyed by 100 million people in more than 90 countries worldwide (including 70 million in the US) and it continues to grow through entertainment media like computer games. The earliest known forms of bowling date back to Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Roman Empire. Pieces of ancient balls were found among artefacts of Ancient Egypt going back to 3200 B.C.E. Ancient bowling balls were made using grains covered in material such as leather, and tied with string.

GROUP OFFER 20 GEL PER PERSON

14 persons + 1 for free

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 2016

Helping the IDPs: One Student’s Story BY TINATIN MESKHI

very child has the right to be protected from harm. These rights are among the ones set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Agencies such as UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) are committed, in Georgia and world-wide, to ensuring special protection for the most disadvantaged children- victims of war, disaster, extreme poverty, all forms of violence and exploitation, and those with disabilities. In Georgia in the early 1990s, the wars in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions resulted in the displacement of over half a million people. More displacement happened in 2008 after the August War with Russia. The majority of ethnic Georgians who left Abkhazia and then Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, have not been able to go back. The Ministry for Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia (MRA) says there were 256,528 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Georgia as of 31st December 2010, of which 65,412 were under the age of 18. Most IDPs come from Abkhazia and over 60% live in the cities of Tbilisi, Zugdidi and Kutaisi. Internally Displaced Children are now living in very bad conditions. After the 2008 war, the Government of Georgia quickly realized that returning the IDPs might not

be possible in the near future and that they needed to do something to help the IDPs integrate into local society and to improve their living conditions. The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and UNICEF helped a lot. IDPs get money every month from the Social Services Agency (SSA). Most children displaced as a result of the war in August 2008 were enrolled in new schools within three months. On 19-21st October 2015, this author organized a three-day football tournament and ‘cake sales’ in her school to raise money for IDP children, with the help of a lot of volunteers. The funds raised (500 GEL) were given to the No2 IDP school in Vashlijvari. The author also visited the school to meet the director, Nana Jalagonia, to talk about conditions and problems within the school. At the school there are 28 certified and qualified teachers. Pupils there study the Georgian curriculum. From Grade 10 they can also study in the Aphazian language if they want. The school is small, occupying just one floor, and is attended by 107 students of which 77 are IDPs from Abkhazia and South Ossetia. As the director said, the mix of IDPs and local students is important for the IDPs to better integrate and to feel at home in society. Director Jalagonia wants to make the lives of these children a little easier through her school and students. On the second floor of the school was the place where the IDP children were living (after displace-

What’s That? Protected – made someone feel safe Harm – hurt, damage Ensuring – making sure, promise Exploitation – from exploit: to use someone (for example, to do hard work) for little or no payment Displacement – from displace: to force people to leave an area where they live for another place Integrate – enter and be a part of Funds – money collected

www.guardian.com ment). Over 10 families had to share one bathroom. The school, as Director Jalagonia rightly points out, is their life. THE AUTHOR SAYS: “I’ll never forget the happiness of the school director. I know that 500 GEL is nothing for these people, but I think knowing that there is someone who wants to help them is very important. We (myself and my school-mates) went into every class and saw the kind, happy and thankful faces as the children who heard about my own school and how it had raised money for them. While

talking to them, I thought I was talking to students who were being educated in the most expensive schools. Despite the poverty of their current ‘home,’ they had something special- the richest imagination and steady belief in the future. I hope that our school contribution will be supported by other organizations and I do believe that other schools will follow our steps to help the No.2 IDP School in Vashlijvari. Tinatin Meskhi is a 10th Grade student at the New School International School of Georgia. She participated in the 5th Platon School Model United Nations conference in Athens (Greece) on Children’s Rights in the 21st Century.

Info Box UNHCR- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950. The agency aims to protect the rights and well-being of refugees worldwide. In Georgia it, amongst other things, advises the Georgian government and IDPs. UNICEF- The United Nations Children’s Fund works with the government and the UNHCR to develop policies and programs to ensure the survival, protection and development of children. They “work for a world in which every child has a fair chance in life.”

Food for Thought  Do you know any IDPs or IDP children?  How could you help them?  Is the government doing enough? If not, how could they do more?

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY FEBRUARY 2016

Vote for Zaza BY EKA KARSAULIDZE

eorgian society recently united to get basketball player Zaza Pachulia playing in the NBA All-Star Game. During an entire month social networks were filled with #NBAVOTE Zaza Pachulia posts. Not only were ordinary citizens in on the craze, even the President of Georgia, ministers, journalists, public figures and foreign embassies joined the action. As a result, Pachulia finished fourth among Western Conference frontcourt players, being given a real chance to play among the true greats of basketball. He received 768,112 votes, placing him just behind San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard who came third, and got in to the All-Star game with 782,339 votes. The NBA All-Star Game is an exhibition game me hosted annually by the National Basketball Association (NBA), matching tching the league’s star players from the Eastern Conference against st their counterparts from the West. The first game took place in Toronto on February 14 and saw Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Kawhi Leonard on the Frontcourt. The starting line-up for each squad is selected by y a fan ballot, while the reserves are chosen by a vote among the e head coaches. Zaza Pachulia is one of the best players in Georgian basketball history, having played in different NBA teams since 2003 and currently playing as a Center Forward forr the Dallas Mavericks. According to the All-Star Game’s fan ballot rules, everyone can vote for his or her favorite player yer with hashtag #NBAVOTE and the name of the he chosen player on social networks Facebook, ok, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ or on the official ial website of the NBA. The Top 3 players are then hen able to join the All-Star Game. Pachulia was touched by the incredible suppport of his people. “I want to thank everyone e for their support! Each of your posts made a difference and encouraged me on,” noted d Pachulia on his Facebook page. “Thanks eve-ryone who gave me even one vote and a chance e to make my dream true – to play for my team m and my country in an All-Star Game.”

What’s That? Craze – something or someone becomes suddenly popular. This usually only lasts a short time Annually – every year Counterpart - a person or thing that does the same job in a different place or situation Line-up - a group of people chosen to play on the team Ballot - a system of voting in secret (no-one knows who you chose) Reserve – people kept ready in case the main players cannot continue Was touched by – felt emotional (in a positive way) Encourage - give support, confidence or hope to someone

Info Box The National Basketball Association A (NBA) is are world famous men’s men’ professional basketball league in North America. It has 30 member clubs (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada), and is the n national governing body for basketball in the t United States. NBA players are the world world’s best paid sportsmen. It was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association Associa of America (BAA) and ch changed its name to the National Basketball Association in 194 1949.

Food for Thought W Why is it important to p play sports?  Should the world’s to top sportsmen be p as much as they paid a are? Why (not)?

Pachulia was touched by the incredible support of his people e PUBLISHER & GM

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