Georgia: Agriculture Ministry, UNDP attend Intl Day of Forest and World Down Syndrome events

Tbilisi: On the event of International Day of Forests and World Down Syndrome Day, a screening of the animated manga “Forest is my friend” was held by children with Down syndrome. The Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Kakha Kakabadze, Head of the National Forestry Agency, Kakha Tsertsvadze, UNDP Permanent Representative in Georgia, Nick Beresford and Deputy Ambassador of Japan, Sudzuki Toshiuki attended the event.

The animated manga “Forest Is My Friend” is part of a wide-ranging information campaign that focuses on the importance of a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. The film was made with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Embassy of Japan and the National Forestry Agency.

 “We attended the exhibition of the manga “Forest is my friend” with our “Children of the Sun”, said Deputy Minister of Environment and Agriculture Kakha Kakabadze, who spoke about the importance of a healthy environment at the event and noted that the forest is a unique treasure that needs constant care, in which the role of society is most important.

 “Environmental education and raising awareness about the importance of forests is our main priority. “People should be able to discuss environmental issues and participate in solving problems,” said Kakha Tsertsvadze, the head of the National Forestry Agency.

  During the event, young people were awarded for the best scenario of the 2nd episode of animation. The competition was announced by the United Nations Development Program in cooperation with the Center for Environmental Information and Education. 

Within the framework of the competition, three winners were announced: Barbara Arabuli, a pupil of Lafanaantkari village of Dusheti municipality; eco club AIA (Nia Adeishvili and Nutsa Onofrishvili) and eco club of Mtskheta N 1 public school “Chlorophyll” (Luka Imerlishvili, Giorgi Odishelidze, Mariam Katsarava, Keti Gulbatashvili, Lizi Mrevlishvili, Mariam T Prizes and gifts were given to the winners.

 “Forest is wealth, and for Georgia, it has special importance, because more than 40% of the country’s territory is covered by forests. This project is an example of how protecting forests does good for the economy and for every human being. 

Involvement and activity of youth plays a big role in forest protection. Our forest conservation information campaign was built around the Japanese manga-style animation “Forest Is My Friend”. “We are pleased that this creative project has become a source of inspiration and activism for many young people in Georgia,” said Nick Beresford, UN Development Program Permanent Representative in Georgia.