Youth initiative group meets with local authorities in Kvarli

Georgia: A youth initiative group from Kvarli Municipality held an introductory meeting with the representatives of local self-government on January 24, 2024, in Akhalsopeli village. The non-governmental organizations “Rights of Georgia” and “Akhalsopeli Youth Center” organized the meeting, which supported the group’s activities.

The meeting was attended by the mayor of Kvarli Municipality, Givi Zautashvili, the deputy chairman of the city council, Kakha Asistishvili, and the mayor’s trustee in Akhalsopeli, Malkhaz Matiashvili. They presented the projects implemented by the local government in youth development and discussed the opportunities for cooperation with the youth initiative group.

The members of the youth initiative group shared their goals and plans, as well as the challenges and needs of the youth in the municipality. They also talked about their efforts to integrate and protect the rights of ethnic minorities in the socio-political life of Kvarli Municipality. The group was established in December 2023 to identify ethnic minority rights issues, plan and implement various events and initiatives, and prepare petitions.

The youth initiative group was created within the framework of the project “Promotion of Youth of Ethnic Minorities and Inclusive Governance in Lagodekhi and Kvarli Municipalities”, which is implemented in partnership with “Rights Georgia”, “Leliani Adult Education Center” and “Akhalsopeli Youth Center”, and with the support of the “Institute for War and Peace” (IWPR). A similar initiative group was created in Lagodekhi Municipality in February 2023.

The project is part of a broader effort to promote balanced territorial development and improved living standards in Georgia’s regions, supported by the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme.

Kvarli Municipality

Kvareli is a town in northeastern Kakheti Province, Georgia. It is located in the Alazani Valley, near the foothills of the Greater Caucasus Mountains. It was the birthplace of Georgian author Ilia Chavchavadze, whose one-storied house is preserved as a local museum.