GEORGIA: Anti-LGBT Law & more – 28th Mar 2024

Gamarjobat from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 28th of March twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

Let’s kick off this edition with some political news. On Thursday, the 28th, Dunja Mijatović, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed some serious concerns about a new move by the Georgian Dream or Otsneba. On Monday the 25th, the Otsneba party brought a new bill before Parliament about sticking to traditional values and keeping kids safe — as they see it. They're planning to introduce a new law aimed at what they call 'Protection of Family Values and Underaged Persons.'

On Monday, Mamuka Mdinaradze, a member of the party and an MP, said they wanted to make some rules about what families should be like and who can adopt kids. They want marriages in Georgia to be only between a man and a woman, and they don’t want any talks or teaching in schools that go against this. They even mentioned maybe stopping Pride parades, as they promote LGBTQ+ values. Right now, they don't have enough votes to support the bill in Parliament but that might change after the elections.

Up next, the Prime Minister's Economic Council wants to include more people in its talks, such as government officials, MPs, and even the business ombudsman. Kobakhidze said he wants everyone who needs to take part in the important talks about crucial economic policies, reforms, and strategies to enhance national economic development and collaboration across sectors to participate.

On Friday the 22nd, university students all over Georgia got a chance to dive into the business world, with some learning sessions in schools by Project Harmony International Georgia and USAID. They talked about how money works, from saving up for a dream vacation, to picking out a job that's right for them. Marina Ushveridze, who's leading the project, wants students to think about their community. They teamed up with the Bank of Georgia and other entities hitting up 153 schools and chatting with over 2,000 students! The talks were about making smart money moves and the difference between needing something and just wanting it. Even the teachers got into it!

Moving on, on Monday the 25th, Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia's Prime Minister, talked to his Georgian counterpart, Irakli Kobakhidze. Apparently, the relationship between the two countries is doing well. Kobakhidze also said that Georgia is trying to improve the relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In business updates: On Thursday the 22nd, a big meeting took place in Manila, the Philippines, with Lasha Khutsishvili, Georgia's Finance Minister, sitting down with Masatsugu Asakawa, the head of the Asian Development Bank (or ADB). They talked about working together (They're already teaming up on some projects in Georgia), and the ADB’s annual meeting, which Georgia will host for the first time since it joined the ADB crew in two thousand seven .

In unrelated news: On Tuesday the 27th, Georgia celebrated a historic sports moment. For the first time since becoming its own country, the national football team has qualified for the football competition EURO twenty twenty-four. They won against Greece, scoring 4:2 in a thrilling penalty shootout. The streets were alive with celebrations. Looking ahead, the team is gearing up for their match against Turkey on the 18th of July.

Here’s something for the adventure lovers out there: the regional government of Adjara announced its first hiking festival for this summer twenty twenty-four..There is forty-five km trail planned out that goes through spots like the Chirukhi-Khikhani-Shuamta Lakes and ends up in the Alpine Botanical Garden. People will be able to see historical sites like Khikhani Castle, and even dip in the Green Lake. There will be educational activities or experiences related to the region's history, culture, and natural environment, food to taste, and some friendly competitions and contests over hiking, photography, or other outdoor activities designed to enhance the festival experience. Best part? It’s totally free to join, with registrations kicking off in May.

In some cultural updates: On Saturday the 23rd, some pictures of rusty metal went viral. Givi Gegechkori took some pictures of a local steelyard in Zugdidi. He found some rusty metal that looked like art. The coolest thing he snapped? A picture that looked like a man's face made out of rust. That one got tons of likes and chats when he shared it online.

Want to check out the photos? Link in the show notes!

In news about tourism: On Thursday, the 28th, the Georgian National Tourism Administration kicked off a free training course titled "The Role of social media in Tourism" to boost tourism in Georgia. This event brought together 200 big names from the tourism industry across cities like Tbilisi, Rustavi, Telavi, Borjomi, Gori, Kutaisi, and Ambrolauri. The guest list featured guides, tour operators, and people who run hotels and B&Bs. They all came together for a two-day deep dive into how to make the most of social media to attract visitors.

On Thursday, the 28th, Kutaisi launched a brand-new shuttle bus service zipping directly from the city center to Kutaisi International Airport. The airport's been up and running for twelve years, but until now, the only way to get there was either by hailing a taxi, driving yourself, or hopping on public transport. The Union of Georgian Airports is introducing three buses for this specific route, each ride costing a neat five lari or two dollars. The buses will be operating from Rustaveli Street 9A, right next to the DMO Imereti office.

And that’s it for this week! Thanks for joining us!

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Nakhvamdis!