On June 2, 2022, within the framework of the EU-supported ‘Civil Society STAR Initiative’ project, Imereti Regional HUB – Local Democracy Agency Georgia (LDA) and Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC) will organize the Civil Society Regional Forum. The forum will be held at Akaki Tsereteli State University in Kutaisi. The main purpose of the forum are to promote a culture of volunteerism, to attract potential donors and to strengthen civil society in the Imereti region. The forum will be attended by local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), students, donors, representatives of self-governments and media outlets.

The forum are divided into three panels. The first panel will be dedicated to the needs and challenges facing civil society, as well as to the presentation of the concept of CSOs’ transition to public funding. The second panel will interlink the potential donors and civil society organisations. On the one hand, invited donor organisations will present their grant programs, and on the other hand, civil society organisations will be given the opportunity to participate in the Q&A session, to get familiarised with the works of the CSOs, and to plan the future collaborations. During the third panel of the forum, the volunteering challenges and opportunities in Georgia will be discussed.  

Moreover, within the framework of the forum, an exhibition of Imereti-based CSOs will be organised where they presented their current works and activities.

The forum will be organised within the framework of the project "Civil Society STAR Initiative: CSO's as Sustainable, Transparent, and Accountable and Resilient Development Actors in Georgia", supported by the European Union (EU) and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS).