Young people
are the driving force of any society and the guarantee of its future. Equipping
them with knowledge and skills, raising their civic awareness, and shaping them
into active citizens is one of my top priorities as a trainer and mentor. I
believe that non-formal education and targeted trainings provide youth with the
tools that enable them to actively participate in the development of their
communities and country.
Disseminating
Knowledge in the Region: Scale and Geography
Over the last
three years, I have had the opportunity to actively work with young people in
the Adjara region – specifically in Batumi, Khelvachauri, and Kobuleti. During
this period, I conducted more than 15 informational meetings and trainings,
in which a total of over 350 young people participated. For me, these
numbers are not just statistics, but proof of the great desire among young
people for knowledge and development.
Diverse
Topics for Active Citizenship
The topics of
the trainings were selected to maximally meet the interests of young people and
the challenges they face. We covered fundamental issues as well as developed
specific practical skills:
- The Role and Competencies of
Local Self-Government: I aimed to give young people a clear understanding of how local
government functions and what role they play in this process.
- Forms of Citizen Participation: We discussed in detail the
mechanisms through which young people can make their voices heard by
decision-makers and get involved in municipal life.
- Civic Activism: "How to
Become an Active Citizen": This topic was particularly popular, as we provided
young people with a concrete guide on how they can initiate and implement
their own initiatives.
- Practical Skills for Change: Great attention was paid to
practical skills such as planning and implementing advocacy campaigns,
conducting monitoring, participating in budgetary processes, and project
writing and management. These skills enable young people to turn their
ideas into real, tangible projects.
My trainings
are always based on interactive methods – group work, discussions, practical
exercises, role-playing, and real case studies help young people not only to
passively receive information but also to actively engage in the learning
process, exchange opinions, and test their acquired knowledge themselves.
Impact of
Trainings and Future Perspectives
As a result
of these meetings, young people not only deepened their knowledge on specific
issues but also gained self-confidence and developed critical thinking and
teamwork skills. Many of them subsequently became actively involved in various
civic initiatives, authored small projects themselves, or simply began to
express their opinions more boldly on issues important to their community.
For me, as a
trainer, it is paramount to see how these young people grow and develop, how
their sense of responsibility towards their community and country is awakened.
I believe that each such training is a small but solid brick in building the
strong civil society we all strive for. I plan to continue working actively in
this direction in the future to give even more young people the opportunity to
become informed, active, and responsible citizens.