Events

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Members of the social network Facebook celebrated International Day of the World under the slogan: Defend the World - Say No to Polythene Bags in Tbilisi on April 22. Participants of this action, bearing a half-metre scale model of the world filled with polythene bags and bottles, marched to the central districts of the capital. The aim of the event was to demonstrate how polluted the planet has become due to polythene use. The organisers aimed to draw public and Government attention to the ecological disaster posed by polythene bag use and asked people not to pollute the environment, encouraged businessmen to start producing paper and biodegradable bags and asked the Government to support all these initiatives and ensure proper activities are undertaken to defend the environment.

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The 12th International Tourist Exhibition presented a variety of offers from 90 Georgian and foreign organisations at Expo-Georgia on April 23-25. The event aimed to promote Georgia’s tourist potential by presenting the variety of Georgia's regions and traditions. Tour companies provided detailed information about their services and activities, made proposals and invited guests to visit areas full of healthy water and minerals.

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The Foundation named after late diplomat Levan Mikeladze was introduced to the public on April 27. The non-profit, non-governmental foundation established by his family and friends will be free of any political bias and aims to enhance the role and function of Georgia in addressing the challenges of the 21st century and provide information about the country and its neighbours. The foundation's council will consist of prominent Georgian and foreign diplomats and senior officials, academics and businessmen. It will be funded by donations from charity organisations and specialise in education, scientific research, cultural and ethnic relations and the promotion of dialogue between regional countries.

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Alexander Kvitashvili, Minister of Health, Labour and Social Protection, First Lady Sandra Elisabeth Roelofs and Paata Imnadze, Director of the National Centre for Disease Control, opened European Immunisation Week by holding a joint conference on April 28. This annual event, organised by the World Health Organisation, is held to inform the public about the importance of immunisation by means of focusing on the diseases which can be dealt with through vaccination. A week-long information campaign presented all the necessary details about the project, including the calendar of already established vaccinations and their accessibility.

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The National Democratic Institute (NDI) held a special conference to encourage women to get involved in political activities on April 28. Women’s representation in state institutions and other gender-based issues were discussed. NDI offered guests the opportunity to sign Let’s Win With Women, the action plan prepared by political parties, which contains recommendations from various sources about how to make parties more balanced.

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The Georgian Photographers Association introduced the public to a photo exhibition called the Tserovani Diaries at the Holy Trinity Cathedral Youth Centre on April 28. 12 photographers have depicted the everyday lives of the IDPs at the Tserovani Settlement. The project was undertaken with the support of the Ministry of Refugees and Resettlement of Georgia. Photos and videos of the event are available at www.tserovanilife.ge.

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A Georgian-Dutch exhibition called “Beyond the Borders” was opened in Karvasla on April 28. It displayed paintings by Georgian and Dutch artists who have continuing links with both countries. All visitors had the opportunity to see the artists and their paintings and express their opinions about them until May 5.

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Magticom continues to encourage the popularisation of modern art in a variety of ways. On May 4 it presented the catalogue of famous Georgian artist Edmond Gabriel Kalandadze, containing all his best paintings.

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Films in Georgian cinemas may soon be screened with Georgian subtitles. This is the second time such an amendment to the law on State Support of National Cinematography has been introduced to the Parliament of Georgia. It was rejected by President Saakashvili the first time, but the latest attempt is his personal initiative. Under the amendment voiceover translation of English language films will be banned.

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Registration for Graduate Record Examinations is taking place and will finish on May 10. Last year MA programmes were only available in State institutions, but this year all accredited institutions, including private ones, will offer them. Passing the Graduate Record Exams is compulsory for all those who want to join MA programmes in accredited higher education institutions. You can apply to take them at any accredited higher education institution.
Candidates will also take subject specific exams and the results of these and the Graduate Record Examinations, taken together, will be taken into account during the enrolment process.

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The Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) has opened a certified course for journalists supported by Translation Online - the Open Society Foundation, which aims to familiarise them with modern technology, give them experience of internet publication and help them gain other professional skills. The theoretical and practical activities students will undertake include creating blogs and photo, audio and TV reports and they will also learn about information safety on the internet. Lessons, conducted by Georgian and foreign trainers, will be held twice a week and last for 3 hours. The programme is free of charge and interested journalists qualified in MS Office programmes and working online can send their CVs to GIPA until May 22.

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The grand festival opened by The Georgian Soul Company on April 27 will last until May 28. The festival, which has already included academic presentations about Queen Tamar, an exhibition by modern Georgian painter Tengiz (Chubchika) Mirzashvili and a poetry evening dedicated to the 170th anniversary of Akaki Tsereteli, will offer a lot of impressive events for its visitors. On May 12 you can enjoy unforgettable Georgian songs by 3 generations of singers from Georgian Voices (Kartuli Khmebi) at 19:00 at Tbilisi Concert Hall. May 25 sees the premiere of the ballet Scheherezade and a gala concert by world famous Georgian prima ballerina Irma Nioradze at 20:45 at Rustaveli Theatre. The festival will end with the presentation of a disc called Georgian Ethno Soul and a concert by singer Davit Gomarteli at 21:00 at Tbilisi Event Hall.