CARE marks International Children’s Day with youth forum in Gori

Today, CARE International in the Caucasus and its local partner organization, the Gori Business Centre, will open a three-day youth forum on "Stabilization and Integration of IDPs into Mainstream Georgian Society" (SIIMS).

The forum is organized by the Gori Business Centre with the support of the City of Gori, and aims to "encourage the active participation of youth in public life, identifying their potential and enhancing their skills through involvement in sports, intellectual, and cultural events", according to a statement released by CARE.

The SIIMS conference will open on International Children's Day and include more than 200 students from 12 schools in the Gori and Kareli districts.

Senior representatives of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees, and the Ministry of Education and Science will be in attendance, as well as officials from Shida Kartli, and local and international NGOs.

A sports competition in Gori's Central Square will open the conference, followed by an academic contest the next day. A concert will mark the closing ceremony on June 3.

“Youth is one of the key priority impact groups for CARE International in the Caucasus. This event is the final part of the SIIMS project’s youth component, which supported integration and life skills development for the IDP and local children throughout 15 schools of Shida Kartli and Kvemo Kartli regions,” Vakhtang Piranishvili, SIIMS Project Director, said.

The SIIMS project aims to help IDPs displaced after the August 2008 war, as well as communities impacted by the newcomers. The project, which eases integration by creating socio-economic opportunities to reduce poverty and conflict, is aligned with local government services and structures.

SIIMS is jointly implemented by CARE Norway and CARE International in the Caucasus, along with partner organizations the Civil Development Agency (CiDA) in Georgia; Consent, an IDP women’s association; and the Centre for Training and Consultancy.