Issue #1287

Issue no: 1287

• MARCH 12 - 18, 2021 • PUBLISHED WEEKLY

PRICE: GEL 2.50

In this week’s issue...

Bera’s Secret Recordings Scandal NEWS PAGE 2

Pulling the Yarn: Popular Discontent & the Future of Georgia POLITICS PAGE 3

Thoughts on the US Strategy in Eastern Europe & the South Caucasus POLITICS PAGE 4

Creative Women Georgia: Mako Abashidze, Interview BUSINESS PAGE 6

GDP and Employment in Georgia: Forecasts for 2021

FOCUS

Israeli House opens Parallel Traces exhibition in Tbilisi under the Creative Europe program

BUSINESS PAGE 7

ON JEWISH HERITAGE PAGE 10

Tsikhanouskaya Says Her Position Is Not ProWestern, Yet She Still Wants the West to Help INTERVIEW BY TIM OGDEN & VAZHA TAVBERIDZE

I

n a joint interview for the Spectator (UK) and GISP, Belarus opposition leader in exile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya answered questions on her vision of a Lukashenko-free and democratic Belarus, what she expects from the West and is willing to give in return, discussed the finer points of the relationship with the Kremlin, and whether it should be expected that Belarus, should it find itself without the strongman calling the shots in all matters domestic and foreign, might entertain the notion of joining the wider Euro-Atlantic political blocks such as NATO and the EU. Continued on page 3

Carrefour Partners with the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia to Recognise Women SOCIETY PAGE 8

Shavi Lomi Says No to Food Waste SOCIETY PAGE 9

The Qualities of the British Int'l School Tbilisi SOCIETY PAGE 11

CULTURE PAGE 11 Prepared for Georgia Today Business by

Markets As of 22ͲFebͲ2021

STOCKS

Price

w/w

m/m

BONDS

Price

w/w

m/m

Bank of Georgia (BGEO LN)

GBP 10.76

Ͳ6,3%

Ͳ9,4%

GEOROG 04/21

100.36 (YTM 4.55%)

Ͳ0,3%

Ͳ0,2%

Georgia Capital (CGEO LN)

GBP 5.15

Ͳ2,1%

Ͳ1,9%

GEORG 04/21

100.63 (YTM 2.11%)

Ͳ0,1%

Ͳ0,5%

TBC Bank Group (TBCG LN)

GBP 11.14

Ͳ11,2%

Ͳ10,9%

COMMODITIES Crude Oil, Brent (US$/bbl) Gold Spot (US$/OZ)

GRAIL 07/22

107.13 (YTM 2.47%)

Ͳ0,0%

+0,6%

GEBGG 07/23

106.41 (YTM 3.23%)

+0,6%

+0,8%

CURRENCIES

Price

w/w

m/m

Price

w/w

m/m

65,24

+3,1%

+17,7%

GEL / USD

3,3079

+0,5%

+0,3%

1 809,67

Ͳ0,5%

Ͳ2,5%

GEL / EUR

4,0213

+0,7%

+0,1%

GEL / GBP

4,6511

+1,7%

INDICES

Price

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m/m

GEL / CHF

3,6925

Ͳ0,2%

Ͳ1,0%

FTSE 100

6 612,24

Ͳ2,1%

Ͳ1,2%

GEL / RUB

0,0445

Ͳ0,9%

+1,6%

+3,0%

FTSE 250

20 981,09

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+1,9%

GEL / TRY

0,4712

Ͳ0,3%

+5,9%

DAX

13 950,04

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+0,5%

GEL / AZN

1,9458

DOW JONES

31 521,69

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+1,7%

GEL / AMD

0,0063

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Ͳ1,6%

NASDAQ

13 533,05

Ͳ4,0%

Ͳ0,1%

GEL / UAH

0,1186

+0,1%

+1,2%

166,12

Ͳ3,0%

+1,1%

EUR / USD

0,8225

Ͳ0,2%

+0,1%

MSCI EM EE

+0,5%

+0,2%

Ͳ2,8%

+0,3%

Ͳ1,1%

Ͳ2,7%

SP 500

3 876,50

Ͳ1,5%

+0,9%

CHF / USD

0,8961

+0,7%

+1,2%

MSCI FM

2 560,71

Ͳ0,8%

Ͳ1,0%

RUB / USD

74,3075

+1,3%

Ͳ1,3%

GT Index (GEL)

1 582,68

Ͳ

Ͳ

TRY / USD

7,0189

+0,8%

Ͳ5,4%

GT Index (USD)

1 208,13

Ͳ

Ͳ

AZN / USD

1,6988

Ͳ

Ͳ0,2%

MSCI EM

1 397,67

GBP / USD

0,7110

2

NEWS

GEORGIA TODAY

MARCH 12 - 18, 2021

Bera’s Secret Recordings Scandal

BY TEAM GT

T

his week, the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia launched an investigation into the unauthorized recording and / or interception of private conversation, as well as the recording of private communication, illegal use and dissemination of information obtained through technical means, on the grounds of Article 158, Parts 1 and 2 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

The results of the investigation will be made public, the investigative agency says.

The move refers to recordings released by TV Pirveli on March 6; a secret telephone recording in which the journalist claims that Bera Ivanishvili and Irakli Garibashvili are discussing the fact of violence against a schoolboy over a comment posted on social media.

The author of the story notes that Anzor Chubinidze, the head of the Special State Protection Service, is also participating in the telephone conversation, with whom, based on the recording, Ivanishvili and Garibashvili are discussing the revenge plan separately.

According to the recording, Bera Ivanishvili tells Irakli Garibashvili that Anzor Chubinidze's punitive team intimidated a juvenile and forced him to apologize in a humiliating environment in the presence of his family and neighbors.

Bera made his first comment on the secret recordings aired on TV Pirveli in an interview covered on TV Imedi.

He said that the conversation was recorded in 2011 when he was a teenager. He states that the insulting comments spread online were disturbing to him. Hateful and threatening comments were also made about his fans.

“The most disturbing thing for me in this story was the attack on my fans, children aged 10-11, by massive groups of 100-200 people. There was a threat, some nasty pornographic pictures, they wrote to the children that we will come to you homes and ‘Bera cannot protect you.’ The parents of several children contacted us. We were obliged to hand it over to the security service, they visited these people in compliance with all laws, ethics, and morals. Even in those records, it is clearly heard when talking about a minor that the conversation is being attended by his parents, older neighbors, and so on. And it was just a verbal warning or advice,” he said.

The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party echoed the TV Pirveli story about a conversation, saying: “This is a gross fabrication of conversations between Irakli Garibashvili, the Cartu charity fund president, and minor Bera Ivanishvili that was illegally recorded during the rule of the United National Movement, before Bidzina Ivanishvili’s entry into politics.”

The ruling team believes the fake conversation contains words and phrases from dozens of recordings.

The opposition parties demanded the resignation of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili following the story. They believe the conversation contains signs of a serious organized crime.

“The TV story in which Bera Ivanishvili was talking to Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, and Head of Special State Protection Service of Georgia, Anzor Chubinidze, contains signs of the gravest organized crime. The story facts should be investigated,” said opposition parties Lelo for Georgia and United National Movement. They also applied to the Prosecutor’s Office to start investigation into the secret recordings.

The Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) at the International Criminal Court (ICC) Trust Fund for Victims at the Int’l Criminal Court Approves Victim Assistance Program in Georgia.

The Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has approved a Victim Assistance program in Georgia. TFV will soon issue a solicitation for the provision of the assistance program to conduct psychological rehabilitation, physical rehabilitation, and material support for the victims of the armed conflict of 2008, the August War, in Georgia, through TFV funding.

Within this context, the ICC/TFV has announced a call on Expressions of Interest (EOI) from qualified and interested organizations. Through this announcement, TFV calls on competent and qualified organizations to express their interest.

The assistance services requested, modalities, and the minimum qualification criteria are outlined here: https:// www.icc-cpi.int/get-involved/Pages/expressions-of-interest. aspx Reference Number 128881 And here: https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/121344 Interested organizations should submit their Expression of Interest, as well as all required documents, by e-mail, to Tender.7@icc-cpi.int, by 29th March, 2021.

Source: 1TV

This Week’s City Hall Plans

BY TEAM GT

T

bilisi Mayor, Kakha Kaladze, announced at this week’s government session that City Hall is to provide two million GEL for the club culture sector, due to the damage caused by the pandemic.

Kaladze said that all those who work in this field will receive assistance, and highlighted that the electronic music and club sector was the first field to shut down during the pandemic and had been severely affected, with many of its employees left without jobs. Kaladze also pointed to the fact that the club sector is an area that had made the capital of Georgia famous in Europe and has attracted many tourists to the country.

“On the one hand, it is necessary to alleviate the socio-economic situation of people working in this field and their families, maintain the viability of the electronic music sector and other organizations, and on the other hand, with state support, maintain their potential and motivation to continue their activities in the post-pandemic period. They will have maximum support from us,” he said.

“Within the framework of the Night Economy project, I was in communication with people involved in the sector, many meetings were held, Andria Basilaia was conducting negotiations. We have decided to offer them an aid package, to the amount of 2 million GEL, and at least 500 people employed in this field will benefit from this aid package,” the Tbilisi Mayor said.

MINIBUS FLEET IN TBILISI TO BE COMPLETELY RENOVATED By the end of this year, the minibus fleet in Tbilisi is to be completely renovated, the Mayor announced on Wednesday.

“According to the transportation policy, only 1,000 new minibuses will operate in the capital, while the rest of the routes will be served by 8-meter buses. Negotiations with ‘Tbilisi Minibus’

are almost over. The company will secure the attraction of the capital and, first of all, will repurchase the 300 units of minibuses we bought. It will also purchase additional 400 minibuses. It will all be completed by the end of the year. In the coming days, Tbilisi City Hall will announce market research and start the bidding procedure.

The transportation policy consists of many components. The most important thing is to upgrade the existing fleet and completely replace the old buses. This process has already begun. Buses have been purchased and we are waiting for them being delivered. Additionally, we would like to introduce approximately 180 units of 8-meter and 200 units of 18-meter buses.”

27 FAMILIES LIVING AT DIFFERENT ADDRESSES WILL RECEIVE HOUSING 27 families living at the different addresses, who have been worried about the legalization of their housing for years, will be provided with housing at a symbolic price of 1 GEL. The Tbilisi Mayor this week emphasized once again that the seizure of state lands and then illegal constructions on those lands is categorically unacceptable. He says they have a program under which 6-7 million GEL is spent to help and rent out property to the families who do not have a house and are socially disadvantaged.

STUDENT SUPPORT PROGRAM EXPANDED Kaladze announced that student support program has been expanded and funding will be provided to more vulnerable students registered in Tbilisi who have 150,000 or fewer points in the unified database of the socially vulnerable. Prior to the implementation of the changes, the program funded those students whose families had a rating score of 70,000 or less in the unified database of the socially vulnerable. Applications for funding for the spring semester began on March 1 and will run through May 31. Under the program, tuition will be funded for more than 2,000 students.

Health Minister: First Doses of Coronavirus Vaccine to Arrive in Georgia on March 13

BY ANA DUMBADZE

T

he first doses of coronavirus vaccine will arrive in Georgia a week earlier than planned, on March 13, the Minister of Health of Georgia, Ekaterine Tikaradze, said at a special briefing held on Thursday.

She noted that vaccines will be imported to the country in stages and that the first vaccine that will arrive on March 13 will be AstraZeneca.

“43,200 people will be vaccinated in the first stage, and their re-vaccination will take place after additional doses of AstraZeneca enter the country,” Tikaradze explained.

The Minister pointed out that negotiations are underway with countries such as Israel and China to import additional doses of coronavirus vaccines as soon as possible.

Further, Tikaradze noted that for the first stage,

100,000 doses of vaccine from the COVAX Platform, have already been ordered for further access to the vaccine.

The Head of the National Center for Disease Control, Amiran Gamkrelidze, announced that in the week of March 22, Georgia will have received both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines.

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY MARCH 12 - 18, 2021

3

Pulling the Yarn: Popular Discontent & the Future of Georgia

Image source: Matt Suiche

OP-ED BY MICHAEL GODWIN

W

hile a moderate discontent with government is healthy, keeping authorities on their proverbial toes, it is the rapid growth and widespread displeasure with their activities that amounts to a forcible change in leadership. Only those who have absconded to the hills or abided to exist under rocks have been aloof of the growing sociopolitical tension in the nation. Now, with questionable electoral practices, poor economic management, and now accusations of imprisonment of political opponents, some have begun questioning the future of Georgia.

For months now, groups of people have been seen outside government offices voicing their concerns. Thankfully, thus far, there have been only small and isolated incidents of violence with none of them resulting in any serious injury or

death. However, it is well within reasonable extrapolation that something has to be done between the two polarized sides before things become too far gone.

The October elections in 2020 were the epicenter of much of the turmoil, with supporters of the opposition claiming that bribes and fraudulent voting took place. As people took to the streets to make their voices heard, the response by law enforcement was met with heavy criticism. Sporadic violent incidents took place, with things coming to a head with the resignation of several key members of the political leadership, most notably Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia. The ultimate capstone has so far been the raid on the political offices of the opposition party by special police teams, and the arrest of key opposition leader Nika Melia.

This raid is what has brought Georgia front and center in the international stage, with international voices from Europe, the US, and the UK drawing a line. The attack on the United National Movement headquarters was also the

first executive action taken by the new Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili. His cohorts within the Georgian Dream party, the dominant party in power now, all lauded the attack as the government's finest hour and an “execution of law.”

Ongoing rallies and protests have plagued the government ever since, with letters and missives coming in from embassies and international partner organizations. Largely centered around an opening of dialogue and a deescalation of force against political opponents, the people however have begun to liken this to the return of the Soviet Union and its brand of political repression.

Slogans going out such as “Georgia will not return to the USSR” and others have begun emblazoning signs and banners outside parliament, even becoming a filter on Facebook.

However, all of this does show signs of a regressive movement into an oligarchy and a stagnation of general social progress. Already, there are meetings and discussions in the halls of the European Union about how this could affect their relationship with the Georgians, as well as any hope for near-future integration. In addition, NATO officials are concerned as the movement shows signs of halting, even if only temporarily. This change is also measured numerically, as Georgia’s Freedom House score fell a point in 2021, from 61 to 60. For reference, in 2017 Georgia’s score was 64.

Cumulatively, much of the socio-political activity could easily be dismissed as a temporary disruption brought about by a group of hotheads in key places, and that cooler heads will prevail and relative peace will be restored naturally.

However, this ignores many of the peripheral factors such as economic fatigue from 2020, Russia, and the recent release of an interesting conversation between the new Prime Minister and the son of a particularly controversial individual.

First, the recently released audio tapes seem to back a growing narrative that many in the ruling party have been pres-

suring those who speak out against them and their members. The instance cited on the tapes alleges that Bera Ivanishvili, son of Bidzina Ivanishvili, and Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili discussed a plan to intimidate a minor who had posted disparaging remarks about Bera on social media. Bera admits that these comments were made, albeit in 2011 when he was also a minor, but stands by his stance and insists that those who speak against him or his family should be punished.

Russia also has a quiet interest in the growing discontent, as the destabilization of Georgia only furthers their control of the South Caucasus and Black Sea regions. Their increase in deployments to Armenia and in Nagorno-Karabakh have strengthened the total tactical presence in the region. A weakened Georgian state would allow for further influence to be asserted and a gradual dismissal of The West's grip. What’s more is that the normalization campaign, the Kremlin has been waging against Georgia to solidify their hold in Abkhazia and South Ossetia would finally be complete.

Finally, the economic fatigue the country has been in since the closure of so much commerce and industry in the nation has put much of the social, political, and security infrastructures in a precarious position. All that is needed is the proverbial straw to break the Georgian camel’s back and begin a sequence of dangerous events moving in a very fast downward angle.

Georgia, as it has been for thousands of years, is still key territory politically, socially, economically, militarily, and culturally. The defense of the nation rests with the people and those in office that still value a democratic state and the freedoms it affords. However, this must all come at a cost. The American politician and a man who is widely revered as the father of modern political freedom movements Thomas Jefferson once said, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.” In Georgia, this “blood” is the social and legal pressure to keep straight the aim of the state towards democracy and a free and open society.

Vladimer Shioshvili

Tsikhanouskaya Says Her Position Is Not ProWestern, Yet She Still Wants the West to Help Continued from page 1

THE PROTESTS ARE ONGOING, BUT THERE DOESN’T SEEM TO BE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN MAKING LUKASHENKO RELINQUISHIN THE REINS. WHAT IS YOUR LONGTERM PLAN / VISION OF CHANGING THE STALEMATE? Lukashenko the strongman, as he likes to portray himself, cannot re-establish control over the country as Belarusians peacefully protest in spite of the violence and lawlessness. More pressure, internally and internationally, will further take away resources from him. We also need make sure we are splitting the bureaucracy and law-enforcement apparatus that has essentially turned into a mass repression machine. These and other steps in sum will create conditions when Lukashenko has no other choice other than to opt for a dialogue.

WHAT WOULD A TSIKHANOUSKAYA ADMINISTRATION – OR A TSIKHANOUSKAYA-APPROVED ADMINISTRATION IF SOMEONE ELSE TAKES THE LEAD – LOOK LIKE? WOULD OFFICIALS OF THE LUKASHENKO ERA BE ARRESTED FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE BELARUSIAN PEOPLE? THE

CRACKDOWN ON THE PROTESTS HAS OCCASIONALLY BEEN QUITE BRUTAL. Such an administration would oversee the transition to democratic governance, which would entail first and foremost the organization and conduct of free and fair elections. There will not be a sweeping replacement in the public service or law enforcement but those members of the Lukashenko regime who have committed heavy crimes will face a fair and just trial.

ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE HERALDED A PRO-WESTERN POSITION, YOU ARE UNSATISFIED WITH HOW THE WEST HAS RESPONDED TO THE CRISIS. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE REASON BEHIND THEIR RELUCTANCE TO BE MORE ACTIVE? WHAT IS IT IDEALLY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE EUROPE AND THE US TO DO? My position has not been pro-Western, just like the protest in Belarus has not had geopolitical undertones. It has been about the democratic choice which is a universal concept. Western countries have supported these aspirations of Belarusian people and we are grateful for this. At the same time, we have a sense that the steps taken by them have

not been resolute and consistent, and therefore they missed a chance to be impactful in changing the behavior of Lukashenko in usurping the power and oppressing Belarusians. We are working closely with the EU and its member states, the US, UK and Canada, to keep them informed about the developments in Belarus, to jointly work out the steps in response, to consolidate and coordinate the position. Finally, we are calling friends of Belarus to be consistent in implementing the policies they are adopting.

UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP – OR, AGAIN, A LEADERSHIP OF WHICH YOU WOULD APPROVE – WOULD BELARUS FOLLOW THE PATHS OF GEORGIA AND UKRAINE, AND EVENTUALLY THE BALTIC STATES, AND AIM TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE EU AND NATO? The next leadership of Belarus will be elected by Belarusians, not approved by me, and just like in any democratic process, they will choose their leaders based on their vision for the future. For decades, Belarusians have been deprived of a competitive electoral process where people would be able to vote in favor of the policy options suggested by different candidates. What has been certain

and definite about the choice of Belarusians since the last presidential elections is that they want and demand democracy where they would be able to participate in governing the country.

WHAT WOULD A TSIKHANOUSKAYA ADMINISTRATION'S RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA BE LIKE? WOULD YOU WORRY ABOUT PROVOKING THE KREMLIN WITH A PROWESTERN FOREIGN POLICY? Once again, neither I nor my team have been advocating for or practicing a proWestern foreign policy. It happens that Western countries have been more empathetic to and supportive of the aspirations of Belarusians to freedom and democracy. At the same time, we have been signalling to the Kremlin our readiness for dialogue. Russia has important legitimate interests in Belarus – economic, financial, investment, security and others – and we will respect them as long as they conform with the national interests of our country, with sovereignty and independence being at the top. Belarus is charting its own course of history and any comparisons would have numerous gaps and mismatches.

BELARUS, UNDER

Belarus is charting its own course of history LUKASHENKO, HAS REMAINED PECULIARLY NEUTRAL ON ISSUES LIKE THE ANNEXATION OF CRIMEA OR THE RECOGNITION OF GEORGIA’S SECESSIONIST ENCLAVES – NEITHER RECOGNIZING NOR DENOUNCING THEM. WOULD A NEW GOVERNMENT IN BELARUS CHANGE THAT AND IF YES, IN WHAT WAY? Lukashenko has been balancing on these issues, which is rather indicative that even being supposedly the most proRussian politician in Belarus, he would not fully support his most important ally and helper that has secured his political longevity time and again. I expect that these approaches will be reassessed and reviewed once the new administration arrives, but what changes will be adopted if at all remains to be seen.

4

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY

MARCH 12 - 18, 2021

The Tent Culture OP-ED BY NUGZAR B. RUHADZE

P

olitics in tents seems to be a perennial fixture on Rustaveli Avenue in the capital of Georgia. This marquee political life started here at the end of 1980s, and has continued right into the twenties of this century. I’m not in one of my pasquinade moods at all, and I’m not going to use any sharp-tongue lashes on those who want to exercise politics under a canvas in the street. Just the contrary: I want to get into the secrecy of helpfulness of this tabernacle political activity and answer the question as to why it is more useful to manage our people’s political existence within makeshift pavilions than inside the walls of the country’s legislature, where not everything might be fair and smooth among its members, but a political word can definitely come out stronger and louder so the nation can hear it.

Riots, mutinies and insurrections have certainly played their revolutionary roles in history as a part of almost every national reality, but all that remains the subject of endless discussions on how much good or bad those societal upheavals have brought to humankind. Historians do not speak of them in unison,

opinions differ and thoughts are extremely disparate, so nobody can say for sure what is more constructive and functional in the end – talking the nation’s wounds and pains under the roof where the wisest elected men and women of the nation can wrestle on the floor, refereed by their watching electors, or sitting in insurgence-pregnant tents and simmering with rage and anger in expectation of a potential unrest, which will either be fair and productive or unfair and destructive.

The canvas booths deployed in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi for the entire world to behold, are taking us back into one of the darkest times of this country’s making – the soviets just gone and the new powers coming in to make an attempt to change the nation’s vector of development. Totally concentrated on introducing the change via shouts, barks and hollers, triggering aggression, cruelty and violence, it took us more than thirty years to make just a flimsy miniature step forward towards the contemporary balanced political culture, and now, back again into the tent culture!

Understandably, a young republic like ours has myriad flaws and only a small amount of merits, which does not mean that at every political discontent in the air we have to rush to streets and take up those interminable, déjà vu, unbridled

Photo: Mtavari Arkhi

political hostilities. Weighing sagely of what makes more sense in politics is what all of us here in Georgia have to give a preference to, not to our unfounded desires to go and grab the ruling reins at any cost, with any effort, on any looming occasion, without any sense of feasibility of achieving the goal.

I’m not into politics. I’m just into my beloved art of words, but the problem today is how to make the word, which hopefully still has some value, as truthful as possible, not lying to anybody, not damaging the nation’s future, not hurting

the innocent, and not losing the precious journalistic conscience. Having this in mind, I need to admit that I hate the tent political culture which I see as a distortion of this country’s young political image, fortunately tending otherwise to be compatible with freedom and democracy, and not only that.

It seems like a huge waste of time, notwithstanding the fact that not all is fair and good in the Republic. Politics cannot always be flat, soft and silky: politicians on both sides, on every side that be, are prone to making blunders which should

not be taken as a catastrophe. Mistakes need to be corrected in the smartest possible way, not via denigration.

Freedom of speech allows the vilifying of an opponent without any consequential problems, but the liberty of political behavior does not have to be as excessively misused as it is in this land. The tent culture is an obvious continuation of that ugly style of political interaction which has lead this nation to exactly where we are right now. And we are in the tents in front of Parliament, not inside it where our political prospect belongs.

Thoughts on the US Strategy in Eastern Europe & the South Caucasus OP-ED BY EMIL AVDALIANI

T

he US’s Russia Strategy is perhaps one of the most searchable items in the world of analytics. The ncrease in military presence in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea is often considered as most adequate response Washington should offer. But the Biden administration should look beyond active military engagement and base its response, even grand strategic vision, on much subtler aspects, such as investing in each of Russia’s peripheral state’s critical spheres where immediate Western support ultimately is bound to produce strengthened state institutions, democracy, and prolong the vision of liberal internationalism.

International relations are nowadays growingly characterized by open rivalry between the world’s major powers. The US power and by extension the liberal world order is contested at the periphery of Europe by illiberal powers. From the Baltic to the Black Sea to the South Caucasus, Washington now faces an array of challenges. It is a systemic challenge emanating from the depth of the Eurasian continent: the spread of an illiberal worldview, attempts to promote privileged spheres of regional dominance, and, most of all, the purposeful undermining of Western institutions from the inside.

On the shores of the Baltic Sea, the Nord Stream saga continues as the US’ core European allies put economic interests and the interest of liberal internationalism well above the long-term geopolitical trouble the pipeline would cause to European security.

To the south in Ukraine, the Russian military involvement is worrying, but the geographic depth of Ukraine’s vastness allows a limit to Russia’s further military moves. To support Ukraine, military assistance is critical as usual, but it would not solve fundamental troubles which characterize the country and rest of the territorial belt around Russia.

To pursue a military line, it would require

Image by Gage Skidmore flickr.com

a major refocusing of the US military strategy from elsewhere in the world to Europe’s edge – un unlikely scenario considering Washington’s preoccupation with China.

In Georgia, political parties struggle to come up with a compromise. Various trends indicate the overall political system is in trouble as the political elites are hard time to reinvigorate themselves and produce new personalities able to lead the country in the geopolitical fraught region.

In Armenia, the opposition challenges the current government of Nikol Pashinyan following the defeat in the Second Karabakh War of 2020. Poor handling of the pandemic, coupled with economic troubles, project a chaotic period for internal Armenia.

What characterizes these three states

is weak state institutions: problems in justice, education, the election process, low FDI rates, exclusive political elites and many other traits which turn a state into a troubled one. Ultimately this is what Russia capitalizes on and what makes the countries more vulnerable to the Kremlin’s geopolitical maneuvering.

Indeed, the US should also admit that Russia pursues a clever, long game through interfering along its borders when necessary by military force such as in 2008 and 2014 with Georgia and Ukraine respectively. However, most of the time, Russia’s strategic mindset is about pursuing a slow weakening of the surrounding states. This is made possible because of the fragility of state institutions, inability of the political classes to concentrate on nation-wide problems, and failure to provide a long-term development

strategy.

This is where the US support is critical. But first, Washington needs to be clear what it wants and where it can make a definitive contribution with the aim of changing the geopolitical balance along Russia’s west and south borders.

Minding its own limits is a good basis for creating a strategy of finding and then puncturing the rival’s weakest spots.

Similar to Moscow, Washington too should play the long game. But instead of betting solely on increasing military engagement in Eastern Europe, Black Sea or the South Caucasus, the US should invest in the development of institutions of Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia.

Promotion of fair justice, fair elections, improved education system etc. ultimately leads to accumulation of wealth, improvement of lifestyle, spread of lib-

eral vision and the understanding of the need to build a viable front to confront the undermining forces. The support should be also cast as part of the promotion of something bigger, which dovetails with the western mindset – liberal internationalism, however troubled the latter is of late.

In the end, Russia does not fear NATO or US forces. As any military grouping in history, the Alliance has its limitations and internal divisions to capitalize upon.

What troubles the Kremlin is the economic development of the neighboring countries, coupled with democratic fervor – it has the potential to reverse the pro-Russian sentiment both among the populace and the political class, limit Russian economic influence, and link entire societies irreversibly to the liberal world vision.

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY MARCH 12 - 18, 2021

5

BTU Startup Fund Prepares to Commence Operation in May

T

he Global Startup Fund, based in Tbilisi’s Business and Technology University (BTU) and founded in partnership with Israel Silicon Wadi, is preparing to commence startup funding in Georgia. In May, BTU will host foreign venture funds and angel investors from the United States, Israel, Europe, and Georgia, as well as arrange participation in the world's largest MIT Entrepreneurship Center and a Demo

Day. The event will draw together foreign collaborators, investors, as well as notable startup community members from all over the world.

The Global Startup Fund is Georgia's pioneer international startup financing organization, located in Silicon Valley, Tbilisi. With the support of the Innovation and Technology Agency, it has offered the first major funding for the startup Echolize to the amount of GEL 1.300,000.

The Global Startup Fund holds meetings with Georgia's leading startups every year, bringing together local and foreign investors to explore potential financing and collaboration opportunities.

The Global Startup Fund organizes pitching days, face-to-face meetings between startups and investors, closed investor events, masterclasses from the world's leading startup ecosystems, as well as shares international expertise, hosts meetings with various financial institutions and

grants access to sources of financing for startups created in Georgia.

Since joining the MIT Entrepreneurship Center in February of 2021, BTU has granted access for all partner companies and investors to the Martin Trust Center's international network, various events and conferences organized by the center, the latest research and literature generated by it, and more. The Martin Trust Center’s partnership with BTU envisages the implementation of various joint projects

and the betterment of the entrepreneurial environment in the country, the support of Georgia’s startups, and the stimulation of innovative processes. Selected startup companies will take advantage of these opportunities.

To provide a variety of access to finance, TBC Startup, a strategic partner of the Global Startup Fund, has launched a new investment product that will soon become available to companies and investors seeking startup funding.

New Appointments in Government

Ilia Darchiashvili, the new head of gov't administration and Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia

I

n recent days, several important changes have been made in the composition of the government under the leadership of new Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

In particular, on March 10, Garibashvili appointed Georgia’s former Ambassador to Poland Ilia Darchiashvili as the new head of the Administration of the Government of Georgia, replacing Kakheber Kemokidze, who left the post following

the resignation of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia based on his own will.

Darchiashvili is an experienced diplomat, the government of Georgia press service said. He was appointed Georgia’s Ambassador to Poland in 2017 and also has experience in working in the Georgian banking sector.

On the same day, March 10, Nino Giorgobiani was appointed Head of the Strategic Communications Department at

Ilia Darchiashvili

Leri Barnabishvili

Nino Giorgobiani

the Government Administration.

Prior to this appointment, she served as a Director of Strategic Communications Department at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, after serving as a Head of Administration at the State Security Service of Georgia.

Before her exposure to public relations, Giorgobiani accumulated credentials in active journalism through the news programs of various television companies,

the Government press office said.

The Regional Liaison Department of the Government Administration also gained a new head this week: Leri Barnabishvili, former director of the National Forensic Bureau named after Levan Samkharauli.

His prior working experience includes being a Deputy Minister of Finance of Georgia, head of Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia

and Deputy Head of Investigation Department of the Financial Investigation Service.

A lawyer by background, he also worked years at the Inland Revenue Service of Georgia.

While introducing him, Garibashvili emphasized his leadership and management skills, which he finds essential for better coordination between the different government agencies.

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BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY

MARCH 12 - 18, 2021

Creative Women Georgia: Mako Abashidze, Interview INTERVIEW BY NINI DAKHUNDARIDZE

F

or most of history, anonymous was a woman, – this is a thought-provoking statement, a Virginia Woolf quote, and the writing on my favorite button pin. I like to pin it on the coat I have on and pay something of a tribute to the women whose names were swallowed by patriarchal history. In March, with it being Women’s History Month, I think of these ‘nameless’ women, as I learn the names that are writing history now. In this piece below, we bring to our readers a woman who shall not be anonymous – Mako Abashidze, the Founder of the British-Georgian Chamber of Commerce, and most recently, the Head of Creative Women Georgia.

The Creative Women platform was established in 2016 as a one-year conference, but has since expanded into a global organization, with members from over 40 countries. In this interview with GEORGIA TODAY Mako Abashidze discusses why Georgia was one of the first countries to join the platform, what is it being creative, what should be done to empower women in Georgia, the country’s feminist past, its Creative Women future, and more.

“In general, Creative Women prioritizes talent, creativity in business and personal affairs and feels that the ethos of CW is well suited to the country,” Abashidze tells us. Appointing her as Georgia’s Ambassador of Creative Women only seems logical – Mako, who is a British citizen and has lived there for 27 years now, has been putting all her work and business ideas into strengthening ties between Georgia and the UK by first creating the BGCC, and then supporting the foundation of The UK-Georgia Trade Hub, all the while promoting the country’s image in the West.

“In Britain, I proudly say that Georgia has always been a feminist country – we had women as Kings during the early Renaissance, and were among the first to grant women the right to vote, long before the UK did. This background doesn’t just fade; it gives Georgian women a different kind of strength, flexibility, creativity…” she says.

“I am honored and excited to have been nominated as the Head of CW Georgia, and the fact that my country has all the

ingredients to satisfy the environment for Creative Women.”

The organization itself is a large international platform that brings together leading female figures from various fields.

Networking is one of its main priorities.

“It is not a typical feminist organization; it is not a typical business women’s organization. All these organizations are of course very important, but they all have a specific framework within which they need to operate,” she says. “Creative Women brings together women of diverse professions, and connects them to each other. The main message we receive in every meeting, in every gettogether is not to hesitate to reach out and ask for help when necessary. In today’s world of networking and communication, this kind of high-profile, diverse and international networking that Creative Women offers, makes the organization stand out. Women are naturally built to be multifunctional, and as they meet more open-minded individuals, their creativity grows further.

“The creative women of the organization are not limited to being creative in artistic expression. What COVID-19 has shown us quite vividly is that we need a more creative approach to living – a creative approach to issues, life, problems, raising a child, starting a business.

That means being a very flexible person, adapted to the situation, making the best of it. When life gives them lemons, creative women make lemonade.”

For Mako, a creative woman and an empowered (or empowering) woman are the same. A creative woman, for Mako,, has everything balanced.

She does not believe in a black-andwhite approach. A human is only happy when all her areas of purpose are filled and there is a way to, through balance, have it all – have a job, and have a family, spend enough time with the kids.

Creativity is the key to success in becoming a strong woman, both at work and in the family,” She says.

“Practically everything has changed in the last year. During this period, COVID brought the base that developed our multifunctionality and helped us to use time more efficiently by making, what can be made, remote. Now is our time to balance it all better!”

Only a creative mind can perceive the COVID situation this way. Born into an artistic family of a pianist mother and ballet dancer/choreographer father, Mako gets it naturally. Having travelled the

world with her family, Ms Abashidze, BA, MPhil, Psychology, settled in London in the early ‘90s. Since then she has changed jobs, and fields, but what remains is her focus on Georgia, and her balance - intact.

“I know from personal experience that we can balance the time we spend with our children and the time we spend at work,” states Mako, a mother of three, a grandmother of two, the head of several companies, and a sits on charitable boards.

Throughout the interview, I see her switch from household tasks to business calls with ease. I see how she turns life’s lemons into lemonade, and then proceeds to share it with those around her.

She tells me how her academic background in psychology has helped her find the best business decisions. “Especially in the Soviet Union, we were raised with the idea that we have to remain loyal to our goals, be hard-headed pushers and not give up until we accomplish our goal. That’s often not true – flexibility and creativity minimize our issues and offer a shortcut to our success. I personally have experienced this way of life because I have changed environment,

place of residence, job, field, and so on many times, and this has led me to believe that every stage, step, change enriches, changes and prepares me for something else,” Abashidze tells me.

Seeking to draw parallels, like a true creative mind, Mako generalizes it to the theory of evolution.

“If we look at this on a larger scale, it is also the basis of evolution. Evolution took place and it was precisely those creatures that survived, humans and countries, that had the ability to be flexible and adaptable.”

Georgia did once have a female ruler - King Tamar, who succeeded her father.

Tamar was her own royal, and her spouse, who was forced upon her, was the furthest a man can be from your usual Prince Charming archetype. While we discuss how eight centuries later many girls in Georgia willingly wait around for Prince Charmings to come and rescue them from handling their own lives, just as I condemn unrealistic expectations bestowed on us through the world of popular culture, Mako names what should be Georgia’s way out of toxic gender

roles.

“Education. Educating the young minds is the key to an empowering future. There will be no need of Prince Charmings to save the day when we teach girls how it feels to save it themselves.

Despite Georgia's feminist past, we face problems today, and the biggest reason for this is inadequate education, and formulated misconceptions about gender that claim a woman cannot be a mother and successful in her career. I believe that with organizations like Creative Women, and the new ‘awakened’ generation, changes will be made. Georgia is going through all the patterns that other of the countries of the world have seen, time just goes a little slower here,” Mako says with a smile. “These stereotypes will change soon. When you have a good education base, you are formed into free individuals, and other challenges and plans emerge. I think that is why education is so important. “ Mako’s future plans as the head of Creative Women Georgia are related to further networking.

“My great wish and plan is to establish relations and partnership agreements with all associations, organizations, clubs related to women in Georgia, unequivocally and indefinitely, and to jointly present them on this creative platform. I am planning an event in Georgia, as soon as the pandemic situation allows, and I would like to invite all the organizations who concern themselves with women’s well-being in the country.

The development of trade is also relevant - upon arrival in Georgia, we would find out who would be interested in bringing us to Georgia, and this platform is headed by strong women. There will be no age limit or gender at this meeting, and it will be possible for those who want to properly redistribute gender at work and so on to attend.”

The Creative Women Conference connects entrepreneurial women from around the world, helping them develop their own creativity. To date at the Conference a large number of hands-on workshops, inspirational speeches and panel discussions have been provided by women leaders, female business owners and entrepreneurs from most European countries, Russia, China, USA, Central and Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.

“For most of history, anonymous was a woman,” but with organizations like Creative Women, no woman will have to be nameless again.

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY MARCH 12 - 18, 2021

7

GDP and Employment in Georgia: Forecasts for 2021 grow by 5.4% while in the event of the pessimistic scenario becoming reality, the expected rise is 0.3%.

GDP FORECASTS

BY SECTOR

I

n 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic heavily disrupted the world, causing both a global health emergency and a global economic crisis. While almost every country and every sector have been affected, economies reliant on the service sector, and especially the tourism industry, such as Georgia, have suffered notably. Indeed, measures taken to contain the spread of the virus have had an especially negative impact on the economy. Preliminary

cits in 2020 (9.7% and 9.1%, respectively), and its Debt to GDP ratio crept up to 59.9%. In addition, the Georgian Lari depreciated by 13% from the start to the end of the year. On a positive note, remittance inflows in 2020 increased by 9%.

In addition, stability of the financial sector has been maintained. Overall, Georgia started 2021 with a crippled economy, and with COVID-related restrictions still in place. In this issue, we provide forecasts for the performance of the

other important factors here include changes to the patterns of production and consumption, and the continued political instability in Georgia. This multi-faceted uncertainty explains the sizable differences between various forecasts published by Georgian and international institutions, with forecasts for the baseline scenario of the real GDP growth rate in Georgia for 2021 ranging from 3.5% to 5.0%.

PMC RC has developed three possible

estimates suggest a decline in Georgia’s real GDP in 2020 of 6.1%, the sharpest drop since 1994. Apart from international travel, receipts from which dropped by 81% in 2020, external trade in goods has also been affected significantly, with the trade turnover decreasing by 15%, as well as exports and imports falling by 12% and 16%, respectively. Unsurprisingly, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has also suffered significantly, with a 24% drop registered for the first three quarters of 2020, compared to the corresponding period of 2019. Georgia also recorded high Current Account and Budget Defi-

Georgian economy for 2021, namely regarding its real GDP growth rate, sector-specific growth rates, and employment.

scenarios with respect to the development of the crisis, each of which are outlined below.

Baseline scenario - This assumes that the economy will by and large manage to return to pre-pandemic long-term growth rates, however the impact of the pandemic will still be felt. This scenario assumes no further lockdowns and no third wave of the virus, while also assuming that the timeline of vaccination proceeds in line with the current plan, and that tourism enjoys a moderate recovery in the summer.

Optimistic scenario - This assumes that economic activity will recover faster than pre-pandemic growth rates. This scenario assumes positive developments such as accelerated global and local vaccination, and thus a better-than-expected recovery of the tourism sector.

Pessimistic scenario - This assumes that economic activity will only partially recover to pre-pandemic growth rates, with the impact of 2020 still having a huge toll. This scenario assumes negative developments such as laggard global and local vaccination, and thus worsethan-expected recovery of the tourism sector, as well as a possible third wave of the virus and further toughening of restrictions.

By considering the impact on each sector of the economy of Georgia2 in the three proposed scenarios, it is possible to forecast the real growth of the Georgian economy in 20213. If the baseline scenario proves true, Georgia’s real economy is expected to grow by 3.0%.

Should the optimistic scenario play out, the Georgian economy is expected to

SCENARIOS AND FORECASTS Levels of uncertainty have soared due to the ongoing pandemic, which makes accurate forecasting of economic growth nearly impossible. Presently, uncertainty for the most part comes from uncertain vaccination schedules, the dynamics of the spread of the virus, the possibility of a third wave of restrictions, and the recovery of international travel. Some

Based on these three estimated scenarios for 2021, we have conducted sector-specific analysis of GDP, and have compared our forecasts to the performance of each sector in 2019, before the pandemic hit. In addition to our forecasts, the following graphs also contain trend values3, specifically the values of GDP in each selected sector for 20204 and 2021 without the pandemic-related shock, compared to the GDP of 2019 in the given sector. It is worth noting that only a few sectors managed to slightly outperform their trend growth rates in 2020, namely agriculture, manufacturing, and public administration.

Accommodation and food service suffered the most among the reviewed sectors, with its GDP falling to 64% of its 2019 level. In the baseline scenario, this sector will recover to 82% of its 2019 level, while in the pessimistic and optimistic scenarios, this figure will be 75% and 89%, respectively.

The two most prominent sectors of the Georgian economy – wholesale and retail trade, real estate - together contributing 24% of total GDP in 2019. Trade sector is expected to nearly recover fully in all three scenarios, rising from 93% of the 2019 level in 2020 to 96% of the 2019 level in 2021 in the baseline scenario.

However even in the optimistic scenario (98%) it fails to completely recover to 2019 levels. As for real estate, its decline was relatively low in 2020, dipping by just 2% compared to 2019. However, this could be attributed to the mortgage loan subsidy program targeted toward this sector, which ended in December 2020.

Thus, we expect that a sizable part of demand for real estate in 2021 was absorbed by the subsidy program in 2020. In the baseline and pessimistic scenarios, the real estate sector’s GDP is forecast to suffer a further loss in 2021, declining to 97% and 96% of its 2019 level, respectively, while in the optimistic scenario, the sector will maintain its 2020 level.

EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

After Geostat updated its employment methodology, the number of employed people in 2020 amounted to 1.242 million, a drop of 54,000 (or 4.2%) compared to 2019. For 2021, in the pessimistic scenario, we forecast the total number of employed persons in Georgia to be 5.7% less compared to 2019 (amounting to 1.223 million people). The number of jobs is forecast at 3.2% less than its 2019 level in the baseline scenario (leaving 1.254 million jobs), and 1.2% less in the optimistic scenario (leaving 1.281 million jobs).

Regarding the unemployment rate in 2020, it reached 20.4% in Q4 of 2020, and averaged 18.5% for the whole of 2020, which is 0.9 percentage points higher than in 2019. For 2021, in the pessimistic scenario, we expect it to further increase to 18.8%, while for the baseline scenario the expected unemployment rate is 18.3% and for the optimistic scenario it is 17.9%.

It is worth noting that even in the optimistic scenario, the unemployment rate is not forecast to return to the 2019 level.

Even if the optimistic scenario proves true, the Georgian economy will still not fully recover to its pre-pandemic level.

With the potential risks and uncertainties in mind, this scenario is unfortunately the least likely of the three. Thus, 2021 is unlikely to be a year of any sort of extraordinary recovery. Instead, Georgia should focus this year on addressing its health crisis, supporting vulnerable households and businesses, and, most importantly, laying the groundwork for rapid economic recovery and transformation in subsequent years.

1 https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/04/22/world-bankpredicts-sharpest-decline-of-remittances-in-recent-history#:~:text=The%20large%20 decline%20in%20remittances,record%20%24554%20billion%20in%20 2019.&text=In%202021%2C%20the%20World%20Bank,5.6%20percent%20to%20 %24470%20billion.

2 https://static1.squarespace.com/ static/5548d1b5e4b0680763eeeb53/t/5ecc04bd29db2e1e76 cf1635/1590428863594/GEO__AGBC+Annual+Conference_May+2020.pdf 3 The data source on which the subsequent analysis and graphs are based on is National Bank of Georgia, unless stated otherwise.

4 The rank is obtained from the analysis of all countries for which the inflows to GDP ratio in 2019 is available in World Bank Database

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SOCIETY

GEORGIA TODAY

MARCH 12 - 18, 2021

Carrefour Partners with the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia to Recognise Women necessities were handed out to those most in need, including large families living in Tbilisi and surrounding regions.

Similarly, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Carrefour representatives and the Minister, Levan Tevzaia hosted meritorious women and rewarded them with gifts and necessities. Members of the Abkhazian government also presented them with certificates of appreciation for their many years of contribution and wished them success for the future. Carrefour Georgia noted that it will continue to be involved in activities that honour the dedication and hard work of internally displaced women in the future.

These activities underscore Carrefour’s commitment to supporting the growth and prosperity of the communities in the markets it serves. Apart from providing financial and material support, the leading retailer focuses on building interpersonal relationships with its communities by bringing joy and positivity to as many people as possible.

The brand’s commitment to improving

C

arrefour, owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim in Georgia, is celebrating the achievements of women and their vital role in society throughout March. To mark the occasions of Mothers’ Day and International Women’s Day, Carrefour ran various community engagement initiatives in partnership with the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia aimed at supporting internally displaced persons (IDPs) and their families.

On 3 March, Carrefour representatives together with the Minister of IDPs of Abkhazia personally visited socially vulnerable mothers of children to show their care and respect. As part of the visit, gift baskets, products and basic

living conditions of its communities and helping those in need, including the socially vulnerable, youth and elderly, has improved the lives of many, especially during the pandemic.

In addition, Carrefour has been active in further charitable activities including a social campaign with Mastercard. The social campaign, implemented through the joint efforts of Carrefour and MasterCard, saw one per cent of all Master-

card transactions completed in Carrefour Georgia stores donated to SOS Children’s Village beneficiaries. These donations were used to purchase tablets for 109 children to ensure they are able to further their education and realise their potential.

Such charity activities, over the years, have shaped the brand’s reputation among its customers, and its reputation of having a high social responsibility among it.

Pandemic Deepens Gender Inequalities in Georgian Society

R

estrictions imposed to halt the COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia cost jobs, slashed incomes and undermined mental health. There are also signs of an increase in domestic violence. But the impact was differentiated and varied by location, occupation, ethnicity and gender. To understand the differences, three United Nations agencies conducted a Rapid Gender Assessment of the COVID-19 situation, in partnership with Sweden and Norway.

“As Georgia is seeking to recover from the crisis and build a more sustainable and equal society, it is important to look into every aspect of this global and national emergency and assess how it affected equality, inclusive growth and social justice,” said UN Resident Coordinator Sabine Machl.

“The pandemic has prompted extraordinary decisions within politics, the public sector and the business community. The decisions affect everyone but are mostly shaped by men. As we strive to build back better, it is more important than ever to increase women’s political participation and representation in decision making,” said Ulrik Tideström, Ambassador of Sweden to Georgia.

Initiated by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women, and carried out in October 2020 by the research agency CRRC-Georgia, the research builds on the results of a similar survey conducted in May, aiming to understand the lasting effects of the pandemic and inform a gender-sensitive response.

The two surveys reflect two very different phases of the pandemic. The first survey was conducted while strict restrictions on travel and commerce were in force but while COVID-19 prevalence remained low and fatalities were still in single digits. By contrast, the second survey, conducted in October 2020, took place after most social and economic restrictions had been relaxed but while the number of cases and deaths was soaring. This was reflected in the data: in October, 13 percent reported that a household member had fallen ill from COVID-19, up 9 percentage points from the earlier survey.

The surveys document the heavy economic toll of pandemic measures: in October, 17 percent (20 percent of employed women and 15 percent of employed men) reported having lost their jobs, and 43 percent (49 percent of men and 39 percent of women) reported losses in income. As stark as these results are, they reflect a dramatic improvement compared to May, when 32 percent of employed respondents reported job losses and 82 percent said they saw a drop in income.

Members of national minorities were three times more likely than ethnic Georgians to have lost their jobs.

These losses prompted a variety of coping strategies: 41 percent of respondents said they spent their savings to make ends meet; 36 percent bought cheaper or lower-quality food; 33 reduced spending on healthcare; 21 percent borrowed from family members; 19 percent took loans; and 15 percent spent less on education; and 7 percent sold off possessions.

Notably, 42 percent of respondents reported receiving government financial aid in October, a remarkable 35 percentage-point increase from the May survey.

An additional 13 percent said they had received some form of in-kind assistance.

“The data show the dramatic economic impact of the pandemic in Georgia,” said UNDP Resident Representative Louisa Vinton. “But they also confirm that not everyone was affected equally.

Our focus is to support a recovery that protects both lives and livelihoods while addressing the underlying inequalities that the pandemic has exposed or exacerbated.”

One area of concern is the unequal position of women on the labor market: before the pandemic, half of all women were defined as economically inactive (neither employed nor seeking work), whereas only 16 percent of men fit this category. One of the main reasons: the unequal burden of unpaid work shouldered by women in childcare, cooking and cleaning.

Both men and women reported spending more time on domestic tasks and childcare during the pandemic, but this was against a highly unequal starting point. Gender disproportions remained extreme during the pandemic. In the October survey, 47 percent of men said they never cleaned, 43 percent never cooked, and 33 percent never looked after children. This division of roles meant that mothers with small children saw a dramatic increase in workload during school closures.

The pandemic had a negative impact on perceptions of mental health. Nearly

half of respondents acknowledged being affected psychologically, but with clear differences by gender: 57 percent of women compared to 40 percent of men.

“Unfortunately, the pandemic has further worsened women’s condition in the country. The disproportionate burden of household care and the closure of schools had a notable impact on women’s physical and psychological health. And women were more likely than men to make ends meet by reducing spending on healthcare. Therefore, the need to support women in emergencies acquires additional significance,” said Lela Bakradze, Head of the UNFPA Georgia Country Office.

The survey also tested perceptions of whether domestic violence had increased in pandemic conditions. Around 20 percent of respondents (23 percent of women and 17 percent of men) said they had sensed such an increase, but experts believe, as in non-pandemic times, that

social stigma may lead to significant underreporting of violence against women.

The awareness of existing services for survivors of domestic violence remains low. 40 percent of women are aware of psychological support services and only one in three knows about shelters and crisis centres. Men know little about domestic violence relief services. Awareness is also low among ethnic minorities and people without higher education.

“Violence against women and girls is a shadow pandemic that needs to be addressed in all efforts aimed at the COVID-19 response and recovery,” said UN Women Country Representative a.i.

Tamar Sabedashvili.

The work on the study was conducted under the Sweden-funded UN Joint Programme for Gender Equality and the Norway-funded project Good Governance for Gender Equality in Georgia implemented by UN Women.

SOCIETY

GEORGIA TODAY MARCH 12 - 18, 2021

9

Shavi Lomi Says No to Food Waste

TRANSCRIBED BY KETEVAN SKHIRTLADZE

T

he ‘Say No to Food Waste’ media campaign, kicked off in February by CENN and the British Embassy, has the aim of urging people to change their behavior and consume more responsibly to reduce food waste. The campaign strives to achieve an “awakened” culture, the members of which will act more responsibly in support of their own surroundings by reducing how much food is thrown away instead of being donated or put to alternative use.

GEORGIA TODAY, ever eager to support a good cause, is one of the CENN campaign’s media partners.

This week we sat down with founder of the renowned restaurant Shavi Lomi (Black Lion), Meriko Gubeladze, to find out how she and her team combat unnecessary food waste.

“I started working in the culinary field almost by accident. I worked in restaurants in America, and when I got back in Georgia, I imagined myself in management,” Gubeladze tells us. “We’d been looking for a cook for a long time, we could not find the right person- whoever we found, it turned out I knew more. I quickly realized that in my absence, nothing had changed here. I was lucky to come back in the right time and place.

Since I had a great experience, it was easy for me to head into the kitchen, and I liked it so much that I decided I wanted to stick with it. That was 12 years ago.

Then we started a television show. At first, it was very interesting, introducing new products to people, like broccoli,

which was new and unknown here at the time.

“We talk a lot about gastronomy, but in reality, we do not have gastronomy in this country yet. People have not yet gotten to the point where they want gastronomic experiences. But we are slowly getting there.”

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH FOOD WASTE IN YOUR RESTAURANT? In the first place, I try not to have food leftovers, which is definitely achievable.

First, there are statistics on how much the restaurant typically uses per day; second, I have a policy that everything is fresh for the day, and if that means a dish on the menu runs out by the evening, it’s no tragedy. Due to this policy, we only order in a small quantity of food. But still, if there are leftovers, they are distributed to the staff.

We sometimes feed our 30 employees twice a day with leftover food. Proper management is the best way to avoid food waste.

WHY BOTHERS YOU MOST ABOUT WASTAGE? Throwing away goods bothers me morally. It’s bad for the environment. In our society, in fact, throwing things away, especially food, is considered bad form.

My father refuses to throw anything away until it is totally beyond use!

Georgia is a poor country, many people are hungry and have no food to eat. When throwing food away, knowing that somebody might be hungry for it, it feels wrong.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER RESTAURANTS

ON WHAT TO DO TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE? Leftovers come about from ordering in extra produce and then not using it.

This financially damages the facility. If the management is right, which is in everyone's interest, the business should make a profit. This wasted food is a waste of a portion of this earned money.

I think most restaurants these days control their stock, and I’m not sure how much they need my advice, but I would say they have to stock up on food products on a daily basis. And only as much as they need. If we still cannot count and there were more clients that day than usual, it doesn’t matter, if you run out of a product, offer the customer something else.

Every restaurant has its statistics: the average number of people who come on Monday may be low, but you know on Friday or during the holidays, you’ll have more in the restaurant. You have to work according to these numbers to avoid food waste.

DOES SHAVI LOMI GENERATE ENOUGH LEFTOVERS TO CONSIDER DONATING IT? With 30 people working in the restaurant, there’s nothing left to donate elsewhere, and this is a form of donation when the staff takes it. I don’t know what the law says and whether it can be done, but that is how we act. In short, there is almost no food waste in this restaurant.

The good thing is that there is more awareness among people now. We have

a lot of foreign customers and they take their leftovers home with them. It is a daily practice to take leftover food. In the past it was shameful [to take leftovers home], but nowadays it’s a common practice. We pack the food and give it to our customers, and if there’s anything left after a big meal, our staff takes the food.

IS THERE A TENDENCY IN CONSUMERS TO ORDER TOO MUCH FOOD AND THEN LEAVE IT? I train our waiters, and when they see first-time customers ordering a lot of food, not being aware of our portion sizes, the waiters will advise them it might be too much. Also, it is expensive to order a lot, so it happens rarely.

DO CUSTOMERS TEND TO ORDER SHARED MEALS OR SEPARATE PORTIONS? Our restaurant and Georgian people have not adopted a partial way of ordering food yet. When there are 6 people at a table, they will be unlikely to order separately: they will share a dish. This is very good part of our culture.

WHILE BUYING FRUIT AND VEG, CONSUMERS TEND TO SEEK OUT VISUALLY PLEASING PRODUCTS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS FOOD WASTE IS GENERATED. IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU WHAT THE SHAPE OF A PRODUCT IS AND HOW IT LOOKS? I think the world is already heading back in the direction that admits that taste matters more than looks. I don’t think all tomatoes should be the same size. It doesn’t matter to me what shape the product is.

ABROAD, ESPECIALLY IN AMERICA, THERE IS A TREND THAT UNPACKAGED PRODUCTS CANNOT BE SOLD IN SUPERMARKETS AND ARE ONLY SOLD IN RESTAURANTS. THIS IS NOT THE CASE IN GEORGIA, BUT IF IT IS INTRODUCED, HOW ACCEPTABLE WILL IT BE FOR YOU? We don’t buy our food from supermarkets; we buy our products mainly from the agrarian market, where, in any case, you have more choice than at a supermarket. We also try to go directly to the supplier and buy the product directly from them and not from a reseller.

WHEN FOOD IS BROUGHT IN BULK DIRECTLY FROM THE FARM, IT CAN GET DAMAGED AND WASTED. Agriculture is not so developed in our country; farmers have many problems.

One practice is for a farmer to post on social media that they are coming, say, on Sunday, and we go specially to meet them and buy their product. This has been happening more often lately, and it’s good. In other cases, the product is in the hands of the seller and is more expensive.

HOW DO YOU SET YOUR MENU? Ours is a seasonal menu, and it’s the most logical way for people to eat. I don’t remember eating cucumber and tomato in winter in my childhood; it was a seasonal dish and for that very reason, it has its own charm. Now we have gotten to the point that we always have everything. The quality is not so good, but we still have it. People are still expecting a cucumber-tomato salad to be on the menu at the restaurant, and the restaurant finds it very difficult to take the step of not offering it.

ARE COOKS THESE DAYS BECOMING MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE? We still lack a lot, and education is very important for that.

IS PROVIDING ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION AND INFORMATION ON FOOD WASTE PART OF THE TRAINING IN AMERICA? The first shock that came to me when I arrived in America, was that there were 3-4 different garbage bins outside houses to separate waste. My time there had a big impact on me. In our country, someone should raise awareness about this, and I think Georgians have the ability to assimilate this knowledge, there should be a law and this law should be enforced.

There are many laws in our country that are absurd and go unfulfilled, but I believe law grows society and if the law is regulated, society will get used to it.

I still think that because restaurants are a business, food waste is rarely a problem. I’d be surprised if businesses are throwing food away. This problem is probably higher in families.

10

SOCIETY

GEORGIA TODAY

MARCH 12 - 18, 2021

International Exhibition of Jewish Cultural Heritage

BY ANA DUMBADZE

O

n March 11, an exhibition of a new project of the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ) - Parallel Traces opened in Tbilisi under the Creative Europe program.

The AEPJ is the official representative of the Jewish Cultural Heritage Route in Europe and it is certified by the Council of Europe.

The exhibition is organized by the Israeli House, which is the official representative of the Jewish Cultural Route in Georgia. The organization actively cooperates with the Ministry of Educa-

tion, Science, Culture and Sports of Georgia and the AEPJ, under whose auspices this route is implemented.

The authors of the Parallel Traces project believe that awareness of the European Jewish heritage, an integral part of European history, can be raised through a variety of mechanisms. In particular, it includes creating photographic and audiovisual works and developing a new application. The original digital works of Jewish heritage are also important artistic materials that will be presented at the exhibitions.

It will be the result of transnational cultural and creative work.

The participating countries are: Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Serbia, Romania, Poland and Georgia.

The leadership of the European Association for the Protection and Promotion

of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ) and guests from five European countries as well as representatives from four countries visited Tbilisi especially for this event. The event was attended by Head of Cooperation, the European Union to Georgia Sigrid Brettel, members of the Parliament of Georgia Elisso Bolkvadze, representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports. The opening of the exhibition was welcomed by David Bitan, a member of the Knesset, Chairman of the Committee on Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs via live broadcast.

The exhibition opened on March 11 at the Museum of Contemporary Art at # 27 Rustaveli Avenue and will last until April 11.

“The EU is proud to have supported this innovative exhibition, which brings

together partners from Georgia and all over Europe and shows the power of culture to build bridges and connect people.

It is one of 31 Georgian cultural initiatives that have received a total of GEL 6 million in the last 5 years through the EU’s Creative Europe programme”. Said in her speech Sigrid Brettel, Head of Cooperation at EU Delegation in Georgia.

Itsik Moshe, head of the Israeli House and Chairman of the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business, noted that it is important to take care of cultural heritage, and public organizations should play a special role in this.

"One of the main activities of our organizations in Georgia is the promotion of cultural and historical values, which is reflected not only in the organization of such events, but also in direct participation in the preservation of cultural heritage. This is especially relevant in countries and cities with a long history, such as Georgia and Tbilisi, which are distinguished by multiculturalism, including samples of Jewish cultural heritage. It is a cultural code that is the key to a particular culture. Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business has created a concept that envisages the development of such old neighborhoods while preserving traditional cultural elements.

The elite facilities created in the city by member companies of the Chamber of Commerce, according to a fair assessment of specialists, organically merge with the tradition of the historic city.

Therefore, with such activities, we continue to work actively with the Council of Europe, the Ministry of Culture and all the agencies that work to preserve / develop a unique cultural identity”, said Itsik Moshe.

Itsik Moshe is the leader of a group of

friends at the Israel Prehistory Museum and is actively working on cultural heritage issues.

The exhibition was attended by Elisso Bolkvadze, Member of Parliament of Georgia, pianist and UNESCO Artist for Peace. She praised the activities of the Israeli House after the event, saying: "It is symbolic that this exhibition is hosted by Georgia, a country with a rich culture and cultural heritage, as well as a great Jewish cultural heritage. Under the auspices of the Council of Europe, there is a Jewish cultural heritage route in Georgia, on the one hand, it contributes to careing for cultural values, on the other hand, thanks to this route, Georgia has long been in the center of tourists' attention from Israel and world Jewry”.

Natalia Voutova, Head of Council of Europe Office in Georgia, stated online: “I would like to express my gratitude to the Israeli House for the invitation to participate in opening of the Parallel Traces exhibition. It is an important event for the council of Europe Office in Georgia because as you know the Council of Europe is about fighting discrimination and also about development of different cultures present in Europe the Jewish Culture being an important one”.

At the meeting, in his speech Victor Sorenssen, Director of the AEPJ, the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage said: “Parallel Traces is a project that allows us, through the European Jewish heritage, to bring cultures, views, and celebrate our diversity, with a tool as revealing as audiovisual art”.

One of the leader partners of the Parallel Traces is CUMEDIAE from Belgium and its Artistic Director of the exhibition was Rosa Juanco.

Full-Scale Mapping: Tbilisi BLOG BY TONY HANMER

O

f course, if you actually did make a 1:1 scale map of any place, it would by definition be the same size as the original and potentially contain all of that location’s visible features. At least, all that you wanted to depict on the map. Sometimes, though, such mapping has its place. Particularly when you don’t need to fold the thing up and pocket it, but you do need to display only certain features, not every speck and hair-thin wrinkle. Aside from downscaling, mapping is usually about what you leave out as well as what you put in.

I’m sent to Tbilisi while my wife handles the house and shop in Svaneti on a week of school holidays. My ongoing mission: to oversee the renovation of our new flat, which we bought in an unfinished state in a new building. We now have my chosen wallpapers and floorings in place, so it’s come a long way, and so far looks pretty good. The ceilings are all done, bathroom about 90% finished too, doors to the balcony installed. Next on the list: electrical outlets and switches everywhere, buying of furniture and appliances, hanging of curtains, the carefully described and measured kitchen arriving a week or so from now.

Change the lock too, we were strongly advised, because its keys have been through too many hands by this point.

We don’t distrust anyone, but if anything was stolen, the police would want to know everyone who had had access to keys! This is logical, if uncomfortable for all involved.

It’s not a huge place, but big enough for the two of us eventually to retire to when living in the mountains gets to be too much, which it eventually likely will!

(See the last 10 years of my writing for GT for details of both the joys and the struggles.) I have to be careful to fit things in, and I’ve decided that the best way to accomplish this will be to lay masking tape lines on the floor outlining my proposed furniture selections. That’s tomorrow.

While I wait for the delivery of the fridge/freezer and washing machine,

I will be taping the floors in all rooms except for the bathroom. Beds here and there, cupboards, sofa-bed, coffee table, dining table and chairs. What else will fit? A small computer desk? I need to have more than the diagrams and measurements I carefully made in my notebook. I must be able to walk around and between the items of furniture to see what space for movement there is.

I might, if clever enough and having enough time, be able to draw the whole thing in a realistic enough 3D architectural program, moving to-scale pieces until I knew what could go best where in which combinations and sizes. There has to be a tradeoff between empty space and filled, between maximum usefulness

and not feeling cluttered or claustrophobic. Being that I have enough time for tape work but not for The Sims, I am choosing this compromise way to give me peace of mind and enough certainty to then return to the Saba furniture center just above Didube Metro and start laying the cash down. They deliver and assemble for free in Tbilisi, which really helps when I have neither car nor much DIY patience with me.

I’m not really making a full-scale map, though, It’s more like adding lines to reality. I’ll take photos if I have to, or add the same lines in my non-proportional but close-enough notebook drawings.

In any case, being solely responsible for all of this, released by my trusting wife after a dry run on our big Svaneti house

some years ago, the process will let me sleep at night instead of worrying over possible wrong choices which will be very hard to undo. In English we say measure twice, cut once; the Georgians make it a hundred to one, but it means the same thing. You can’t uncut, you can’t unscramble an egg, without a miracle!

Tony Hanmer has lived in Georgia since 1999, in Svaneti since 2007, and been a weekly writer and photographer for GT since early 2011. He runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook group, now with nearly 2000 members, at www.facebook.com/ groups/SvanetiRenaissance/ He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri: www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti

SOCIETY

GEORGIA TODAY MARCH 12 - 18, 2021

11

The Qualities of the British Int'l School Tbilisi

T

he British International School of Tbilisi (BIST) is an international, multicultural school in Tbilisi, an accredited member of the Council for British International Schools, and in 2019 was awarded the prestigious COBIS Patron’s Accreditation. BIST is also a founder member of the Black Sea Schools group, an organization that collaborates on student interaction and educational matters. We spoke to Stephen Priest to find out more about it.

“BIST is a British international school and as such offers a British curriculum adapted for the international context,” Mr. Priest tells us. “The school is an accredited member of the Council of British International Schools and shares many similarities as well as links with other British schools globally. BIST developed from the International Department of the British Georgian Academy and became its own separate identity and school in 2015. The school was founded to allow children from Georgian families or from the expatriate community to access a British education. Unlike most other countries around the world, schools offering a British education system and curriculum are quite rare and a fairly new phenomenon in Georgia.”

WHAT MAKES BIST STAND OUT FROM OTHER SCHOOLS? WHAT DO YOU OFFER CHILDREN WHO CHOOSE TO STUDY IN YOUR SCHOOL? There are many things that make BIST stand out from other schools. The people at BIST are the most important to me - our students, our staff and our par-

ents are incredible, supportive and caring individuals: we are a community.

There are also many other ways in which we are unique within Georgia. Our teachers are highly experienced and qualified professionals, mostly from the UK. Our facilities are the best of any school in the country. Our curriculum offers the Cambridge Pathway, International Primary Curriculum and English National Curriculum, meaning we offer the best and most modern of programmes. Children who study at BIST get to benefit from this combination of people, infrastructure and systems, and therefore receive the best education available.

WHAT IS THE TEACHING STYLE? The short answer to this is that there is no single teaching style. Our teaching styles adapt to context and individual groups of students. We are naturally quite British, but very internationallyminded. However, modern British teaching, which is at the global forefront of new pedagogical approaches, is nothing like the stereotypical images we get from films and books. BIST offers experiential and holistic learning combined with academic rigour and a firm belief in growth mindsets. We want our students to experience a wide range of different activities within and outside of lessons with the aim of developing the whole person; one that strives for excellence in all that they do, and above believes that they can achieve anything they set their mind to.

WHAT EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES DO YOU OFFER? BIST offers a very wide range of extracurricular activities. These include a

wide range of sports such as football, basketball, tennis and volleyball. Swimming in our own pool is part of the weekly curriculum for primary school students, but additional swimming is also possible after school. BIST also has indoor and outdoor climbing walls, which again are part of the curriculum, but also used in the extra-curricular programme. In the early evening and at weekends, we jointly operate the British Lions Academy in football, basketball, tennis and table tennis with our partners at the British Georgian Academy. BIST both hosts and travels to international sporting events and, as a founder member of the Black Sea Schools and a member of the Silk Road Athletics Association, our students have participated in events here in Georgia and also in Azerbaijan, Romania and Ukraine in recent years.

Performing and Creative Arts are a major part of the extracurricular activities programme as well as part of our curriculum. We are a ‘singing school,’ and all students have one lesson dedicated to singing each week. Annually, there are drama and musical productions from the different age groups. We also have one-to-one music lessons available that can be examined and graded by the London College of Music.

A number of other activities are also available, including debate, Japanese, chess, dance and arts and craft. In a typical week, there will be 60 different activities on offer.

Community Service and Student Leadership are important aspects of our programme. We have very active student councils and eco-teams at primary and secondary school levels. All students are also involved in an interactive “get your

hands dirty” way with our various community service partners - BIST students and staff all want to contribute to the society we live in.

BIST is Georgia’s only licensed operator of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, the Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award and the International Computer Driving License. The International Award runs globally and encourages young people to take up new sports and hobbies, commit to community service projects and take part in an adventurous journey. IDEA is a unique way to develop digital literacy skills and the ICDL is a modular qualification in technology. These are all available to secondary students as extra-curricular activities.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TEACHERS. All of our teachers are highly qualified and experienced professionals. Most of them are British and have experience in

British and international schools. But the most important things about our teachers are who they are and not just what qualifications they have. We purposely recruit teachers with different backgrounds, experiences and interests to ensure a diverse and rich learning environment. Above all, we recruit teachers who want to be innovative, who are student-focused and who are interested in their own learning and development.

WHAT CAN A SUCCESSFUL PUPIL OF YOUR SCHOOL ACHIEVE AFTER GRADUATION? DOES THE SCHOOL SUPPORT THEIR ENROLLMENT IN FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES? Students graduating from BIST leave with Cambridge A Levels, the international equivalent of the UK’s pre-university qualification accredited by the University of Cambridge. Cambridge A Levels are taught in over 10,000 schools in over 160 countries and are globally recognised as university entrance qualifications. Cambridge A Levels will get a student into university in Georgia, Australia, Canada, Germany, USA, and obviously the UK, among many other countries. The school has a well-developed programme of assisting students to enrol in universities around the world.

We have a dedicated university guidance counsellor who leads students through the process of application to different universities and also assists with such other requirements as IELTS and SATs. This year, our counsellor has been working with students applying to universities in the UK, USA, Canada, Ireland, Greece and Spain.

WHAT IS A TYPICAL PROFILE OF A CHILD STUDYING AT YOUR SCHOOL? The students at BIST come from over 40 different countries. We don’t have a typical student, they are all individuals; what they share is a desire to learn and a desire to experience new ideas and activities - as well as have fun!

WHAT IS THE TUITION FEE? IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET A SCHOLARSHIP? IF SO, WHAT SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS? Information on our tuition fees is available by contacting admissions@bist.ge.

We do offer a scholarship to Georgian citizen students aged 11 and older. This is a combined need and merit based scholarship. Any student offered a scholarship must have good academic English and be willing to challenge themselves academically and socially.

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