„They often ask me: „How do you make friends with Azerbaijanis?” „Isn’t it problematic for you?“ „Isn’t it hard??“, says Giorgi Tskarozia, whose family is the first Georgian family to settle in the village of Saparlo in Dmanisi district. Vast majority of population in villages around the city of Dmanisi are Azerbaijanis. Saparlo is also one of them.

Giorgi spent 11 years in an Azerbaijani speaking village. He is well aware of the problems and challenges faced by Azerbaijanis living in Georgia.

„I was 9 years old when I moved to Saparlo. Before then I did not even know that people of other nationalities lived around me. Adapting to a foreign environment, especially for a small child, is of course difficult, but the kindness of the locals has eased the process.

I went to an Azerbaijani school, where Georgian was also taught as one of the subjects. I think this is one of the most problematic issues in Azerbaijani villages. Current curriculum is very weak – almost the same material is taught in grades 3-11, while almost all pupils want to learn Georgian language. They are citizens of Georgia and do not want to face various challenges due to their lack of language knowledge.

Such problems are often faced by older Azerbaijani generation. Georgian was not taught at schools at that time, so they have to speak Russian, while representatives of different institutions do not speak Russian. This complicates processes. The fact that some part of the older generation cannot speak Georgian has given rise to a number of stereotypes. I have heard from many that Azerbaijanis are uneducated. This is not the case. Knowledge of Georgian language alone should not determine their level of education.

 A large part of Georgian population lives with these preconceptions. I grew up with Azerbaijanis and saw the oppression they experience on a daily basis. In order to deal with these and other challenges, my peers in Gardabani founded the organization "ACT", which serves the interests of Georgian and Azerbaijani youth living in Gardabani and Marneuli. We try to inform public about existing problems in order to contribute to fixing these problems.

I am often asked, "Do you find it difficult to be friends with Azerbaijanis?" I do not understand why I should have any trouble. We are all the same because, we are first of all human beings and then representatives of different nationalities. It is good when you love your own country and culture, but it should not happen with the assumption that others are your inferior. For a peaceful life, the key is to learn to respect each other."