Thirteen Youth Laboratories from across Georgia showcased their local initiatives, achievements, and learning journeys during the Youth Laboratories’ Fair, held in Tbilisi on 31 July 2026 as part of the second meeting of the InoHub platform.

The Fair marked the completion of the first round of Youth Labs’ activities and opened the door to what comes next. It provided young local leaders with an opportunity to present how they identified local challenges, adapted to changing circumstances, and translated ideas into meaningful action for democracy and human rights.

At the same time, the Fair created new opportunities for dialogue, feedback, and connection: the event brought together up to 70 representatives of civil society, the media, academia, businesses, the Public Defender’s Office, the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia, embassies and international organisations who learnt more about the Youth Labs and discussed opportunities for practical support and future cooperation.

“The Fair gave me a chance to see the existing opportunities more clearly and to understand how much both individuals and organisations can contribute to our cause. Several potential partners also expressed an interest in cooperating with us, which is very important,” shared one of the Youth Lab leaders.

Over the past year, the Youth Labs have evolved from newly established informal youth groups into active local teams capable of identifying community needs, bringing people together, and leading practical initiatives. Working alongside local communities and partners, they promote human rights, civic participation, digital and media literacy, inclusion and environmental responsibility, while strengthening young people's leadership, teamwork, confidence and belief in their ability to make a positive difference in their communities.

“Young people across Georgia have demonstrated that meaningful participation begins at the local level. They have worked with their communities, responded to local challenges and shown that democratic participation is not only about formal institutions, but also about initiative, cooperation and responsibility,” noted Aslihan Özdemir, Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia.

Through their initiatives, the Youth Labs have engaged hundreds of young people across Georgia, showing how small, locally led actions can encourage wider participation and inspire others to become involved. The Fair formed part of InoHub II, a three-day meeting during which Youth Lab members, mentors and experts celebrated the results of their first year of activities, reflected on lessons learned, and strengthened their skills to plan next steps.

This initiative was organised in the framework of the project „Advancing Participatory and Human Rights-based Local Democracy in Georgia” implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2024-2027, with the support of the Austrian Development Agency as a part of the International Partnerships Austria.