On 26 and 27 April 2023 in Oni and Ambrolauri, Council of Europe organised a forum theatre and a discussion on citizens’ participation in the framework of the information campaign “Change the Scenario – Play Your Role”. The campaign aims to promote civil participation at local level in decision-making processes.
Oni and Ambroaluri events were held within the visibility week organised with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (MFA).
“These events are a great opportunity to promote participatory culture and thinking in municipalities. It is important to know about the role of the Council of Europe and its standards in its Member States. We should understand the beneficial changes brought by the membership of the Council of Europe.” - said Megi Makharadze, the representative of the MFA during the event.
Individuals interested in the participation in policy formulation at the local level attended the forum theatre. The guests had an opportunity to take part in the performance and change the scenario according to their views and thoughts. This experience shows how small initiatives and individual actions could bring significant changes and benefits to the society.
“The Council of Europe strives to make political decision-making more open for citizens and especially the youth. Civil participation allows you to have a say in the decisions made in and for your communities.” – emphasised Stefan Sirbu, Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia.
After the performance, the panel discussion highlighted good practices of civil engagement in Oni and Ambrolauri municipalities. The participants were also introduced to the Council of Europe Uchange methodology – which is a gameboard and teaches participants different stages of political decision-making.
“Citizens’ participation is important in taking any decision, what is crucial is to select the right form for the engagement, to make our voices heard. One personal achievement that I want to share is how the open-air cinema was founded in Oni. Inspiration to create such a cinema came from the needs of young people in my municipality and for 4 months we organised 16 free screenings for locals. At the end of the year, the city hall submitted an idea, acquired funding from donors and soon we will have an open-air cinema in Oni. My example shows that you can definitely achieve valuable changes in your community, with persistence, strong will and commitment. Council of Europe's actions and support is invaluable to motivate youth in Oni to be active and to participate actively in local decision-making.” – mentioned Tamar Khomasuridze, the president of the Youth Assembly in Racha.
Within the campaign, during 2023 visits have been planned in 15 pilot municipalities. Forum theatre was already held in Tbilisi, Oni and Ambrolauri. The campaign will continue in Gori, Borjomi, Akhmeta, Telavi, Marneuli, Bolnisi, Chokhatauri, Ozurgeti, Tetritskaro, Zestaponi, Tskaltubo and Rustavi.
The events take place in the framework of the project “Strengthening Participatory Democracy and Human Rights at Local Level in Georgia”, implemented by the Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity, Division of Elections and Participatory Democracy and Congress of Local and Regional Authorities within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023 with the financial contribution of the Austrian Development Cooperation.
