For the sixth consecutive year, the Council of Europe Office in Georgia, this year together with the European Union, participated in the Tbilisi Open Air Festival, engaging thousands of festivalgoers through its interactive Human Rights Corner in the festival's Freedom Village. Bringing human rights discussions into one of the largest cultural events in the South Caucasus, the initiative created opportunities for young people and the wider public to reflect on equality, children's rights, freedom of expression, media freedom and the impact of hate speech.

This year's Human Rights Corner was built around the message "Can We Change Your Mind? Probably not. But maybe we can give you something to think about." The initiative invited festival visitors to exchange perspectives, question assumptions and engage in open conversations on equality and non-discrimination, countering hate speech, media freedom and children’s rights.  

Throughout the two-day festival, visitors took part in interactive quizzes, discussions and a Treasure Hunt across the festival grounds, exploring key human rights themes in an informal and engaging setting. The Human Rights Corner also featured a Podcast Corner, where festivalgoers, artists and guests shared their perspectives and views on equality, children's rights, media freedom, freedom of expression and countering hate speech. The interactive activities and conversations were facilitated with the support of content creators Manana Gvritishvili and Lukretsius Sichinava, who encouraged festivalgoers to share their views and engage in discussions on human rights issues.

The initiative formed part of the Council of Europe's continued cooperation with the Tbilisi Open Air Festival, reinforcing the Organisation's commitment to bringing human rights closer to citizens through innovative public engagement and participation.

The activities were organised within the framework of three Council of Europe projects: Combating Hate Speech in Georgia, and Combating Violence against Children in Georgia, and Supporting Freedom of Expression and Media in Georgia, which are respectively part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe Programme “Partnership for Good Governance” and funded under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2024-2027.