The Peace Foundation (Giorgi Tumasyan, the Founder) in cooperation with the Hayartyn Cultural, Educational and Youth Center of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia (Director - Levon Chidilyan) organized a cycle of seminars entitled “ Workshop for Ethnic Minorities” which aimed to raise the level of civic consciousness and increase integrity of ethnic minorities, living in Georgia. The Calouste Gulbenkian Hall hosted meetings including theoretical and practical parts every Friday for two months.

On the initiative of the Youth Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, young people of Armenian descent and other nationalities attended lectures on Human Rights, the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, state approaches, national origin discrimination and current legislation. Debates, discussions and trainings on the creation of NATO and the European Union, Georgia’s membership in these organizations, the Georgian Armed Forces and the role of ethnic minorities, National security and regional conflicts were very interesting and informative.

The Calouste Gulbenkian Hall of the Hayartun Center within frames of the lecture series hosted meetings with Eka Chitanava, Director at Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI), and a member of the armed forces at the Ministry of Defense of Georgia, Captain Armen Arakelyan.

On December 25, 2015, the project “Workshop for Ethnic Minorities” came to completion.

The participants highly appreciated the workshop, naming it an important lever of the formation of Georgian civil society.

After the completion of the lectures, the founder of the Peace Foundation, Giorgi Tumasyan summarized the work of the meetings. He expressed his gratitude to the Hayartun Center, the Director of the Diocesan Youth Department, Valery Badalian, and the Coordinator of the Youth Activities of the Department, Nina Seropova for the cooperation and for providing the venue, the Caluoste Gulbenkian Hall.

A Certificate of Participation was granted to all participants.