The first step has been taken – and it was truly valuable for cooperation between Latvia and Georgia in the field of youth!

🔵 We held the first meeting of the project “Young People for Sustainable Participation – a Latvian-Georgian cooperation network and digital learning model for understanding the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG Connect Georgia)”. Part of the team met in Latvia, at the offices of the association “Laiks Jauniešiem”, whilst in Georgia – in Tbilisi, at the Latvian Embassy – in the presence of Edīte Medne, Latvia’s Ambassador to Georgia.

❤️ During the meeting, together with representatives from 10 different Georgian non-governmental organisations, we discussed not just lofty – unattainable – goals, but about the real-life issues faced on a daily basis by young people, youth workers and civil society organisations in Georgia.

📌 The main challenges that the project will help to address are the low level of youth engagement in civic processes, insufficient understanding of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a lack of digital and non-formal education tools for youth work, limited access to participation opportunities in the regions, as well as the need to strengthen critical thinking, media literacy and the capacity of youth sector representatives.

🎉 The project will result in the development of a digital, game-based learning model, adapted to the Georgian context, on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and civic participation, as well as a practical card game that youth workers and organisations can use in their day-to-day work with young people.

✅ Planned project outcomes:

🟢 a digital learning model and facilitator’s guide;

🟢 a card game on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the principles of democracy;

🟢 7 youth sector representatives from Georgia and 7 from Latvia trained;

🟢 at least 5 digital training sessions for young people from Latvia and Georgia;

🟢 at least 40 young people involved;

🟢 the cooperation network between young people from Latvia and Georgia has been strengthened.

🥰 This first activity was crucial, as it was here that we began to lay the foundations for the project’s content – ensuring that the future digital solution would not be generic, but based on real needs, within the Georgian context and in practical youth work.

🤚 We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all the participants, our Georgian partners, the Latvian Embassy in Georgia and everyone involved in the project. This is a new beginning – for new results, meaningful cooperation and practical solutions for young people!

✉️ The project is being implemented as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ 2026 grant project competition ‘Support for development cooperation projects in recipient countries designated by the Republic of Latvia’.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of LatviaYouth AffairsAgency for International Youth ProgrammesRETVBauska District CouncilGiorgi Mamulashvili