By Elene Zghenti, 17, Ideathon Participant from Bolnisi, Georgia

After we won the project in the online Ideathon, we met again in Tbilisi, where we started thinking about the possibilities of developing our idea. We, the youth, have the ability, motivation, and desire to change reality and be one of the main actors in peace processes. Generally, Ideathon for young people is a platform that empowers and enlightens us, enabling collaboration and innovation in pursuit of global change starting from local initiatives. As youth, we are encouraged to seek creative solutions and foster dialogue to distinguish between conflict and peace, we believe will have become   proactive participants rather than reactive ones on this way. The online Ideathon served as a precursor to our subsequent meeting in Tbilisi, where our team’s project, ‚Remember the Past – Change the Future,‘ emerged as one of the winners

Ideathon: a multi-stage event of innovation and culture in Tbilisi

On August 26-28, the representatives of the three countries gathered in Tbilisi, where once again we had to discuss the common problems of the three countries, the challenges, needs, and desires of young people, or we had to determine where we are, why, how we are and how we want to be. We worked with experienced facilitators, a team that had to create the best product in the form of an idea that was focused on long-term change. We defined the focus group, the problem, created interesting illustrations. In particular, team building training was thought-provoking and necessary, as teamwork is a functional skill that affects the overall outcome. On the other hand, very necessary and valuable training on writing and implementing a project, we often confuse the goal, the task, and the main goal is not SMART. However, it must be said that similar projects, meetings with theoretical-practical knowledge bring English language practice, new friends, connections for future cooperation. Projects are especially valuable when we get positive emotions, a well-organized agenda, pleasant and comfortable people, where we are not afraid of mistakes, because we are one team. In a multicultural environment, we better appreciate the importance of tolerance, equality, assertiveness along with other democratic values.

Remember the Past – Change the Future!

,,Remember the past – Change the future!” is a innovation which will help young people to connect future to their history because the future depends on learning from our past. The inspiration of the project is the culture of remembering the past, preserving and strengthening it, because even today we believe that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.

5W: -The new voice in the digital era

The idea of ​​a second team, our friends, trying to create a new platform for change was very interesting.Their project involves the creation of an interactive digital platform and a physical installation. The said digital platform will serve individuals to contribute and explore artifacts, cultures, stories and memories from their countries. On the other hand, the physical installation complements the digital platform and provides a tangible experience for visitors to view cultural exhibits. Personal workshops, which will be organized in the future in the partner countries of the project, will promote intercultural exchange and peace building among young people. They use different social platforms to make their voices heard on different levels.

Remember to Act: –What will be the next step?

I believe that young people are involved in democratic processes. Their resources are limitless, because we want to promote activity, proactive cooperation in the desired country, as well as on a global level. Stereotypes, fakes and misconceptions should not become a barrier to peaceful coexistence. We must remember the past so as not to repeat the same mistakes and be on the progressive path. to be an inspiration to future generations.

By Sascha Klughardt, Ideathon Participant from Germany

As part of the remember to act ideation I was given the opportunity to travel to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, as part of a small group to work on ideas to foster intercultural exchange and the culture of remembrance. Together with Georgi from Georgia and Nariman from Azerbaijan, I developed an idea and concepts to promote it. We were supported in this endeavor with know-how on the topic of project management and planning.

I found the project very informative, enlightening as well as adding some new perspectives. I was able to learn a lot of new things from the training and at the same time try out what I had learned in a practical context. For example, the concept of the elevator pitch or how to structure ideas in a clear and rapid process. Therefore, the training sessions were definitely an asset in terms of their content.

It was an interesting experience to engage with the other participants in the project’s context as well as in social and private activities. There was a lot to learn from the different and diverse perspectives. It was also exciting to get out of a regular environment, where cultural dynamics are a part of the daily routine.

On the one hand, I learned to question perspectives and norms more strongly from a cultural viewpoint. On the other hand, with regard to project management and the coordination of teams and groups, I gained a lot of valuable experience. I have also learned to effectively transfer ideas into target-oriented actions. Of course, I also gained a lot of new knowledge about Georgian culture, particularly about the unique history of the country, its people and also its culinary culture.

For me, the most surprising thing was the insight into Georgia’s culture and narrative. Georgia is a very interesting country with its own culture and yet also external cultural influences shaped by many different historical circumstances. The guided tour of the Museum of Georgian History was particularly striking in this regard. In the process, it became possible to understand more precisely why certain national narratives are established in the context of a historical progression.

Especially in the intercultural context and in connection with the culture of remembrance as well as the culture of exchange, I gained a lot of experience and practical knowledge from this short but very intensive stay in Tbilisi for my future life and my dealings with people. All in all, it was a significant exchange with a lasting impact.

By Johanna, 20, Ideathon participant from Germany 

At the End of August, I had the opportunity to travel with four other people from Germany to Tbilisi in Georgia. Our goal was to work on ideas to promote remembrance culture in our home countries. These ideas were developed by us together with young people from Azerbaijan and Georgia in online sessions of the Ideathon before our trip to Georgia where we met the others in real life.

In two meeting days we worked on our idea, created an action plan, presented the idea to the project managers and trained to convince other people of our idea. I learned a lot about project management, teamwork and presentations, but also about the topic of the project: remembrance culture. We talked a lot about the history of the other countries, and it was very interesting to listen to the stories and experiences of the other young people. The history of Georgia was even presented to us by our hosts in a walk of remembrance through Tbilisi, where we among other things visited the Museum of Occupation.

Throughout the whole trip I liked the atmosphere between the participants. Even though we all are from different countries we had a lot of things in common and shared experiences from our countries so I learned also a lot about the life in Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Tbilisi is a beautiful city with a lot of things to see and to experience and it was a eventful trip! I am very glad, that I had the opportunity to meet all this people, learn about these things and to see Tbilisi!

By Franka, volunteer from Passau

I participated in the Ideathon in Georgia, which was part of the project „Remember to Act“.

The meeting took place in Tbilisi in a former factory that has been converted into a hostel and a creative space. Together with the other participants, I worked on the implementation of our idea to promote remembrance culture in our countries. During the workshop we created an action plan and had several inputs on project and time management, social media presence and the concept of the elevator pitch. During the Ideathon, we had the opportunity to put these concepts into practice.

It was fascinating to work with other young people from Georgia and Azerbaijan. We discovered many similarities and differences in our cultures and talked a lot about the historical aspects and approaches to remembrance culture.

My personal highlight was the city tour in Tbilisi where we visited several places, statues and monuments. The architecture, with both old and modern buildings, was impressive. One of our last stops was the Museum of Occupation to learn about the history of Georgia. I didn’t know much about Tbilisi before the trip, so I was amazed and grateful to have the opportunity to discover another part of the world due to the Ideathon.