2008-10-24

<p>On October 24 in Akhalkalaki, in frames of the Interethnic Festival, will be held a presentation of a new joint product of UN Association of Georgia (UNAG) and Administration of President of Georgia – diversity-ge web-site. It will be the first electronic database in Georgia that will be completely devoted to the cultural diversity of Georgia and ethnic minorities living in Georgia.</p> <p>The goal of this web-site is to fill existing information gap concerning national integration process, ethnic minorities and cultural diversity in Georgia. The web-site will be jointly administered by Administration of President of Georgia and UNAG in order to ensure efficient work of the site.</p> <p>Users of diversity.ge will be able to learn about ethnic minority related legislation im Georgia and foreign countries, get information on the experience of western countries in these areas, and get to know culture, history and everyday life of ethnic minorities living in Georgia. Users will also be able to learn about international organizations and governmental structures working in these fields, and get full information on their activities that are planned or are already undertaken.</p> <p>Launch of such universal data portal devoted to minorities and cultural diversity is especially important today, because it is necessary to have an electronic database which will collect all kind of information in this field, that will eventually empower better planning and implementation of integration processes across the country.</p> <p>It must be noted that diversity.ge will be maximally open for public inclusion and participation. Moreover, UNAG and Administration of President of Georgia call on ethnic minorities, society, non-governmental and international organizations, governmental organizations, and other actors that are connected with ethnic minority related issues to take part in updating the web-site, and to provide their publications, reports, alanytical articles, statistics and other information for publishing on the web-site, hence to contribute to the awareness-raising of the society and empowerment of more efficient and coordinated implementation of integration processes.</p> <p>The web-site was created in frames of the National Integration and Tolerance in Georgia program, which is carried out by UN Association of Georgia with the assistance of US Agency for International Development. Program aims to empower integration processes in Georgia, establish tolerant environment in Georgia and deepen and strengthen sense of civic unity among diverse citizens of Georgia.</p>