20 Years in the South Caucasus

The Heinrich Boell Foundation Tbilisi Office – South Caucasus Region turned 20. Founded in 2003, we have lived and worked through tumultuous times: The Rose Revolution, Russia’s war on Georgia in 2008, Georgia’s change in government in 2012, Armenia’s Velvet Revolution in 2018, the Covid pandemic, the 2020 Karabakh War, and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For us, green values go beyond ecological issues. Hence, throughout all these eventful, sometimes joyful, and sometimes painful years, we have worked to promote democracy, gender equality, environmental and climate protection, and peace in the region.

Our 20th-anniversary celebration took place at the Goethe Institute in Tbilisi. The event commenced with welcome remarks from Jan-Philipp Albrecht, Co-President, and Walter Kaufmann, Head of the East & Southeast Europe Division at the Heinrich Boell Foundation.

In the company of our longstanding partners and friends, we engaged in a thought-provoking discussion titled "Greening the South Caucasus? 20 Years and a Long Future." This panel featured notable figures, including Giorgi Maisuradze (professor, Ilia State University), Mariam Yeghiazaryan, (project manager, CSN Lab; documentary filmmaker), Manana Kochladze (chair, Green Alternative), Nargiza Arjevanidze (researcher and project coordinator, Social Justice Center) and Sevil Huseynova (project manager, CISR e.V.). The discussion was moderated by Sonja Schiffers, director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Tbilisi Office – South Caucasus Region.

Art Group Bouillon presented a compelling political performance, enriching the evening with their artistic expression.