Talking about the obvious has always been considered a bad tone in Georgia. Let us break this tradition and say it openly - 2021 was a bad year. Much worse than just “difficult” or “challenging”.

The pandemic of the century has changed the world’s agenda. The Georgian government's catastrophic management of Covid-19 and its prioritizing partisan interests over lives of citizens have claimed the lives of up to 15,000 people in Georgia.

Global and regional politics were full of unexpected or same old challenges. Georgia was not prepared to meet either of those challenges, which too has become a tradition as of late.

Persecution of political opponents has become a routine part of Georgian political life, and no one is outraged or surprised by it any longer. The West seems ready to condone this sad reality, as long as the oligarch’s troikas which try political opponents are at least formally called “courts”.

Meanwhile, inflation is at an all-time high and the exchange rate of the national currency is at an all-time low. People, living in poverty and despair are looking for a way out, however our Mass Media is offering them shows starring non-existent or compromised politicians and villains artificially featured as heroes. Television screens are full of people who represent no one and talk about everything only to avoid noticing and discussing the obvious, at all costs.

Thus, the processes on the domestic front spiraled from tragic into comic. We hardly even noticed when and how comedy became a farce and farce sled into a kitsch. Only third-rate political actors have remained on stage to read the texts designed for the lead actors by the screenplay. During the existence of independent Georgia, political life has never been as devoid of real content and alienated from the people as it is now.

No wonder that nihilism and apathy reign all around. Conformism, emotional escape from lies and absurdity, internal or real emigration have become part of everyday life and gradually drag more and more people in.

What can one non-governmental organization comprise of a few idealists and surrounded by a few dozen loyal friends do in this situation? More so that the philosophy of the Chavchavadze Center is based on direct contacts with people, which has been ever more complicated due to the pandemic.

As it turns out, such an NGO can aim high. As we summed up the year 2021, we found that despite all the difficulties, we have accomplished a lot. Most importantly, we tackle topics which are of long-term benefit for public – goals which resemble a tree, which if cared for with proper care, will yield healthy fruits for many years to come.

Civic memory, intra-party democracy (so that the political agenda in the country is not determined by partisan clans detached from people), “Agora” Discussion and Debate Club, Project Common Sense - Civil Society Vis-à-Vis Politics, "Youth for Justice" – a series of movie screenings and discussions - these are our activities which have kept us busy during 2021 and which we will continue to work on in the coming years, encompassing all of Georgia.

We often say - if at least one person from each of our meetings asks a question that he/she has not been bothered prior to our talk or that he/she has not been able to ask before, that means that day has not been wasted.

I am proud to say that we have had lots of such days during 2021.

While no one can tell what 2022 holds for us, there is no challenge we cannot tackle as a society through hard work, critical thinking, consistency and commitment to values and long-term goals. With this strong inner belief, we present the 2021 report on the activities of the Chavchavadze Center. We wish you to be healthy, victorious and peaceful. In that very sequence.

Annual Report