Category: Announcements

90th anniversary celebration event with Synetic Theater performance of Host and Guest

Please join the Georgian Association in the USA as we celebrate the Association’s 90th anniversary. On October 2, 2022 – at the 2pm closing matinee showing of Synetic Theater’s acclaimed “Host and Guest”, we will experience an ancient Georgian story of a family who takes in a lost stranger as a guest only to discover he is from an enemy clan, and their valiant efforts to protect him when their village seeks vengeance. The performance will be followed by a panel discussion featuring director Paata Tsikurishvili and former president of the Georgian Association, Dr. Nino Japaridze, to discuss the cultural significance of Vazha-Pshavela’s “Host and Guest” and the parallels between the piece and Russia’s ongoing aggression against its neighbors. The themes covered in this play continue to reverberate in Georgia’s political narrative and everyday life to this very day.

Tickets for the show can be purchased here. You can use a special 35% discount code using GA90 for any date. Panel discussion attendance at 3:30pm on Sunday is free and separate from attendance of the show, but registration is required and donations are welcome. All donations will be used to support the Georgian Association in the USA.

Trailer for the show can be viewed below

You can also read the review of the performance by Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/theater-dance/2022/09/15/synetic-host-and-guest-review/

Introduction to the History of Georgian Cinema

The Georgian Association in the USA co-sponsored event jointly with the Davis Center’s Program on Georgian Studies at Harvard University, on the history of Georgian Cinema has been cancelled. The Association is working to schedule a separate lecture by Levan Lomjaria at a later date and will provide the updated information as soon as it is scheduled.

In November 1896, just months after appearing in Paris, cinema arrived in Georgia. It became very popular – especially in the independence period (1918-1921), with several Georgian filmmakers producing Georgian movies. After the Soviet takeover in 1921, cinema became a chief method of propaganda. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Georgian cinema sector faced 10-12 years of stagnation during which only a few films were made. In recent years, Georgian cinema has been witnessing an astonishing period of revival. A new generation of filmmakers has emerged who have managed to find a new and strong language of cinema in order to speak with international audiences about contemporary issues of Georgian society. Levan Lomjaria will explore these and other aspects of the history of Georgian cinema in his lecture.

Celebrating its 90th anniversary in fall of 2022, the Georgian Association in the USA is an organization committed to the preservation of Georgian culture among members of the Georgian Diaspora in the United States. The Association has been actively supporting music, film and theater events such as the screening of Nana Ekvtimishvili’s film In Bloom and Zaza Urushadze’s film Tangerines in the US.

More events are planned this fall as a part of the celebrations. Sign up for the newsletter to receive updates by email or check the website frequently for announcements. 

Rule of Law in Georgia – challenges and opportunities 30 years after the independence

Georgian Association in the USA is pleased to invite you to a panel discussion on current challenges and opportunities for strengthening the rule of law in Georgia. This webinar will feature experts from Georgia and the US who have been working to strengthen various aspects of the rule of law. The World Justice Project defines the rule of law as a durable system of laws, institutions, norms, and community commitment that delivers: Accountability, Just Law, Open Government, and Accessible and Impartial Justice. These principles have been ideals that Georgia has been striving towards since the country reclaimed its independence in 1991. 

Georgian people have on multiple occasions expressed their commitment to a democratic, western oriented future, which hinges on a strong rule of law. While important strides have been made in the areas of curbing corruption, strengthening transparency, and improving the legislative framework, strengthening the rule of law requires a sustained effort, especially at a time of rising trends in authoritarianism around the globe.

The panel will feature experts looking back at the thirty years of successes and challenges, and looking into the future and discussing ways that Georgia and the United States can work together to support the Georgian people on this arduous and virtuous journey. 

Speakers: 

David Usupashvili – Former Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, former chairman of the Republican Party of Georgia, current chairman of the Political Council of Lelo for Georgia. Founding member of Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association 

Suren Avanesyan – Democracy and Governance Division Chief, former Senior Rule of Law Advisor, USAID

Giorgi Chkheidze – Chief of Party, USAID Promoting Rule of Law in Georgia Activity (PROLoG), East West Management Institute

David Rubino – Director, Europe and Eurasia Division, American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative

Time Jul 13, 2021 11:30 AM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register for the Event

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Webinar on Georgian Parliamentary Elections 2020

Is the Georgian government prepared to hold free and fair elections at a time of the pandemic? What’s at stake for the Caucasus Region?

On behalf of the Georgian Association in the US we delighted to invite you for a virtual discussion on “Georgian Parliamentary Elections 2020.” The panel will examine and assess how prepared the Georgian government is to successfully hold the elections at a time of the pandemic. The speakers will highlight the role of the United States in supporting Georgia’s efforts to hold free and fair elections and to combat disinformation efforts on the part of the Russian government and other actors. The panelists will also address the importance of the election from the regional perspective.

Keynote Remarks

Ambassador David Bakradze, Embassy of Georgia to the United States

Panelists

Alex Sokolowski, The United States Agency for International Development

Cheryl Fernandes, U.S. Department of State

Melissa Muscio, National Democratic Institute

Nino Japaridze, Edison Research

Stephen B. Nix, International Republican Institute

Moderator

Ia Meurmishvili, Voice of America

Date And Time

Fri, October 16, 2020

10:00 AM ET

PLEASE REGISTER DIRECTLY ON ZOOM:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-FS-jK4ORd-OS3b5107BiQ

Freedom Way DC, a Socially Distanced Human Chain action to commemorate a Baltic Way protest and support People of Belarus

August 23, 2020 marks the 31st anniversary of the Baltic Way when over two million people joined hands to form a human chain across 400 miles connecting Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn to protest Soviet rule.

To mark this anniversary, Lithuanians are forming a new human chain from Vilnius to the border with Belarus to show support for Belarus’s struggle against Lukashenka’s dictatorship. The dictator has claimed 80% of the vote in the elections that took place on August 9. The people of Belarus have been peacefully protesting ever since despite the brutal crackdown by the riot police. At least 5 people have died so far, dozens are still missing, several are expected to remain severely physically disabled for life, and hundreds more will endure PTSD.

Since Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have embassies in Washington, DC, and the diaspora populations of all four countries are large, we have decided to replicate the human chain on a smaller scale and connect the four embassies.

People are asked to start at the Embassy of Lithuania, 2622 16th Street NW in DC by noon and take a spot in the human chain down 16th Street NW toward the Embassy of Belarus at 1619 New Hampshire Ave NW, and then possibly on to the embassies of Estonia and Latvia on Massachusetts Ave NW.
We are inviting anyone who cares about free and fair elections, freedom of speech, and separation of powers to join us.

MASKS ARE MANDATORY FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS. GLOVES STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. SOCIAL DISTANCING WILL BE ENFORCED TO COMPLY WITH MPD REGULATIONS.

PLEASE BRING SASHES, LINENS, RIBBONS TO ASSIST WITH DISTANCING.

SIGNS and POSTERS CAN SAY:

#FreedomWayDC
#Belarus2020
#StandWithBelarus
#FreedomBelarus

BALTIC WAY – 1989 – LITHUANIA – LATVIA – ESTONIA
FREEDOM WAY – 2020 – VILNIUS – BELARUS

Please dress or bring ribbons and/or balloons in these colors:
Belarus – white and red (more white)
Estonia – blue, black, and white
Latvia – red and white (more red)
Lithuania – yellow, green, and red

If you are coming to represent another diaspora, feel free to display your colors, too.