The National Committee of Blue Shield of Georgia is pleased to inform that in June 2022, the organization’s proposal “Protection of the Cultural Heritage of the Occupied Regions” (Tskhinvali Region-PCHOR) received a grant from the US Embassy in Georgia, within its Cultural Small Grants Programme. The project was launched in September of this year.
The PCHOR Project maintains a primary goal: To empower Georgian IDPs by promoting awareness of their shared cultural heritage, investing in the resilience of cultural identity, and encouraging a newfound investment in the cultural heritage of Georgia’s occupied regions.
The Georgian National Committee of the Blue Shield, working with the Penn Museum Cultural Heritage Center (PennCHC) of the University of Pennsylvania, and its local partner Didi Liakhvi Valley Museum-Reserve (DLVMS) located in the town of Gori will pursue three project objectives:
Objective 1: Engage in an exchange of expertise between Georgia and the United States on the preservation of cultural heritage;
Objective 2: Increase awareness of United States cultural heritage preservation policies; and
Objective 3: Preserve the cultural heritage of the Tskhinvali Region.
In order to achieve these objectives following activities will be implemented
Activity 1: Creating Communities for the Cultural Heritage of the Tskhinvali Region. This activity aims to strengthen a communal sense of shared cultural heritage through group meetings. Intended for families of all ages, it will provide a space where IDP youth and adults can reflect on the role of heritage in shaping their personal history and identity. Video documentation of selected 2-3 storytellers will be turned into three short films that will serve as educational material and be used beyond the project.
Activity 2: Raising Awareness of Georgia’s Cultural Heritage Among Youth. This Activity offers an educational program for the youth that will encourage them to learn about Georgia’s cultural heritage sites and intangible practices and their importance.
Activity 3: Strengthening International Exchanges Between the U.S. and Georgia for Cultural Heritage. Throughout the grant period, the project partners will host virtual professional workshops that bring together Georgian and U.S.-based heritage professionals. At the end of the project, the partners will convene at an in-person wrap-up meeting held in Tbilisi.