On November 25, 2023 in Bolnisi and on December 9 in the village of Aghmamedlo, Marneuli district, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) held information meetings within the framework of the project funded by NATO Public Diplomacy Programs/Division - "Overcoming barriers to fight misinformation in ethnic minorities".

The training sessions were conducted by the invited trainer, Fagan Abasov, who covered the history of NATO's establishment, its core principles and goals, and the organization's role in conflict resolution. The sessions specifically emphasized the positive aspects of NATO membership and worked towards debunking disinformation narratives spread in the region through collaborative group activities.

The trainer invited to the training sessions, Nodari Kiria, discussed the diverse nature of disinformation in the online space, covering methods for verification and recognition. In the second part of the training, various simple and practical online platforms were introduced to demonstrate how one can identify the source of content and verify news effectively.

The project “Overcoming Barriers to Fighting Misinformation in Ethnic Minorities” aims to address the anti-NATO sentiment and lack of knowledge prevalent in ethnic minority communities residing in various regions of Georgia. Its objectives include fostering an understanding of the security guarantees associated with NATO membership for Georgia, increasing awareness about NATO and its mission in the country, and enhancing the resilience of ethnic minority communities against disinformation.

Participants of the event were given bilingual certificates after the training session.

The event was implemented with the financial support of NATO Public Diplomacy Programs/Division.