On May 29, 2024, a working meeting was held in Gori, organized by the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) and the Georgian Strategy and International Relations Research Foundation (GFSIS). The meeting was attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Sweden to Georgia, Her Excellency Anna Lieberg and Director General of the International Development Cooperation of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Helen Edwards. Representatives of the local civil sector and activists were invited to the meeting held at the Gori Photographers' Club.

The executive director of IDFI, Giorgi Kldiashvili, addressed the participants of the event with a welcome speech. He noted the challenges facing the Shida Kartli region in terms of the influence of Russian disinformation and propaganda on the local population, which is distinguished in two main directions - economic dependence and Soviet nostalgia. According to him, Russia remains the main market for local farmers and businesses, however, recent years have shown that this market is unstable and dependent on political fluctuations. Russia is constantly trying to use economic leverage to destabilize the country and take political control of the situation. Nostalgia for Stalinism is still strong in the region, which Russia also uses for political purposes.

At the meeting, IDFI presented the projects it implemented in Shida Kartli in previous years: "Fruits of Heroism" and "Discover Gori". Anton Vatcharadze, head of the Memory and Disinformation Studies Direction, emphasized the importance of the projects in the fight against disinformation and Russian propaganda spread in the region. The goal of the "Fruits of Heroism" campaign, produced within the "Solidarity Branding" project, was to enhance the resilience of the population living near the administrative border to Russian hostile influence. Additionally, it aimed to aid Georgian consumers in identifying and purchasing products grown in Shida Kartli, near the occupation line. The "Discover Gori" project aims to better represent the cultural identity of the city by highlighting its importance in the socio-economic development of the country. As part of the project, an "identity map" and a website (www.gorimaps.ge) were created, featuring interesting photo and video materials as well as archival documents about the region.

Eka Metreveli, President of GFSIS, spoke about the projects "Youth for Change" and "Community Youth Involvement". According to her, the strengthening of young people in the region is the most important factor on the path of Georgia's European integration.

At the meeting, the participants discussed the issues of history and local democracy, expressed their opinions regarding the challenges facing the country, which was addressed to the "Transparency of Foreign Influence" law adopted by the government and pre-election processes. At the same time, the participants drew attention to the role of Russia in spreading and establishing disinformation and propaganda narratives in Georgia. They also expressed their willingness to cooperate in order to eliminate the above-mentioned challenges. 

At the end, Helen Edwards, Director General of International Development Cooperation of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs will definitely continue to support the civil society in Georgia and promised the participants their support.

The event was held with the financial support of the Swedish Embassy and the International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).