On February 6, 2024, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) awarded the winners of the essay contest "The role of disinformation in the formation of historical memory".

The purpose of the competition was to encourage and popularize memory and disinformation research among students and raise awareness of past and present events in society. 

As part of the essay contest, a total of 70 essays were submitted, among which the commission selected the essays of three contestants:

I - Nikoloz Sarajishvili (student of the master's program of new and recent history at Tbilisi State University)

  "Georgian public opinion at the beginnings of the formation of historical memory: the representation of the anti-Soviet uprising of 1924 in the Georgian national liberation movement"

II - Nia Kuchava (2nd year student of the School of Management and Social Sciences (Bachelor) of the Free University of Tbilisi) 

"Reshaping reality: the role of disinformation in distorting historical truth"

III - Tamar Tabatadze (student of the European and International Management Master's Program of the University of Geneva)

"The Evolution of Disinformation: From 20th Century Propaganda to 21st Century Fake News"

At the award ceremony, the executive director of IDFI, Giorgi Klidiashvili, emphasized the role of disinformation in the formation of historical memory and the importance of analyzing the impact of disinformation on society and historical narratives.

The head of IDFI's Memory and Disinformation Studies direction, Anton Vatcharadze, drew attention to the diversity and content of the contestants' works, which is of the utmost importance in terms of researching the past and raising awareness.

At the end of the event, IDFI representatives congratulated the contestants on their victory and awarded them with certificates.

Winners' essays will be published on IDFI's web (www.IDFI.ge) and social (Facebook; Twitter) pages, with copyright protection.

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