From July 17-21, 2024, the city of Dilijan, Armenia, hosted a summer school attended by teachers from Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, and Ukraine. The theme of this event centered on the challenges of teaching confronting memories in schools.

Funded by the Civil Society Forum e.V., the Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) selected eight school teachers through an open competition, with seven ultimately participating in the summer school. These educators represented both public and private schools from Tbilisi and various regions, including Lanchkhuti, Zugdidi, and Kutaisi. Many participants are also involved in private practice, preparing students for university entrance exams.

Throughout the summer school, participants engaged in discussions on sensitive historical topics that need to be addressed in post-war history classes. A trainer from Bosnia and Herzegovina provided insights into the last hundred years of Balkan history, emphasizing the frequent changes in national borders and histories during various periods. Particular attention was given to monuments, and places of memory in public spaces that reflect the political agenda.

One of the workshops was led by Anton Vacharadze, head of IDFI's Memory and Disinformation Research Direction, who discussed the evolution of memory policy following Georgia's independence.

The knowledge gained during the summer school will be disseminated among other teachers by the project participants. Five of the seven participants were selected as ambassador teachers. These ambassadors will conduct demonstration lessons for other school teachers in their respective regions, using the project's approaches and the guide "Teaching Sensitive History," co-authored by Anton Vacharadze.

The project will continue with a follow-up meeting planned for January-February 2025 in Tbilisi, organized by IDFI.

For more details, see the event agenda.