U.S. Ambassador John Bass will present the U.S. Government-supported Centers for Civic Engagement program at the National Library in Tbilisi on Thursday, May 17 at 2:00 p.m. The public and media are invited to attend. The U.S. Government-funded centers in cities throughout Georgia offer the public places to meet and confidently engage in open discussion of issues of public concern. The U.S. Government has invested $5 million in the ten centers opening across the country. The process of fostering dialogue is intended to encourage civic engagement and improve transparency.
Each center offers a resource library and internet connection to the general public to help them explore issues of importance in their communities. Professional staff members at each center facilitate issue-based events and town hall-style meetings, including with politicians and candidates in elections. The public, civil society organizations and other community groups, political party members, and independent journalists are welcome to use the centers' meeting space at no charge on an equitable, first-come, first-served basis. Each center is operated under a publically-posted code of conduct with clearly stated rules of operation for every visitor to see.
The centers are an important part of the U.S. Government's commitment to supporting Georgians' active civic engagement. The Centers are leased and operated for the people of Georgia by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Use of the center can be coordinated through the CCE website: http://www.cce.ge or with local staff of each center, whose contact information is posted on the CCE website.
