Kutaisi, March 29, 2017, - U.S. Ambassador Ian Kelly and USAID Mission Director Douglas Ball visited Kutaisi Youth Center and met with young leaders. The Kutaisi Youth Center has been established with the support of USAID’s 5-year Promoting Integration, Tolerance, and Awareness (PITA) activity.  PITA aims to increase:
 

• Interaction between ethnic and religious minorities and the Government of Georgia;
• Civil engagement and integration among youth of diverse backgrounds; and
• Public awareness and education about diversity.

The Kutaisi Youth Center engages 400 members (ages 15-24) who take on leadership roles in meeting with their peers and educating them about tolerance, diversity, human rights, gender equality, and inclusion.  The Kutaisi Youth Center partners with the local NGO Kutaisi Education, Development and Employment Center (KEDEC), that has worked since 2008 to improve the quality of social and economic conditions for youth; to strengthen civil society; and to provide employment opportunities for young people through the promotion of education and training courses in the Imereti region.