Georgian Youth at Europe’s Frontline: Fight for Democracy

Once a beacon of reform and democratic development in the region, Georgia is now sliding toward a Russian-style autocracy. Two young leaders of Georgian civil society explore how the nation became one of Europe’s fastest-declining democracies.

George Melashvili and Shako Chkheidze are the founders of the Europe-Georgia Institute (EGI), a leading Georgian hybrid civil society organisation. Established in 2015 and built from the ground up by its founders, EGI has developed an extensive portfolio of successful campaigns and educational programs. However, following the enactment of several repressive, Russian-style laws targeting civil society and Democracy, the organisation’s influential work has made it a primary target of the current regime.

We will hear how the ruling party leveraged the war in Ukraine to attack civil society, and how the struggle to defend democracy became a daily reality for Georgians after 2024.

The speakers will share their first-hand experiences on the front lines of this democratic struggle.

George and Shako began their collaboration with Malmö through the Swedish Institute Academy for Young Professional in Malmö University. This connection deepened through the EGI partnership with Malmö University and the Swedish Institute. These relationships have fueled several significant initiatives in Georgia, including the translation and promotion of the Swedish educational floor game "Electionville," as well as the integration of social auditing into the high school civic education curriculum.

This session is organized by Malmö University's network for the field of knowledge Peace, Democracy, and Human Rights within Campus Total Defense. Further information is available here:

Campus total defence | Malmö University

Campus Total Defence | Campus totalförsvar

This program is part of Democracy Week Malmö connects, held from 12–18th June. The event is free of charge and open to the public. The full program is available here: www.malmo.se/malmomots