The Human Rights Chair at Ilia State University School of Law, with the support of the USAID Rule of Law Program, held a hybrid lecture titled: 1+4 Program and Systemic Challenges of Education Policy.
The key speakers were: Bridget Arimond, a professor from Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law brought to Georgia by the USAID Rule of Law Program; Kamran Mamedli, co-founder of the NGO “Platform Salam”; and Ilia State University School of Law student Manuchar Tsetskhladze. The event was moderated by the Coordinator and Legal Practitioner at the Ilia Human Rights Clinic, Ana Aptsiauri. The speakers discussed the systemic challenges faced by non-dominant ethnic groups in the education system of Georgia.
Kamran Mammadli stressed that “a narrative switch is needed to transform the perspectives and thinking process for ethnic minorities.” Manuchar Tetskhladze commented on the state’s policies towards ethnic minorities.
In May 2022, Ilia Law School’s Human Rights Clinic, in cooperation with Platform Salam and with the support of the USAID Rule of Law Program, submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Committee on the violation of the rights of a non-dominant ethnic group, the Azerbaijani community, by Georgia. At the July 14 event, Professor Arimond talked about the contents of the report submitted to the United Nations.
“If, at the end of July, the Human Rights Committee issues a written document and it criticizes Georgia’s treatment of ethnic minorities and calls on Georgia to do three, four or five things, you do not automatically get those things done. But it is one more forward pressure on the government,” said Professor Arimond.