On March 14-15, 2023, the USAID Rule of Law Program (Program) presented two lectures on People-Centered Justice (PCJ) and community engagement to over 120 students and academic staff of Ilia State University (IliaUni) and Grigol Robakhidze University (GRUNI).

Dr. Tim Bunjevac, Community Engagement Advisor for the Program, gave the lectures and engaged in lively discussions with the students. He presented the principles and theories behind PCJ and possible design approaches, as well as strategies for enhancing the justice system’s interaction with the local communities. He also explored distinctions between traditional and problem-solving courts, expounded on the potential avenues for extending court-community engagement beyond courthouse boundaries, and suggested opportunities for involving various external stakeholders in supporting court-community engagement. Dr. Bunjevac gave examples of global court-community engagement practices as well as examples of court outreach initiatives that engender greater public trust in the court system.  

Giorgi Papuashvili, Dean of IliaUni Law School, and Mamuka Tavkhelidze, Rector of GRUNI, in their statements to the participants, thanked the USAID and Program for their continuing support to Georgia, and expressed a desire to have more joint activities between the universities and the Program.