2007 Embassy Events
"Strong Villages, Strong Country”: FFG Leadership Camp in Buknari
Members of the Future Farmers of Georgia (FFG) experienced hands-on leadership development training during four days in May in Buknari thanks to three student trainers from the University of Georgia in the USA. The FFG Motto “Strong Villages, Strong Country” was emphasized at the camp through activities designed to improve career opportunities for rural youth through entrepreneurship development. Student leaders from seven FFG clubs across Georgia and their teacher advisors attended the leadership development camp from May 16-20 on the Black Sea coast. Students learned about their roles as club officers and developed activities for the coming year. Schools represented at the camp are the seven pilot sites for the FFG Expansion Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Caucasus Agriculture Education Development Initiative (CADI) with GIPA/GRDP support and was conducted by the University of Georgia and World Link.
The development of improved opportunities for youth in rural Georgia is one of the main goals of the Future Farmers of Georgia (FFG) that is now four years old and expanding in schools across Georgia. The organization is growing in rural schools as a result of a new Ministry of Education plan to develop democratic student organizations that meet local educational goals. The FFG provides rural students with leadership skills, community service opportunities and entrepreneurship experience through a program that ties practical activities outside of school with in-school theoretical learning.
The FFG is based on the Future Farmers of America (FFA) organization model from the USA and was established in Gavazi, Georgia four years ago during a School-to-School Partnership Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. The USDA with GIPA/GRDP is now assisting in the implementation of this new rural education program throughout all regions of Georgia in connection with two American organizations, the University of Georgia Agriculture Education Department and World Link, an NGO that specializes in international rural youth development.
During the camp, the club officers developed plans for their activities for the coming year that included community service events, career skill development competitions and participated in activities to build their individual and team leadership development skills. The meeting concluded with the election of national officers in preparation for the National Convention of the FFG in October in Kakheti Region.
For more information about the FFG, contact the Georgian Rural Development Program affiliated with the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs in Tbilisi at kate@gipa.ge, Tel: 995 32 93-22-01 (Provide e-mail or telephone). Outside Georgia, contact World Link at exchange@worldlinkinc.org.
Such training programs serve the purpose not only of training prosecutor trainers, who thereafter train their colleagues throughout Georgia, but also of exposing police officers and judges to those changes, which will be coming forward when a draft law of Criminal Procedure is fully adopted by the Parliament in 2007.
