National Capacity Building for Preservation of Georgian Cultural Heritage

GEO/00/004
Total budget: USD 12,000
UNDP Sector: Governance
Starting Date: 1 September 2000
Duration: 24 months

Economic hardship of post-Soviet transition period, lasting almost a decade, has posed a danger of extinction to the cultural heritage as well as human resource potential involved in cultural sector. State, the only sponsor of cultural sector, has become increasingly unable to finance culture. On the other hand, the country has not yet developed the tradition of sponsoring cultural activities from private sector. The latter is itself under process of formation.

Saving of Georgian culture implies mobilisation of the entire Georgian society – public and private sectors for safeguarding of Georgian culture and ensuring its sustainability. Taking into consideration the latter, the Ministry of Culture has addressed UNDP to assist in the establishment of the Fund for Development and Popularisation of Georgian Culture, which would contribute to the survival of Georgian culture in the period of economic hardship.

The project aims at preserving and internationally promoting the rich heritage of Georgian culture through providing assistance to the Ministry of Culture in establishing the Fund for the Development and Popularization of Georgian Culture. The Fund constitutes one of the first cases of public-private co-operation. It will serve as a mechanism of channelling resources of private sector as well as international community for urgently needed rehabilitation and promotion of Georgian culture, maintenance of cultural infrastructure and creative human resources and thus contribute to its survival in the transition period.

• Establishing the Fund for Development and Popularisation of Georgian Culture

• Establishing financial basis of the Fund through attracting capitals from private sector and international organisations and ensuring financial sustainability of the Fund

• Conducting comprehensive assessment of needs of institutions dealing with cultural issues, identifying priority sectors of assistance and disbursing grants for the projects aiming at preservation and development of culture.

• The Fund for Development and Popularisation of Georgian Culture is fully operational and sustainable.

• The internal/external resource mobilisation for cultural sector is improved (Fund Web-site is created, resource mobilisation and sensitisation campaigns among national and international donor/business community are conducted, different profit-making activities to mobilise additional resources are carried out)

• Different sectors of cultural life are revitalised.