With an end to improve the grave demographic situation in Georgia, by the initiative and blessing of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, the International Foundation was commissioned to gather outstanding scientists of the field and request them to form a single, relatively complete and thorough vision of the ways for resolving the current demographic problems in Georgia. To this end the Foundation reported to the Institute of Demography and Sociology, the demographic society and the Centre for Culture Studies.
A working group was set up in which, heads of the aforementioned organizations and leading scientists, along with representatives of the Foundation, were united. At the very first session it was acknowledged that resolution of demographic problems is possible only through a balanced use of social-economic, political-administrative and propaganda methods.
As a result of dedicated work by leading scientists of the Institute of Demography and Sociology and the demographic society in the course of several months, a concept “For the multiplication of the Georgian people and a populous Georgia” (concept of demographic development) was created which makes it possible for both the government and competent groups of the public to clearly envision their functions, responsibilities and possibilities so that a successful social-demographic policy is carried out in the country.

The aforementioned concept will be familiarized to the Georgian authorities in the near future for them to implement it.

A propaganda model (project) of demographic policy was created by the centre of culture studies:
“Social-psychological and cultural aspects of demographic behaviour – research for an efficient propaganda of demographic policy” – the idea of the project is based on several principles:

a) Efforts taken for the resolution of demographic problems should primarily be oriented towards the formation of demographic behaviour:
b) The motivation for increasing the number of desirable children should be carried out on a family/individual level;
c) The priority of the research is understanding the local (Georgian) social-cultural context.
d) It is necessary to research/study the essential cultural-mental sentiments and orientations;

The results of the research should become the basis of the general demographic policy, specifically of the relevant propaganda model on the basis of which it will be possible to activate demographic behaviour.

The staff of the research centre familiarized Shota Nadirashvili, member of the board of the Patriarch’s Foundation, with the idea of the project. Mr. Nadirashvili approved of the basic principles.

Methodological consistency and compatibility with its aims is confirmed by positive recommendations of the following well-known Georgian scientists: Prof. Marina Baliashvili, Doctor of Psychological Sciences and the chairperson of the D. Uznadze Institute of Psychology and member of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Prof. Davit Charkviani.
The project Social-psychological and cultural aspects of demographic behaviour – research for an efficient propaganda of demographic policy was considered and unanimously approved by the Board of the Foundation of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia at a session on 5 March 2008. The project is due to be launched in August 2008.


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