Go Group

Contributing to the development of informed and civically conscious constituencies with the confidence and tools for changing attitudes and breaking stereotypes in the poorly-informed and, as a consequence, intolerant societies of the South Caucasus, that is how Go Group Media sees its mission. More specifically, our mission is to voice local concerns and facilitate a deeper and more informed dialogue within the society and in particular within the regions outside the capitals. Go Group Media was established in 2009 by a group of professional journalists and editors, and it works mainly in Georgia and the South Caucasus region. To date, it has built an impressive beneficiary base spanning most of the South Caucasus, boasting a unique presence in the disputed regions of Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia. One of our key-targets is creation of greater opportunities for ordinary members of society, including members of minority groups, to respond to new realities and play a more active role in decision-making in the region and beyond. We want to challenge predominant myths and stereotypes by providing information on complex issues and channels for dialogue. Our another goal is helping societies afflicted by violence to understand the long-term benefits of a peace-building process and to soothe tensions between different communities in the Caucasus which are often exacerbated by a lack of reliable information. We support people to people contacts between communities, including those in the regions divided by conflicts, in order to explore common points of understanding on the key problems and issues. We consider journalism to be a good tool to accomplish our goals, and we believe it works best when it is enriched by the perspectives of ordinary people, who can offer real practical insights to public debate. Hence, the main activities of Go Group Media can be described in four cathegories: 1. Eyewitness studio - Over 300 short documentaries produced by the Eyewitness Studio have presented ordinary citizens with an opportunity to say their say about issues on their minds and have served as an incentive for both authors and viewers to play a more meaningful role in the places they live. 2. The journalistic expeditions arranged by the GO Group Media to the misreported or underreported regions offer a simple way to contribute to the solution of a complicated problem of society dissociation. About 10 to 12 journalists from the leading newspapers, news agencies, radio and television channels from different parts of the Caucasus region and wider world usually join us in such expeditions. The reports they write and broadcast tell thousands of people about the problems, ideas and hopes of those who speak different language, live according to diverse traditions, belong to other religious confession. The expeditions are expected to create a rare channel of communication between various communities, let people get acquainted with each other and thus contribute to overcoming of mutual detachment and tensions. 3. Caucasus Authors Course - This unique corse brings together young journalists from across the conflict-ridden South Caucasus region to provide them with advanced practical knowledge of documentary filmmaking, photography and investigative reporting, and, importantly, to introduce them to the main theoretical concepts and applied research skills in the field of conflict resolution. 4. Also, it’s been asserting itself as a producer of feature length documentaries. Its forays into the field include Girls Have Their Say (as film exposing ugly gender patterns in Georgia), and Generation of War (exploring young minds on both sides of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict), which has recently won a prestigious award at an international festival in Kyrgyzstan. In carrying out the programs, Go Group Media has relied on the support and generosity of many international donors/programs, such as the European Commission, the UK government’s Confli