On November 16, 2020, the Public Defender of Georgia traditionally celebrated the International Day for Tolerance.

On this day, the Councils of National Minorities and Religions of the Public Defender of Georgia annually select Advocates of Tolerance: individuals, organizations, media outlets and public servants, who make significant contribution to the development of the culture of tolerance and the protection of the rights of ethnic and religious minorities.

Traditionally, the Councils awarded the 2020 Advocates of Tolerance this year too.

The Council of National Minorities awarded:

Nomination of individuals - writer, Dato Turashvili.

For his correct position and attitude voiced in his public speeches relating to the issue of Davit Gareji, Georgian-Azerbaijani, Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-Ossetian relations and other ethnic groups.

Nomination of organizations - The Council of National Minorities named two winners:

Women's Fund in Georgia - The organization has been supporting ethnic minority women's organizations in implementing various projects for many years;

Georgian-Ossetian Relations Scientific-Research Center at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University - The center has been organizing Georgian-Ossetian cultural-educational-scientific and educational conferences since the day of its establishment; The Center makes an outstanding contribution to the restoration and promotion of Georgian-Ossetian relations and peacekeeping process. Its contibution is unprecedented.

Nomination of media outlets - TV series "Tesea".

Formula Creative's series "Tesea" addresses controversial topics for the society and shows the problem of illusory peace created in a closed community. Among the main topics are the issues of early marriage, influence of religion and traditions on society, suppression of creative freedom by the state and society, fear of exclusion, etc.

Nomination of civil servants - Tinatin Ghogheliani, Head of the Civic Equality Department of the State Office for Reconciliation and Civic Equality. A civic integration strategy was developed with her direct participation; She is an objective, principled, tolerant and dedicated public servant who strives as much as possible to promote civic integration.

For their contributions to tolerance and inter-ethnic relations, the title of Advocate of Tolerance was also awarded to the Honored Members of the Council of National Minorities: Maria Filina and Naira Bepieva.

Maria Filina - Professor of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.

Maria Filina has been studying Georgian-Polish and Georgian-Russian literary contacts and Polish heritage in Georgia and across the Caucasus for many years. In 1995, Maria Filina founded Polonia - a cultural-educational union of Poles in Georgia, which is chaired by her.

Naira Bepieva - Doctor of Philology, Professor, Head of the Georgian-Ossetian Relations Scientific-Research Center at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University; editor of the National Broadcaster’s “National Moambe”; Member of the Advisory Board of the State Language Department.

Naira Bepieva is the author of many Georgian-Ossetian textbooks. She has been promoting the restoration of cultural-educational and peacekeeping relations between Georgians and Ossetians for years.

The Council of Religions awarded:

Mariam Ghavtadze -Head of Strategic Litigation at the Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI). She was awarded for active and effective protection of religious freedom in Georgia, as well as on the international arena throughout the years.

Mariam Chikobava - Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports. Deputy Head of the Department of Preschool and General Education. She was awarded for her contibution to the comprehensive and non-discriminatory reflection of religious diversity in the school curricula and textbooks and for cooperation in the direction of tolerance.

The Konrad Adenauer Foundation – for contributing to the development of the environment of religious diversity and tolerance through education and discussions in recent years and currently.

Saba Magazine - a monthly messenger of Georgian Catholics was awarded for constant reflection of religious diversity from the tolerant perspective despite its confessional nature.