Last October I joined an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Georgia which was organized by the Danish EIDP partner organization SILBA. Thinking back on the mission, which by now has taken place a couple of months ago, I can say that it has been very valuable, both for the local population and the participants.

Attending a course on democracy in a country that doesn’t fully ensure democratic practices, but where the next elections can prove different. That sounded interesting to us – two Dutchies, one a student of International Relations, the other already graduated.

On the 20th of February 2011 I went to Caravaca de la Cruz, Spain, to do an international training course on human rights education. With twenty participants from all over Europe, e.g. Denmark, Spain, Greece, Armenia, Moldova etc. we debated and worked on human rights education.

“10th of December 2011: Finally the journey could start”, Anne remembers excitedly: ahead of us was one week to be spent in Kobuleti, Georgia, a small town on the Black Sea. Five Dutch representatives were sent by the EIDP to participate in the project on Connecting Generations via Volunteering together with more than 30 participants coming from eight different countries (Sweden, Spain, Turkey, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Latvia, The Netherlands).