Read&Connect:Georgia Joins the Global Conversation

Dear Radarami Sponsors,

As you well know, Radarami was founded because there is a cadre of isolated and intellectually hungry Georgians eager for information about the world beyond Georgia’s borders—a world that's only available to speakers of major languages.  Because publishers simply aren't interested in this small, poor market, Georgians find themselves in the dark when it comes to major global issues. It is with your help that we are pulling them out of the dark and connecting Georgians with new ideas.

We’ve been hard at work the past three months, here’s what we’ve been up to:

In April, we published Michael Lewis’s book “Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World” which we launched in the small town of Akhaltsikhe located in Southwestern Georgia.  "Boomerang" is a fascinating exploration of the Eurozone crisis; he takes the reader to Greece, Iceland, Germany, Ireland and the US to explain the danger of debt. In a lower-middle income country such as Georgia, it is essential that citizens understand the potential consequences of government mishandling of cheap credit.  We are very pleased with the book’s warm reception in Georgia.

At the Akhaltsikhe event, over 35 dedicated young people came to listen to information about our mission, the book "Boomerang" and our previous books.  We have provided you with a few photographs of the event and the Boomerang book (the orange one).

In addition to our monthly book launches, our volunteers have been spending time giving radio and TV interviews, manning our stall at the Tbilisi Book Fair, and doing our best to get the word out to more and more Georgians about this exciting project.  Your continued support allows us to host more events and to help transport rural readers to these discussions.  Beyond the monthly costs of translation, editing, and printing, we are also hoping to develop new software to upgrade our current SMS texting program to allow readers to text other readers in their area and organize events independently.

Next week, we are launching “How soccer explains the world” by Franklin Foer, which deals with the topic of globalization by examining soccer’s reach and role in the world.  The book launch is set for the small town of Zestafoni, picked specifically because it is home to the much-adored Zestafoni club team, some of whom will attend the presentation.  By exploring issues such as team rivalries, local traditions, world trade and the exportation of Western culture in the context of a compelling narrative, Foer delves into the very essence of globalization.

After that, a book about education called “Work Hard. Be Nice.” by Jay Mathews is up next.

Finally, some of you may have seen Georgia in the news lately.  On May 17^th, 20,000 counter-demonstrators led by Orthodox priests attacked a group of LGBT-rights supporters who were gathered to mark International Day Against Homophobia. Fortunately, all of our volunteers are safe and unharmed.  However, approximately two-dozen people were injured and some even hospitalized, including a number of activists, police officers and a journalist.

This violence against a minority group has reminded us of the importance of our project which brings outside information to Georgians.  In this time of transition—Georgia is still in its first decade of democratic rule, there are many social issues that this country must address and overcome. Truly knowledge is power, and we want to thank you for helping us bring some of the world's great pool of knowledge to Georgia.

If you have any other questions or comments, please email mitch@radarami.org.

Warm wishes from Tbilisi,

The Radarami Team