Competition status – winner

The concept for the website stems from the abstraction of the Chai Khana or “tea house,” which is an iconic place in the region, symbolic of a collective space where citizens come together to discuss socio-economic issues in society. In Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia, it is a focal point for exchanging information and a flourishing place for social interaction and social entrepreneurship.

Chai Khana is a cross-border platform; accordingly, the idea for the website was to publish an issue-based multimedia series in such a way that would creatively reflect the similarities of all three countries in the region and yet showcase their uniqueness. Each Edition’s thematic display centers on a commonly shared issue that all three nations struggle to cope with and adapt to. Edition examples include Gender, Environmental, Bazaar culture, and Youth, among others. The website seeks to highlight comparisons and contrasts in its representation of each theme.

The unique niche that Chai Khana also has is that the Chai Khana is typically a taboo place for women in the community. Tea houses are commonly a place for men, however, Chai Khana’s website management and editors are all young women, seeking to re-appropriate this space. Through this collaboration, the NGO aims to expand the space for free expression, including abstract and alternative views in the South Caucasus.

Chai Khana’s website uniquely draws on the talent of young journalists, film-makers, data analysts and photographers to publish an engaging, visually sophisticated and dynamic online multi-media series. Contributors come from Baku, Yerevan, Sukhumi, Tbilisi, and Tskhinvali.