The 15th annual Grantmakers East Forum (GEF) was held 25-27 October in Tbilisi, Georgia. Hosted by the Eurasia Partnership Foundation, its title was Facing the Extremes. Plenary sessions focused on topics such as the Rise of Extremism, Energy – People’s Commodity or Government’s Power Tool?, and the Culture of Militarism, while a fourth, Disruption and Positive Deviants, explored whether extremes are inherently negative or whether they might inspire innovation.

In addition, the parallel, so-called auction sessions, proposed and selected by participating organizations, explored themes under the headings Think more than Tanks, Civil Society as a Peace Building Actor in the South Caucasus, Control over Women’s Bodies: National Policies or Extremism? and Topography of Terror.