Tbilisi. According to information released by Social Justice Center, deprivation of the right of ethnic Georgians to receive education in their own language in Gali took the most severe forms. “Restriction of studies in the native language for Georgian schoolchildren in the Gali district is a problem not only by cause of its discriminatory and assimilative content but also in terms of development of pupils and young people. Due to the fact that schoolchildren speak Megrelian or Georgian at home, while study all subjects in Russian and learn Abkhazian along with foreign languages at school, they cannot speak any of those languages fluently as a result”. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. Within the framework of the “First time at the self-government elections” campaign, an online meeting with young people living in Batumi, Shuakhevi, Khelvachauri, Ozurgeti, Chokhatauri, and Gori municipalities was held on September 9 and 10. The purpose of the meeting was to clarify the essence of self-governance, competencies, forms of citizen participation, and electoral procedures for young people, especially those for whom the 2021 self-government elections are the first elections. The “First time at the self-government elections” campaign consists of various stages and serves personal development of young people, enhancement of their role, and encouragement to participate in local self-government activities. The campaign is implemented by the Civil Society Institute (CSI) within the framework of the project - “Building a Robust Alliance of Local Development Actors in Georgia” (Phase II), with the support of a German organization - “Bread for the World” and in partnership with youth centers operating in target municipalities as well as with Innovation and Civil Development Center - “Progress House”. Read more…  Source: The website of the organization

Young Georgians and Ossetians from across the conflict divide worked jointly to create over 100 posters, blogs, graphic comics, quizzes, videos, and animations reflecting life in their communities.   The artwork and written stories are presented at the web platform House of Peace, developed by the non-governmental ‘Coalition for IDPs’ Rights’ with support from the European Union in Georgia and UNDP Georgia.  Read more…   Source: The webpage of the organization

Adjara. On the 12th of August, Natia Loladze, the President of the Georgia Red Cross Society attended the “Regional Youth Forum” in Adjara which was supported by the Youth Agency, the European Union, the United Nations Populations Fund, and the local partners. „Participants of the meeting discussed the “National Youth Strategy 2025” and set up the future goals for strengthening the individual development of the Youth, supporting their education, and encouraging their involvement in the civil activities“. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI) has completed a three-year project - “Fostering Religious Tolerance and Cultural Diversity in Public Schools of Georgia” implemented from September 2018 with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Georgia. The project aimed to raise awareness of cultural diversity, tolerance, and equality in public schools, improving the content of the school curriculum and textbooks. Read more… Source: tdi.ge

Tbilisi. On August 2-7, 2021, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) and State Inspector's Service held the joint summer school on personal data protection. “Third- and fourth-year students, also master students of the School of Law of Authorized Universities in Georgia, attended the summer school.188 candidates participated in the competition, of which IDFI and the State Inspector's Office selected 20 students based on pre-defined evaluation criteria and interviews. Within the school, the participants were introduced to the issues related to personal data protection”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. On August 6, Education Development and Employment Center was held an online meeting with regional hubs within the “Civil Society STAR Initiative: CSOs as Sustainable, Transparent, Accountable and Resilient Development Actors in Georgia” project. The meeting aimed to introduce and discuss the planned activities for the establishment and development of the Youth Councils. Learn more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Public Defender of Georgia publishes a special report: “The Administration of Justice on Crimes of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of Children”.  “The study of Public Defender’s Office revealed that, State does not have services specifically focused on rehabilitation or provision of support to child victims of sexual abuse, which would allow relevant professionals to plan long-term work with both children and their families. The currently available state services are drastically inconsistent with the needs existing in the country”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. UNICEF Georgia is calling all interested civil society organizations, international and national non-governmental organizations having a focus on children and adolescents, to register and build their profiles at www.unpartnerportal.org. A newly launched “United Nations Partner Portal’, is a platform collectively used by UNICEF, UNHCR and WFP globally to manage partnerships. All civil society organizations, international and national non-governmental organizations that wish to be considered for partnership opportunities with UNICEF need to register and create a profile in the UN Partner Portal. Read more… Source: www.unicef.org

Tbilisi. On June 30, 2021, the Public Defender of Georgia submitted a list of issues relating to the protection of the rights of the child to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (for the 90th pre-sessional working group meeting). Ombudsman indicates in the document that the ineffectiveness of the prevention of child suicide, response to domestic violence and child care system remains a challenge in Georgia in terms of the protection of the right to life. She also notes that the State fails to identify victims of sexual violence in a timely manner or to take effective measures to support and rehabilitate them. The Public Defender focuses on the extreme poverty of children in the country, the needs of children living and working on the streets, and the challenges faced by children with disabilities. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Kakheti. Based on a quiz conducted by the Rondeli Foundation, an award ceremony was held on July 1, 2021, in Village Jokolo, Akhmeta Municipality. “Winners received awards such as laptops, tabs and smartphones. The project - Community Youth Engagement in Pankisi and Khulo - is implemented by the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies with the support of the US Embassy in Georgia and aims to raise civic awareness and informal education among young people (14-18-year-olds) in Pankisi Gorge and Khulo Municipality”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. On June 29 graduation ceremony for the class of 2020 and welcoming reception for the new group of the program Capacity Building of the Georgian Leadership Community (CBGL) was held. “The Series of Policy Documents 2020 were distributed among the participants and guests at the ceremony. Throughout a seven-month-program the participants in parallel to attending lectures individually developed policy documents. Like in preceding years, selected best 9 policy documents were published separately.  The Rondeli Foundation has been implementing CBGL program since 2009, with the support of the Swedish International Development Agency (#Sida)”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. SOS Children’s Villages Georgia releases an official statement in response to information broadcasted through mass media about two alleged cases of violence that took place in the service of a small family house of the organization in the past. “We, at the organization, are deeply concerned about the fact that living in a small family house turned to be traumatic for our two former beneficiaries and it is very difficult for us to hear their stories. The Association expresses its maximum readiness and openness to facilitate any kind of investigation process within the framework of law; moreover, provide psycho-emotional and legal assistance to both the alleged victim of violence and former foster children through the established practice of the organization. All revealed facts, regardless of the age of the case, always create a precondition for reviewing current systems of monitoring, existing within the organization, in order to ensure upbringing and development of each foster child in a safe and secure environment”, - is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: The website of the organization on a social network

Adjara. On June 15, the young volunteers, the members of the Youth Center established at the Independent Journalists’ House (IJH) participated in arrangement and implementation of the large-scale Job Fair in Batumi. “The volunteers successfully managed the flow of the job seekers, ensured that all Covid-19 regulations were followed and informed the participants about the fair. We would like to express our appreciation toward each volunteer for their contribution and wish them success in all of their future endeavors”. Read more… Source: edec.ge

Tbilisi. UNICEF Representative in Georgia, Ghassan Khalil met with the Public Defender of Georgia, Nino Lomjaria. “The participants discussed the following issues: ▪️ Ongoing events related to the Ninotsminda Institution, UNICEF position and plans to end the institutional care for children in Georgia; ▪️ Monitoring of sexual violence against children by Public Defender with support of UNICEF and the relevant report; ▪️ Ongoing Child Rights Impact Assessment of COVID-19; ▪️ ongoing cooperation and joint initiatives”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. As a result of legal assistance provided by Partnership for Human Rights (PHR), court found separation of children from their family due to poverty unlawful. “The Tbilisi City Court made an unprecedented decision. It found transfer of children to foster care and separation from the family due to poverty unlawful and ruled out to pay GEL 35 000 to three affected children as a compensation for moral damage. 2 years ago children were unlawfully taken out of the house and separated from their mother by the social service, without strengthening the family. For two years, children lived under the stress caused by separation from the parent. The court found this circumstance unlawful and satisfied the lawsuit of PHR”. Read more... Source: The website of the organization on a social network

Tbilisi. This year U.S. Embassy Tbilisi invites every child in Georgia to join the Embassy’s Summer Reading Challenge. “The program is simple: find any book written in Georgian or English, read it, complete a book report form, and return that form to an American Space in Georgia by September 10. Children can find books in American Spaces, public libraries, school libraries, and book shops, or they borrow books from friends or family. They are encouraged to read any type of book that interests them, either fiction or nonfiction. Every child who reads at least 100 pages will receive a silver-level certificate of achievement signed by Ambassador Kelly Degnan. Every child who reads at least 500 pages will receive a gold-level certificate. All pages read in English will count for double”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: The U.S. Embassy’s page on the social network

Gori. Representatives of the Gori office of the CSI, together with the head of the youth department of Gori City Hall, visited the youth space in the village of Kordi and presented materials prepared within the framework of the “This Country is Yours” campaign. The Civil Society Institute (CSI) actively works to develop capacity of young people in the region and is ready to contribute to the process of building a youth ecosystem using available resources. The need of youth spaces in regions was identified while working on a youth strategy document and Gori Municipality, together with the Youth Agency, facilitated establishment of a model space in the village of Kordi. At this stage, young people work on painting the center and, with the help of various organizations, equipping it. The Kordi youth space will soon be officially opened and young people, living in the conflict zone, will have the opportunity to enjoy the place that can be used for acquiring non-formal education as well as for a variety of activities.

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia has learned that a former beneficiary of the Ninotsminda Orphanage has allegedly been forced to leave the dormitory of the St. Tbel Abuseridze Teaching University of the Georgian Patriarchate after the letter informed the law enforcement agency about alleged violence that occurred in the orphanage. The Public Defender has already started examining the alleged discrimination against the former beneficiary of the orphanage. In addition, she appealed to the law enforcement agency to respond to the allegations of coercion, pressure and psychological violence. As result of communication between the Public Defender and relevant agencies, the young beneficiary has been temporarily placed in a safe environment, as the person had no other place to live in. The Public Defender will monitor the provision of long-term housing to the person. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. In June 2021, within the framework of the International Child Protection and Environment Weeks, representatives of the Eastern and Western Georgia Divisions of the Public Defender's Office held webinars and meetings in Georgian, Azerbaijani and Armenian languages with public school students, teachers, parents, representatives of preschools and community centers in various regions of the country. They also participated in TV/radio programmes. The events covered Imereti, Samegrelo, Guria, Adjara, Svaneti, Shida Kartli, Kakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti regions. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Based on the appeal of the Public Defender of Georgia, LEPL Agency for Regulation of Medical and Pharmaceutical Activities studied the arbitrary treatment of infants with the so-called "Mowgli method" and established illegal medical activity. The examination found that this method is an intervention that poses a risk to the life and health of children, which, especially at an early age, can lead to severe and irreversible complications. Administrative liability has been imposed on the person using this method. Read more... Source: ombudsman.ge

Samtskhe-Javakheti. The Public Defender is responding to the ruling of the Tbilisi City Court on the lawsuit filed by the Partnership for Human Rights, CSO, relating to the removal of minors from the Ninotsminda orphanage.  The Public Defender considers the immediate enforcement of the court ruling necessary. “The ruling, once again, clearly indicates the real risk and danger that exist in the institution in terms of the protection of children’s rights and requires timely and coordinated action by the state agencies. The Public Defender notes that the situation in the orphanage is not in line with the interests of minors or the relevant standards; the situation is dangerous in terms of the protection of children from violence, their full development, socialization and preparation for an independent life”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge