Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti.42 families at the Torsa IDP settlement regained access to drinking water thanks to the EU and UNDP support.  This initiative was implemented in cooperation with the Rural Communities Development Agency, as part of the #EU4Dialogue project. More... Source: UNDP Georgia

Samegrelo. Elmira Jinjolia is one of 80 conflict-affected people in Georgia who benefit from the EU’s and UNDP Georgia’s support. Project helped Elmira enroll in an entrepreneurship training programme, participate in a grant competition and made the business idea of opening a coffee shop into a reality. Read more… Source: The EU’s page on the social network

Samegrelo. The women-led non-governmental organisation “Hands for Peace” hosted a gala exhibition in Zugdidi to present the results of a “Handicraft for Social Change” project, supported by the EU and UNDP through the EU4Dialogue initiative. The EU and UNDP support allowed 40 conflict-affected women to join a training programme in tailoring, embroidery, knitting and macramé to develop professional careers, earn a living, improve livelihoods and increase self-reliance. Six training participants already found jobs in different local enterprises and one of the beneficiaries was successful in applying for a grant programme. Read more… Source: www.undp.org

Mtskheta-Mtianeti. Organized by Mtskheta Mtianeti Regional Hub and with the support of Mtskheta Municipality City Hall, on December 10th, an exhibition and sale of women entrepreneurs’ products was held in Mtskheta. The purpose of the exhibition was to summarize the 16-day campaign against gender-based violence, which has been celebrated in 187 countries since 1991. Mtskheta-Mtianeti regional hub, with the financial support of the Eesti Pagulasabi/Estonian Refugee Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, implements the project: "Supporting IDP and conflict-affected women's sustainable livelihoods through entrepreneurship in Georgia".  Within the project, a total of 90 war-affected women received entrepreneurial grants. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. On February 9, 2022, the Public Defender of Georgia participated in an international online event, where a Handbook for National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) for Protecting Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) was presented and discussed. “The handbook presents key legal and policy standards related to the protection of IDPs, analyzes the role and activities of NHRIs in the protection of the rights of IDPs, and provides an overview of good practices”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Shida-Kartli. Kaori Ishikawa, UN Women Country Representative in Georgia, visited the village Ergneti, as well as the IDP collective center in Gori, to learn the situation on the ground, as well as challenges and needs of the conflict affected and IDP women. Read more… Source: the organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. The signatory organizations support the protest of the IDPs living in the building of the sanatorium "Kartli" and mourn the grave tragedy that occurred on January 16 and call on the Georgian authorities to quickly act on ensuring the safe and dignified accommodation for the IDPs. “We believe that the state has neglected its obligation to protect the life and health of IDPs living in the dangerous environment, and the tragedy of January 16 is the result of a policy of inaction and mistrust”. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. On January 17, 2022, the Public Defender of Georgia met with IDPs living in Kartli sanatorium and listened to their problems. “In view of the above circumstances, the Public Defender considers that since the facility is dangerous to live in, including for minors living in the building, it is important for the State to conduct result-oriented negotiations with internally displaced families, to hear about the obstacles in the process of searching for housing and their fears regarding rents, as well as to prevent risks and ensure the resettlement of IDPs in a safe place as soon as possible”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender expresses her condolences over the suicide of an IDP living in the building of former sanatorium "Kartli" in the settlement of the Sea District in Tbilisi and offers her sympathy to the family members and relatives of the deceased. “In recent years, the Public Defender examined the rights situation of IDPs living in the former sanatorium building Kartli and found that the Agency for Refugees, Eco-Migrants and Livelihoods unreasonably refused to check the technical sustainability of the building (to conduct the relevant inspection). As a result, on December 21, 2020, the Public Defender addressed the Agency with a recommendation and requested a technical sustainability inspection of the building. The expert opinion confirms the existence of an environment that poses an increased risk to life and health”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Charity Humanitarian Center “Abkhazeti” (CHCA), with the financial support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), launches a project in support of the IDP community at 100 collective centers for IDPs in Samegrelo, Imereti and Shida Kartli.                     Source: The website of the organization on a 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.

Samegrelo. UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia, Dr. Sabine Machl met with the representatives of local NGOs, IDP and conflict affected women in Anaklia. “The participants discussed the relevance of the localization of the 2018-2020 National Action Plan of Georgia for Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security and participation of IDP and conflict affected women in the decision-making, peace and security processes. The women shared with the UN Resident Coordinator their concerns and challenges as well as their ideas on how to address these”. Read more… Source: The organizations page on the social network

Tbilisi. With the support of UN Women, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia organized an information sharing meeting with the CSOs on „Geneva International Discussions and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda“. “At the meeting, the representatives of the women’s CSOs raised issues related to IDP and conflict-affected women and offered specific views and initiatives to Georgian participants of Geneva International Discussions on ways to promote inclusive peace process in the country”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Organizations, working on the rights of IDPs, respond to a tragedy that took place in Shamgona. “We, signatory organizations, convey our condolences to families of those deceased and express our concern over improper efforts of state agencies to protect rights of Georgian citizens living on occupied territories. It has been years that non-governmental organizations respond to facts of restriction of rights of citizens living on and around occupied territories as well as existing crisis situation there, and call on the Government to take effective actions”, - is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Imereti. EDEC in cooperation with UNDP, invites young people from Imereti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, and Shida Kartli regions to participate in the project "Protecting IDP Rights during the COVID-19 Crisis in Georgia". „The project aims to support IDPs and conflict-affected youth to get involved in solving the challenges and problems created in their communities as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic“. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association explains a decision made by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights on January 21, 2021, in regard to violations committed by the Russian Federation during the August 2008 war. The explanation covers all Articles, which Georgia was arguing with Russia about, and the consequences that the Strasbourg decision entailed. In the submitted complaint Georgia was affirming that Russia, applying it as an administrative practice, facilitated/allowed its armed forces and separatist groups under their control to carry out chaotic and disproportionate attacks on civilians and their property. Overall, the complaint concerned the violation of 8 Articles of the European Convention. Read more… Source: The website of the organization

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes a document containing an evaluation of the Law on Occupied Territories.  “Exactly 12 years have passed since the adoption of the Law. During this period, the Government of Georgia, in parallel with the existence of the Law, made numerous attempts to offer new peace proposals to unlawful regimes of occupied territories. However, as Thomas de Waal writes, an “unusual strength of de facto regimes” left almost no room for such offers. Along with peace initiatives, the Law on Occupied Territories also became more humane as a result of gradual changes. However, it is debatable to what extent it created an opportunity for positive transformation of the conflict and emergence of human rights and humanitarian perspectives in that process. The purpose of the article is to analyze stages of development of the Law, human rights and humanitarian dimensions and its place in the unified peace policy”, - is stated in the material. Read more… Source:emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association releases a statement in regard to the 12th anniversary of the August war. “The August 2008 war killed hundreds of people, affected many civilians and violated their fundamental rights. Serious and massive violations of human rights and freedoms took place during the war, including facts of ethnic cleansing, premeditated murder of civilians, disappearance, massive destruction of property, forced displacement, assault on civilians, unlawful deprivation of liberty, torture and inhuman treatment. Unfortunately, facts of violation of rights of Georgian citizens continued to take place en masse even after the August 2008 war. After the war, authorities of the Russia, together with de facto representatives of the South Ossetia/Tskhinvali region and Abkhazia, actively started a so-called borderization process, which results in violation of rights of population living on the territory controlled by Georgia. In parallel with the borderization, a vicious practice of unlawful and arbitrary detention of people began in the proximity of the occupation line. Every year, hundreds of citizens of Georgia, including women and children, become victims of abduction. As a result, people residing in villages, adjacent to the dividing line, have to live in a fear daily, while their safety and well-being are endangered. Current situation is aggravated by the fact that population lack information about where the so-called administrative border should be. In most cases abductees are detained administratively and released in exchange for a certain amount of money. However, during last years, there is also increase in number of cases of criminal arrests, when detainees remain in captivity for years. In parallel with the vicious practice of unlawful detention at the so-called administrative border, we also encounter cases of serious violations of human rights, such as deprivation of the right to life and/or bodily harm”, - is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: The website of the organization

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia has released a statement in regard to the 12th anniversary of the August war. “On the 12th anniversary of the August 2008 war, Georgian, as well as both Ossetian and Abkhazian population, living in the conflict zone, still severely suffer from devastating consequences of the war. Facts of unlawful deprivation of the right to life are especially alarming. Following cases of violation of the right to life of Davit Basharuli in 2014, Giga Otkhozoria in 2016, Archil Tatunashvili in 2018 and Irakli Kvaratskhelia, a citizen of Georgia, at the Russian military base in the village of Nabakevi of Gali district of occupied Abkhazia in 2019 serve as evidences. It has to be emphasized that those directly involved in all killings are representatives of occupational regimes.  Freedom of movement turns to be the most serious problem. Facts of decease of people at the occupied territories due to improper healthcare assistance entailed by arbitrary closure of a so-called checkpoint have clearly demonstrated a deplorable human rights related situation and a humanitarian crisis, existing on the territory of the occupied Akhalgori district. Over the years, one of the most problematic issues on the occupied territories remains to be facts of detention of citizens and unlawful deprivation of liberty at the occupation line, beating of detainees, ill-treatment and torture at temporary isolators or prisons.  12 years have passed since the 2008 war. In spite of this, the occupation regime still continues unlawful borderization”, - is noted in the statement. Read more… Source:The website of the organization

Tbilisi. The August 2008 war appeared in the lenses of a number of foreign photographers. Works of two photographers have been awarded 2009 World Press Photo prizes. Media Checker presents public a collage of photos that have been created on the theme of August 2008 and won the competition. Read more… Source: mediachecker.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International - Georgia presented a new website Russianoccupation ge to public today, the website contains information about villages affected by the conflict and Russian bases located on the territory of Georgia. “12 years have passed since 2008. In this war, Georgia lost control over 125 villages; 850 people were killed, more than 2000 were injured, while up to 20000 are still displaced; a creeping occupation continues to this day and our citizens get detained for crossing the dividing line”, - it reminds us. Read more…  Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) publishes a blog post – “12 years since the August 2008 war: Russian disinformation and real facts”. “In 2020, 12 years have passed since the start of the August 2008 Russian-Georgian war. As in 2008, Russian propaganda, related to the Russian-Georgian war, is active today too. Through disseminating disinformation, it attempts to convince population of both Russia and Georgia, as well as the international community that the war in August 8, 2008 was initiated by Georgia against ethnic Ossetians, while Russia was “forced” to perform military intervention into Georgia to “protect” them. In fact, this conflict has a much longer history, which proves that the initiator of the war was not Georgia”, - is stated in the blog post. Read more… Source: The website of the organization