Tbilisi. Social Justice Center (formerly EMC), GYLA, and Green Alternative release a statement in regard to developments that took place on April 11 in the Rioni Valley. “The right to freedom of assembly and expression of participants of the rally against Namakhvani HPP has been restricted roughly and unjustifiably”, - is stated by the organizations, - “Besides, we consider that police actions, taken by the Government in recent days, have taken particularly severe and degrading forms, which should be stopped immediately and unconditionally, and actions of the Government should be brought back to the framework of protection of human rights”. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org

Georgia. Are you an enterprise carrying social or environmental values? Then you have the opportunity to take part in the first exhibition of social and green enterprises in Georgia.  Exposition is being organized within the EU4Youth: Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development (SEED) for Green Growth in Borderline Communities”, which is being implemented by CENN in partnership with Green Lane (Armenia) and Kakheti Regional Development Foundation (KRDF) (Georgia).  Register here  Registration deadline: April 25, 2021  Read more…   Source: The page in the social network

Tbilisi. Organizations working on Namakhvani HPP issues respond to the defamation campaign of the company and the State and published the statement.  “We, the Social Justice Center (formerly EMC), Green Alternative, and Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association (GYLA), are deeply concerned over the fact that in response to our criticism, regarding fundamental violations committed during the implementation of the Namakhvani HPP project, gross human rights abuses, the concluded agreement essentially compromising state interests, non-transparency and institutional failures, the government refuses to engage in the dialogue and continues the infringement of the human right to assemble, to protect the environment, to use public space, as well as the right to freedom of expression and free movement in the Rioni Valley. Human rights infringements, in the recent period, are accompanied by disinformation campaigns and discrediting attacks on activists, civil society organizations, and experts who oppose the Namakhvani project implementation in this form”, - is read in the statement.  Read more…  Source: socialjustice.org

Tbilisi. Signatory organizations respond to developments that occurred yesterday in the Rioni valley and consider it inadmissible to resume construction works of Namakhvani HPP on the background of mobilization of police forces, grossly violating human rights and disregarding demands of the population. “Instead of the state assuming the role of a moderator, focused on the protection of sustainable public interests and goodness, which is based on constitutional principles of a social and legal state, the government office today is entirely on the side of private interest. During the last months, we observed maximum mobilization of police, information, and administrative resources by the Government aiming to neglect and discredit opponents of the construction of Namakhvani HPP. However, today, breaching fundamental rights and applying repressive tools aggressively, the Government refuses to resolve the existing crisis with community groups through democratic dialogue and legal means“, - is noted in the joint statement. Read more… Source:gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Media Advocacy Coalition member organizations consider it inadmissible to restrict access to the Internet in Namokhvani. “We would like to remind the government that access to the Internet and the right to free usage of the Internet is protected by the Constitution of Georgia. While on the background of high public interest in the ongoing protest rally in Namokhvani, it is unacceptable to restrict the constitutionally guaranteed right unjustifiably. According to the spread information, “the Ministry of Internal Affairs has jammed also the Internet connection in Namokhvani today, due to which fact it is impossible to stream live”.  As the local population state, such a failure of Internet transmission has not been observed in Namokhvani before.  We call on the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia to: Make a statement in regard to the fact of unlawful restriction of freedom of expression;  Take immediate measures to ensure access to the Internet so as to enable people in Namokhvani to exercise the right to receive and transmit information, while journalists have adequate working conditions for their professional activities. We urge the Communications Commission to investigate the Internet disruption in Namokhvani and provide us with information regarding currently existing indicators”, - is noted in the statement of the coalition. Read more…  Source: The website of the Coalition on a social network

Batumi. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara did not satisfy the request of EMC and “Society Batomi” to suspend construction of a 19-storey (3 underground) hotel on the territory of the cultural heritage monument of Batumi Boulevard. “With this decision, the Ministry has not taken into account that construction entails irreversible damage to the cultural heritage monument, the importance and benefit of which is invaluable for the city. Art historians Tamar Amashukeli and Tatia Gvineria talk about Batumi Boulevard as a cultural heritage monument”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), on behalf of the civil society organization Batomi, applied to the Public Defender requesting to study legality of a permit, issued for construction of a 19-storey hotel complex on Batumi Boulevard, and release a relevant recommendation. Batomi and EMC consider that the decision made by the Adjara Cultural Heritage Protection Agency (“Agency”) is unequivocally unlawful and irreversibly and substantially damages the immovable cultural heritage site - Batumi Boulevard. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Civil society organizations and civil movements demand from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara to stop construction of a 19-storey hotel complex on Batumi Boulevard immediately. “A permit for construction of a 19-storey (3 underground) hotel on Batumi Boulevard, which has the status of a garden-park cultural heritage monument, was issued to a company “Ambassador Batumi” on January 21 by the Adjara Cultural Heritage Protection Agency disregarding cultural heritage legislation and neglecting public interests towards the boulevard”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) and Green Alternative submit an appeal to the Tbilisi City Court to defend interests of local population and demand suspension of enforcement of the order of the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, based on which a positive environmental decision on the cascade of Namakhvani HPPs was issued. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. According to an assessment of the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), an agreement signed between the Government and “Enka Renewables” LLC., an investor, in regard to the Namakhvani project makes it clear that not only the project is going to fail to contribute to energy security of the country, as announced by the Government, but also the agreement anticipates heavy and indefinite fiscal impact on the state budget. The analysis of the agreement reveals that the company uses natural resources of Georgia actually free of charge and does not take the responsibility to sell energy on a domestic market, which invalidates even arguments about energy security or economic benefits of the country. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. According to the information of the CENN, in Georgia, 40% of the waste on landfills is organic waste, large portion of which is food products. Food waste that decomposes in landfills releases carbon dioxide and methane, the latter being a greenhouse gas that is at least 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Imereti. The Open Society Georgia Foundation supports population and activists contesting construction of the Namakhvani HPP. “The intense protest of local population is caused by the fact that geological and ecological peculiarities of the existing project have not been substantially studied, while both economic and social justifications of the project are vague. This is also proved by the fact that the positive environmental assessment, made in February 2020, was changed in September of the same year, thus depriving the company of a legal permit to carry out preparatory works. Nevertheless, the company still continues to perform technical works unlawfully”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: osgf.ge

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), on behalf of “Batomi”, a civil society organization, contests a permit issued for construction of a 19-storey hotel complex on Batumi Boulevard. “Batomi” and EMC consider that a decision made by the Adjara Cultural Heritage Protection Agency is unequivocally unlawful and irreversibly, as well as substantially damages the immovable site of cultural heritage – Batumi Boulevard. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) considers that ongoing preparatory works at the Kvemo Namakhvani hydropower plant in the Rioni Valley are illegal and violate permit conditions.  The organization calls on the Technical and Construction Supervision Agency to immediately suspend preparatory type, as well as land works that are carried out without permission, and apply the respective measure of liability against “Enka Renewables” LLC. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Green Alternative and the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center release a joint statement in regard to dissolution of a protest rally against the Namakhvani HPP project and resumption of construction works by “Enka”. “Demands of local population, protesting against unlawful actions of a company “Enka” and the Government in the Rioni gorge for almost 100 days, are fair and constructive. Taking into account growing nature of a conflict among the project-affected community, the company and government agencies, as well as the fact that there is still insufficient information on project implementation-related threats, we consider that: The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and LEPL Technical and Construction Supervision Agency have to restrict “Enka Renewables” to carry out construction works (including preparatory works) until threats, posed by implementation of the project to the environment, human lives and health, cultural heritage and material values, are studied and evaluated in accordance with requirements of law”… Read more… Source:gyla.ge

Ajara. “Protect Batumi Boulevard” society protests against a plan of “Ambassador Batumi” Ltd to build a 16-story hotel on the old boulevard and publishes a manifesto for signatures: “Stop destruction of Batumi Boulevard”.  “Despite the fact that the 16-story hotel is completely inappropriate for the boulevard and directly contradicts legislation, as well as threatens and reduces the cultural and historical value of it, the project has already been approved by the Adjara Cultural Heritage Protection Council while the head of the Adjara Cultural Heritage Protection Agency intends to give his approval on its implementation.  It is our duty to stand up against this disorder and protect Batumi Boulevard from destruction. Following the above, we demand:  1. Stop construction of the 16-story hotel on the territory of Batumi Boulevard immediately and revoke an issued permit.  2. Suspend the issuance of a permit for any construction on the territory of the boulevard until a development plan of Batumi Boulevard is approved”, - is stated in the text of the manifesto.  At this stage, the mentioned manifesto is signed by about 3500 people.  Read more…  Source: manifest.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers” Association prepared a document – “Strategic litigation against the construction of large hydropower projects”.  “Large hydropower projects especially affect local population, change their living conditions as well as have an obvious and inevitable impact on the environment. “Analysis of construction projects shows that the process of issuing permits by the state is carried out with improper involvement of local residents, procedural and substantive shortcomings, which causes fair protests of the population”, - is stated in the document.  Read more…  Source: The website of the organization in a social network

The new Human Development Report, released by United Nations Development Programme - UNDP today, argues that people and planet are entering an entirely new geological epoch, the Anthropocene or the Age of Humans. “The report calls on all countries to redesign their paths to progress by fully accounting for the dangerous pressure humans put on the planet and dismantle the gross imbalances of power and opportunity that prevent change”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia acknowledges the state importance of the development of energy potential and natural resources. However, it is unfortunate that the State has not yet planned a long-term energy policy for the rational use and sustainable development of energy resources, which should be created and implemented in practice as a result of extensive public discussions and on the basis of the principle of transparency, something actively demanded by the Public Defender in recent years. At the same time, the activities that have already been carried out, the investments that are to be made or the cost-effectiveness of the projects have not been studied or analyzed. And the problems with individual hydropower projects are systemic and continuous. The multi-year oversight by the Public Defender's Office showed that the decisions made by the state agencies over the years have failed to answer the legitimate questions of the society.[11] Distrust towards the quality of examinations conducted and the environmental impact assessment documents, shortcomings in terms of public involvement, neglect of socio-economic interests of the local population, lack of transparency of information and data, and reasonable doubts about the usefulness of the projects remain important challenges. These very problems, despite the fundamentally improved national legislation, have manifested themselves collectively and particularly acutely in relation to the above-mentioned project. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Part of civil society organizations of Georgia responds to dispersal of a rally of Namakhvani HPP construction opponents that was performed using police force. “While local population, society and field specialists have a number of critical conclusions and questions related to legality of construction of the HPP, as well as its extremely high impact and risks, construction of a large-scale energy project is carried out opaquely and without obstruction, neglecting these questions and opinions. The Government applies repressive methods in response to concerns and peaceful protests of local population and attempts to suppress protests of locals via police force, thus grossly violating fundamental rights of project-affected population”, - is stated on the website of the organization in a social network. Read more… Source:gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) responds to a protest of the disaster affected local community of the Tsablana village and calls on the Government of Adjara to ensure realization of the right of disaster-affected families to adequate housing immediately. “Currently, population of the Tsablana village, like a large part of Adjara eco-migrants, live in “bifurcated” circumstances. Due to the fact that population do not possess sufficient funds to bring their apartments, received in Batumi, to suitable for living condition, they continue to live in their old houses in villages, which are actually located in a life-threatening area. As a result of construction works of the “Adjaristskali” HPP, a part of the village springs have dried up, which fact further complicated the already less useful for the village agriculture. Thus, the local community is forced to live in a life-threatening zone, difficult social conditions and poverty”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Zemo-Svaneti. Within the funded project “Let’s Clean Svaneti Together!”, Upper Svaneti Local Action Group (LAG Upper Svaneti) held clean up campaigns in the communities of Mestia municipality: Nakra, Mulakhi Tsvirmi, Kala and Ipari on November 10 and 11. Two waste bins and information boards were installed on each location. ““Let’s Clean Svaneti Together!” – is one of the winning initiatives of the Contest for Volunteering Initiatives announced by the Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC). The campaign which aims to reduce environmental pollution and encourage the participation of youth in volunteering activities is implemented within the “Georgian Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” project”. ”Georgian Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” was developed and is implemented by the consortium lead by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in cooperation with four Georgian Civil Society Organizations: Civil Society Institute (CSI), Center for Training and Consultancy (CTC), Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG) and Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC). The project is funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network