Tbilisi. Online meetings to discuss the mission and charter of the Committee for the Support of Strengthening the Services for the Persons with Disability are underway by the Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC). On September 29, the meeting was held with representatives from the Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Read more... Source: The organization's page in the social network

Tbilisi. Part of the civil society organizations of Georgia responds to the adoption of the labor reform by the Parliament of Georgia in the third reading. “We are unequivocally positive about improved labor guarantees created for workers through the adopted reform, however, unfortunately, the changes only fragmentarily respond to tough labor conditions existing in the country and are still far from the real balancing of interests of employers and those employed. Despite the efforts, the legislation should also address such important issues as low and inadequate remuneration, unregulated working hours, overtime work and its improper compensation, inadequate reimbursement of pregnancy, delivery and maternity leave, lack of possibility of solidarity strike and definement of exhaustive grounds for termination of the employment contract”, - is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. EU Ambassador Carl Hartzell has issued a statement on the adoption of new legislation to amend the Labour Code of Georgia: "Congratulations to the Parliament of Georgia for a milestone approval of amendments of the Labour Code and approval of the Law on the Labour Inspectorate. This represents a significant step forward for labour conditions in Georgia and sends a strong message in terms of Georgia delivering on its Association Agreement commitments". Read more... source: eeas.europa.eu

Tbilisi. If you are 17 years old or older and think you can change the lives of others for the better, or even are willing to spend your free time productively - this project is for you. “The “Mestumre” project aims to provide elderly people living in elderly/care homes an opportunity of having regular, social interactions with young people and engaging in enjoyable activities once a week, for one hour. Selected volunteers will be trained by a MAC Georgia team and equipped with necessary knowledge and skills, which they can practice for 6 months while visiting elderly people”. In case you get interested - go to the link and register...  Source: The website of the project in a social network

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) publishes analytical material in regard to a Russian information war carried out against Lugar Laboratory. “Although the Ministry of Internal Affairs has not yet named the country from which the cyber-attack on the Ministry of Health of Georgia was conducted, Paata Imnadze, Deputy Director of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, supposes that it is the Russian Federation from where the attack was carried out. Russia was also mentioned by Salome Zurabishvili, President of Georgia, in her statement made in regard to the cyber-attack. This assumption is further supported by the fact that the Russian Federation has been carrying out attacks on Lugar Laboratory for years, which mostly carries the character of an information war”, - is stated in the material. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. European Commission invites researchers and other stakeholders from EaP countries to participate in Virtual Trainings on the upcoming Horizon 2020 Green Deal Call. The first virtual Training is scheduled for 18 September 2020. Find out more here… Source: EU’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. Social entrepreneurship, how does it functions in practice in Georgia, howdo social enterprises themselves and their ecosystem look like? If you are interested in these issues - you have the opportunity to get acquainted with them in latest 2 studies of the Civil Society Institute. Georgian practice reviews current state of social entrepreneurship and includes an analysis of operating environment. Social enterprises, operating in Georgia, are analyzed in the review in terms of type of activity, goals, legal form, and etc. Study: Social entrepreneurship in Georgia (Practice review, author -EkaDatuashvili), 2020 ... The subject of the second study was familiarization with European experience on social entrepreneurship, characteristics of social enterprises and favorable environment for them. It is noteworthy that an ecosystem, necessary for social enterprises, consists of four main components. These are: opportunities for self-organization; visibility and recognition; access to resources; research, education and skills. Study: Social entrepreneurship, social enterprises and their ecosystem, 2020 (authors - Ekaterine Danelia, Mariam Latsabidze, Nino Samsonidze) ... The studies have been carried out on the order of the Civil Society Institute in collaboration with the Social Enterprise Alliance Georgia and with the support of the International Center for Non-for-Profit Law (ICNL).

Tbilisi. Myth Detector publishes material: Who is behind the conspiracy, as if Americans use bodies of babies to beautify themselves? “In the August 31-September 6 edition of the Alia newspaper, Elizbar Diakonidze, a clergyman, talked about restriction of surrogacy and stated as if people in America use fluid taken from bodies of babies to rejuvenate and beautify themselves. He noted that there were also Hollywood actors involved in that case. The statement of Elizbar Diakonidze, the clergyman, as if in America they use fluid taken from bodies of babies to rejuvenate and beautify themselves, is a conspiracy. This theory is disseminated by QAnon, supporters of which have been declared as a domestic terrorist threat by the FBI”, - is stated on the website of Myth Detector. Read more… Source: www.mythdetector.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies publishes a blog post by Valeri Chechelashvili, a senior researcher at the organization: “Some thoughts on the use of a term “post-Soviet space””. “What was the USSR as such? After its disappearance, why do phantom pains still bother residents of Kremlin? And how does the term “post-Soviet space” serve their interests? How does it enhance illusions about the collapsed empire? To begin with, the USSR was neither Union of nor Soviet, nor Socialist, nor Republics. It was a totalitarian state of classic form, where power was owned by a group of people united within the Communist Party. More precisely, by several individuals who were members of the Politburo”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: www.gfsis.org

Tbilisi. According to information released by Myth Detector, an online program of the Facebook page “Alt-Info” on September 2 was about an issue of Russian funding of the “Alliance of Patriots” party. Shota Martinenko, a host of “Alt-Info” stated that pro-Western political parties in Georgia are financed from abroad while “European Georgia” and other parties receive funds from the “Open Society Georgia Foundation” (the so-called Soros Foundation). “The declaration, whether political parties in Georgia are financed by the “Open Society Georgia Foundation”, is disinformation. The Foundation, according to its internal policy, never finances political parties or their pro-/anti-campaigns. Besides, it is also noted in the project funding online application that the project should not envisage activities in support of a political party/person”. Read more… Source: www.mythdetector.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies publishes material of Mamuka Komakhia, ananalyst: Review of Russian policy in post-Soviet space, edition 15. “Russia considers post-Soviet space to be its sphere of influence and sees enhancement of Western positions in the region as a threat to its national interests. The purpose of our review is to provide readers with information regarding important developments related to Russian policy in post-Soviet space. The review is published once every two weeks and tends to be useful for everyone, decision makers, public servants, media representatives or others who are interested in ongoing processes in post-Soviet countries”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source:www.gfsis.org

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) publishes analytical material: Cyber-attack on the Ministry of Health and a Russian trace. “It can be said that cyber-threats coming from the Russian Federation are somewhat predictable. Besides, although the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia does not name a specific country, from where the cyber-attack on the Ministry of Health of Georgia was carried out, on the basis of the same report it is possible to assume that the above was in the interest of Russia, because as previous developments also show, it has been long time that Russia considers existence and successful operation of an American laboratory at its border a threat, which is violation of Paragraph 14 of a military doctrine of Russia”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The “Salam” platform successfully continues to document endangered Ibero-Caucasian languages that are common in Georgia. “We would like to inform you that the #Salam platform, with the financial support of the Endangered Language Fund operating in the USA, creates an audio/video archive of languages. This year, with the support of the Fund, we started establishment of an archive of critically endangered Tsovatushetian and Udi languages. Data, collected within the framework of the project, will be provided to all interested parties in the form of supporting material. As part of the linguistic expedition, scientists are currently visiting the village of Zemo Alvani, populated by Tushetians of the Tsovati community, where active recording of Tsovatushetian texts is performed. Today they were at the pasture of Tsovatushetians in #Tbatana, 2000-2300 meters above sea level. We hereby share photos from our expedition”, - is stated on the website of the organization in a social network. Read more…  Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. Web portal of civil society organizations' will resume its activities in September… The web portal of civil society organizations' - www.csogeorgia.org – conveys feelings of gratitude to its users and says them goodbye. The portal will resume the activities in September. Stay in touch with us, we will be back soon…

Tbilisi. According to news released by the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information, on August 14, the Bureau of the Supreme Council of Adjara approved the first Action Plan of the Supreme Council Open Government for 2020-2021. “The Action Plan aims at increasing civic engagement and access to information, enhancement of accountability, as well as introduction of innovations and technologies within the Supreme Council”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) negatively appraises a decision of the Parliament of Georgia, according to which the Government of Georgia is granted authority until January 1, 2021 to restrict rights on the basis of by-laws. “We consider that although adoption of relevant regulations related to spread of the new coronavirus serves a legitimate purpose, granting authority to the Government of Georgia to restrict rights indicated in the bill still does not comply with the standard of the Constitution of Georgia and the above mentioned restrictions should be applied in accordance with law”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

The European Union in Georgia and UNDP Georgia today released a survey that assesses the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on the packaging value chain businesses in Georgia... Source: EU’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), together with the “Memorial” Society, launches a large-scale campaign. “The first activity is to demand an increase in a household subsidy defined for those repressed, as it is GEL7, a subsidy envisaged for specifically those recognized as victims of political repressions (along with people affected by the Chernobyl nuclear facility) that is lowest among amounts of household subsidies set by the state for various social categories. IDFI addressed an open letter to the Prime Minister of Georgia demanding to increase the subsidy”. Read more… Source:idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) has filed a petition demanding to increase a household subsidy to victims of political repressions.  The organization requests you to get acquainted with it and sign...  “We write this petition in order to get a household subsidy, which constitutes GEL7 per month, increased to victims of political repressions and equalized with the amount of a household subsidy defined for other social categories – GEL44. Increase of the household subsidy by the Government of Georgia to those repressed will be a significant support to 10000 citizens, victims of political repressions in Georgia, and a real state assistance to them” – is stated in the description of the petition.  Source: ichange.gov.ge

Tbilisi. The Open Governance Permanent Parliamentary Council held first remote sitting. The meeting was led by the Chairman of the Council, Mr. Kakha Kuchava, who discussed the current activities and future plans of the Council. Giorgi Kakhiani and Nino Tsilosani, members of the Open Government Permanent Parliamentary Council, presented an interim report on the Council's activities for 2020 and summarized the progress of the action plan implementation. The abovementioned remote sitting of the Council was attended by the representatives of NGOs and international organizations as well as the members of the Consultative Group under the Council. It should be mentioned that the Open Governance Permanent Parliamentary Council is implementing its commitments under the OGP Action Plan in cooperation with the Consultative Group. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) responds to a strike announced by social agents. The organization considers it alarming that the Ministry of Health, as an agency responsible for protection of labor rights and promotion of social dialogue in the country, refuses to create basic working conditions for its employees and fails to ensure a fair and equal environment for negotiations. EMC calls on the Ministry of Health to meet fair demands of social agents. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge