EU adopts 12th package of sanctions against Russia for its continued illegal war against Ukraine. The Commission welcomes the Council's adoption of a 12th package of sanctions against Russia.  The focus of this package is to impose additional import and export bans on Russia, combat sanctions circumvention and close loopholes. In particular, this package includes additional listings of Russian individuals and companies and new import and export bans – such as banning the export of Russian diamonds to Europe. It also includes stricter asset tracing obligations and tough measures on third-country companies circumventing sanctions. More... Source: European Union in Georgia

Guria.The members of the Ozurgeti, Chokhatauri, and Lanchkhuti Local Action Groups (LAGs) continue to actively engage in local development as part of the ongoing “Green Guria – Supporting Local Democracy and Rural Development for Inclusive and Resilient Green Growth” project, supported by the European Union. he “Green Guria – Supporting Local Democracy and Rural Development for Inclusive and Resilient Green Growth” project is implemented by CENN in cooperation with partner organisations: the Young Pedagogues’ Union, the Institute of Democracy, and the Local Action Group of KEDA (LAG), supported by the European Union within the European Neighbourhood Program for Rural and Agricultural Development ENPARD IV.  More... Source: CENN

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person.  Newsletter...

Tbilisi. The Venice Commission delivered its opinion regarding the effectiveness and independence of the Special Investigation Service and the Personal Data Protection Service. Addressing the Venice Commission's recommendations is part of the European Commission's nine steps.  In order to strengthen the Special Investigation Service, the Venice Commission recommends that the service should be granted prosecutorial powers and cover all crimes committed by high-ranking officials.  The Venice Commission considers that, in the current situation, the Personal Data Protection Service does not hold proper expertise and resources to conduct efficient monitoring of the lawfulness of covert investigative measures. More... Source: Institute for Development of Freedom of Information 

Tbilisi.On December 14, we hosted a presentation of the study - Mapping Perspectives: Uncovering Citizen and Business Attitudes towards Local Governance and Services, aimed to facilitate discussion, unpacking perceptions and attitudes towards key pillars covered by the study, including municipal public services, private sector services, subnational governance and citizen participation. The event brought together representatives of central and local governments, civil society organizations, international development institutions, and local experts to dive deep into study results through the three parallel sessions - Satisfaction, Accessibility, Quality: Reforming Municipal Service Delivery; Dialogue for Development: Fostering Collaboration in Local Business Ecosystem; and Citizen Speak: Local Governance and Public Participation through the Perspective of Diverse Communities.   The study was carried out by the research and consulting company ACT, and it looks at the citizens and businesses’ perceptions in the Program’s partner municipalities (Batumi, Chokhatauri, Ozurgeti, Kutaisi, Tkibuli, Oni, Lentekhi, Mestia, Bolnisi, Rustavi, Marneuli, Dmanisi). More... Source: USAID Local Governance Program

Tbilisi. Georgia is steadfast in its commitment to addressing climate change and advancing sustainable development in alignment with both national and international climate goals. A significant step towards this commitment took place on 14 December, with a focus on the decarbonization of healthcare facilities in the country.   The meeting brought together representatives from the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC), healthcare facilities across Kakheti, Shida, and Kvemo Kartli regions and experts.   During the workshop, participants discussed Georgia's healthcare sector energy and environmental profile, conducting a thorough examination of emissions and planning for the sector's future development under international best practices and the country's decarbonization strategies. In addition, NCDC presented the outcomes of activities outlined in the plan for the decarbonisation of healthcare facilities.   More... Source: UNDP Georgia

Tbilisi. Ms Kharebava advocates for women’s empowerment, and against gender-based violence.  For many years, she has been fighting for inclusion of children with disabilities in the society in Samegrelo and Abkhazia. Madona Kharebava is an exemplary human rights activist who works tirelessly to break stereotypes and help communities to develop holistic models of accessibility for all. The Ambassador of the Netherlands, Ms Meline Arakelian, awarded Madona with the Embassy Tulip prize yesterday at a ceremony attended by representatives of governmental, non-governmental, international organisations and community activists. More... Source: Embassy of the Netherlands in Georgia

With the assistance of the EU and CENN, the areas in Chiatura affected by anthropogenic pressure will be rehabilitated. As part of the grant project and with the support of the Imereti Climate Action Group, the organization "Mkhardamkhari" has implemented effective advocacy, as a result of which the Chiatura municipality allocated 30,000 GEL in the 2024 budget for environmental restoration efforts in degraded areas.  This activity was implemented within the EU-funded “Georgia Climate Action Project (GEO-CAP)”, which promotes civil society engagement in climate change (CC) policy design and implementation. The project is being implemented by CENN with its partner organisations, KRDF, ACU, YPU, and RLS-ADA, in the project’s focal regions of Georgia: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti.  More... Source: CENN

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person.  Newsletter...

This week, EU leaders at the European Council will discuss EU enlargement policy.  Eu NeighborsEast creates The page, which takes you through the package, the enlargement process and each country's progress.   More... Source: euneighbourseast.eu

15 Georgian municipalities came together to discuss urban innovation and explore new avenues for municipal development. The discussions revolved around crucial topics, such as the advancement of smart and inclusive cities, municipal transformation, and innovation within the public sector. All participating municipalities are members of the #M4EG #Mayors4EconomicGrowth network, established by the European Union and UNDP. More... Source: UNDP Georgia 

Tbilisi. United for Georgia’s European Way”- the EU and partners team up for Georgia's European future with a new project. As part of the project launch, the guests had the opportunity to explore the exhibition "United Georgia for Europe” and rediscover Georgia's historical connections with other European countries. The exhibition also casted a spotlight on Georgian historical figures and events, which highlight the long-lasting commitment of Georgia and its people to European democratic values. More... Source: European Union in Georgia

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person.  Newsletter...

Tbilisi.The EU is excited to be part of this heartwarming event at the Sheraton hotel, which will be turned into a winter wonderland.  It'll be showcasing the incredible products of EU-supported projects and beneficiaries in Georgia.  Come and test your knowledge with "Knowledge Wheel" quiz game! Explore fun facts about the EU and its member states in an interactive way.  Enjoy Christmas carols, special programs for kids, a puppy corner, and a raffle.  More… Source: EU

Tbilisi. Soviet Past Research Laboratory invites you to the opening of the exhibition PHOTOGRAPHER FROM THE FOURTH FLOOR on December 6th at 16:00 at the Artarea exhibition space.  In a huge black suitcase bought at the flea market in 2022, we found up to 500 glass negatives in wide format. After a long process of digitization, the archive of an unknown photographer unveiled a new and unique perspective of 1930’s Tbilisi, as well as various other parts of Georgia.  Beyond the street scenes, city views, Soviet parades, portraits, family situations, work environments, resorts, pastoral life, and sporting events, we glimpse something more. In these frozen moments depicting seemingly active, vibrant, joyful, content, and well-disposed people, one can still feel the omnipresence of totalitarianism. Stalin’s grim face looks at us from the walls, leaders of various political influences have incarnated into street posters, and the diamond-shaped collars of men in uniforms flash in front of our eyes. The faces of citizens who witnessed and survived the unrelenting political terror, famine, and deficits of the 1920s and 1930s bear the traces of that time. And we, as viewers, know that they, together with the photographer, are heading towards the end of the 1930s, towards the unprecedented catastrophe – towards the Great Soviet Terror.  Therefore, this photo heritage from an unknown man, showcasing the vision of an independent and professional photographer, can be seen as a message for future generations.  More… Source: Soviet Past Research Laboratory

During this busy week, Green Alternative organised capacity-building workshops for local civil society actors and municipal authorities from the Guria and Samegrelo Zemo-Svaneti regions on climate change and the need to take action at local level. In order to pursue coordination, the parties have created online communication groups on which they will exchange information and opinions on climate change issues.   The capacity-building workshops held as part of the project - "strengthening civil society in the implementation of national climate policy". The implementation of the project has been made possible by financial support from the German Federal Government's International Climate Initiative (IKI).  More... Source: Green Alternative 

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person.  Newsletter...

GiveInternet.org is looking for a Content Strategist & Creator.  GiveInternet.org is a US-based nonprofit platform where anyone can sponsor Internet fees and laptops for underserved students in developing countries.  The project was built by the team behind Charte.ge, a Georgian version of the platform. To date, up to a hundred students have been brought online in Africa and Asia thanks to support from international donors. More... Source: Charte

The EU-supported Euroclub which has become a centre for education, civic awareness, and European values in Georgia marked its four-year anniversary.  The event brought together the President of Georgia, as well as representatives from EU and other countries! More... Source: European Union in Georgia

Tbilisi. On November 28, within the scope of the Political Party School Program the participants were given a lecture on the topic: „Foreign Policy of Georgia”.  The lecture was led by the Associate Professor at Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) and Senior Researcher at European Center of International Political Economy (ECIPE), Mr. Tengiz Pkhaladze. Another lecture will be devoted to this topic within the framework of Political Party School. The project is implemented by the Rondeli Foundation with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy.  More...  Source: Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies

Guria.As part of the ongoing “Green Guria – Supporting Local Democracy and Rural Development for Inclusive and Resilient Green Growth” project, supported by the European Union, CENN, in collaboration with partner organizations—the Young Pedagogues’ Union, the Institute of Democracy, and the Local Action Group of KEDA (LAG)—continues to support LAG members in enhancing their organizational skills. More... Source: CENN

Tbilisi. The initiation of a self-advocacy training programme for individuals with Down syndrome, targeting both teenagers and adults, commenced in October under the auspices of the project titled "Advocating Health Services for People with Down Syndrome," with the support of USAID Civil Society Engagement Program The objective is to enable individuals to articulate their personal obstacles and the desired transformations they aim to attain. Hence, during the forthcoming two-day conference scheduled for March, individuals with down syndrome, who advocate for themselves will have the opportunity to present themselves to the attending audience and engage in discussions pertaining to significant matters that hold personal relevance to them. More... Source: Georgian Down Syndrome Association