Adjara. Over 200 participants from the Eastern Partnership gathered in Batumi for a dynamic Urban Forum, organised by the EU, UNDP, and its partner. The Future-Fit Cities Forum addressed the intricate challenges faced by the municipalities, to pave the way for greener, more inclusive, and resilient cities that harness the power of public-private partnerships to drive growth and innovation. more... source: European Union in Georgia

On 26 September we celebrate linguistic diversity with the European Day of Languages!  "Language is not just a means of communication, it's a vital part of every country's rich cultural heritage. That's why the EU proudly maintains 24 official languages and celebrates the European Day of Languages together with the Council of Europe every year to honour linguistic diversity, promote language learning, and foster intercultural understanding" More... source: EU

Tbilisi. Rondeli fund published new publication of Russian Expansion in the Caucasus and Georgia. It aims to cover the Georgian-Russian relations of the XVIII-XX centuries in a manner different from the widely propagated perspective of the official Russia. From Intermarium to the Three Seas Initiative: Poland, Georgia, and Geopolitical Games.  More … Source Rondeli fund

Tbilisi. For decades, Soviet propaganda claimed the Soviet Union entered the World War II in 1941. That is a lie. For the USSR the war started on September 17, 1939 when the Red Army invaded Poland from the East as a Nazi ally.  more... Source: Soviet Past Research Laboratory  

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.Opinion Festival and World of Tolerance planning event - First-ever Opinion Festival Tbilisi! At the festival, you will discover 5 distinct stages focusing on the following themes: Entrepreneurship; Education; Strengthening resilience; Democracy, Human rights, rule of law; Future prospects of Georgia. In addition to captivating and diverse discussions, the evenings will come alive with the rhythms of live music.  Save the date: September 9, 2023 Time: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM Venue: Rike Park, Tbilisi  All are invited, and participation is free of charge. Interested attendees can indicate their interest by clicking "Interested" or "Going".  More…  Source: Opinion Festival

Tbilisi. Are you looking for funding opportunities in the cultural and creative sectors. Check out this interactive guide, answer a series of questions based on the sector you are working in to find the relevant funding sources from the EU that best suit you: https://bit.ly/3XOVwNJ Source: https://www.facebook.com/EUinGeorgia

Tbilisi. The Ambassador of France, H.E. Sheraz Gasri visited IDFI. “Giorgi Kldiashvili, the organization's Executive Director, and Levan Avalishvili, the Programs Director, introduced IDFI's activities to the Madam Ambassador. During the meeting, they discussed existing challenges to democratic reforms and the agenda for integration with the EU”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. On June 22-23, 2023, the 9th annual conference of the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC) - "New Frontiers: The South Caucasus Amidst New Challenges" was held. “At the aforementioned conference, during the round table discussion titled "Archival accessibility and openness in the Caucasus and Eurasia," Anton Vatcharadze, the head of the memory and disinformation studies department at the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), presented a report. In his report, he focused on the new law on "personal data protection" and the publicity surrounding the standards”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

On June 14, Civil Society Institute (SCI), in partnership with European Center for Non-for-Profit Law (ECNL) and Partners Georgia held a discussion meeting, which aimed at increasing the engagement of civil society and consolidation of CSOs’ visions around Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT). Latest report of Council of Europe’s Anti-Money Laundering Committee (MONEYVAL) was discussed at the meeting as well as Georgian National Risk Assessment Report and its action plan, which is currently being work on by the Georgian government. Georgia received the lowest ranking in the report in regards to its preventive measures against potential risk of noncommercial sector being wrongfully used.  At the meeting it was underlined that CSOs are not involved in the process of assessing preventive measures, which can lead to the introduction of such measures and regulations that might negatively affect the CSO environment in Georgia.  International experts and local CSO representatives participated in the meeting during which potential measures to prevent risks according to FATF recommendations, as well as mechanisms to increase active participation of CSOs and development of self-regulation measures were discussed. Second topic of the meeting focused on the cooperation between NPOs and banks, including National Bank of Georgia’s AML/CFT policy in regards to NPOs.

Tbilisi. The Information Integrity Coalition will host its first annual conference on June 6, focusing on Russian hybrid threats, Kremlin’s various vectors of influence and existing (or lack of) Georgia's state response. The conference will feature several panel discussions by Coalition members, representatives of policymakers, academia, media, and other experts. Read more…

Kakheti. European Union in Georgia (EU) and UNDP Georgia under the Human Rights 4All project join hands with Qedeli Community to promote social inclusion, independent living, and empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the Sighnaghi municipality through the implementation of a personal assistant service. “The Community hosted the gathering with the representatives of Signagi as well as other municipalities from the Kakheti region to share best practices of personal assistant service. It will help to ensure PWDs in the area are able to exercise their rights and equal opportunities as everyone else. Qedeli is a dynamic, life-sharing community for adults with disabilities in Georgia that has been striving for more than two decades to overcome the stigmatization of PWDs and promote their social inclusion”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Social Justice Center shares the article: Georgia's Foreign Policy: The Causes and Impacts of Changes. "This article combines the opinions and views presented by experts. How would you characterize the foreign policy of Georgia during the last period of Georgian Dream rule? Especially in the last year, after the war in Ukraine? “On the one hand, the authorities point that they join dozens of international resolutions or statements in support of Ukraine, and, on the other hand, Georgia's compliance with EU foreign and security policy decisions has dropped from an already low 44% to 31% in 2022.[1] In 2022, Georgia supported only 3 out of 26 EU declarations on sanctions against Russia.[2]  The resumption of direct flights with Russia further reduced this compliance level, which is a direct blow to Georgia's EU integration process.[3] It is clear that the "declared" policy of Georgian government vis-à-vis the EU integration remains only on paper, that too in expired strategic documents”. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. Join us at Expo Georgia on 6 May to listen to inspiring speeches of well-known Georgians sharing their views and experiences about Europe. Check out the video below to listen to our two hosts, Tako Kvelidze and Dato Gorgiladze, share a few ideas about Europe and Georgia. Join our event and keep updated… Find out more about Europe Day… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Kyrgyzstan. On April 10, 2023, the Georgian Center for Strategy and Development (GCSD) and the American University of Central Asia signed a memorandum of understanding in Bishkek. The purpose of this MOU is to provide a framework of cooperation and facilitate collaboration to promote innovative and participatory approaches to implementing joint projects, virtual internships, fellowships, trainings and events, as well as to establish new networks. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. With the support of USAID, an Easter Fair is taking place at City Mall Saburtalo featuring a wide range of Easter decorations made by small enterprises. If you want to discover and purchase beautiful handmade accessories made in different regions of Georgia, then join us at City Mall (Address: P. Kavtaradze #1, the first floor). Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. On 13 March 2023, the Venice Commission published an interim opinion on the draft law on de-oligarchization. The document assesses the risks stemming from the draft law and suggests potential alternative ways to eliminate the excessive influence of vested interests in economic, political and public life. Taking into account the conclusion of the Venice Commission, TI Georgia considers that the government should achieve the goal of de-oligarchization not by adopting a single special law, but rather by strengthening state institutions and implementing fundamental sectoral reforms. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Samtskhe-Javakheti. The locals in Akhaltsikhe are demanding the construction of roads and drainage channels in Koriani area. “The current road conditions are hazardous during bad weather, and the improvement of the infrastructure is a crucial necessity for the residents. Moreover, other Vale residents also need to travel through this section to access their arable land”. TI Georgia urges the Akhaltsikhe Municipality Mayor's Office to address the request promptly and meet the demand of the locals. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Adjara. On March 29, 2023, the Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, visited the arbitrarily built “dream town” in the city of Batumi and learned about the situation of its inhabitants. “The homeless citizens of Georgia, resettled from the mountainous Adjara region, have been living in the conditions of faulty water supply, sewage and electricity systems for more than 10 years. Due to the lack of road infrastructure, it is also difficult for children to get pre-school and secondary education”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. PHR needs the help of friends. “The organization is asking for your help in covering our utilities and office rent for the current month (March 2023) so that we can continue to operate and not face the threat of office closure. Specifically, we will cover the following costs: Electricity, natural gas, GWP, cleaning, internet, phone, and Georgian post service”. The total amount is 927.10 (nine hundred and twenty-seven lari.  JSC „TBC Bank“, Account number: #GE88TB7589036080100003 Partnership for Human Rights. In subject write donation. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. “Rights Georgia” has launched Stateless.ge, a new Statelessness Portal. https://stateless.ge/en Persons who live in Georgia but do not possess citizenship of any country will be able to get comprehensive information about their rights and important public services through the special web portal - Stateless.ge. The Statelessness Portal was created by “Rights Georgia” with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).  Read more… Source: stateless.ge