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

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes an assessment of social policy in pre-election visions of parties. “Despite the fact that labor rights are massively violated in Georgia, it can be said that this issue is not considered as a problem in pre-election programs of most political parties and, respectively, no promise or vision is proposed to voters to resolve it”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Adjara. During the #COVID19 outbreak the volunteers of the #GRCS Batumi branch continue to distribute parcels of basic necessities to the vulnerable community in Batumi: The socially vulnerable, single older people aged 70 and over; The older people, who live only with persons with the special needs (people with disabilities); The retirees, who live alone and need home care assistance; The retirees, who are socially vulnerable and have special needs (people with disabilities). Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Adjara. During the #COVID19 outbreak the volunteers of the #GRCS Batumi branch distributed parcels of basic necessities to the vulnerable community in Batumi: The socially vulnerable, single older people aged 70 and over; The older people, who live only with persons with the special needs (people with disabilities); The retirees, who live alone and need home care assistance; The retirees, who are socially vulnerable and have special needs (people with disabilities). Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Shida Kartli. Volunteers from the Gori Center for Civic Engagement, operating under the “Welfare and Development Center”, visited an extremely poor family of Pavliashvili living in the mountainous village of Biisi. “We brought the family various household items, as well as books and different educational goods, which made the girls very happy”. Read more… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Imereti. During the week dedicated to the International Day of Older Persons, members of the home care team of the Georgia Red Cross Society Samtredia branch delivered food and hygiene parcels to the older people. Along with the congratulations, the beneficiaries were provided with COVID-19-related information and recommendation leaflets. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. The Civil Society Institute has published a guide for social enterprises and non-entrepreneurial legal entities.  Legislative acts of Georgia do not recognize such terms as a social enterprise and social entrepreneurship, however, there are entities that operate in Georgia and carry out social entrepreneurship. Interested people have the opportunity to carry out social entrepreneurship both via setting up a legal entity under private law and taking into account an established international experience. A social enterprise refers to those legal entities under private law that are functionally considered to be social enterprises and economic activities of which imply primarily the achievement of social goals. According to the legislation of Georgia, civil society organizations, which are meant to be non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entities, along with their main activity are authorized to perform any activity that is not prohibited by law, including an ancillary entrepreneurial activity. As a matter of fact, an ancillary entrepreneurial activity may or may not be that of a social entrepreneurial nature. This guide is intended for both social entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entities.  The guide covers issues related to legal management, financial accounting-accountability, and tax administration of legal entities under private law.  The guide is developed by the Civil Society Institute (authors: Levan Paniashvili, Chief Lawyer of the Institute, Davit Tivishvili, Financial Manager of the Institute) in collaboration with Social Enterprise Alliance and with the support of the International Center for Non-for-Profit Law (ICNL). Guide... 

Adjara. The Georgia Red Cross Society Batumi branch delivered food and hygiene parcels to the charity house “Savane”. The Georgia Red Cross Society provides the community with the support of the USAID - US Agency for International Development and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. Caritas Georgia presents the report “Needs of Vulnerable Groups and Social Care, which is based on first-hand information provided by our beneficiaries.  The goal of the report is to work and invite the attention of all actors in the sphere of social care and protection in Georgia to the systematic problems that people living in poverty have.  Read more…  Source: The page in the social network

Tbilisi. Fair Labor Platform releases a statement in regard to death of two and injury of one electricians, employed at JSC “Georgian Railway”, during dismantling of a high voltage transmission line support structure on September 17 in the city of Kutaisi. “The issue of working conditions of those employed at high-risk work places is still problematic and acute in the country. Despite certain changes made at the legislative level, the state is still unable to create fair and safe working conditions for those employed at high-risk work places. Work of people employed at such facilities is extremely vulnerable and dangerous for both their life and health”, - is noted in the statement. Read more… Source:www.gyla.ge

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

Guria. On September 10, during her visit in Guria region, the Ambassador Kelly C. Degnan visited the USAID-supported Ozurgeti Youth Center and met with young leaders of the program.  “During the meeting, PITA’s youth center members presented a brief presentation about the Youth Center activities (including youth engagement to prevent COVID-19), followed by a Q&A session. The Ambassador and young leaders discussed diverse issues, including challenges country is facing (unemployment, education, migration, regional development, etc.), European integration, counteracting malign Kremlin influence, youth cooperation with local government, political processes and elections, and the impact of the PITA program on young people”. Read more… Source: The organization’s web 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. With USAID/PROLoG's support, Georgian Trade Unions Confederation prepared e-bulletin and banners about COVID-19 influence on employment in the framework of the project "Legal Aid for Protection of Workers Affected by COVID-19 Pandemic." Read the bulletin... Source: The organization’s page in a Social network

With the support of USAID, the Georgia Red Cross Society delivered 270 food and 270 hygiene parcels to the local people of Mestia. In order to reduce the risk of infection, the locals were informed about hygiene rules and preventive measures as well. This humanitarian aid is intended for older people aged 70 or over, who live alone. The Georgia Red Cross Society has already distributed more than 100,000 parcels of basic necessities throughout the country. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

In partnership with the Georgia Red Cross Society and the UNFPA Georgia a socio-economic response to the COVID-19 challenges has been launched.  The project is being implemented in 4 target municipalities of Georgia. With the significant support from the UNFPA at this stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Georgia Red Cross Society will distribute food and hygiene parcels to vulnerable single older people over 60 years of age.  Read more…  Source: The page in the social network

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia responded to the rights situation of internally displaced persons and addressed LEPL Agency ofIDPs,Eco-migrants and LivelihoodProvision with a proposal relating to the restoration of IDPs’ rights violated by the restrictions imposed against the spread of novel coronavirus in the country. The document refers to the infrastructure malfunction of IDPs’ former compact settlement facilities and socio-economic problems of internally displaced persons, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Read more  Source: The web-page of the organization

Down Syndrome International has developed new guidelines for specialists to educate learners with Down syndrome. Information in this regard is released by Georgian Down Syndrome Association. “Our association is a member of the international organization and we are pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to development of guidelines”, - is stated in the information, - “it should be noted that this manual is going to be the first guidebook, created on the basis of international experience, which combines best practices of various countries”. Read more…  Source:The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) responds to a conclusion on a thematic research of the Parliament in regard to issues related to fight against homelessness and calls on the Government to pursue recommendations, set out in the document, as soon as possible. “Taking into consideration difficult situation existing in the country in the field of homelessness, we address the Government of Georgia and municipalities: to pursue recommendations, given within the framework of the thematic survey, as soon as possible and ensure planning and implementation of a housing policy that corresponds to international standards; to take steps, in parallel with implementation of the above recommendations, in order to address the fundamental problems that are essential in terms of guaranteeing the right to housing. This includes improvement of legislation and practice that regulate all stages of eviction and bringing them into compliance with international standards. Besides, effective reflection of interests and challenges of various vulnerable groups in the housing policy. The Parliament of Georgia: to exercise effective supervision over recommendations of the thematic research group to be implemented by the Executive Government”, - is noted in the statement released by EMC. Read more… Source: The website of the organization

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. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) calls on the Government of Georgia and Tbilisi City Hall to take timely and effective measures to make sure students in need are provided with social protection and support, including arrangement of rental and postponement of tuition fees. “A large number of students are involved in hard precarious work in order to meet their basic social needs (rent, tuition fees, food). Under the conditions of the pandemic most of them lost their jobs, which fact obviously puts them at risk of losing housing and failing to pay tuition fees. In this regard, special attention should be paid to students from Abkhazeti and Tskhinvali regions, as well as to those from regions, cities and villages of which are isolated due to the closure of de facto borders and the quarantine regime”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge