Kvemo-Kartli. Within the frames of the EU-supported EMBRACE Tsalka project, implemented by CENN and partner organizations, the rural festival “Visit Tsalka” took place in Tsalka. The Festival was organized by the CENN, Tsalka LAG, and Georgian Farmers’ Association. The festival aimed at raising awareness about Tsalka Municipality. It gathered young people, local entrepreneurs, government officials, organizers and other guests in Tsalka in one space to exchange their experience and knowledge. Read more…  Source: eu4georgia.eu

Tbilisi. In 2017, Georgia kicked off a fundamental reform effort to diversify rural economies, reduce poverty and make rural areas a better place for entrepreneurship, employment, education, health care, technology and climate action. "The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have been supporting this transformation by helping the country create policy frameworks and by assisting local projects initiated by rural residents. In 2020 and 2021, over 80 rural entrepreneurs joined a GEL9 million (almost US$3 million) grant programme to boost rural entrepreneurship, promote non-agricultural livelihoods and help overcome the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic". Read more… Source: eu4georgia.eu

Kvemo Kartli. 65 entrepreneurs from 8 municipalities of Georgia operating in agriculture and tourism sectors presented their products and services at the "Agrotourism Festival 2021" organized in Ambrolauri with support from the EU, Austria and Sweden. Read more… Source: eeas.europa.eu

Kakheti. USAID/Zrda supported Pankisi Valley Tourism and Development Association in creation of Pankisi Valley Travel Guide. Brochures were created for showcasing the abundance of natural and cultural assets Pankisi and the Kists have to offer. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

To mitigate the socio-economic impact of the COVID induced crisis, USAID/Zrda supported Samvel Margariani and helped his “Family Corner” purchase various hiking and leisure equipment such as home audio system, projector, tents, hammocks, tennis table, portable fridge, GoPro, etc. „USAID/Zrda assisted travel value chain players to adapt their services and working procedures in line with the new Covid-protocols and initiated a subsidiary program encouraging former partner enterprises and individual entrepreneurs. To this end, Zrda allocated a total financing pool of GEL 300,000, shortlisted and awarded 14 entrepreneurs, up to 30,000 Gel per award, to help them retain jobs, commence new tourism activities and stay competitive on the market“. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Through USAID/Zrda support and initiative, a tour guide training program has been established and now takes its last step of the state authorization. Zrda also handed all the requires equipment to the partrer vet colleges. Vocatuonal Education programs last for several months and are aimed to deliver and develop the field specific competencies. The successful graduates will receive state approved certificates.                        Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. The national rugby team of Georgia, the Lelos, will raise awareness on ending violence against women by wearing the UN Women logo on their jerseys as they compete against the reigning World Champion South Africa team on 2 and 9 July. „South Africa’s matches first since they won the Rugby World Cup (RWC) in 2019, the games will also be the first between Georgia and South Africa since they two sides last met in the 2003 RWC. They are also important events in the rugby community after the Covid-19 pandemic restricted activities worldwide, including sporting events“. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. On March 12, the Goal.ge website disseminated information that Georgian NGOs, together with the Public Defender, demanded to disqualify Nikoloz Basilashvili from the Doha tournament. According to sources of Myth Detector, this information is unequivocally false. Read more… Source:www.mythdetector.ge

Tbilisi. On December 10, 2020, Ekaterine Skhiladze, Deputy Public Defender of Georgia, took part in the opening of the "Start to Talk" campaign against sexual harassment and abuse of children in sports.  “In her speech, the Deputy Public Defender spoke about the challenges in the field of child abuse in Georgia, including the prevention and detection of sexual harassment, protection of and assistance to victims of sexual violence. She stressed the importance of similar campaigns for breaking taboos, sharing experiences and knowledge, changing attitudes and timely and effectively responding to abuse of children in sports”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The EU funded project Learn, Exercise, Achieve, Receive, Network for Employment! (LEARN for Employment!) aims at promoting an efficient transition model from education to the labor market largely supporting increased employment, social integration, and decreased poverty and vulnerability levels. “Within the project, 3,240 job seekers will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to apply to jobs in the open labor market; among them, at least 720 beneficiaries will participate in VET, on-the-job training, and internship programs, and a minimum of 50% of them will become employed”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. On November 1, 2020, within the “Georgian Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” project and with the support of the Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC), Caucasus Cycling Network held a cycling competition “Zhinvali XC Adventure 2020” in Dusheti Municipality. The competition aims to promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage volunteering. In order to encourage volunteering, 10 volunteers from Dusheti Municipality were in charge of event management solving organizational issues throughout the competition. “Zhinvali XC Adventure 2020” is one of the winning initiatives of the Contest for Volunteering Initiatives announced by the Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC). The Contest for Volunteering Initiatives is implemented within the ”Georgian Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” project. The contest aims to support the promotion of volunteering, raise awareness of civil society, and increase their participation in civic activities through volunteering. ”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

Mtskheta-Mtianeti. On November 1, 2020, within the “Georgian Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” project and with the support of the Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC), Caucasus Cycling Network held a cycling competition “Zhinvali XC Adventure 2020” in Dusheti Municipality. The competition aims to promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage volunteering. “Zhinvali XC Adventure 2020” is one of the winning initiatives of the Contest for Volunteering Initiatives announced by the Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC). The Contest for Volunteering Initiatives is implemented within the ”Georgian Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” project. The contest aims to support the promotion of volunteering, raise awareness of civil society, and increase their participation in civic activities through volunteering.  ”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

Tbilisi. Is sport linked with politics? Should we separate sport and politics? What connections are there between sport and politics? - These are the issues that the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) touches upon in its publication – “Russian sport and politics”. “Sport and politics are significantly linked to each other in the history of both contemporary and Soviet Russia. If the Soviet Union used sport to assert its superiority over the West and improve the reputation of the Soviet regime on an international level, the contemporary regime of Putin uses sport for several purposes: first of all, Putin associates his image with victory and power through sporting events and relevant propaganda; besides, such large-scale events as the Olympic Games and the World Cup are used by the Putin regime to rebrand its image internationally, on the one hand, while on the other hand, to consolidate Russian people at the time when there are serious socio-economic problems in the country; at the same time, there are influential businessmen from the entourage of Putin, who get actively involved in the sports field, control most of the sports clubs and organizations, and use them to enact various corruption schemes. Consequently, it can be noted that separation of sport from politics is virtually impossible in both contemporary and Soviet Russia. Russia still remains a state where business, crime, sport and politics are closely intertwined with each other”, - is stated in the publication. Read more… Source: The website of the organization

Tbilisi. The South Caucasus Regional Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation publishes an article of Giorgi Rajebashvili: Impact of mass tourism on the Kazbegi region. In the publication you will read about dangers that accompany an arbitrarily and chaotically developed mass/overloaded tourism in the absence of a tourism strategy. Outcomes of this fact can already be observed in the Stepantsminda region. Read more… Source: ge.boell.org

Tbilisi. The marketer collected all grants announced by the United States Agency for International Development in one blog post. Check out the grant competitions and apply in case you get interested. Read more… Source:www. marketer.ge

Samegrelo. Yet another joint initiative of the Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA), Gastronomic Association of Georgia and USAID Zrda – a three-day Gastronomic Tour around Samegrelo took place During September 26-28.  “The starred chefs visited the local restaurants and guesthouses to perform creative culinary classes for the media representatives“.  Read more… Source: Social Network

Tbilisi. The Gender Informational Portal publishes information regarding creators of #SpendYourSummerinGeorgia. “Mariam Gujabidze, Mari Jobava, Nini Mchedlishvili, Nini Nogashvili and Keta Goletiani met each other on a master's degree program. Just a month ago they could not even imagine that they would become organizers of a huge international tourism campaign. In response to ongoing developments and Russian sanctions on tourism, they launched a spontaneous campaign #SPENDYOURSUMMERINGEORGIA. They created a FACEBOOK group with the same name and began inviting their foreign friends to join, urging them, at the same time, to visit Georgia and spend summer there”, - is stated on the website of the portal. Read more… Source: www.ginsc.net

On 15-19 April Rondeli Foundation in partnership with Jaan Tõnissoni Instituut, Estonia organized seminars on tourism development for local entrepreneurs in Pankisi, Akhalkalaki and Khulo. During the seminars Estonian and Georgian experts discussed topics including entrepreneurship and tourism in Georgia, rural tourism, service design and management, projects and funding opportunities (finding partners, project writing, etc.). Additionally, practical exercises and discussions were organized. Read more… Source: The page of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. Part of CSOs respond to the situation around of Georgia -Latvia game at ‘Dinamo’ stadium on September 9, 2018. „Members of society had decided to thank Guram Kashia because of his support to the LGBT community by bringing supportive banners and posters at the stadium. However, most of the LGBT activists were deprived of LGBT symbols by force and were not allowed to take them inside the stadium", - is mentioned in the statement, - „Despite the censorship by the law enforcers, several activists at the stadium were able to take certain attributes inside the stadium secretly. However, as soon as the LGBT activists took out the rainbow flag, the police took it away forcefully. Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia exaggerated their official duties, which resulted in limiting freedom of expression of LGBT activists. This was committed on the discriminatory ground, based on the support to the LGBT community. It should also be noted that according to the MIA representatives, they were guided by the instructions of the Football Federation, which had issued a notice about the prohibition of any symbols at the stadium. However, as the football federation officially explained later, they never set such restrictions”. In full Source: http://www.isfed.ge

Tbilisi. USAID Zrda Activity in Georgia presents ''Meskhuri Tabla'' Samtskhe-Javakheti culinary cookbook and invited the guests to journey through the world of Meskhetian cuisine. USAID Mission Director Peter Wiebler and Head of Georgian National Tourism Administration Giorgi Chogovadze attended the launch of a cookbook. ''Meskhuri Tabla'' culinary cookbook is the first activity initiated by the Samtskhe-Javakheti tourism stakeholder’s working group to become Destination Management Organization (DMO). The cookbook contains 20 ancient, traditional Meskhetian recipes. Development of the book is supported by the USAID Zrda Activity in Georgia and is available in Georgian and English languages. Of note, Georgian Culinary Academy of the Agricultural University voluntarily provided support to Zrda in the process of the book preparation. Read more… Source: The webpage of the organization in a social network

Samegrelo. With the support of the civic council of ''Transparency International Georgia'', 26 residents of the village of Anaklia addressed the Mayor of Zugdidi: local inhabitants requested to build a square at the IDPs settlement, as well as to arrange public toilets in the active touristic zone. At this stage, civic councils of the organization are established in Adjara, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Imereti, which aim at advocating problematic issues with local and central authorities. Read more… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. USAID Zrda and Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti regional administration discuss plans to facilitate the implementation of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti tourism development strategy. ''USAID Zrda and Samegrelo Zemo Svaneti government have been partners for a number of the joint initiatives including Information Tour to Samegrelo for the leading Georgian tour operators; Anaklia Business Festival; capacity building trainings for local hospitality business representatives; participation in ''ITB Berlin'', is noted in the statement. In full… Source: Social page