EU and UNDP Georgia releases research on Georgian perceptions of Alternative Dispute Resolution. See some of the findings below or check it out here... Source: EU’s Page in the social network

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 Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies releases a publication, which, on the basis of a review of examples, reveals how Russia uses hacker groups, affiliated with “GRU”, the Main Intelligence Directorate, to carry out the desired policy in European countries. Read more… Source: www.gfsis.org

Tbilisi. On October 19 and 20, the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) submitted written opinions to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The document contained an evaluation of the state of execution of several decisions and rulings made by the European Court of Human Rights against Georgia. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. The Media Development Foundation (MDF) publishes a study on financial transparency of media that reflects 2019 data. “The report, which is published annually by the Media Development Foundation, deals with revenues declared by the broadcast media as required by law, on the one hand, while on the other hand, with the practice of allocation of budgetary funds within media aiming at disseminating advertisements”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: mdfgeorgia.ge

Tbilisi. The President of the Georgia Red Cross Society Natia Loladze and the Secretary General Nino Osepaishvili had a meeting with the Director General of the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) Amiran Gamkrelidze. The parties discussed the COVID-19 response activities of the GRCS, also reviewed the various actions taken by the National Society during the pandemic. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. Civil society organizations are responding to the extremely complicated epidemiological situation in the country. The organizations evaluate the existing situation and call on the state to make decisions related to combating COVID-19 as transparently as possible. CSOs consider that it is necessary to inform population about plans the state has in case the situation develops at different scenarios. “We would like to express our heartfelt sorrow in regard to significant increase in the number of infections and deaths caused by COVID-19 in Georgia. It seems the state finds it further more difficult to deal with the crisis along with the increasing number of infected people”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia publishes a report: Corruption and anti-corruption policy in Georgia: 2016-2020 years. “The report contains a review the current situation in terms of corruption and anti-corruption policy in Georgia in 2016-2020 years. The document focuses on the following issues: corruption indicators; anti-corruption policy documents, legislation and implementation; fulfillment of international anti-corruption commitments; possible cases of high-level corruption and political corruption”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes an article: Muslim women from highland Adjara: Part II – confronting daily life. “This article is the second part of a study conducted to survey life of Muslim women in Adjara. The first part contained description of importance of Islam for Adjara Muslim women and various ways of expressing their agency. The main focus of the second part of the article is to start both conversation about political-economic aspects of Adjara and description of a multi-layer life of women”, - 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 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

Tbilisi. On October 19, 2020, Nino Lomjaria, Public Defender of Georgia, met with Tamar Zhvania, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission, and received information about the tasks of the Commission, as well as the expected obstacles. The readiness of the Central Election Commission to hold fair, equitable and free elections was also the topic of discussion. The Public Defender showed particular interest in the protection of the voting rights of hospitalized, quarantined and self-isolated citizens. The parties also talked about the rights of persons with disabilities and the adjustment of the election environment to them. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy publishes a document, which contains a review of the Minsk crisis in the context of regional geopolitical dynamics, EU response activities and Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative, as well as its impact on Georgia. Besides, it emphasizes interests of the European Union, EaP countries and Russia in the current situation in Belarus. Furthermore, it also contains an overview of possible scenarios for future developments. Read more… Source: isfed.ge

Tbilisi. Civil society organizations respond to the aggravated epidemic situation in the Tskhinvali region and call on the Government of Georgia to intensify negotiations with the de facto Tskhinvali regime immediately, as well as to use international political mechanisms in order to restore freedom of movement in a timely manner and increase access to medical services. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

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

Tbilisi. On October 14, 2020, Freedom House published an annual report on Internet freedom around the world. In 2020, Georgia obtained a score of 76 out of 100 and was assessed as “Free” in terms of Internet freedom. The country’s score improved by 1 point compared to 2019. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) publishes the analysis: World Governance Indicators - Georgia according to the World Bank 2020 estimate. Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) constitute a research database based on over 30 data sources reflecting the views and evaluations stemming from citizens, entrepreneurs, and experts. The purpose of this analytical document is to introduce Georgia’s rankings to the public, detect strong and weak sides of Georgia’s development, highlight achieved progress and compare Georgia’s results with those of European countries. Georgia obtained the highest assessment in World Governance Indicators in 2013-2014. Prior to this date, indicators demonstrated the steady and rapid development of Georgia. During this period especially noticeable was Georgia’s progress in the areas of Rule of Law and Control of Corruption. According to the World Governance Indicators, the pace of the county’s development significantly slowed down since 2014. According to the latest assessment of the World Bank, Georgia has advanced in the area of Government Effectiveness, however, regress was detected in all of the rest five directions. In addition, Georgia was able to return to 2014 results in 2018 in the area of control of corruption and in 2019 its score reduced again. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes a critical analysis of activities of the State Agency for Religious Issues. “As it turned out later, even people directly involved in the establishment of the Agency for Religious Issues had various opinions in regard to its activities and functions. For some of them, the agency was a mechanism for ensuring religious freedom, as well as flexible, transparent and democratic relationship between the state and religious associations in the country, however, within the process of its operation it became clear that control over activities of the agency appeared in the hands of the State Security Service of Georgia”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) publishes a document, which represents a comparative legal analysis of experiences of legislative bodies of 12 EU member states and that of the Parliament of Georgia. “A group of researchers revealed more than 60 shortcomings identified in both norms and their implementation processes, and provided the same number of specific recommendations for resolving them. Within the framework of the study, there have been examined interpellation, questions of members of the Parliament, government hour, reports of the Prime Minister and ministers, trust group, trust-distrust mechanism, impeachment, committee control, thematic investigation, temporary and temporary investigative commissions, working group, as well as functions of state security, intelligence and special state protection services and norms governing appointment of their superiors to their positions”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) publishes a document: Rights and responsibilities of local self-government bodies and public servants during the pre-election campaign - 2020. Read more… Source: isfed.ge

Tbilisi. The amendments to the Law of Georgia on Information Security initiated in October 2019 became the subject of criticism of the representatives of civil society, private sector as well as the experts in the field. IDFI was actively involved in the process of reviewing the bill and examining the risks associated with the amendments. “Back in November of last year, IDFI published considerations associated with the bill. Due to the disagreements with stakeholders on principal issues, the adoption of legislative amendments was first delayed in June 2020. The draft law was returned to the mode of the second reading from the stage of the final hearing. Significantly modified version of the draft amendments was resubmitted to the Parliament and carried through the second reading stage in September 2020. It should be noted that the draft amendments were introduced to the Parliament in the mode of the third reading in frames of the Plenary sittings of September 15-18, however, the amendments were not proposed for voting. Voting on the draft law was also planned through the last plenary sitting of the Parliament of the 9th convocation on September 30, though the draft law of the initiated and discussed amendments was not put to the vote by the Parliament even within the frames of the conclusive plenary sitting”. IDFI states that, given the challenges of the Draft Amendments to the Law of Georgia on Information Security, it is necessary for the Parliament of the 10th convocation to consider the possibility of developing a new version of the amendments. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

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. In September 2020 in the frames of COVID-19 response activities GRCS with the USAID support GRCS H&C staff members conducted online training on “Home Based Care for person with COVID-19 or its symptoms COVID-19” for staff and volunteers of 33 GRCS branches. Aim of the training was to introduce the new module developed on the basis of country protocols and international recommendations by the GRCS H&C team to and to raise knowledge on Home Based Care in case of COVID-19 of the GRCS staff and volunteers. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network