Tbilisi. CSOs have released a joint statement on facts of alleged pressure on Ramin Mamedov and his family members. For the full text... Source: gyla.ge

Adjara. CSO "Borjghali" has presented on April 8 a new project – "Guide to Legends" for the students of the Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University and the Batumi State Marine Academy. The project aims to search for and systematize samples of orally transmitted folklore surviving in the Adjara Region (myths and legends), as an extremely important part of the Georgian cultural heritage, to raise youth awareness on folklore, promote the development of the new area in the tourist sector of the Adjara Region - "Cultural Tourism", expand geographic area of tourism, and to promote Georgian folklore culture among foreign visitors.

Shida Kartli. As part of the "Future Generation" Program, CSO "Biliki" has hosted on 4-5 April 2015 trainings for the Shida Kartli Civic Club leaders on: "Active citizenship, initiatives, responsibility" and "From idea to project". Trainings aimed to teach the participants the importance of showing initiatives and taking responsibility in the school life, and to help them comprehend the functions and role of schoolchildren's self-government and the meaning of an active pupil. Civic education program "Future Generation" is implemented by PH International with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). CSO "Biliki" is the the program's partner in the Shida Kartli Region.  

The CSO web portal will resume working after the Easter holidays. We thank users of www.csogeorgia.org.

Tbilisi. Members of the campaign This Affects You have presented an appeal to the Constitutional Court of Georgia, requesting ‘’abolishment of the amendments to secret surveillance legislation adopted by the Georgian Parliament in November 2014’’. For the full texe… source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Caucasian Research Resources Center (CRRC) has released a new blog: "Neighbor Areas and Neighbors in Georgian Villages and Cities". The blog post aims to demonstrate the link between urban and rural residents with neighbors. The blog is based on the opinion poll "Volunteering and Civil Participation in Georgia" conducted by CRRC in 2014, funded by the East-West Management Institute. For the full text (geo)... Source: blog.crrc.ge

Kakheti. At the initiative of CSO "Regional Development Center", pending cultural projects in the municipality were discussed in Sighnaghi. CSO representatives, students and active youngsters have attended the meeting in a dialogue format. Participants have discussed pending cultural projects in the Sighnaghi Municipality and the future plans. This event aims to involve youth in democratic processes, workshops, and to establish examples and forms of citizen participation by implementing the project they had planned.

Adjara. Senior Human Rights Adviser for South Caucasus of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Vladimir Shkolnikov has met with CSO representatives operating in human rights sector on April 7 in Batumi. Meeting participants have discussed current problems and challenges of human rights protection in the region. Third sector representatives have talked about problems in respect of inmates and ways of their solution and optimum means of resolution by the state. Further, CSO representatives have discussed breaches of rights of persons with disabilities and the status of ecological migrants. The meeting aimed to develop a training module and train human rights activists in the future by taking into account the problems identified by CSOs.

Adjara. Office of CSO "Borjghali" has hosted a presentation of program titled "Georgia's Volunteer", aimed at enhancing the volunteering institute and raising civil awareness among the youth through volunteerism. Specially selected volunteers will carry out volunteer work in their cities or municipalities from May through December, by participating in activities planned by the organization. Volunteers will be provided with special T-shirts and equipment. In addition, they will attend a five-day training in Bakuriani. Citizens of 18-25 years of age are eligible to participate in the program, who should register until April 17 on the web page www.mokhalise.ge. A special commission will identify winner volunteers. The program "Georgia's Volunteer" is implemented by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs of Georgia, coordinated in Adjara by CSO "Borjghali".

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has carried out a street opinion poll in relation to the World Health Day, aimed at identifying the extent of citizens' knowledge on the right to health and its protection in Georgia. In connection with this day, GYLA has organized events in three cities – Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Zugdidi – to inform public about their rights in the healthcare sector.     Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. At the initiative of the Women's Movement, a rally was organized on April 6 by the Round Garden in solidarity with families of the Kenyan students, and people fighting for the right to life on the African continent in general. Citizens have gathered in front of the UN office with candles and flowers, to commemorate 148 students killed in Kenya.

Tbilisi. With financial support of the Women's Foundation, representatives of young researchers – "Supporters of Social changes" – have released a study: "Sexual Harassment – Women's "Invisible" Discrimination". "Sexual harassment is a less visible and hardly identifiable form of gender discrimination. Despite its "invisible" nature, sexual harassment is a rather spread social practice infringing upon women's rights and dignity", web page of the Women's Foundation in the social network states. The study... Source: web page of the Women's Foundation in the social network.

Tbilisi. On April 6, the parliamentary committee for Human Rights and Civil Integration has heard the legislative initiative by Transparency International – Georgia, which "aims to criminalize nepotism, cronyism and patronage". In particular, the organization's proposal aims to punish individuals who, in order to give advantage to concrete persons when hiring in the civil service, have deliberately violated competition rules or fit selection criteria to a certain individual. Hearing was adjourned to a next Committee sitting, the organization's web page in the social network states. In parallel with the legislative initiative, the organization is carrying out an online opinion poll on the same issue: "Nepotism in the civil service". The opinion poll... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Shida Kartli. The Gori Civic Engagement Center has hosted a civil session on April 3 concerning – "Situation along the occupation line (South Ossetia) – recent changes". Representatives of CSOs, local authorities, and residents of villages nearby the division line have attended the meeting. The audience was briefed in two sections: journalist of "Radio Liberty", Goga Aptsiauri has talked about negative processes developing along the occupation line, while the head of CSO "Rehabilitation and Development Center – Ergneti", Lia Chlachidze has described recent positive changes. Discussion covered matters of concern such as: drinking and irrigation water problem, expensive firewood heating in winter, progress of gasification, transportation problems, kidnapping of citizens by occupants, etc.

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has released another podcast of parliamentary news, including the following topics: President's annual speech in the Parliament, election of new chairs of four parliamentary committees, participation of the Parliament in the "Open Governance Partnership" initiative, interim investigation commission for probing into developments around the Sakdrisi-Kachaghiani mine. Podcast of parliamentary news... Source: transparency.ge  

Tbilisi. Society and Banks has released an overview of banking sector. According to the organization, in 2014 commercial banks gained a net profit of 475 million GEL, exceeding the 2013 data by 22%. Financial sector is the most developed and growing sector in Georgia. Commercial banks are distinguished in this regard, financial indices of which are increasing annually. For the full text... Source: sab.ge

Tbilisi. The Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information has requested information on negotiations with potential investors and results in 2014 from the Georgian National Investment Agency. According to the documents the Agency has provided, "the Agency's staff hold 70 meetings a month on average with representatives of an investor company, including at business forums, as part of visits, etc. ... As for the volume of investments coming to Georgia as a result of these negotiations, the Agency claims that investors' decisions take certain period of time and therefore the results will be reflected in 2015, while companies, with whom the Agency had negotiated in 2013, have invested in Georgia in 2014. Foreign Direct Investments invested in 2014 through the Agency's direct participation amounted to approximately 91 650 000 USD", the publication states. For the full text... Source: opendata.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender's administration has released a special report on preschool education institutions, describing the rights of children in preschool education institutions. For the full text... Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. CSOs have reacted to the Prime Minister's statement, in which the Government head expressed hope that the Supreme Court Chairwoman would take interest in the case of Rustavi Metallurgical Plant, "whose property was frozen due to 4500 GEL debt. The Prime Minister stated also that the judge considering the case should appear publicly and explain his decision. We hereby note that attacks by the Government head and high political officials on the judges, direct or indirect hints as to undesirable content of decisions, and any other influence over exercise of justice in individual cases is a dangerous precedent for independence of a judicial system. ... We urge the Government head as well as other political officials to respect the principle of independence of judicial authorities, and to refrain from making such statements in the future", the statement says. For the full text... Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Constitutionalists' Association has addressed the State Constitutional Commission with a recommendation concerning Article 28 of the Constitution of Georgia, which sets suffrage of citizens of Georgia. Pursuant to Paragraph 2 of this Article, persons recognized as legally incapable by a court, and persons detained in a penitentiary institution following a court conviction (apart from persons who had committed less grave crimes), cannot participate in elections. The organization believes that "Article 28 of the Constitution should delimit active and passive election rights and should not specify the circle of persons who are not authorized to participate in elections. Limitations should be set in the Criminal Code and the Election Code. The organization has developed a package of amendments to the Criminal Code and the election legislation". For the full text... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. At the initiative of the "Public Front for Animal Preservation", a rally was organized on April 4 advocating for animal protection. Rally participants have protested against new regulations adopted by the Tbilisi City Council, under which the owners are obligated to register domestic animals within 6 months and carry out repeated registration annually. The rally took off from the Rustaveli underground station and ended at the President's residence via the City Council building. For the full text... Source: the organization's page in the social network.

According to GYLA, at the 31 March 2015 session the UN Human Rights Committee has drafted a summary opinion in respect of the Russian Federation. The Committee has adopted summary conclusions based on the report presented by the Russian Federation in the UN on 16 and 17 March and information submitted by CSOs. At the session, the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) and the National Institute for Human Rights (NIHR), in partnership with the Human Rights Priority (HRP), have presented an alternative report. By taking into account the information provided by GYLA and partner organizations, the opinion drafted by the UN in respect of the Russian Federation focuses, among others, on armed conflicts in Ukraine and Georgia. For the full text... Source: gyla.ge