Tbilisi. Organizations united under the "No to Phobia" civil platform have released a joint statement, in which they have responded to the comments made by the Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani in the news program "Qronika" aired by TV company "Imedi". For the full text... Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. As part of the School of Tolerance, the book house "Ligamus" of the Ilia State University has hosted bishop Malkhaz Songhulashvili's public lecture on Religion and the Tolerance Culture. A cycle of public lectures as part of the School of Tolerance is a new project, implemented by the Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI) together with the Ilia State University with support from the Dutch Embassy. The organization offers a video recording of the lecture. The lecture (geo)...     Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has released a statement, in which it "condemns beating of press photographer Irakli Gedenidze at the rally called "Slap in the Face" held on the Square of Roses in Tbilisi on 4 March 2015, crushing his photo camera, and obstructing journalist's professional activities". GYLA states that the state is obligated to secure the safety of journalists, and to effectively investigate offences committed against journalists. For the full text. Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. A volunteering exhibition will be held on March7 in the "Courtyard Marriott" Hotel, organized by CSO "Helping Hand". At the volunteering exhibition interested persons can get familiar with activities of up to 40 organizations. For the full text... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has released a blog "Must Carry objectives should not be ignored in the dispute between Palitra TV and Magticom". According to the organization, for over a year "Magticom" refuses to include "Palitra TV" in the consumer package of Magtisat's broadcasting channel. Numerous negotiations between the parties have failed. Dispute between the companies was heard by the National Communications Commission as well as by the Tbilisi City Court. For the full text. Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The project "More Rights to Women for Better Local Self-Government" was presented on March 4, which will focus on female members of eight local city councils and will attempt to support their initiatives aimed at resolving local problems. Further, the project will also assist other politically active women in solving the self-government related issues in these municipalities. At the year's end the International Republican Institute will organize a summary conference and present project results. The project is funded by the US Agency for International Development. Source: web page of the US Embassy in the social network.

Tbilisi. Young Barristers have commented on the creation of department for investigation into crimes committed throughout judicial process by the state. In their opinion, all of this "will expedite the process of restoring justice. In the meantime, the society must show special responsibility towards the process, which on one hand is of great public interest, and on the other hand should not be detrimental to the state interests", they state. For the full text... Source: barristers.ge

Tbilisi. As part of the joint project "Open Platform" of GIPA and "Frontline Georgia", the program "Personal life, media and public interest" was produced. The topic is discussed by the Personal Data Protection Inspector Tamar Kaldani. The interview... Source: the club's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. At the initiative of the Women's Movement, rally-marches will be held on March 8 in 25 cities of Georgia for protection of the women's rights. "We are 53% of the Georgian population, but represent only 12% of the Parliament. Only two of 59 local governors are women. None of the country's mayors or Governors are women. A woman's voice cannot be heard today in Georgia. Country's independence has been restored for 25 years now, but we have not reached progress in terms of women's political participation. Our rights are violated as previously. Murders of women in 2014 have shown that even our right to life is not protected in Georgia", the Movement's web page states. For the full text... Source: the Movement's web page in the social network.

Imereti. GYLA's Kutaisi Branch has a new head. The branch will be headed by Giorgi Santuriani, who has replaced on this position Giorgi Chikaberidze. Santuriani, who is the lawyer at GYLA's Kutaisi Branch, will serve as the Branch's Chair for one year. Source: web page of GYLA's Kutaisi Branch in the social network.

Tbilisi. The Children and Youth Development Fund has announced the first grant competition of 2015 on March4. Given the Fund's experience and pursuant to the state strategy on the youth policy, 4 priority areas were announced in 2015: promoting employment and informal education, healthy lifestyle and grassroots sports, facilitating increased civil participation, and supporting innovations and technological inventions. For the full text. Source: the Fund's web page.

Tbilisi. "Transparency International – Georgia" has organized a public meeting on March 2, which has hosted persons who believe they had been treated unfairly or unlawfully throughout the contests or certifications announced for vacant positions in the local self-government authorities since 1 September 2014. At the public meeting citizens have expressed their opinions over the process of contests and certifications. "Transparency International – Georgia" offers to fill in an online questionnaire, where you can describe violations that had affected you during the certification or participation in the contest. The questionnaire: Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. "Liberal" has organized a discussion "the Facade of Inclusive Education", where the participants have discussed inclusive education and its quality in the public schools. "Liberal" has posted a video recording of this discussion on the web page and interested persons can get familiar with it. The discussion... Source: web page of "Liberal".

Kakheti. At the initiative of the Civic Engagement Center, a public discussion was organized in Telavi on March 2 on the "Social media and local leaders". The meeting aimed to rethink the importance of social media among public in identifying local leaders and achieving their success. At the meeting young bloggers have shared their experience with the audience and discussed the role of social media in the society: "At the meeting we have discussed the importance of social media, what is a blog, how should it be created and managed. Further, we have discussed various social networks and bloggers. We have informed the audience about ways of becoming successful leaders by blogging", blogger RatiTegerashvili has stated. The coordination team of the Civic Engagement Center has informed the meeting participants and the audience about the bloggers' contest announced by the "Media Development Fund", titled "Women for Changes".

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has released another podcast of parliamentary news. The edition includes the following topics: abandonment of parliamentary positions by members of the Free Democrats team; failure to hold the extraordinary session of the Parliament due to lack of quorum; issues related to agricultural ownership, and discussions in the parliamentary committees over Nino Gvenetadze's nomination for the Supreme Court Chair. Podcast of parliamentary news... Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has released a new blog: "New Department of the Prosecutor's Office: Specifics and Case Selection Criteria are Required". It discusses the establishment of department for investigation into crimes committed throughout the judicial process – the new structural unit of the Chief Prosecutor's Office of Georgia set up under the Decree of the Government of Georgia. For the full text... Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. As "Liberal's" journalist reports, the Tbilisi Appellate Court has rejected a lawsuit of the company RMG GOLD, the Agency for Cultural Heritage, and the Government of Georgia. They were challenging the decision of the City Court, which has partially granted a lawsuit by "Green Alternative" and individual citizen Davit Sakhvadze. For the full text (geo)... Source: liberali.ge

Tbilisi. The Heinrich Boll Foundation has released a publication "Heinrich Boll in Georgia: Western Tramp and Eastern Dissident: Nonconformist Bridge", which describes Boll's two visits to the South Caucasus. He "has visited the South Caucasus in 1966 and 1972 and returned home both times full of strong impressions and excited". For the full text (geo)... Source: web page of the Boll Foundation in the social network.

Kakheti. The Telavi Civic Engagement Center has hosted a public meeting at the initiative of the "Georgian Young Lawyers' Association". The event focused mainly on discussion of social programs funded under the local budget in 2015. According to the Head of GYLA'sTelavi Office, MarekhMgaloblishvili, the society must be actively engaged in the self-government activities and the Telavi population must be informed about social programs to be implemented in the Municipality. Representatives of the Telavi City Hall and community, members of human rights organizations and initiative groups, and interested citizens have attended the meeting.

Tbilisi. CSO "Young Barristers" has commented on planned amendments to the Criminal Code of Georgia, which "deprives the right to try criminal cases of high officials by jury trials", and has qualified the legislative initiative as a necessary amendment. For the full text (geo)... Source: barristers.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has released Giorgi Topuria's blog "Catering and accommodation service expenses borne by state agencies in 2013-2014 exceed 20 million USD". For the full text... Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. As part of the civil activism platform, the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center has posted Bakar Berekashvili's lecture "Social movements, ideological discourses and politics in the European societies: comparative approach". The lecture (geo)....        Source: the Center's web page in the social network.