Adjara. On September 19 the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) held Workshop about the Open Government Partnership (OGP) for journalists working in Batumi. The meeting, which was led by George Kldiashvili, the director and co-chairman of the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), was held in the Civic Engagement Center.The meeting participants were informed about the general partnership, the obligations already realized in the action plan and the new ones as well. For the full text… Source: ogpgeoblog.wordpress.com 

Samtskhe-Javakheti. On September 20-21 Charity Humanitarian Centre "Abkhazia” held trainings in Borjomi; they were attended by representatives of municipal governments of Kareli, Marneuli, Tskaltubo, Terjola, Zestaponi, Vani, Senaki and representatives of municipality of Gori.The topic of the training was "The Role Local Self-Government in Development of Partnerships”. The training participants were informed about legal issues, self-governmental role and housing infrastructure development issues. Invited experts sheared experience of successful partnerships of Georgia and Slovakia. The training was held within the framework of the project "Creature and Development of House Owners Partnerships”. The project is funded by USAID Georgia/NEO.    

Tbilisi. CSOs have released a statement. "We would like to echo the lopping of trees on the Freedom Square, which is presumably linked to the planned construction as part of the "Tbilisi Panorama" project.Vegetation, and especially large trees are of crucial importance for ensuring healthy living environment in the city. Apart from the visual aspect, trees reduce concentration of harmful substances and particles in the air, and during the summer months - temperature in the adjacent territories. Trees carry the rain and torrent deterrent functions as well. All of this is especially important in Tbilisi, where the summer months are extremely hot, while the air pollution indicator - high. ... We urge the Tbilisi City Hall to terminate or minimize tree lopping in the city and carry out the formation of trees only in line with relevant modern standards approved by the respective normative act", says the statement. For the full text. Source: transparency.ge

Adjara. One-day Media Conference 2014 was organized by the "Open Society - Georgia" Foundation and the Charter of Journalistic Ethics on September 20.Regional media representatives have discussed problems and challenges that regional broadcasters, press and online media face today. Second part of the conference was dedicated to switchover to digital broadcasting, current situation and the future prospects.In the final part the publications and training projects developed with support of the "Open Society - Georgia" Foundation were presented. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The "Georgian Young Constitutionalists' Association" has released a statement. "Following the constitutional reform of 2010, it is obvious that the President of Georgia is no longer the subject of executive authorities. His role in the formation of the Government is absolutely formal. The President no longer carries out or implements domestic and foreign policies. The Constitution identifies the Government as the supreme body of the executive branch. The latter is authorized to carry out the domestic and foreign policies.... We believe that the opinions expressed in relation to the current semi-presidential republic model of governance are not justified and are not consistent with key features of the latter. By taking into account the distribution of functions between the Government and the President, current model must be considered as the very parliamentary model", says the statement. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. For promotion of tolerance culture inculcation Media Development Fund (MDF) organized a journalism prize for ethical reporting of diversity issues. The prize will be annually awarded to media resources, journalists and bloggers. On September 19 this year prize winners were named at the joint event of Media Development Fund and UN Association. For the full text… Source: media.ge      

Kakheti. "Strategic Research and Development Center of Georgia” held 5-day training on "Business Plan for Social Enterprises” in the village Duisi, Pankisi Kheoba. The training was organized by "Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund” and it was aimed to give necessary knowledge to people interested in establishment of social enterprises providing social services. Source: The organization’s page in the social network.

Tbilisi. To enhance the quality of professional education in Georgia, the Millennium Challenge Corporation is investing 16 million USD. The Millennium Challenge Account Georgia is launching the project "Professional Education for Economic Development" in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science. It is planned to allocate 16 million USD to support professional education in the engineering, natural science and technological fields. For the full text. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Kakheti. CHCA’s new Peace Corps volunteer, Sara Feldman, took a trip to Telavi with Thea Kacharava, Program Manager for CHCA’s Small Group Homes, supported by the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia. Sara and Thea visited two homes and met with caregivers, children and parents. Source: the organization's page in the social network

Adjara. On September 21 the Council of the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics has completed examining the case – Medea Vasadze vs. Jaba Ananidze and Irma Zoidze. The case concerned the investigative film "With the Highest Comfort". According to the Council's decision, "the author and the producer have breached the Charter's first principle in several episodes, while they have not violated the third, fourth and eleventh principles". For the full text. Source: qartia.org.ge

On September 22 Civil Society Institute starts regional tour. At the meetings, which will be held by the representatives of the organization in six cities of Georgia, the new Georgian Distance Learning Portal www.e-learning.gewill be represented, which offers new opportunities for self-development and professional growth. Presentation of a book – "Civil Society – Publicism, Essays” will be also held. Schedule of the meetings: September 22, 13:00 – Gori, Center for Civic Engagement; September 23, 13:00 – Akhaltsikhe, Center for Civic Engagement; September 24, 13:00 – Kutaisi, Center for Civic Engagement; September 25, 13:00 – Zugdidi, Center for Civic Engagement; September 26, 13:00 – Batumi, Center for Civic Engagement; September 29, 13:00 – Ozurgeti, Center for Civic Engagement. 

Tbilisi. Non-governmental organizations broadcast a statement. "Georgian people witnessed the recent conflict between the two branches of the government. The confrontation between the president and the government got even worse after criticism of the President by the former Prime Minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili. In the issue, the government and the parliamentary majority started active criticism of the President, made ​​offensive statements and, in some cases, total neglect of the President’s Institute took place… We call on the Georgian government and the ruling coalition, that people we would not allow a repetition of the experience of not-so-far past, when all branches of government were controlled by a small group of people and speaking in one voice. In such a setting different governmental bodies are deprived for decision-making opportunity and their work has a formal nature, in fact. Georgian government should remember that without establishing informal governance of the country and structuring democratic institutions Georgia will never become a member of the Euro-Atlantic family, which is a will of a great majority of the Georgian citizens”, said in the statement.  For the full text Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Institute for Development of Freedom of Information publicized various kind of public information submitted by self-governmental bodies of Kvemo Kartli region to IDFI.The published information concerns quantities of bonuses, expenses, emergency purchases, replaced vehicles and so on provided in the city hall/municipalities in Kvemo Kartli region in 2013. For the full text…    Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. On September 19 the Civil Society Institute held a working meeting within the framework of the project – "Promotion of Applied Research for Georgian Regional Development”. The aim of the event was a presentation of Regional Development Program: introduction of basic goals, directions and competition conditions to the audience; discussion about the first stage topics of the program: representation of aims of competition topics and introduction of expectations of the project governing council; determination of the second stage potential topics of the program and offering them to the project governing council; support to collaboration of analytic organizations working in a regional development field. The meeting was attended by representatives of Public Organizations, the field experts, representatives of EU and regional development and infrastructure as well as education and science; representatives of the Office of the State Minister of Georgia on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. For the full text about the Project…

Imereti. A representative of Kutaisi Bureau of Information Center on NATO and EU met children’s’ department employees of Kutaisi Scientific Library and library readers. At the meeting they talked about Georgian integration issues in European and Euro-Atlantic structures. At the end of the meeting the newest literature on NATO and EU was put in the library. Source: The organization’s page in the social network  

Samegrelo - Zemo Svaneti. On September 18, 2014 the Public Defender’s Office of Georgia with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation  and in partnership with non-governmental organizations of Zemo Svaneti held a conference "KhudonHes: Human Rights and involvement of citizens in decision-making process”. Among issued discussed at the conference were: the issue of legitimacy of construction of KhudonHes, legal rights of local residents, their property rights and  right to live in  a safe environment, as well as right of protection and development of their cultural heritage. They have also discussed the KhudonHes project in the prism of security interests of the country and participation and involvement   of citizens in this process as well as decision-making activities. For the full text Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The organization "Young Barristers” broadcast a statement. The organization considers that "the intervention of the parliament member Murman Dumbadze in the executive and legislative authorities of the Adjara region is a violation of constitutional principles and indicates that there are the signs of criminal offence in his actions”. For the full text… Source: barristers.ge

Tbilisi. On September 18 the European Center for Minority Issues (ECMI) in cooperation with the Public Defender's Office held a seminar for the National Minority Council. Seminar was held on three main goals: providing National Minority Council members with more information on the European integration process of Georgia; raising awareness of the process of European integration for national minorities on specific positive factors; introduction of the activities of Georgian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and registration capabilities in it.   

Tbilisi. NGOs issued a statement regarding postponement of effective date of jury. "We believe that the Parliament should thoroughly study the issue of postponement of jury and require from the executive government to present a concrete plan for complete enactment of the mentioned initiative”. For the full text… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. On September 18, in the conference hall of Human Rights House Tbilisi, NGOs – Human Rights Center, "Article 42 of Constitution”, "Transparency InternationalGeorgia” and "Public Ombudsman” held a press conference regarding illegal firing of patrol policeman, Joseb Abuladze. Non-governmental organizations request "the Chief Prosecutor to start objective investigation of illegal actions carried out by Senior officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, study the case of firing Joseb Abuladze and give relevant respond against pressure and persecution carried out towards him”. For the full text… Source: humanrights.ge

Tbilisi. Three mobile teams, 4 day care and overnight centres have already become operational in Tbilisi to address the needs of hundreds of children working and living on the streets. The services are part of the two year project beingimplemented by the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs in partnership with UNICEF and funded by European Union.  The initiative has established services and mechanisms that identify children living and working on the streets, offer them immediate support and protection and work with them and their families with the ultimate goal of integrating them into existing social and child protection services. The initiative also involves the Ministry of Education and Science, Ministries of Justice, Internal Affairs, Finance, and the Tbilisi Municipality. The NGOs World Vision, Caritas Georgia and Child and Environment are providing the children with appropriate, individually tailored services. For the full text Source: unicef.ge

Tbilisi. Public Defender released a statement regarding deaths of convicts D.A. and N.S. in Penitentiary Establishment N17. "The Public Defender believes that death of three inmates in three days (On September 16 link) clearly indicates a problem existing in the penitentiary system with regards to protection of life, health and safety.   It is necessary to review work practice of workers of penitentiary establishments. Workers of the penitentiary department and medical personnel should pay better attention to requests and complaints of inmates, timely identify risk factors and take appropriate measures. It is necessary to strengthen coordinated work of security and regime workers, social workers, psychologists, and other medical staff of a penitentiary establishment to prevent facts of suicide". For the full text  Source: ombudsman.ge