Adjara. The Young Lawyers’ Association has organized a meeting on March 27 in the Batumi Civic Engagement Center over domestic violence, where focus was made on the causes of violence and the current statistics in Georgia. Further, discussion concerned also the problems in terms of protection of women’s rights and widespread stereotypes that prevent the reduction of facts of domestic violence. Law students, lawyers and representatives of media and CSOs have attended the meeting.

Samegrelo. At the initiative of the "Open Society – Georgia” Foundation and representatives of the Advisory Council of the Ministry of Infrastructure, a meeting was organized in Zugdidi in the office of CSO "Dea” over territorial optimization of Zugdidi. Representatives of these organizations have informed the audience about two versions of territorial optimization plan of Zugdidi along with the positive and negative aspects of each of these plans.Meeting participants have received answers from speakers to all issues of interest to them.The meeting was attended by the representatives of community unions, who have expressed desire to popularize this alternative model in their communities. Further, they will draft the appeal to the Government of Georgia on the formation of the Zugdidi Municipality. Source: the organization’s page in the social network.

Imereti. On March 27 a coordinator of Social Media held a training in Kutaisi for the members of Social Club. Schoolchildren received information on social networks, their use, creation of e-mail, and shooting a video. Source:the organization's page in the social network

Tbilisi. A discussion on the "Kazreti workers’ strike: consequences and prospects” was held on March 27 in the "Frontline Georgia” club. Workers from the Kazreti mine, representative of company RMG Gold, the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Social Issues Beka Natsvlishvili, representative of the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center Lina Ghvinianidze, Head of the United Professional Unions of Georgia Irakli Petriashvili and Nino Gujaraidze from organization Green Alternative have participated in the discussion. Discussion:   Source: Frontline Georgia

Imereti. A training on the social responsibilities of the business was delivered for members of the civic clubs of Tkibuli public schools on March 27 in the Kutaisi Education, Development and Employment Center.Lecturer of the Ilia University, economist Irakli Lekvinadze has led an online-seminar.He has talked about social responsibilities of the business and informed youngsters about the potential and experience of the Georgian business in terms of implementation of social projects. He has also answered the participants’ questions.Online-seminar was organized as part of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Program, which aimed to promote cooperation and communication between the business sector and youth, as well as to secure the involvement and support of businessmen in the solution of problems of the youth. Source: the organization’s page in the social network.

Kakheti. CSO "Regional Development Center” has organized a meeting in the small conference hall of the Telavi Municipality Sakrebulo.Presentation was made at the meeting on the creation of Telavi as an independent self-governing authority and the possibility of formation of one self-governing community in the remaining territory of the Telavi Municipality.Davit Losaberidze, local self-government expert:"Pursuant to Article 151.1 of the Organic Law of Georgia the "Local Self-Government Code”, after drawing the boundaries around territories of the seven new self-governing cities, the self-governing communities must be set up in the remaining territories. As a result of amendments to the Self-Government Code, Telavi will be the only self-governing city in the Kakheti Region. Along with this amendment, 3 new municipalities will be set up in the Telavi territory.”The group of experts offers recommendations to the Governmental Commission.Representatives of CSOs, local authorities and media have attended the meeting.

Imereti. On March 26 training called "Sustainable Forest Management” was held for the members of the social clubs of public schools of Sachkhere. The training was organized by CENN coordinator Maia Kezevadze. Attendees talked about the importance of forest and how to protect it from destruction. Also were discussed problematic law procedures and the ways to solve them. Source:the organization's page in the social network

Samegrelo. Information meetings were held in the villages of the Khobi, Senaki, Abasha and Martvili Municipalities as part of the coalition project "Citizen Participation for Democratic Self-Government”.Meeting participants have discussed the novelties of the Local Self-Government Code and the key issues of citizen participation. Further, the population was informed about the Rural Aid Program and the methodology of advocating the problems.The process of information meetings will continue from the next week. The project is supported by the "Eurasia Partnership Foundation”. Source: the organization’s page in the social network.

Adjara. As part of celebrations of the Women’s History Month, the Association of Elderly Women has organized on March 27 an information meeting in the Education Resource Center of the Kobuleti Municipality, attended by the staff of the Resource Center and teachers of the Kobuleti-based public schools. The seminar aimed to provide information on the gender equality and domestic violence protection, prevention and rehabilitation mechanisms available in the country.The Women’s History Month is being celebrated as part of the project of Association of Elderly Women "Elderly Resource Center” (donor – EU). Source: the organization’s page in the social network.

Shida Kartli. The members of Chemistry-Biology club of Khidistavi school visited expertise laboratories. The schoolchildren visited various microbiological and toxicological laboratories. Specialists explained what kind of researches is held in the laboratories. The project is financed by USAID with the support of UNICEF.  Source:the organization's page in the social network

Tbilisi. The "Young Barristers” demand publishing of the contract between Tbilisi Government and C.T.PARK. "The contract  dated Dcember 7th 2007 between the company and Tbilisi City hall, according to which Tbilisi City Hall leased the company with a right to manage a field of parking in the city until December 31st 2022, is confidential, which infringes a public interest rights and raises questions on possible corruptive deals", says the statement. For the full text Source:barristers.ge

Tbilisi. On March, 27, 2013, the presentation of the research, by the support of the Public Defender of Georgia on Human Rights of Convicts upon Early Conditional Release took place and was attended by the Deputy Minister of Penitentiary, Corrections and Legal Assistance of Georgia Mr. Giga Giorgadze, representatives of International Organizations and NGOs’. For the full text Source:ombudsman.ge

Imereti. Representatives of the Kutaisi Branch of Young Lawyers' Association have organized a round table on March 27 over problems of IDPs. Representatives of the Abkhazian Government and CSOs operating in the Imereti Region have participated in the round table.According to them, throughout the process of accommodation of IDPs priority should be given not to their place of registration but the place of factual residence where they live for years and are already integrated into.Round table participants have also discussed the amendments made to the Law on the "Persons Involuntarily Displaced from the Occupied Territories of Georgia - IDPs".

Imereti. Discussion was organized on March 26 for the members of the Kutaisi Youth Center over "Hate Speech in the University", led by the representative of the student multimedia group "Reactor". The meeting aimed at informing youngsters about problems associated with hate speech.Meeting participants have watched a documentary produced based on facts of discrimination reported in the universities of Batumi, Kutaisi and Tbilisi. Discussion has followed after the documentary over legal regulations and raising of public awareness on this issue.The discussion was organized as part of the Advancing National Integration in Georgia project (ANI), implemented by the UN Association of Georgia (UNAG) with support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. A discussion was held on March 26 in the Ilia State University over the "Fight against xenophobia and discrimination in the Georgian politics and media".Representatives of the Media Development Fund (MDF) and the Georgian Democratic Initiative (GDI) have informed students about the activities planned as part of the "No Phobia" campaign, as well as presented the results and key trends of media monitoring carried out by MDF in 2013.Discussion has followed at the end of the meeting, where the students have expressed opinions on the ways of conducting the "No Phobia" campaign effectively. Source: web page of the Media Development Fund in the social network.

Imereti. The members of Kutaisi Youth Centre held a peer education training on Down symdrome in Kutaisi’s Public School №14. The aim was to raise knowledge about Down symdrome amonthe the youth. During the meeting a short video was shown shot by the youth centre members.  Source:the organization's page in the social network

Imereti. The Legal Committee of the Parliament of Georgia has decided to submit as a legislative initiative the draft Law on Volunteering, which is developed by the Civil Society Institute and aims to regulate the relations between volunteers and host organizations. The Parliament's Bureau has decided to hold the first committee hearing over the draft Law in the Legal Committee from March 31 to April 15, and at the plenary session from April 2 to April 30.Work on the draft Law was supported by the Policy, Advocacy and Civil Society Development in Georgia program of the East-West Management Institute. The draft Law

Tbilisi. Non-Governmental Organizations released a statement. "The audit department of the Revenue Service continues its excessive check of TV MR GE, the licensed representative of NielsenTelevision Audience Measurement, further raising questions about the true motives of the tax and inventory checks. After failing to receive the confidential information – the addresses of some 330 households where the company conducts TV ratings measurements – through an inventory check, the state entity is now trying to get these data via the Tbilisi City Court", says the statement. For the full text Source:transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Representative of CSO "Green Alternative" Irakli Macharashvili has delivered a presentation as part of the Civil Activism Platform of the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center.Students of the Student Platform and the "Green Fist" movement have discussed key areas of ecological aspects in Georgia and globally. Irakli Macharashvili's presentation covered the protection of biodiversity as a key aspect of the country's strategy.Discussion has concerned also the risks of environmental pollution in Kazreti and the prevention mechanisms. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia released a blog post - "Non-declared property of local self-government officials”. "Our study has revealed that some officials of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Imereti and Adjara self-government institutions have submitted incomplete information on their property and business activities in the annual property declarations", says the blog post. For the full text Source:transparency.ge

Kakheti. In the period preceding the municipal elections in Georgia the NGO "Media Centre Kakheti”, newspaper "Kakheti Voice” and the web-portal www.kakhetinews.ge will give free advertisement space to all the women candidates. They will have a chance to present their election programmes.

Adjara. Centres for Democratic Participation hold meetings on international day of tuberculosis. On March 25 meetings were held in Batumi. The aim of the programme was to provide general information on tuberculosis. Additional meetings are to be held in other regions of Georgia to provide general information on tuberculosis. The meeting was attended by the members of the civil society and other people interested in the issue.