Tbilisi. The Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information has released various sets of public information obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "The Ministry has provided incomplete information on the bonuses of officials and employees and the events funded in 2012. In respect of bonuses the Ministry has provided only the total number of bonuses issued to the employees and officials," – says the web page. According to the information provided to the organization, total of 351,307 GEL were issued as bonuses from 1 January 2012 until 1 December 2012. As for the information on the events, total expenses on the events in 2012 amounted to 124,668 GEL. For the full text (geo) Source: www.opendata.ge

Tbilisi. Parents of persons with disabilities have sent an appeal to the Prime Minister of Georgia concerning the funding of the day center services. For the full text (geo) Source: the Georgian Association of Social Workers.

The Gori, Akhaltsikhe, Telavi, Ozurgeti, Batumi, Kutaisi and Zugdidi Youth Centers implement various youth community activities in connection with the "World Health Day". All activities echo the priority topic of the "World Health Day" - 2013 - the arterial hypertension! Source: page of the Batumi Youth Center in the social network.

Guria. Since May 1, the CSO "Guria Youth Resource Center" launches the Employment and Small Business Support Program for the probationers. The Employment Program includes one-month training course for probationers in the development of professional skills, internship, and real employment in various institutions. The Small Business Support Program includes two-month business management course and the micro-grants program for the probationers wishing to start up their own business. Each program is designed for 30 probationers. Age limit is 18-35 years and it does not apply to ladies.

Tbilisi. ISFED has released another set of information on the dismissal of employees from the local self-governments. The organization has learned that 30 employees were dismissed from the Sagarejo Municipality as a result of reorganization. The organization has already addressed the Sagarejo Municipality Gamgeoba to obtain information concerning this issue."It is unfortunate that the local self-government services still pursue the allegedly politically-driven dismissal of employees and the recruitment of new cadres without competition, on the so-called "acting” positions. We believe that the authorities should timely prevent such unjustified practices,” says the information posted by the organization.For the full text.Source: the organization’s page in the social network.

Kakheti.In relation to the World Book Day, the Telavi Education, Development and Employment Center has organized a meeting with the children of the Akhmeta and Vardisubani small family type homes as part of the project "Enhancing National Integration in Georgia”.The meeting aimed at publishing their impromptu writings and works.

Guria.The documentary produced by the members of the youth center functioning with the "Young Teachers’ Union” and the leaders’ schools – "I’m a Gypsy” became the chosen film of TBC Bank at the "FanArt” festival.The festival was organized by the "National Children and Youth Center” and the Evgeny Mikeladze Center, in which youngsters interested in various fields of art could participate.

Tbilisi. The Media Development Fund (MDF) and the ALPE Foundation share the position of "Transparency International – Georgia” and the "International Society for Free Elections and Democracy” (ISFED), according to which members of the Board of Trustees of the Public Broadcaster should be replaced gradually as prescribed by law, and the powers of the Board should not be terminated artificially."We believe that the early termination of powers of the Board of Trustees will create a dangerous precedent and have an adverse effect on the Public Broadcaster’s activities in the future,” says the statement released by the organizations. Source: media.ge

Tbilisi. Member organizations of the Eastern Partnership National Forum of Georgia have released the statement. They welcome the steps of the executive and legislative authorities of Georgia towards the European integration."Despite the achieved progress, problematic is as the dissemination of false information on difficulties accompanying the cohabitation process, as well as taking it abroad in a wrong form, which may have adverse effect on the prospects of proximity with the European Union, including the process of executing the Association Agreement,” says the agreement.NGOs believe that all branches of power must ensure direct and intense communication with the European structures and European political parties by providing them accurate and detailed information, so that the process of execution of the Association Agreement between Georgia and the EU at the Vilnius Summit is not undermined. Further, NGOs are eager to provide objective information to all parties to the process. For the full text. Source: osgf.ge

Tbilisi. The Eurasia Partnership Foundation has produced a documentary as part of the program "Co-participation and Monitoring for Changes”. The project, which is described by the documentary, is one of the 34 projects that were implemented as part of this program of the Eurasia Partnership Foundation. The program aims at actively engaging the community groups, CSOs and media outlets in the political and economic decision-making process in their own regions.The documentary: "Co-participation and Monitoring for Changes”.  

Tbilisi. The Parliament should not allow the precedent of dissolving the Board of Trustees of the Public Broadcaster – was the message of representatives of organizations "Transparency International – Georgia” and the "International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy” at the press-conference held on April 3. In their opinion, the Broadcaster has never been at its best, caused by ineffective governance by the management and constant political pressure. The organizations believe that full dissolution of the Board of Trustees will create a dangerous precedent, providing the parliamentary majorities in the future a possibility to change the Broadcaster’s Board of Trustees according to their preferences. "Such precedent increases the risk of political interference not only in the activities of the Public Broadcaster but all state structures that must hold on to the political neutrality.” Source: media.ge

Guria.The Employment and Small Business Support Program for probationers will launch from May1 in the CSO Guria Youth Resource Center.The Employment Program includes one-month training course for probationers in the development of professional skills, as well as internship and direct employment in various institutions; the Small Business Support Program includes the two-month course of small business management and the micro grants program for probationers wishing to start their own businesses. Each program is designed for 30 probationers. Source: the organization’s page in the social network. 

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association has presented the study - "Right of IDPs to Due Accommodation”. The study aims to analyze legal mechanisms, based on which the state is obligated to secure the right of the IDPs to due accommodation. The report demonstrates the effectiveness of these mechanisms and examines the national court practice covering the trends of the right to accommodation. The study. Source: gyla.ge

Samegrelo. Transparency International – Georgia has released the blog-post – "Street dogs are killed with firearms in Zugdidi”. According to the organization, the population has provided to the Zugdidi Office mobile photos showing the employees of the "Zugdidi Cleaning” killing the street dogs. "Transparency International – Georgia recommends the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to develop a uniform approach towards the solution of this problem. We believe killing the dogs in the street is the most inhumane approach. Further, Transparency International – Georgia urges local municipalities not to use firearms for killing the domestic animals,” says the organization’s web page. For the full text. Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association has released a special statement on April 2, echoing the service inspection conclusion of the General Inspection of the MoI in connection with the incident between GYLA employees and the high police officer Valerian Telia on March 29 in Batumi. The statement. Source: gyla.ge

Kutaisi.On April 2, the Kutaisi Youth Center has celebrated the World Autism Awareness Day with an information campaign. Especially for this day, the Youth Center has prepared the brochures and organized a march in the city’s central districts. Members of the Youth Center have disseminated brochures among the population and explained to the passers-by what autism is. Source: the organization’s page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association and Transparency International – Georgia have presented the monitoring results of the court hearings on the criminal and administrative cases held in the Tbilisi, Batumi, Khelvachauri, Gori, Telavi and Kutaisi City Courts. This monitoring is carried out by GYLA and Transparency International - Georgia with funding from the US Agency for International Development through the "Judicial Independence and Legal Empowerment Project" (JILEP), which is implemented by the East-West Management Institute. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) has carried out the first and second stages of the court monitoring process of criminal trials in the Tbilisi City Court from October 2011 until April 2012, while the third stage of monitoring covers the period from July 2012 until January 2013. Source: gyla.ge

Guria. 2nd of April, the World Autism Awareness Day, was celebrated in the Ozurgeti Civic Engagement Center. The Civic Engagement Center and the Guria multi-disciplinary team of inclusive education have organized an information meeting for persons working with children suffering from autism. The meeting was attended by the teachers of the Ozurgeti kindergartens, who were briefed about the relations with children having autistic spectrum and discussed concrete cases from their practice.

Tbilisi.Transparency International – Georgia puts forth the initiative about stage-by-stage transformation of the Board of Trustees of the Public Broadcaster. "The desire to dissolve the current Board is fully understandable. Yet, we believe this will create a very dangerous precedent that will enable the parliamentary majorities in the future to change the Board of Trustees according to their preferences. What will prevent the future government from doing the same and appointing more loyal persons to the authorities as managers of the Public Broadcaster?", says the statement posted on the organization's web page. Transparency International – Georgia believes that it is better if the Board members are gradually replaced rather than the entire Board is changed momentarily. For the full text. Source:transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender has submitted to the Parliament the report on the protection of human rights and freedoms in Georgia in 2012.The report covers a broad spectrum of the rights and freedoms and reviews the state of protection of the civil-political, economic, social and cultural rights. "The report describes the general trends of human rights protection in the country and the concrete facts of violation of the citizens' rights and freedoms," says the report. The Report. Source: ombudsman.ge

Samtskhe-Javakheti. As part of the "Civic Education and Teacher Training Program", at the initiative of the civic club of the village Atskuri public school of the Akhaltsikhe Municipality and through the support of the school administration, the charity concert titled "Everything Will Be All Right" was held at the end of March to assist the schoolchildren with diabetes.Charity event was organized to assist two schoolchildren suffering from diabetes, and the club members were assisted by the Akhaltsikhe Youth Center, other schoolchildren, teachers and the parents.

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has released another audio podcast of weekly parliamentary news. Topics of the 1 April edition are: amendments to the Law on the Common Courts, amendments planned to the Election Code and the meeting of the inter-faction group, amendment to the Law on Diplomatic Service and other legislative initiatives. Audio podcast - 1 April Source: transparency.ge