Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has released another statement on the dismissal of employees from the National Agency of Public Registry. "Developments in the Public Registry prove once again that the current Code does not ensure the protection of rights and interests of the employees during the termination of a labor contract. At that, this Code is inconsistent with the standards of labor rights protection set under international acts", says the statement. GYLA addresses the Ministry of Justice to restore justice with respect to its own illegally dismissed employees, before the justice is restored in respect of numerous violations committed by others throughout years. For the full text:  Source: gyla.ge

Samtskhe-Javakheti. On March 21, the delivery of business trainings for the former inmates has started in the Akhaltsikhe public college "Opizari". Trainings are delivered as part of the project "Promoting the Integration and Rehabilitation of Former Inmates in the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region".24 former inmates from all cities of Samtskhe-Javakheti will receive special certificates following the completion of the trainings.The project "Promoting the Integration and Rehabilitation of Former Inmates in the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region" is implemented by the Association "Tolerant".

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has released the statement concerning the voucher advertising of the Tbilisi City Hall. "We believe this fact can be comprehended as an abuse of administrative resources”; "the video resembles very much a pre-election political advertising, where the Tbilisi Mayor is the main hero”, says the statement. Transparency International – Georgia addresses the Georgian National Communications Commission to draw attention to the issue of political advertising and to take respective measures, as well as the State Audit Office to examine this case and react adequately. For the full text. Source: transparency.ge

Samegrelo. A media school will open up as a result of partnership between the Georgian NGO "Media and Society” and the Czech organization "Independent Trainers’ Association of Prague”. The school will aim at improving the media environment and the journalists’ skills. Media school will open up in August, with participation of editors from the three Caucasian states – Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The training will last for 10 days. The experienced journalists of BBC and the foreign offices of Radio Liberty will teach video-reporting to the participants. Source: media.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association has addressed the Tbilisi Mayor with an open letter. GYLA requests to issue the public information requested by the application submitted in the Tbilisi City Hall on February 11 and the address of the NNLE Tbilisi Development Fund. "We consider that especially when non-transparent spending of hundreds of millions of GEL transferred from the Tbilisi budget by the legal entities of private law is concerned, and the public is still not aware of the funds’ activities, the reports submitted to the Tbilisi City Hall (notwithstanding the fact that the Tbilisi City Hall is obligated to issue the reports under the court decision in legal force), and the wrong reference of the City Hall to the address of the Tbilisi Development Fund is unacceptable and raises even more questions as to the activities of the Fund”, says the letter. For the full text. Source: gyla.ge

Kakheti. On March 21, the Georgian Red Cross Society has held a workshop in the Telavi Civic Engagement Center concerning the 2013 action plan of the Kakheti Region.The meeting was attended by the representative of the Danish Red Cross Society. Red Cross intends to open up the resting centers for the elderly in Telavi and Lagodekhi.

Tbilisi. Go Group has started working on a new film depicting the life of Dukhobors residing in Georgia. The major project of the Go Group, "Studio Eye-Witness” unites the professional and citizen journalists and produces the documentaries.Source: the organization’s page in the social network.

Tbilisi. NGO "Identity” releases a statement concerning the book published by the print house of the Ilia State University – "Genetics and the Society”. The statement says that the publication is scientifically inaccurate and unethical. The organization addresses the Academic Council of the Ilia University to examine the work and prohibit the use of this textbook in the curriculum. For the full text. Source:identoba.com

Kvemo Kartli. The exhibition organized by the Soviet Past Research Laboratory – "Lost Story, Memory of Repressed Women” was opened on March 19 in the Rustavi Local History Museum. The exhibition was held in Rustavi at the initiative of the Rustavi Local History Museum and is part of the Museum’s education activities aiming at involving the schoolchildren in the research and rethinking of the Soviet history of Georgia. The exhibition will be open until March 28.Source: the organization’s page in the social network.

Guria. The workshop on the "Role of schoolchildren's self-governments in the process of formation of the public school budgets and operational plans" was held for the members of the Schoolchildren's Regional Parliament in the office of the "Union of Young Teachers".Members of the Regional Parliament have agreed that in the nearest future they will develop recommendations for the Board of Trustees and the administrations, so that the needs of schoolchildren are taken into account in the process of development of 2013-2014 education year budgets and operational plans, which in itself will improve their involvement and democratic nature of decision-making, and will directly reflect on the school's development. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. An "Earth Hour" is the most large-scale volunteer environmental worldwide event. This year the event will be held on March 23, during which at the local time from 20:30 to 21:30, the external lighting of cultural, historical and economic monuments and buildings will be switched off for one hour.An "Earth Hour" was first celebrated in Sidney in 2007 at the initiative of the World Wildlife Fund. Georgia celebrates "Earth Hour" since 2009. Source: CENN

Tbilisi. The Charter of Journalistic Ethics has launched a new project – "Liberalism Education Center". On March 19, lawyer Tamar Gurchiani has delivered the first lecture in the Education Center, dedicated to the impact of NGOs on the civil society and the characteristics of their foundations and establishment.At the meeting Gurchiani has informed students about the results of studies conducted in different years depicting the state of NGOs. For the full text.  Source:liberalizmi.wordpress.com

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center has released a statement concerning the ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. "EMC expresses solidarity to the requirements of language minorities living in Georgia and addresses the Georgian authorities to ratify the Charter in the shortest reasonable period, as well as to develop the action plan for adequate implementation of the Charter's requirements through participation of the society and primarily the language minorities", says the statement. For the full text. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. IREX G-MEDIA has released the March 15 data of the continuous radio audience research. In addition to Tbilisi, the research has covered 11 large and middle size cities. The continuous radio audience research is conducted by the holder of TNS license, Market Intelligence Caucasus, as part of the sub-grant received from the IREX G-MEDIA Program funded by USAID. The research. Source: irexgmedia.files.wordpress.com

Tbilisi. The Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information has released the public information received from the Service Agency of the Ministry of Interior, including the information on bonuses, budget fulfillment reports, reports on issuing public information, dismissed employees, staff list and funded events. For the full text. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Kakheti. On March 19, the "Civil Development Association of Georgia" has delivered a cycle of trainings in the Telavi Civic Engagement Center for the Kakheti-based CSOs and community groups in "Participative Civil Monitoring and Protection of Civil Interests".

Tbilisi. The Charter of Journalistic Ethics calls on any person to address the Charter if they believe that the information disseminated by a member of the Charter contains wrong facts. The Charter will discuss together with them the accuracy of the information and an impartiality of a journalist. For the full text. Source:media.gea

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has made a statement on the dismissal of employees from the National Agency of Public Registry. GYLA believes that the requirements of the legislation of Georgia have been violated in respect of the former three employees of the National Agency of Public Registry. For the full text. Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has released another audio podcast of weekly parliamentary news. Topics of the 18 March edition are: examination of constitutional amendments, address of the AkhalkalakiSakrebulo to the Parliament, initiative concerning the Georgian-language shop-signs, the meetings of Ministers Gharibashvili and Zakareishvili with the minority. Podcast of parliamentary news: 18 March Source:transparency.ge

Imereti. At the initiative of the civic club of village Kukhi Public School of the Khoni Municipality and the "Civil Education Society", the event was held aimed at restoring the village windbreak strip. The club members have planted 40 saplings on the internal central road of the village, following which the event participants have held the informative meeting with the population. School teachers, civic club members and the community representatives have participated in the implementation of the initiative. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Samegrelo.As part of the project "Advancing National Integration in Georgia", the youth center of association "Atinati" has organized the photo exhibition "My Samegrelo". Works for the photo exhibition were selected based on the competition with participation of young photographers from the region.Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Samtskhe-Javakheti. On March 15, the Civil Development Agency has organized a workshop of members of the "Civil Society Regional Network" in Akhaltsikhe. Representatives of NGO sector operating in Akhaltsikhe and the state structures have discussed the ways for improving the demonstration and appearance of their activities.The discussion unfolded in two stages: during the first part the Network member organizations have discussed the establishment of effective relations with media, while at the next stage they have examined the self-government development strategies and issues related to the country's decentralization.