Kakheti. On March 18, the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association and the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy have held a joint meeting in the Telavi Civic Engagement center.Representatives of NGOs, civil sector, local self-governance and mass media have participated in the meeting.Meeting organizers have presented to the audience the report on the monitoring of post-election processes in the local self-governments.

Tbilisi. The Democratic Initiative of Georgia and the Fund "ALPE" have released a joint statement on March 18, concerning the dissemination of information by various officials last week on the health status of high officials and private persons. Authors of the statement offer the public to review the legislation on the protection of private secrets of a person. For the full text.

Tbilisi. The Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information has released information on the amounts transferred to the budget raised from the please bargain agreements executed in 2009-2012. For the full text. Source: opendatablog.wordpress.com

The week of the CSO portal – www.csogeorgia.org – was held on 12-15 March in four cities of western Georgia: Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Batumi and Ozurgeti. The portal was set up aiming to promote the exchange of information among the CSOs and to provide information to broad public about their activities.The portal was created through partnership of the Civil Society Institute and the "Open Society – Georgia" Foundation, and with the support of the EED Fund and the EU.Presentations delivered as part of the celebratory week aimed at providing detailed information on the portal to the broad public, as well as to listening to new proposals directly from the CSO representatives, interested persons and students, which will support the portal's work and popularization.Representatives of NGOs, media and the society, as well as students and interested citizens have attended the meetings.

Imereti. Discussions have accompanied the second debates of the Boll Foundation. The meeting participants have discussed a woman's role in the Georgian reality. In addition, focus was made on a woman's oppression and trends of moving her to a background of the society. It was emphasized that gaining economic independence by a woman would be one of the means for changing such a reality.The meeting was hosted by the Civic Engagement Center, where the journalists, NGOs and other publically active persons have gathered.

Samegrelo. Newly appointed Head of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Regional Administration of the Abkhazian Government in Exile Otar Gogokhia has met with NGOs working on IDP problems on March 14 in Zugdidi. The meeting was organized at the initiative of NGO "IDP Women for Their Own Rights". According to the Head of the organization Nona Ubilava, NGO sector must help the IDPs by providing the information and protecting their rights.

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has echoed the 25 January 2013 order of the Minister of Interior of Georgia. The organization explains that the amendment to this procedure provides an opportunity to appoint or promote a police officer without any preliminary training and relevant testing. "It should be noted that special courses and education programs aim as to raise professional skills and knowledge, as well as to select the professional staff objectively. By putting aside the professional education program and the training courses, the objective preconditions of selection are temporarily revoked, thus increasing the risks of subjective decisions and nepotism", says the organization's web page. For the full text. Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information has released public information obtained from the Chief Prosecutor's Office of Georgia. "The received information makes it clear that since 1 January 2012 the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia and all of his three deputies used to receive monthly bonuses in the amount of 5,870 GEL. This tradition has not changed after October either, and the same amounts were issued as bonuses including January 2013". "In addition, total of 67 employees were dismissed from the Prosecutor's Office based on personal applications from 20 October 2012 until 18th of February", says the organization's web page. For the full text. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. An independent group of feminists has released the documentary "Unsaid Stories", which tells the history of Georgian feminism. In the film modern feminists talk about three public activists distinguished by their philosophy of life and activism in protection of women's rights, namely: BarbareJorjadze, Ekaterine Gabashvili and Kato Mikeladze. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Imereti. On March 14, the Kutaisi Youth Center has organized the debates tournament in the I. Otskheli Public School #2. The debates concerned the resolution "Euthanasia is justified". 4 teams have participated in the tournament, which were well aware of the topic and had carried out relevant research for better familiarizing with the concerned topics. Mastering of the art of debates enhances among the youngsters the right argumentation, public speech techniques, active listening, and respect of time and the opponent. Debating teams are required to fully understand the key and unclear terms of the resolution. All of this has contributed to an interesting and engaging tournament.Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Imereti. The training was delivered for regional CSO representatives as part of the project "Strong Civil Society - Road to Euro-Integration", organized by the Kutaisi Education, Development and Employment Center.18 representatives of the civil-public organizations selected from the regions have participated in the training. The participants went through a 3-day training course in Euro-Integration, East-West partnership support and the monitoring techniques of reforms initiated in the public sector. The training was led by expert SergiKapanadze.Within the project framework it is planned to affiliate the competent and informed regional organizations into the relevant working group / subgroup of the Georgian National Platform, where the organizations will contribute to the monitoring, advocacy and implementation of the achievement of the East Partnership objectives.The project is financially supported by the "Open Society - Georgia" Foundation.

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has released a statement on the draft law concerning the sentencing rules. "GYLA believes that the draft law initiated by the Government of Georgia in the Parliament of Georgia requires substantial revision. It is preferable that the draft law is approximated with the initial version of the draft law developed by the Ministry of Justice, which linked the sentencing rule to the categories of crimes", says the statement. GYLA welcomes the trend of liberalization of the criminal policy, but believes that the draft law contains important issues definitely requiring improvement. For the full text. Source: gyla.ge

Kakheti."CiDA" has facilitated a workshop of member organizations of the "Civil Society Regional Network" in the Telavi Civic Engagement Center. The participants have discussed current and urgent public-political issues and have set the prospects of local CSOs to participate in the processes. Discussion concerned issues such as the ongoing process of regional development strategies and the challenges and prospects of country's decentralization. In addition, the dialogue has concerned the law on villages and the problems of high mountainous regions, labor legislation and the brief overview of a sociological study carried out in the regions.

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has released comments on the summoning of the Poti judge to the prosecutor's office. "We consider the problems affecting the justice system for years should not be the basis of gross interference in the judicial authorities.  We believe the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia should drop the case if it does not possess sufficient evidence to prove that the judge had committed a concrete crime", says the organization's web page. For the full text. Source:transparency.ge

Imereti. The Kutaisi Youth Center has held the event titled "Peers for Peers" for the children with disabilities. Members of the Kutaisi Youth Center have sold the hand-made postcards prepared by the persons with disabilities, have met with the children of the "Magic World" day center for children with disabilities, and learned about their wishes. In light of the very children's wishes, they have bought with a collected money the musical center and presented it to the children. The event aimed at drawing public attention to the children with disabilities.Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The organization "Let's Make Friends with the Blind" has delivered a public lecture in the School #202 of the blind and short-sighted children. The meeting concerned the problems and challenges of the blind persons with disabilities and the short-sighted persons in Georgia.Emphasis was made on the auxiliary tools for the blind and short-sighted persons, such as: the Braille script, white cane, tactile items, etc. At the meeting the participants have tested the auxiliary tools for the blind and short-sighted persons, simulators and white canes.Source: the organization's page in the social network. Sector: social.

Tbilisi. The Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information has released public information obtained from the bodies of the State Minister of Georgia for Diaspora Issues, including the information on bonuses issued in 2012, officials appointed after 20 October 2012, employees dismissed after 20 October 2012, business trip expenses of the Minister, vehicle fleet expenses for 2012, funded events, as well as December 10 reports, as well as the biographic data of the Minister, Deputy Minister and the First Deputy Minister. For the full text. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi.A two-day conference was jointly organized by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, as well as the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy. Party financing and participation of women in politics were the main topics of the conference. Along with the representatives of local NGOs and political parties, the Ambassadors of the US and Netherlands have also attended the meeting. Source: www.ginsc.net

Tbilisi. EU launches a new program to support the agricultural sector. The Ambassador Philip Dimitrov and the State Minister of Georgia for Integration in the European and Euro-Atlantic Structures have signed the program funding agreement on March 12. The volume of the five-year project "European Neighborhood Program for Agricultural and Rural Development" (ENPARD) is 40 million EUROs."The program that became effective focuses on the key elements of political association: common values and overcoming of poverty; establishment of strong and contemporary institutes; and creation of new trade opportunities", Philip Dimitrov said."European Neighborhood Program for Agricultural and Rural Development. Source: eeas.europa.eu

Tbilisi. The association "Green Alternative" has released the appeal to the Prime Minister of Georgia BidzinaIvanishvili, which talks about the current and planned hydroelectric stations in Georgia."Despite promises, unfortunately the practice introduced in recent years still continues today. The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the "Partner Fund" do not give up the projects initiated by the previous authorities by ignoring the legislation; the prosecutor's office does not undertake enough efforts to timely investigate the decisions of high officials concerning "Darialhesi" and other projects, which were presumably made through abuse of power", says the appeal.For the full text.Source:greenalt.org

Tbilisi. The Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information has released various pieces of information obtained from the National Center for Education Quality Enhancement. Detailed information covers the bonuses, budget fulfillment reports, reports on issuing of public information, dismissed employees, the staff list, vehicle fleet expenses and the funded events. For the full text. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

ShidaKartli.On March 12, the society "Biliki" (path) has held the event titled "Woman - Active Citizen" as part of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Program (USAID/PH International). At the event, state of the women's rights in historic and contemporary context was discussed and the winners of the essay competition held by "Biliki" have read their works. Representatives of the local authorities and NGO sector, teachers of public schools and other active citizens have attended the event.Source: the organization's page in the social network.