Adjara.On January 29, the UK Embassy representatives have met with the representatives of local CSOs and media in the Batumi Civic Engagement Center. The meeting aimed to familiarize parties with each other and to inform the Embassy on the situation in the region, and in particular about the changes developing in the Adjara Region after the elections. Meeting participants have compared the changes at central and local level and talked about the expectations they had envisioned after the end of elections. In addition, they have discussed the existing problems in Adjara in terms of low participation of civil society and the ways of joint solution of identified problems.

Tbilisi. The US Embassy in Georgia and the International Research and Exchange Board (IREX) have announced the winner media outlets of the 2013 competition held as part of the Georgian Media Partnership Program (GMPP). These are the Borjomi Television (Borjomi), 9th Channel (Poti) and the radio Old City (Kutaisi). GMPP is the three-year program funded by the US Government, which promotes professional development of the Georgian media outlets. In last December, an intensive competition was held as part of the program for the Georgian regional televisions and radios. Two televisions and one radio were selected based on the competition, which will participate in the 2013 Partnership Program. For the full text.

Kakheti. The Head of the Georgian Society of Nature Friends (GSNF) in Kakheti Kakhaber Sukhitashvili has held the meeting on the ecology.He talked to the attending audience, schoolchildren, students and interested citizens about the flood meadows of River Alazani and its economic and ecological importance:"I spoke to youngsters about the value of Alazani riverside copses. Of interest is the composition of grass cover of the meadow forests, which is the area of dispersal of several national and global species. The bird fauna of the Alazani meadow forests is rather rich also, since this area serves as the corridor for the birds' migration. Globally endangered species of birds may live here or one can meet them during the flying away period. The forests of the flood meadow of River Alazani are still rich and they are one of the important parts of our natural heritage."

Adjara. On January29, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Adjara Autonomous Republic has held the public discussion of 2013 target programs in the conference hall of the Shota Rustaveli State University of Batumi. The meeting was headed by the Minister Zaur Putkaradze, with participation of the members of the Agrarian Commission of the Council of Adjara AR, scientists working in the agrarian field, farmers, entrepreneurs, and the media and NGO representatives. The meeting aimed to inform the public about ongoing activities in the Ministry and the vision for future. Meeting participants have discussed the 2013 target programs and the priorities and development potential of the agrarian field in the region.

Tbilisi. "Open Society – Georgia” Foundation supports the start of screening the creative documentaries, discussions and debates. "Documentary Mondays” implies the presentation of high-quality creative documentaries to the broad public. The project enjoys huge popularity in such European cities as London, Athens, Prague, Bucharest, where the co-participation of the society is quite substantial.The project aims not only to screen the documentaries but to initiate the open discussions and debates for the attending audience. For the full text. Source: osgf.ge 

Kakheti. The American project is being implemented in the Telavi Civic Engagement Center under the leadership of Clipton Meador, Melissa Potter and Miriam Shaer.The project aims to teach the interested individuals how to express their personalities and identity, how to make books and use gained knowledge in the future.Melissa Potter: "It’s important to give knowledge to those interested in working on felt, but using this knowledge is a different thing. We believe our efforts will bear fruits and the training participants will have a real opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge.”After Telavi, the project will continue in the Akhmeta Municipality. Any interested person can participate in the project without paying any fees.

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has released another audio podcast. It concerns the most interesting and significant events of parliamentary life. The 28 January edition focuses on issues such as the Labor Code and the initiative of constitutional amendments. Podcast of Parliamentary News: 28 January. Source: transparency.ge

Samtskhe-Javakheti.As part of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Program, the meeting was organized on 26 January in the assembly hall of the Akhaltsikhe Municipality between the Sakrebulo Chair and leaders of civic clubs of partner schools involved in the Program.The meeting aimed at identifying the ways of future cooperation. The Director of the Akhaltsikhe Youth Center has informed the Sakrebulo Chair about the Program and the activities already carried out. He also informed the civic club members about targeted utilization of funds intended for co-funding of small grants in the budget of the Akhaltsikhe Municipality Sakrebulo.The civic club leaders have shared with the Sakrebulo Chair the existing problems in the Municipality and their vision on solving them. Absence of ramps in the town, street dogs, cleaning, non-observance of food sanitary norms, unrestricted sale of cigarettes and alcohol to minors, absence of control on admission of minors to betting and poker clubs – these very problems were raised at the meeting.The Sakrebulo Chair has offered to youngsters to develop projects for solving these problems within the scope of amounts allocated in the Municipality budget for supporting the co-funding of youth initiatives.

Adjara. The initiative group „BATUMI REPRESENTS" has held the conference in the Batumi Civic Engagement Center on the topic – youth and drug addiction. In addition, the problem of use and distribution of psychotropic substances was discussed at the meeting. As the conference organizers have stated, the interested persons have access to psychotropic substances in drug stores with no restriction and without doctor’s prescription. One of the speakers, the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Adjara Levan Gorgiladze pledged to take effective steps on behalf of the Ministry together with youngsters to solve the identified problems. Students, schoolchildren, CSO and media representatives have attended the meeting, as well as the representatives of the Ministry of Health and young artists, who at the end of the meeting have read out the poems of modern poets to the attending audience and have exhibited their creations, and in particular the felt works.

Samegrelo. Zugdidi-based CSO "IDP Women for Protection of Their Own Rights” has sent the appeal to the Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia Davit Darakhvelidze."Media has released information that you have located warehouses with hidden assistance belonging to the IDPs. Mr. Darakhvelidze, we ask you to set up the commission to the extent possible, which will include individuals who will determine the degree of expiry of assistance goods and should any items be still valid, please help the most poor category of IDPs accommodated in Zugdidi”, – says the letter.

Samtskhe-Javakheti. On 28 January, the representatives of NGO sector, media and the civil society have met with the single-seat MP from Akhaltsikhe in the Akhaltsikhe Civic Engagement Center. Meeting participants have discussed the action plan of the majoritarian MP, his attitude towards various issues of concern, and discussed the local problems and expectations of the population.The meeting in the question and answer mode has lasted over three hours. The first question concerned the constitutional amendments, and the discussion evolved around the health sector, agriculture, foreign policy and the political processes developing in the country.The meeting with the MP was organized at the initiative of the Civic Engagement Center.

Samegrelo. On January 25, the association "Atinati” has hosted in Zugdidi the interim event of the "Civic Education and Teacher Training Program”.Presented at the event were the initiatives planned and implemented by the civic clubs, projects funded as part of the Small Grants Program, results of trainings held as part of the social media and the successful blogs.The schools actively involved in the Program were awarded at the event with certificates and diplomas.The representatives of the Zugdidi Municipality Gamgeoba, Zugdidi Sakrebulo, as well as various partner CSOs and schools have attended the event.

Shida Kartli. On January28, the Civic Development Agency has organized a meeting in the Gori Civic Engagement Center as part of the project – Regional Network of Civil Society. Member CSOs of the network and representatives of local self-government and media have attended the meeting.Representatives of each organization had an opportunity to talk about problems of the region in areas that are of interest to their organizations. In particular, about the situation in the health sector, IDP-related issues, agriculture, youth problems, etc.The organization plans to carry out the study that will examine the problems existing in the region and the country and the level of awareness of the population in the developing processes. At the meeting the organizers have presented the questionnaire designed for the study.

Tbilisi. The Consultations and Training Center has released "Public Attitude towards the Civil Society Organizations – Report of the Discussion Process".Materials used for drafting the document are based on the opinions expressed throughout the cycle of discussions organized by the Consultations and Training Center since March 2012, which was held with participation of CSOs. During this period, four thematic discussions were organized.Following each discussion, the working groups set up from the participant CSOs have worked on the analysis of problems and recommendations. At the end of the project, based on the thematic materials developed by the working groups, the integrated analytical and recommendatory document was drafted.Presented document is of analytical and recommendatory nature. The first part of the document overviews the political context and the dynamics of its development, in which the civil society of Georgia has to exist. In addition, those problems are exposed that prevent full involvement and participation of the civil society in the political life. To overcome these problems, the summary part of the document provides significant recommendations, initiatives and innovative opinions expressed at the meetings.With the support of the "Policy, Advocacy and Civil Society Development in Georgia" (G-PAC) program of the East-West Management Institute (EWMI), the Consultations and Training Center has implemented the project "Dialogue for the Development of Civil Sector". The project aimed to promote public discussions on CSOs, their strengths and weaknesses, and to identify ways of solving the existing problems in the sector. "Public Attitude towards the Civil Society Organizations – Report of the Discussion Process". Source: ctc.org.ge

Imereti. On January 25, as part of the project of the Kutaisi-based Andria Razmadze Public School #41 – "Violence is Our Past" – the representatives of the legal clinic from the Tsereteli University have delivered the training in human rights. At the meeting, the facts of violence were examined in the context of human rights. The training was interactive and the audience had an opportunity to actively participate in its course.This project is funded as part of the Small Grants Competition of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Program. Source: kedec.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International - Georgia has released on the organization's web page on January 28 the publication – "Expediency of Concluding Bilateral Investment Protection Treaties". According to the author, because the society is less informed about these issues, this publication was released as a respective clarification.Georgia has signed Bilateral Investment Treaties with 23 countries. Expediency of Concluding Bilateral Investment Treaties. Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Development Research Institute has addressed the Parliament of Georgia with the legislative proposal to initiate amendments to the Law of Georgia on Competition. Public discussion of the draft Law on Competition took place in last December with participation of as local as well as international organizations. Draft Law on Competition. Source: gdri.ge

Kvemo Kartli. During 2 months starting from February 9, the organization "SIQA" and its volunteers will present every Saturday the club "SIQA Traveler". The Club has successfully functioned prior to that as well and now awaits the third flow of those interested in participation. Youngsters of 15-25 years of age are eligible to participate. The Club aims to promote the popularization of culture of independent travel among the youth. Through specially designed presentations the Club participants will acquire practical and specific travelling skills. For the full text. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi.The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has released the legal conclusion on the draft Constitutional Law of Georgia on "Amendments to the Constitution of Georgia", on the publication of which and creation of all-public examination and organizational commission the Parliament of Georgia has adopted the resolution on 28 December 2012. The Conclusion. Source: gyla.ge

Imereti.The staff optimization issues of the Kutaisi self-government were discussed on January 25 in the Civic Engagement Center.Appointment-promotion of employees in the city's self-government, increase in the number of personnel, setting up new offices - this is an incomplete list of issues voiced against the local self-government several weeks ago. These were the very issues discussed in the Civic Engagement Center by the self-government representatives and the NGO coalition members. At this point there are 7 organizations affiliated in the coalition and their objective is to diffuse the tense environment in the local self-government and monitor the self-government activities. In the opinion of NGO sector representatives, the self-government is obligated to treat accusations against it with much more responsibility. "Our today's meeting proves once again that the Kutaisi self-government is incapable of making concrete decisions in respect of these problems", - said the Director of the "League for Protection of Mothers and Children", Manana Managadze.

Adjara. The youth organization Art Way has held another flash mob in the territory adjacent to the Shota Rustaveli State University, which aimed at drawing public attention towards the problem of the blind. Further, it also called on the authorities to make effective steps for solving the existing problems. Up to 30 students, members of the Art Way club and other interested persons have participated in the flash mob. The activity was a constituent part of project "Re-Animation", which is funded by the East-West Management Institute.

Samtskhe-Javakheti. Draft constitutional amendments were discussed on January 26 in Akhaltsikhe. The meeting was held in the #1 building of the Akhaltsikhe State University, headed by the representatives of parliamentary majority. Representatives of local political parties and NGO sector, as well as citizens from various municipalities of the region have participated in the discussion."Vast majority of the population upholds the amendments affecting the relations between the President, Parliament and the Government, and almost everywhere except Kutaisi, we felt obvious support in removing from the Constitution the article obligating the Parliament to work only in Kutaisi", - explained Vakhtang Khmaladze."If we build a democratic country, the President, Prime Minister or Parliament cannot enjoy unrestricted rights, and as for the location of the Parliament, in light of the existing situation in Georgia, this should not be of essential importance", - said the Head of the CSO "Tolerant", Tsira Meskhishvili.All-public discussion over the constitutional amendments was organized by the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Similar meetings were held in various cities of Georgia.