Tbilisi. The "International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy" (ISFED) will train the local self-government public servants in 69 municipalities of Georgia. Training topics cover election issues such as the duties of self-government authorities in the pre-election period, their relations with the election administration, parties, legislative restrictions of the use of administrative resources, the notion of bribing of voters, etc. During the training the participants will receive the manual and other materials developed by ISFED. The trainings will complete by mid-August. The project is implemented with the financial support of Council of Europe and the Dutch Embassy in Georgia. In addition, the project is supported by the Interagency State Commission for Free and Fair Elections and the Central Election Commission. For details see this link Source: isfed.ge

Samtskhe-Javakheti. A summary conference of the project "Yes We Can" was held on July 26 in the Akhaltsikhe Civic Engagement Center. The project implemented by the civil society organization "New Generation - New Initiative" was launched on 2 April this year and was completed on 2 August. The project aimed at raising the awareness and level of activities of ethnic minorities residing in the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region. 25 youngsters living in Samtskhe-Javakheti have participated in the project. At the start of the project the youngsters were trained. Afterwards the meetings were held with the representatives of the Central Election Commission and the local authorities. Within the project framework the youngsters had an opportunity to participate in the small grant competitions. The project was implemented with the support of the civil society organizations International Foundation for Electoral Systems and USAID. At the end of the meeting the participants were awarded with certificates and various other gifts.

Tbilisi. The Gypsy Ensemble of Kobuleti has performed for the audience along with other participants at the 2012 "Art-Gen" festival. Since 2011 the "Open Society - Georgia" Foundation supports the personal, social and cultural development of the gypsy communities living in Georgia, their economic and civil integration and the maintenance of unique Gypsy culture. In 2011 the European Center of Minority Issues with the financial support of OSGF has implemented the project "Support and Development of Gypsy Communities in Georgia", which aimed at their economic and civil integration, equipping them with professional skills, and maintaining their unique culture. With the project framework the gypsy festival was organized in the spring of 2011. In addition, up to 60 project participants have advanced their skills in math and the Georgian language, etc. Another project - "We Are the Children of One City" was implemented with the financial support of the "Open Society - Georgia" Foundation. Within the project framework, the needs of children of the gypsy community living in Kutaisi were protected by the lawyers of the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association. Free legal consultations were delivered and the Sunday school was functioning with the Kutaisi Office of GYLA.  For full text Source: osgf.ge

Samtskhe-Javakheti. On July 25, as part of the Civic Education and Teacher Training Program, the Akhaltsikhe Youth Center has organized the training-tour for the members of the Civic Club. The event aimed at applying the gained knowledge in practice, and total of 25 students from 6 schools of the Akhaltsikhe and Adigeni Municipalities have participated in it. The Club members have visited the gorge of village Uravli and the Agara church located there. Afterwards the educator of the Adigeni Civic Club LondaMacharashvili has presented to the peers the thesis "Gender" prepared with the help of the Civics.ge's on-line library. After holding the discussion on the topic, the audience has written down its attitude on the evaluation sheets. "The training-tour aims to get the students familiar with the region's environment and history and have them discuss various topics of concern", - explained the employee of the Youth Center MziaInasaridze.

Imereti. The presentation of the book "Guide to Georgia's Democratization" was held in the Kutaisi Civic Engagement Center. The collection of articles was prepared and published by the independent expert club. The guide covers economic, elemental, democratic and other topics. The expert club has started presenting the book and meeting with the people since June from Batumi, and any interested person can attend the open discussions held in the Civic Engagement offices.

Samegrelo. In commemoration of 20 years of diplomatic relations between the US and Georgia, the US Embassy will organize the alpinist group trip to Tetnuldi. Prior to travelling to Svaneti, the Acting US Ambassador in Georgia Bridget Brink has visited the Association "Atinati" on 1 August in Zugdidi and responded to the journalists' questions. According to her, "the US support not any political group but the Georgian people who back the development of democratic processes in the country and integration into the Euro-Atlantic space". As Bridget Brink has emphasized, it is crucial to secure equal conditions for the parties throughout the political processes and to support the "Must Carry" principle and its implementation mechanisms. The Acting Ambassador said she is proud of relations that have developed between the US and Georgia over last two decades. "These relations and the strategic course of the US with respect to its partner country Georgia will not change after the appointment of the new US Ambassador either", – said Bridget Brink.

Adjara. Internews-Georgia has organized the opening of the summer media camp. 21 camp participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia will undergo theoretical and practical seminars for three weeks in the following topics: foundations of TV journalism, art of preparing stories, computer and video editing, conflict analysis, new media and TV journalism, delivered by the BBC journalist Amanda Harper. During the summer media camp the news edition prepared by the adolescents will be aired live through the local television. In addition, from September the media camp participants will start preparing the youth TV program "Our Express", which will be broadcast by the Public Broadcaster. Media camp is organized as part of the international project "Kids' Crossroads", which is funded by the Conflict Pool of the British Embassies accredited in the South Caucasus countries. Source: media.ge For full text

Tbilisi. From January to July 2010 the Curatio International Foundation, together with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and other partners, has conducted the study aimed at examining the impact of HIV/AIDS programs of the Global Fund on the role of the civil society organizations in Georgia, Kirgizstan and Ukraine. During the research process half-structured in-depth interviews were held in all three countries. 49 representatives of CSOs and 22 decision-maker persons were interviewed within the study framework. According to the official web page of the Foundation, the study results have illustrated that the support of the Global Fund has made the impact of CSOs on the HIV/AIDS and drug related policies more effective. Yet, the respondents have noted also that funding allocated by the Global Fund for advocacy purposes was insufficient and indirect; in addition, funding was often terminated. The study was made possible with the support of the Open Society Foundations. Source: www.curatiofoundation.org For full text 

Adjara. On August 1, the office of "Transparency International - Georgia" has presented the report on the recent study carried out in the field of media. The report focuses on the facts preventing journalistic activities in the regions. The report states that such facts have become more frequent recently, which may be related to the 2012 parliamentary elections. Civil society and media representatives have attended the meeting. The project is funded by USAID and IREX.

Tbilisi. From 30 July to 2 of August, the Tbilisi Multimedia Education Center hosts the training for the winner students of the documentary script contest. The documentary script contest "We Talk About Civic Education" was organized within the framework of the social media component of the Civic Education and Teachers' Training Program. 27 students from the program's partner schools have participated in the contest, while 10 students were announced winners. Within the scope of the training they have the opportunity to learn the video filming methods as well as to master the effective tools for applying social media when disseminating their own products. After the training the winner group will have the opportunity to film a movie under its own scenario. Professors from the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) lead the training. Source: civics.ge

Samegrelo. The "International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy" has presented the report on July 31 in Khobi on the activities implemented during 4 months as part of the project "Active Society - Warrant of Democracy". Monitoring conducted within the project framework has identified the water and road issues in the Kolkheti settlement as the priority problems existing in the Khobi Municipality. According to the organization's Khobi coordinator Maka Lataria, this year they have submitted these problems to the representatives of local authorities, who on their part have promised to solve them. As Maka Lataria is aware, 400 thousand GEL were already allocated from the Municipal Development Fund and the water supply improvement works will be launched in the near future. Funds needed for the road rehabilitation works will be included in the local budget for 2013. The "International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy" implements the project "Active Society - Warrant of Democracy" with the financial support of "Open Society - Georgia" Foundation.

Tbilisi. On July 24 and 27, 2012 the Greens Movement of Georgia / Friends of the Earth – Georgia organized workshops with the participation of representatives of the NGO and Business sectors in the range of the project "Promotion of the Use of Renewable Energy Sources and the Introduction of Energy-Efficient Technologies in Georgia”. The workshops aimed at presenting to the NGO and business representatives the documents prepared by the thematic working groups, as well as collecting proposals and recommendations from their side for further improvement of the documents. As it was already communicated, the thematic working groups, established within the framework of the project have prepared reviews and recommendations in the following directions: Assessment of solar, biomass, geothermal and wind energy potentials in Georgia and perspectives for their future use; Necessity of energy-efficiency in Georgia, its potential and possible positive effects; Analysis of the legal base in terms of effective use of solar, wind and geothermal energy sources and energy-efficiency in Georgia and recommendations for improvement; Overview of the current state of practical use and possible perspectives of Georgian innovative intellectual products. The project "Promotion of the Use of Renewable Energy Sources and Introduction of Energy-Efficient Technologies in Georgia” is implemented by the Greens Movement of Georgia / Friends of the Earth – Georgia with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Source: cenn  

Samegrelo. On 24-27 July the USAID Program INRMW-Georgia, in full composition of the GLOWS’ Consortium, organized a series of meetings in lower pilot areas of the River Rioni watershed territories.  On 24 July the Representative Office of the Florida International University in Georgia (ROFIU-GE) held a meeting with the Senaki Water Service Centre on the identification of water safety hazard and risk assessment and control measures.  On 25 July the GLOWS’ Consortium members, ROFIU-GE and Care International, organized a priority identification workshop. Twenty-eight persons, trustees of Senaki and Khobi Community Based Organizations (CBO), and representatives of initiative groups of the selected communities outlined pressing issues in accordance with the prioritization matrix presented by ROFIU-GE.  On 26 July the GLOWS’ Consortium held a meeting with the NGO and business sectors of Khobi and Senaki. The most interesting proposals were identified.  On 27 July in Zugdidi the ROFIU-GE and CARE International held a meeting with local authorities of Khobi and Senaki Municipalities. Funding for the best project proposals and future cooperation were discussed at the meeting. Source: cenn  

Tbilisi. On July 31, the analytical center "Econometer" presented the analysis of amendments to the banking, tax and the related legislation in the "Tbilisi Marriott" Hotel. Reporting period covered 9 months, when the key amendments were made to the legislation. Based on the evaluation of amendments done over the reporting period the analytical center has concluded that the changes have considerably altered the previous environment in the banking-financial field; in addition, the procedure for receiving, systematization, processing and transfer to the Financial Monitoring Service of information was established and enacted in respect of all types of institutions providing financial services, which according to the report has aggravated the relation terms of these financial institutions with clients. The analysis further states that the issue of the "politically active person" or "persons in direct business relations with him/her" became of special concern. For instance, just like other institutes providing financial services, a currency exchange point is also obligated to clarify whether a client is the politically active person and take reasonable measures for identifying the monetary means and property of such a person and carrying out the advanced monitoring. The report was prepared with the support of "Open Society - Georgia" Foundation and it does not include recommendations. In the opinion of the report's authors, recommendations will be developed following the public debates and discussions.

Tbilisi. Association "Elkana" offers to nature lovers new tourist paths in the Oni and Aspindza Municipalities. The paths were developed within the framework of "Development of Rural Tourism in Georgia" project, with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The paths have signs and await on-foot travelers. In particular: the Bubi and Tbilisa paths; start from the resort Shovi; routes are also available for SUV cars. Ghurshevi path for on-foot travelers; start from the resort Shovi. Vaio fields path; start from Vardzia; route is available also for mountain bikes and SUV cars. Paths can be rambled individually.Path signs indicate the altitude and distance to the places of destination. Detailed information can be obtained in the rural tourism department of Association "Elkana". Source: CENN

Imereti. A monthly information meeting of civil society organizations was held in the Kutaisi Office of the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association. The meeting has summarized the July processes and focused on the future plans. GYLA has presented the project "Know Who to Elect and for What", which aims to raise the population's awareness on legal acts. The project covers several districts of Imereti, Samegrelo, ZemoSvaneti and ShidaKartli. Young lawyers have presented the second project as well titled "My Voice in the Parliament", addressing also the election environment.

Tbilisi. The World Hepatitis Day was celebrated on July 28 in Georgia under the slogan "Treat Me As Well". The events in various cities of Georgia were organized by the Harm Reduction Network with the support of "Open Society - Georgia" Foundation, "Doctors of the World - France" and the EU. Over 200,000 persons live in Georgia with C Hepatitis. Treatment of this disease costs over 20,000 GEL and the majority of patients cannot afford paying this amount. Many of them were infected more than a decade ago and their treatment today is an immediate necessity. The organizers have gathered in Tbilisi in front of the Parliament building, demanding the access to treatment. A symbolic run with hurdles was organized with participation of patients and other activists. At the finish the participants signed the treatment waiting list. The hurdles symbolized the increased treatment costs, while jumping over the hurdle - a symbolic payment of costs and the increased access. Source: osgf.ge

Imereti. "Transparency International - Georgia" presented the new project on July 30 in Kutaisi, in the Civic Engagement Center. Studies carried out by the organization have revealed problems of relations between the regional media and self-governments. In addition, timely access to public information is of concern also, which prevents media from timely reacting to this or that development. These very issues were discussed at the meeting attended by the representatives of various Kutaisi-based civil society organizations, political parties and media.

Tbilisi. On July 30 the coalition "Media Advocacy" has organized the debates on practical implementation of the so-called "Must Carry" principle of the mandatory broadcasting transit. The representatives of the National Communications Commission, cable operators, media, international and civil society organizations have participated in the meeting. In the opinion of CSO representatives, the "Must Carry" principle affects only a part of voters, but nevertheless it is crucial for forming the pluralist environment ahead of the elections. As agreed at the meeting, the Georgian National Communications Commission will develop the resolution on the "Approval of Procedure for Media Participation and Its Application in the Election Process" in cooperation with the civil society organizations. Source: media.ge

Tbilisi. On July 27, the M. Berdzenishvili Culture Center "Muse” hosted the presentation of program "Institutionalization of Measures of Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Mitigation in the Regions of Georgia”. The program is implemented by the National Association of Local Self-Governments of Georgia and is supported by the US Agency for International development (USAID). It aims to put the environmental and climate change issues on the agenda of the National Association of Local Self-Governments of Georgia; to actualize the environmental, climate change and agricultural issues at the level of local self-governments and to create special units working on these issues, which will facilitate the discharge of functions of local self-governments in the field of natural resource management and sustainable development. Source: CENN

Kakheti. Young volunteers of "Media Center Kakheti” held another promo event on July 29 in the village Vachnadziani of the Gurjaani Municipality. Five families aggrieved from the natural disaster were assisted. Persons with disabilities live in all five families that were given the food packages, school textbooks and the hygiene items. According to the project coordinator Ilia Sakvarlishvili, the event was organized within the framework of the regional development program of the Community Development Center, with the support of the "Bread for the World" Foundation: "The event was organized by the "Media Center Kakheti". As part of the Media Center's youth project, we assisted the families aggrieved by the natural disaster, where orphan children and persons with disabilities live, with the food packages, which included basic commodities, cleaning substances, food, sugar, rice and the personal hygiene items". The organization plans to organize similar events for the socially vulnerable families aggrieved by the natural disaster.

Tbilisi. On July 27, "Transparency International - Georgia" has released the third report on the state of the Georgian health care sector. The project focuses on the pharmaceutical, insurance and hospital sectors. The report analyzes the state health insurance programs, as well as the existing environment in the Georgian health insurance sector. The report states that the key findings of research are based on an in-depth analysis of the insurance market developments in 2008-2012; in-depth interviews, structured interviews and large correspondence with all actors involved in this process, as well as the insurance sociological study, which was carried out in April-May 2012. The study included 252 beneficiaries of the state insurance program and 100 beneficiaries of corporate and individual insurance program, and in addition the control group consisting of 350 non-insured respondents. Further, the report includes recommendations for the Government of Georgia, the National Bank and the insurers. The project is implemented with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands. Study - http://transparency.ge/post/report/tig-janmrtelobis-dazghvevis-sektoris-kvlevas-aqveynebs