Georgian NGOs, are starting a new phase of the fight against “Russian law.” "On October 17, we will appeal “Russian law” and its dire consequences to the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of 16 media organizations, 120 civil society organizations, and four natural persons. Russian law not only aims to restrict civil society and the media but also serves to divide all citizens from each other and suppress critical voices. The applicant organizations work on such public problems as environmental protection, assistance for persons with disabilities, protection against violence against women and children, judicial reform, the fight against corruption, investigative journalism, etc. We, applicant organizations, will argue on violations protected by the European Convention on Human Rights – the right to freedom of assembly and association (Article 11), freedom of expression (Article 10), the right to respect for private and family life (Article 8 ), discrimination (Article 14), the right to an effective remedy (Article 13) and the scope of limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18). Fighting independent organizations with Russian methods not only violates fundamental human rights but also undermines the unwavering choice of the Georgian people regarding integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures. Unfortunately, the constitutional obligation, which obliges the state bodies to protect all these civilizational choices, is violated by the governmental bodies while the Constitutional Court refuses to fulfill its duty. Despite the failure of the Constitutional Court to fulfill its obligations, our fight against Russian law continues, and it will inevitably end with the unconditional victory of the Georgian people.  No to the “Russian law”!  Yes - to the European Union!" source: IDFI

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person.  Newsletter...

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person.  Newsletter...

The observation mission “My Voice”, which unites 30 non-governmental organizations, is preparing for an unprecedented large-scale observation mission of the parliamentary elections, the purpose of which is to promote fair elections and protect the votes of Georgian voters. Our observers will monitor the elections both in Georgia and in precincts opened abroad.  They have published the activities of the observation mission so far. More… Source: csf.ge

The new season of "Mestumre" has officially kicked off! This year, we’ve gathered 127 incredible volunteers who are ready to brighten the lives of elderly people across Georgia. For the next 6 months, these volunteers will be companions and conversation partners to residents in 8 elderly care homes across the country, helping to create connections and memories that matter. Each volunteer will undergo a full month of training with MAC Georgia’s psychologists and occupational therapists, ensuring every moment spent together is meaningful and fun!  Source: MAC Georgia

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person.  Newsletter...

The Information Integrity Coalition published a publication – „Four Laws in Four States, Four Ruling Parties and Identical Disinformation Narratives". Kyrgyzstan, Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Slovakia—almost simultaneously launched or continued efforts to adopt four similar pieces of legislation. „Identical and powerful disinformation narratives accompanied the entire process of enacting "foreign influence transparency" legislation in four different states“. more ... source: The Information Integrity Coalition

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person.  Newsletter...

"Youth4 Community" is one of the projects funded by the USAID Civic Education Program. It aimed to popularize volunteer activities among young people living in 5 municipalities of the Imereti region and increase civic engagement at the local level through volunteer clubs. At the final meeting, the members of the volunteer club prepared a summary presentation about their activities - what they did within the project, what challenges they faced in the process and what experiences they gained.  It is important to note that they plan to continue the activities of the clubs even after the end of the project.  Source: USAID Civic Education Program

On September 11, in the allocated spaces in schools of Marneuli Municipality, where bilingual alternative kindergartens for national minorities will soon open, the process of equipping them with toys, books, and other developmental materials for children has begun. The purchase of equipment for preschool education centers is carried out within the framework of the project "Child Development, Safety, and Well-being. Diversification and Improvement of Preschool Services in the Marneuli Region." The project is implemented by the Polish organization EDUKATOR in partnership with the National Network for the Protection from Violence. Project co-financed within the framework of the Polish development cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.  Source: National Network for the Protection from Violence

A love of reading opens the door to adventures, learning new things and a whole host of key language skills such as speech development and vocabulary building. Spending time with books also creates special moments for you to bond with your child and enjoy each other’s company.  Just 10 to 15 minutes a day with a book is enough to spark your curious little one’s interest. Read on for our top tips on fostering a love of literature.  More… Source: UNICEF

IDFI published new report - Oversight of Covert Surveillance: Law and Practice.  “State institutions involved in the oversight of covert surveillance frequently and grossly violate the constitutional right to public information”.  More Source: IDFI

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person.  Newsletter...

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person.  Newsletter...

Tbilisi. On July 30, SovLab held an event dedicated to the commemoration of the Day of Victims of Stalin's Terror. This year's event was dedicated to the anti-Soviet national uprising of 1924 and the memory of the victims of the Soviet totalitarian regime, the 100th anniversary of which Georgia marks this year.  During the event, members of Sovlab and representatives of the public read and honored the names of Georgian patriots killed during the suppression of the uprising and in its aftermath. Photographs of the victims, including 11 members of Georgia's first democratically elected parliament, who were shot in September 1924, were also displayed.  Stalin Terror Victims Day is observed on July 30 because on that day in 1937, the Soviet People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs, the infamous NKVD, issued Decree No. 004447, unleashing one of the bloodiest waves of Stalin's terror campaign here in Georgia and throughout the Soviet Union.  Source: SovLab

Tbilisi. Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI) published the report - FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF IN GEORGIA, 2023.  The report addresses the following topics: „The state’s religious policy, existing discrimination in legislation, property rights of minority religious organizations, important court cases, the state funding of religious organizations, crimes committed on religious grounds, religion and education, and anti-Semitism“.  More… Source: TDI

The Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC) presents series of outstanding stories that remind us about tradition of Georgia’s uninterrupted march towards Europe. 1918 – Tradition of Democracy in Georgia, the first coalition government and examples of cooperation with political opposition from the history of independent Georgia in 1918-1921.  Georgia declared its independence on May 26, 1918. The first government of the country was a coalition government consisting of Social-Democrats, Socialist-Federalists, Socialist-Revolutionaries, and National Democrats.  More… Source: eprc

Tbilisi. On July 28, at the Swissotel Tbilisi hotel, the screening of the films that passed the second stage of the three-minute film competition on the theme of rural women and the awarding ceremony of the three winning films was held. The first prize went to the work entitled Teachers from Shuapkho, authors - Nino Apakidze and Tamta Chkhaidze, second place - Selfless Work of a Single Mother for her Daughter's Education, author - Phari Ismailova, third place - Faraway Memories beyond the Mind, authors - Luka Karchkhadze , Sandro Kuparashvili. For the third time, Taso Foundation is holding a competition of three-minute films on the topic of women living in rural areas. Up to now, within the framework of the competition, about a hundred films have been created on the mentioned topic. The winning and selected films will be distributed gradually through our media channels. Source: TASO Foundation

Tbilisi. On July 30, SovLab will hold a commemoration of the victims of Stalin's terror at the Cheka House (22 Ingoroqva St., Tbilisi). This year, the event will focus on the 1924 anti-Soviet national uprising and memory of victims the Soviet totalitarian regime claimed in its aftermath. This year, Georgia marks 100 years since the August 1924 uprising. At the event members of Sovlab and representatives of public will read and honor names of Georgian patriots killed following the uprising’s suppression.  Photographs of the victims will also be displayed.  The Stalin Terror Victims Remembrance Day is marked on July 30 because on that day in 1930 the Soviet People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs, the infamous NKVD issued decree No 004447, unleashing one of the bloodiest waves of Stalin’s terror campaign here in Georgia and throughout the Soviet Union.  The building located at 22 Ingorokva Street in Tbilisi – The Cheka House – is perhaps the only surviving monument to the tens of thousands of Georgians exterminated by the industrial-scale killing machine put in place immediately after the Soviet occupation of Georgia. The establishment of Cheka, the Soviet secret police, was the very first decree the 11th Red Army issued when it entered Tbilisi on February 25, 1921, during the Soviet invasion of Georgia.  More… Source: SovLab

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person.  Newsletter...

Mtskheta-Mtianeti. On July 21, within the framework of the "Volunteer Festival in Tserovani" project, a summer volunteer festival was held in the central square of the Tserovani settlement. The event featured interesting tournaments, mini-championships, cognitive quizzes and other diverse activities. Illusionist Avtandil Tskitishvili took care of the mood of the guests. Local entrepreneurs had the opportunity to exhibit and sell their products. The evening was decorated musically by folk group "Kartuli" the specially invited band "Killages" and a DJ. The event was organized by 7 young people from Tserovani, who turned the idea into reality and won the volunteer initiative grant competition, giving the local population an unforgettable day. The project "Volunteer Festival in Tserovani" is implemented with the support of the Education Development and Employment Center within the framework of the European Union (EU) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung funded project “Civil Society STAR Initiative." The project is implemented by a consortium led by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) together with the following non-governmental organizations – Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG), Civil Society Institute (CSI), Counseling and Training Center (CTC), Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC) and European Institute of Policy (IEP). Source: Education Development and Employment Center