Tbilisi. Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) publishes analysis of legislation and practice of secret surveillance in Georgia. “Under the current regulations, there is little trust that in the conduct of secret investigative measures state interference in private life would be proportional to its legitimate aim. Lack of trust towards the government is dwelling from its reluctance to address the challenges, which are being highlighted by various international as well as domestic organizations”, is noted in the analytical document. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. According to information that Civil.ge releases, Facebook, a social media giant, is going to enact a fact-checking program in Georgia from next week. “The program will be launched on the basis of a partnership of Factcheck.ge and “Myth Detector” projects of “Georgia’s Reforms Associates” (GRASS), a non-governmental organization, and the “Media Development Foundation” with Facebook. It aims at revealing fake news and disinformation disseminated on the platform”. Read more… Source: civil.ge

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. Get acquainted with a publication “Specifics of development of civil society in Georgia”. It contains an analysis of stages of development of civil society in Georgia from the XIX century topresent. Oliver Reisner,the author, Jean Monnet Professor in European and Caucasian Studies at Ilia State University reviews in the publication the role and function of civil society on the way tomodernization of Georgia. The publication is part of a book about modernization of Georgia, created by Ilia State University (Editor Giga Zedania). The publication: Specifics of development of civil society in Georgia (Eng)…

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 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 August 14, the Civil Society Institute (CSI) conducted its 16th meeting and, thus, concluded awarding of winners of a high school seniors competition “This Country is Yours” as well as meetings with young people in regions. Awarding of winning teams from Tbilisi is going to be held in September. The last stage of the competition is a super final, in which one team from each region, including Tbilisi, will take part. The super finale envisages gathering for 2-3 days, interesting meetings, as well as quizzes and will be planned in accordance with the epidemic situation. The competition “This country is yours” was carried out throughout the country and about 150 teams participated in it. The winning students and their curator-teachers were given laptops, face masks, maps, notebooks, and an almanac “Freedom, Justice and Democracy in Georgian Thought” as gifts... Public meetings with young people were conducted by well-known writers, publishers, journalists and education experts. They talked about civic values, activities of civil society organizations, civic responsibility, activism and education. The social campaign “This Country is Yours” is carried out within the framework of the “Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” project, implemented by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) in collaboration with the Civil Society Institute (CSI), the Center for Training and Consultancy (CTC), the Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG) and the Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC). The project is funded by the European Union and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Imereti. Local Democracy Agency Georgia held a consultative meeting with representatives of civil society organizations, in Bagdati and Oni Municipalities. The meeting held within the framework of the project "Civil Society Development Initiative" and it’s purpose of the meeting was to provide these groups with information about the project activities as well as consultations. The project "Civil Society Development Initiative" is implemented in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), Civil Society Institute (CSI), Training and Consulting Center (CTC), Georgia's Strategic Research and Development Center (CSRDG) and the Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC). Read more…  Source: The page in the social network

Kakheti. In Pankisi, Jokolo village, Rondeli Foundation organized an award ceremony for the "My World" project participants. The students, who actively participated in the project, read magazines, took quizzes and engaged in the discussions were given special prizes.  The project, My World has been implemented by GFSIS since 2013 aimed at increasing development opportunities of youth from vulnerable communities and strengthening the affiliation with the Georgian State. The project is implemented in the vulnerable communities of Georgia - Pankisi, Mountainous Guria and Adjara, IDP communities of Zugdidi and Tserovani.  Read more…   Source: The web-page if the organization

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. “Myth Detector” releases material about disinformation spread by the “Georgian March” in regard to the “Open Society Georgia Foundation”. “The ”Georgian March”, an anti-liberal political union, continues its campaign against the “Open Society Georgia Foundation”. Members of the “Georgian March” made two statements against the foundation in the air of TV “Obiektivi”: 1. Soros allocated 4 million to fight against Orthodoxy. 2. The Office of the Public Defender is a state institution and getting funded by the Soros Foundation is ”bribery”, while feasibility of the funding itself is doubtful. Besides, Sandro Bregadze, one of the leaders of the “Georgian March”, stated that they would address the Parliament demanding to restrict funding non-governmental organizations by foreign countries”, - is noted in the material, - data, disseminated by the “Georgian March”, is disinformation. 1. To respond to the pandemic, the Foundation has been allocated 1 million as an additional funding, not 4 million, and the purpose of this funding is to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and not orthodoxy. 2. The Office of the Public Defender is not a state institution, it is an independent body, which has the right to control the state, as stipulated by the Constitution, and it receives funding from the Soros Foundation to protect rights of prisoners. Read more…  Source: The website of the organization

Tbilisi. From March to July 2020, the Open Society Georgia Foundation additionally released up to 900 thousand US Dollars for Georgia in order to prevent spread of the COVID-19 infection and mitigate impact of the pandemic on the most vulnerable citizens. Support, provided to combat consequences of COVID-19, covered several areas, including protection of labor rights of citizens, socio-economic assistance, empowerment of health care institutions and medical personnel, awareness raising of ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and regional population, free legal and psychological services for citizens, facilitation of students in the online training process. Read more… Source: The website of the organization

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association responds to presentation of the third phase of an anti-crisis plan, launched by the Government on August 6, 2020 against the impact of CODVID-19, and considers that focusing attention on Bidzina Ivanishvili while conducting presentation serves pre-election campaign goals. “In communication with public, draw a clear line between support of the state and party initiatives. It should be apparent that development of social programs is a responsibility of the state and not a good will of the ruling party; It must convince public that steps taken by it in the pre-election period are part of a long-term anti-crisis plan and not manipulations aimed at winning hearts of voters. Unfortunately, in this circumstance, the Government failed to pass this test, mainly due to its constant emphasis on the role of Bidzina Ivanishvili. An example of this is information published on the official Facebook page of Prime Minister, according to which such a large-scale social assistance was made available at the “StopCov Foundation”, including through the support of Bidzina Ivanishvili. Before that, he had stated it personally too. In fact, Minister of Finance had the same position when he said that this large-scale campaign was financially supported by the main donor of the foundation (Chairman of the ruling party was meant)”, - is stated in the information released by GYLA. Read more… Source: The website of the organization

Tbilisi. EWMI ACCESS provides public with information about developments it has supported. In particular: Poti City Assembly extended its support to a petition of citizens in regard to monitoring of quality of air in the city; With a voluntary initiative, co-financed by citizens, popularization of villages of Racha is going to start; Activists celebrated the 100th anniversary of return of Adjara into boundaries of Georgia by distributing an anti-propaganda newspaper in Batumi; Legal analysis of a state program for assistance to victims of COVID-19 and respective recommendations were published; “School for Mothers” helps young mothers in Marneuli villages to improve their knowledge; Professional burnout prevention training was conducted for civil activists. Read more… Source: ewmiaccess.createsend.com

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... 

USAID continue to partner with the Government of Georgia to respond to COVID-19 and ensure that Georgia's people are protected during crises that might occur in the future.  “We are currently working with the Civil Service Bureau to help them develop crisis management guidelines. The guidelines will help Georgia's dedicated civil servants work effectively during future crises”, - Is mentioned in the USAID’s social network page.  Read more…   Source: The page in the social network

Tbilisi. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) has revealed 34 Facebook pages that act coordinated, non-authentically and are affiliated with “Alt-Info”, an organization disseminating propaganda narratives. “Alt-Info” calls itself an alternative source of information, while in reality it is engaged in anti-liberal, anti-immigration, anti-LGBTQI community and anti-Western propaganda”, - is stated in the report presented by ISFED, - “ISFED has revealed a coordinated action of “Alt-Info” on Facebook, through which the organization attempts to disseminate its content to Facebook users in a disguised and massive way. Currently, the main tool of “Alt-Info” is sharing of online video programs on 34 Facebook pages that are connected with it, of which 12 are openly, while 22 - covertly affiliated with “Alt-Info”. Besides 34 pages, there have been identified 25 public groups, in which “Alt-Info” news is actively shared, 7 of them are closely coordinated and covertly engage in “Alt-Info” propaganda. 22 “Alt-Info” covertly disseminating pages have a total of 365,549, while 15 officially operating pages - 157,640 subscribers. 7 closely coordinated groups unite a total of 169,734 users, while remaining 18 groups have a total of 777,679 members”. Read more… Source: The website of the organization

Tbilisi. There was conducted a three-day CSRDG organized training on the topic of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement.  The training was held within the framework of the project “Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” with the support of the European Union and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS).  Read more…  Source: The website of the organization in a social network

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. Civil society organizations respond to general and blanket restrictions imposed by security services on access of representatives of media, civil society and political parties to villages neighboring an occupied Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia and call on the Government to change a regime of movement that is against human rights. “It is almost a year since August 30, 2019 that there has been restricted movement and work of civil society representatives, media, as well as political parties in the villages surrounding an occupied Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia. Access related restrictions apply also those villages where our state has full control”, - is noted in the released statement, - “We call on the Government of Georgia to lift the blanket restriction on access of media, civil society and politicians to the occupation line and villages around it; develop approaches based on objective criteria, which do not go beyond legitimate frames of restriction on freedom of movement and expression”. Read more… Source: https://www.gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Today, the IDFI together with the GYLA presented the results of the interim alternative monitoring reports on the implementation of Public Administration Reform Action Plan for 2019 – 2020.  During the presentation participants discussed the following directions of the PAR Action Plan for 2019 – 2020: Policy Planning and Coordination, Accountability, Public Service Delivery and Public Finances. Read more  Source: The web-page of the organization