Tbilisi. 60 representatives of business companies met members of the Georgian Parliament on 2 April 2018 to discuss how legislative openness affects business environment and offer some practical suggestions for Georgia’s third, 2018-2019 Open Parliament Action Plan. ''Members of Parliament received information about the ideas and suggestions for the Open Parliament Action Plan 2018-2019, collected at the public consultations in eight cities of Georgia (Telavi, Rustavi, Marneuli, Alkhaltsikhe, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Batumi and Tbilisi). The information campaign was organised by the Parliament with assistance from the EU, UNDP and IDFI. Levan Avalishvili, IDFI’s Programs Director, presented a summary of these public discussions and opened floor for new comments and suggestion from business representatives'', is noted in the statement. In full… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP) publishes an opinion on the latest politics of the Great Britain towards Russia and its possible influence on Georgia. ''Current process in the Great Britain is a matter of concern for Georgia and once again emphasizes how vulnerable Georgia can be against the Intelligence Community in Russia. Whereas activity of the Intelligence Community in Russia creates a problem to such state as the Great Britain (and not only to it), there are no guarantees for Georgia'' – is stated in the opinion of GIP. Read more... Source:gip.ge

Tbilisi. According to reports, on March 12, an unidentified person (persons) burned Catholic literature and icons near a temple in the town of Vale. ''A representative of the Public Defender met with the population of the town, as well as the leaders of local religious communities, and received detailed information from them. It is known that both Orthodox and Catholic Christians use the temple for worshiping. The Public Defender will not spare efforts to ensure that the principles of freedom of religion and tolerance are protected in Georgia'', is noted in the statement. In full… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI) and Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) call on the state to return the Tandoyants church to the historic owner. Read more… Source:The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. Nino Lomjaria, Public Defender of Georgia, has met with Irakli Shotadze, Chief Prosecutor of Georgia. ''At the meeting held at the Prosecutor's Office, the Public Defender got interested in the investigation of high-profile cases. She also spoke about the shortcomings she sees in the performance of the Prosecutor's Office", is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Adjara. CARC / Civic Activism Research Center is going to present a study on "Life of region in 1918-1921” today in the Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University. The project "Local democracy in Georgia – experience of 1918-1921”, within the framework of which the study was conducted, aimed at studying-analyzing current developments in regions of Georgia in times of the first republic. For this purpose areas related to social, economic, cultural- educational, center and region relations, labor rights and labor union issues have been identified. The project is implemented with financial support of the "Open Society” Foundation. Read more… Source:https://www.facebook.com/events/214891652421736/

Tbilisi. "Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center” (EMC) publishes main findings of "Democratic reforms in the security sector” - its joint study with "Transparency International Georgia” (TI). "Separation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Security Service was an important step forward. However, this reform failed to create solid guarantees for depoliticization, democratic arrangement, accountability and control of the law enforcement system. In the conditions of closeness of the State Security Service it is practically impossible to perform effective monitoring of its activities and analysis of gaps revealed in practice. The State Security Service has an excess of competences, including functions that are incompatible with the nature of security service” - conclude the organizations. Read more… Source:https://emc.org.ge

The web portal www.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. The Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia has prepared a video clip that is devoted to European values. Link https://youtu.be/jUZ9DBjfIW8 Read more… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. "Conflict and Cooperation in the South Caucasus” was published in German in 2015 (Osteuropa 7-10/2015) and it combines thirty-six articles. Due to actuality of material and analysis about the South Caucasus, which was originally meant for the European audience, the South Caucasus Regional Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation decided to make at least its part available for Georgian readers. For this purpose, fifteen out of thirty-six articles, published in German, have been translated into Georgian and are accessible by interested readers within the framework of the series of web-dossier of the Foundation. Read more… Source:https://ge.boell.org

Tbilisi. During the period of Soviet occupation, new toponyms were introduced in Georgia – the names of many streets, villages and sometimes cities were changed to those charged with ideological and political meaning. Transparency International Georgia’s observations showed that Soviet, Communist toponyms still persist in Georgia. This time, we would like to report on the streets and villages in Zugdidi which still carry Soviet, Communist names. Transparency International Georgia calls on Zugdidi Municipality Council to make the decision on renaming the villages and the streets carrying Soviet names in the nearest future. Read more... Source: www.transparency.ge

Kakheti. On January 31, 2018, a library was opened in the public school of the village of Tivi in the Kvareli Municipality on the initiative and with the financial assistance of Deputy Public Defender Ekaterine Skhiladze. The library was opened with the cash award received by Ekaterine Skhiladze as a winner of Kato Mikeladze Award in 2016. The library has particular importance in the village inhabited by ethnic minorities, where access to information and services is one of the significant problems. Read more… Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. On January 26, a hotel ''IOTA Tbilisi'' hosted a conference on ''Housing Policy, Sustainable Housing Management Practice, Energy Efficiency and Funding: current situation, challenges and perspectives for comprehensive solutions and affordable funding''. ''A conference of today is a summarizing event for a project, which was implemented in three big cities of Georgia - Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi. During that time there were identified a number of problems, which have to be addressed by the state authorities, on one hand, and by civil society organizations, on the other hand, in order to create an effective system of housing management. There are several issues on the agenda - improvement of management of multi-apartment houses, energy efficiency and modernization of the financing system, where participation of all parties is necessary to solve them'' – is stated by Natia Apkhazava, representative of the Batumi branch of the Civil Society Institute. Read more... Source:netgazeti.ge

Tbilisi. Tbilisi City Court delivered a guilty verdict against defendant G.G. on January 23, 2018.  ''The court convicted the defendant of illegal purchase and possession of drugs and sentenced him to 8 years in prison. On the same day, the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia released a statement about G.G.’s alleged involvement in another offense. The Public Defender has always been emphasizing the fact that it is necessary the country to pursue humane drug policy and direct its resources at the rehabilitation and treatment rather than at punitive measures. Drug use is a matter of public health and therefore, not only criminal mechanisms should be used for fighting against it'', is noted in the statement. In full… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia met with Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia. The problematic issues of human rights, the necessity of establishing an independent investigative mechanism and developing new drug policy, the Public Defender's recommendations to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the format of future cooperation and other important issues were discussed at the meeting. In full  Source: The organization’s webpage

Tbilisi. In the frames of the SDG awareness raising campaign, which is implemented by UNDP Georgia and IDFI with the financial support of the Swedish Government, was made a video – "SDG Goal 2 - Zero Hunger”. In the frame of the SDG by 2030 Georgia aims to increase the monthly income of village-dwellers up to 700 GEL. More about SDG #2 see in the video. In full Source: The organization’s page

Samtskhe-Javakheti. According to the information acquired by TDI, the new mosque is being built without a construction permit in the village Mokhe, Adigeni municipality. "Illegal construction of religious building creates unstable legal conditions for the new mosque, as well as for the believers, as the illegally constructed mosque might become a subject of dismantling the building by the state, thus local Muslims might remain without a place of worship again”, - TDI mentions. In full  Source: The organization’s webpage

The web portal www.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 January 10, 2018, the Public Defender of Georgia held a press conference and introduced new deputies to the public and the Public Defender's staff. Nino Lomjaria noted that she will be able to tackle existing challenges and work in new directions together with her team. Tamar Gvaramadze, Doctor of Law and Associate Professor of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, member of the boards of the International Committee of the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC) and the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association, as well as former member of the Consultative Council of the National Preventive Mechanism of the Public Defender of Georgia, has started fulfilling the duties of the First Deputy Public Defender and the Head of the Office today. Tamar Gvaramadze had been leading the School of Law of the Ministry of Internal Affairs before coming to the Public Defender's Office. At the Public Defender's Office she will be in charge of administrative issues, reception of citizens, protection of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, international relations and public relations. Other deputies will be Giorgi Burjanadze and Ekaterine Skhiladze. Giorgi Burjanadze, Master of Criminal Law, Master of Comparative Constitutional Law, Bachelor of Law and currently PhD student of the Department of Law at Tbilisi State University, will lead the areas of criminal justice, National Preventive Mechanism, protection of human rights in defense, analytical activities, constitutional and legislative proceedings. Ekaterine Skhiladze, who has been the Deputy Public Defender since 2016, will continue to lead the areas of equality, gender equality, child’s rights and rights of persons with disabilities. In full… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) expresses solidarity to the family of Machalikashvili and the community of Pankisi. The organization is prepared to reveal the truth through all legal means and defend rights of the affected family. Source:The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. According to the information of Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI), in the Mokhe village of the Adigeni municipality a new mosque is being built without permission for construction. ''Unauthorized construction of the cult building creates unstable legal conditions. The illegally constructed mosque might become a subject to dismantling by the state in the future and local Muslims may again remain without a place to pray'' – is noted in the statement. Read more... Source:tdi.ge

Tbilisi. Make a test of IDFI and learn how many digital security functions and means you know. After checking your knowledge, you can also read the Internet Security Guide prepared by IDFI that will help you secure the Internet safely. In full… Source: idfi.ge