Tbilisi. The article was writen in the framework of the project "Strategic Plan Georgia 2020 - Strengthening Public Involvement" and was published on the blog "Georgia 2020".  ''Besides direct investments, there are two major alternatives for financing of business and economy - bank loans and the securities market. The first mechanism implies the flow of investors’ money to banks in form of deposits (for certain interest) and its use by banks for issuing loans (with higher interest). In case of the securities market, money directly flows from investors to the economy - in exchange for securities issued by companies or other issuers'', is noted in the statement. In full... Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed on 3 December. The Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992.  ''The Public Defender, as a national institution that monitors promotion, protection and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, has created a mechanism that unites the Consultative Council, the Monitoring Group and the Department of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Among the members of the Consultative Council are representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities in order to ensure engagement of persons with disabilities in the Council’s activities. Members of the Monitoring Group for the implementation of the Convention have been selected as well'', is noted in the statement. In full... Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. On December 1st representatives of Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) held the next meeting regarding the access to the Open Data at Tbilisi State University within the scopes of the project: "Open Data: Source of Changes and Innovations".  ''Giorgi Kldiashvili spoke about priorities of Open Data Portal - data.gov.ge and mentioned that it gives opportunity to every user, representative of private sector or other interested person to access the data and use it to create applications, business projects and e-services'', is noted in the statement. In full... Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia responds to the legislative initiative of the deputy Ioseb Jachvliani. ''The amendment, proposed by the deputy Jachvliani (according to which the sanction for transfer to the penalty area will not apply to those vehicles, which clog the movement of pedestrians), implies abolition of the only currently existing, more or less effective mechanism of fighting against the problem of parking on pavements, and, thus, it will significantly worsen the situation of pedestrians, in general, and of parents of young children, as well as of disabled, in particular, in the cities of Georgia'' – is stated on the web-page of the organization. Transparency International Georgia calls on the members of the Parliament not to support mentioned initiative. In full… Source:www.transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia publishes a podcast of the parliamentary news. Last week the following issues have been discussed at the Parliament: increase of the fixed rate of the excise tax on cigarettes and some kinds of alcoholic beverages; draft law on ''domestic violence, protection and assistance of victims of domestic violence'', amendments to be made into the law of Georgia on ''Special Penitentiary Service''. In full… Source:www.transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) responds to the fact of shooting of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Vazisubani. ''The analysis of the disclosed facts of violence against Jehovah's Witnesses shows that they become victims of physical and psychological violence due to religious intolerance coming from separate individuals and quite often from the representatives of dominant religious group via hampering their religious activities, intimidation, coercion, beating, harassment and various other methods. While, as a result of ineffective response of the state in such cases, often the acts of violence are performed by one and the same person / group of persons'' – is stated on the web-page of the organization. In full... Source:emc.org.ge

December 5 is an International Volunteer Day. Let's celebrate this day together! People interested in volunteering will be able to spend a day with people with different needs and participate in volunteering work. We believe that many people will be interested in volunteering, so this activity will include two days - December 4-5. All interested parties that wish to participate can register until December 3. After the registration our volunteer coordinators will provide you with detailed information about organizations on your email. In full... Source: Helping Hand

Tbilisi. As a response to IDFI’s request, on November 26th, Georgian National Communications Commission denied broadcast to the domestic provider of channel ‘ORT’ and held responsible Ltd "R.B.G.” for the rebroadcast of programs from the Russian public broadcaster.  ''Ltd "R.B.G.” was obliged to pay a fine of 2500 GEL because the company could not present allowances or licenses for the rightful production of the broadcast before providing the channel. The company was also warned by the commission on failing to fulfil the necessary payment as well as failing to display the related declaration on its website. The published commission report says, "On an open meeting of Georgian National Communications Commission, Ltd "R.B.G.” could not prove their lawful ownership of reproducing programs of the Russian public broadcaster and was therefore restricted to broadcast these programs,'' is noted in the statement.  In full... Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The comments of non-governmental organizations have not been considered in the process of the reform of a prosecution system, initiated by the government of Georgia to ensure the independence of the Prosecutor’s Office. ''We call on the members of the Parliament that while considering a candidacy on the position of the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia, to take into account a number of faults, which has been accompanying the process of nomination and selection of a candidate and due to which, a number of groups has refused to take part in this process. The Parliament has to acknowledge the political responsibility, which is associated with the decision, to be made by it'' – is noted in the joint statement. In full… Source:idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center publishes an interview with Mirtagi Asadov, the Head of the Supreme Religious Administration of Georgia’s All Moslemes. ''How and for what reason has the Administration of Georgian Muslims been established? What role has the state played in its creation and how has the government taken into account the interests of the Muslims? Why was there the need for the establishment of an alternative organization? Why is part of the Muslims against creation of an artificial union of Shiites and Sunnites by the state? How have the activities of the State Agency for Religious Affairs and the attempt of the state to set control over the Muslim community through a variety of mechanisms been assessed?'', Mirtagi Asadov speaks on these issues In an interview. In full… Source:emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Photo-exhibition called Parliamentary Democracy in Georgia was opened on November 25 commemorating the 25 year anniversary of multiparty parliamentary elections in the country. Women’s Information Center was among the co-organizers of the event with its exhibition of female members of Georgia's first independent Constituent Assembly in 1918-1920. The exhibition will close on December 8 and will be the traditional part of the study tours of the parliament. source: Women’s Information Center

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) publishes its midterm report regarding the implementation of the project "Support and monitoring of the transition to the digital broadcasting in Georgia”. The IDFI implements mentioned project through the funding and support of the "Open Society Georgia Foundation”. The midterm report of the organization covers the following areas: current condition on a customer side – achievements and challenges; customer related information, subsidized and non-subsidized by the state; condition of the information champagne and digital broadcasting network; sustainability problems of non-Georgian channels and network. In full... Source:idfi.ge

Tbilisi. On November 18, the meeting was held at the United Nations Children's Fund, on which the draft project about the early and pre-school upbringing and education was discussed. The meeting was attended by the representatives of PHR. They drew the attention to such problems as defining the number of children in kindergartens; appointing, where appropriate, a personal assistant to the children with disabilities; provision of food to those children, who are on a special nutrition program. In full… Source:The web-page of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. Young Barristers responds to the information revealed at the sitting of the government. According to this information, the members of the former ruling party demand from European Union to make sure Georgia does not get the right on visa-free movement to the European Union countries. ''The information revealed at the sitting of the government, related to the activities of David Baqradze, the former speaker of the parliament, the parliamentary minority leader, and Giorgi Kandelaki, a member of ''United National Movement'', the Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for European Integration, is extremely worrying, it does not serve the national interests of Georgia and is the subversive activity'' – has been noted in the statement of the organization. In full… Source:www.barristers.ge

Tbilisi. The Coalition negatively assesses the High Council of Justice’s decision from November 16, 2015 to appoint seven judges to Tbilisi Appellate Court based on a non-competitive process. We believe that this process is not only unhelpful for promoting public trust in the judiciary, but also raises questions regarding the objectives and motivation of the HCOJ and overall success of the ongoing reforms in the judicial system.  In full... Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), on behalf of the "Latin Catholic Apostolic Administration of the Caucasus”, has filed an administrative claim at the court against the City Hall of the Rustavi Municipality. "Latin Catholic Apostolic Administration of the Caucasus” has been trying without success to acquire a permit and a permit license for construction of a Catholic Church on the plot of land, registered as its property, in the 9th micro-district of Rustavi City. "Local municipalities, due to the resistance from the dominant religious group, often refuse to issue a permit and a license to the minority religious organizations for construction of a place of warship or delay and complicate the construction process in other forms" – is noted in the statement of the organization. In full… Source:emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. On 19 November 2015 Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili presented a special report of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) on the requests/complaints procedures in the penitentiary system. ''The aim of the National Preventive Mechanism was to find out how safe, available, confidential and impartial the requests/complaints procedures were in the first quarter of 2015, as well as whether they were responded timely and if the decision-making was justified'', is noted in the statement. In full... Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Association of Regional Broadcasters (GARB) requests Dimitri Qumsishvili, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, to enquire the problem of the Batumi TV Company ''TV channel – 25'' and respond respectively. In accordance with the information, provided to the association, the installation of the necessary equipment for digital broadcasting on an Ombolauri tower, near Batumi, has not been managed till today. It is the third month that the channel is waiting for the permission on the utilization of the tower and does not get the answer. In full… Source:www.media.ge

Tbilisi. Eurasia Partnership Foundation (EPF) is pleased to open the survey data on the Georgian public’s knowledge of and attitudes toward the European Union, collected in 2015. Due to high public interest, the data is released prior to unveiling the analytical report, which will be highlighting some of the interesting findings and trends over the past seven years. The report will be presented in both English and Georgian on November 25, 2015. The survey was conducted with support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Netherlands to Georgia. The survey was conducted by CRRC Georgia. In full... Source: www.epfound.ge

Adjara. The issues, related to initiation of quoting mechanisms, were discussed at the Batumi City Council meeting, which was attended by political parties, representatives of non-governmental sector and deputies. The topic of the meeting was gender equality. The event was held within the framework of the project "Choose equality”, which is implemented by "Journalists Network for Gender Equality” with the support from the Center of Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Trainings. In full… Source:The web-page of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. The representatives of the Non-Governmental Organizations ''Young Barristers'', ''Center for Civil Involvement'', ''Position'', ''Human Law Freedom'', ''Youth Center'' and ''the Association of Young Financiers and Businessmen – AYFB'' held a solidarity action at the Embassy of France in Georgia. ''The executives of the organizations declared that the Georgian public and civil society condemn the tragedy, which took place in France and killed innocent people. "Terrorism is one of the biggest challenges to the civilized world. Democratic forces and democratic countries must resist the evil, which the so-called ''Islamic state'' carries'' – is noted in the statement. In full... Source:www.barristers.ge