Tbilisi. Due to the information of UN Women the pandemic of violence against women is not new. But the #COVID19 crisis has intensified it, while accessing help became harder. See how you can support survivors... Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Imereti. Due to the information of USAID Georgia Nino Gudadze, Mariam Eziashvili, and Nato Parkosadze are in their second year of high school in the village of Koreli in Imereti. They are also active participants in the school civics club supported by “Momavlis Taoba” (“Future Generation”), a nationwide civics education program funded by USAID. In addition to learning about civics in the classroom, they carry out their own civic activities in the community, including helping their neighbors get through the COVID-19 pandemic. When the pandemic hit their village, Nino, Mariam, and Nato realized that many residents of the village could not afford to buy face masks and were not able to protect themselves. They decided to take the matter into their own hands and help vulnerable families. They brought the issue to the local self-governing body, asked for information about how to help the vulnerable families in the village, and managed to obtain the necessary amount of face masks to distribute to local residents. The students provided 11 families with a total of 250 face masks. They also carry out informative meetings for the village youths about dealing with Covid 19 pandemic. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. On 3 February 2021 the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), with the financial support of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida, held the online conference “Discovery, Archaeological Research and Commemoration of the Mass Burial Sites of the Victims of the Soviet Regime – International Experience”. Read more… The recording of the conference is available here… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. Fair Labor Platform responds to the protest of couriers of Glovo against hard working conditions, supports their fair demands and is ready to provide legal assistance to couriers in their efforts to improve working conditions.  Read more… Source:gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia studied 10 Georgian private companies that received the most money from simplified (direct) public procurement in 2020. Due to the organization’s information, Last year, all 10 companies received contracts worth a total of GEL 165 million. “Out of 10 companies, 6 are donors of the Georgian Dream and its supported presidential candidate, Salome Zurabishvili. The owners and/or directors of these companies donated a total of GEL 668,000 to the ruling party and Salome Zurabishvili in 2016-2020. In addition, two companies (In-Si LLC and Anagi LLC) are involved in Bidzina Ivanishvili's Co-Investment Fund projects. These 6 companies received a total of GEL 54 million through direct public procurement contracts in 2020, and GEL 149 million in 2013-2020”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Shida Kartli. On February 2, 2021, the management of Caritas Georgia Health Care Program had a meeting with representatives of Gori Home Care team for consideration of the objectives of the new phase of the Home Care project. Participants of the meeting discussed the objectives of the project and technical issues related to its implementation. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Signatory organizations respond to the fact of leaving the curfew in force by the Government of Georgia in parallel with easing restrictions. “Current curfew disproportionately restricts freedom of movement of people, raises reasonable doubts about its usefulness in terms of achieving the goal and is not the least restrictive means of the right. “We call on the Government of Georgia to lift the curfew and stop unjustified restriction of human rights, motivated by fight against spread of COVID-19, as well as use of unconstitutional measures”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) responds to parliamentary review of the bill initiated in regard to determining narcotic drug quantities. The organization calls on representatives of the ruling political team to stop rhetoric that misleads society while stating as if inaction of the state over the years in regard to introduction of a humane drug policy is the fault of civil society organizations, activists and experts. “Proposed version of the bill improves current legislative order, however, its content does not completely reflect principles of a humane drug policy that meets human rights and the reason for this is again a punishment oriented Georgian drug policy and its repressiveness”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Art Inception Georgia presents EU funding programs in the field of culture. “This is a Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), which covers directions and priorities of 2021-2027 years. AI Georgia actively works to increase involvement of Georgian artists and organizations in these programs”. Write to the Platform to schedule an online consultation. Read more… Source: The website of the Platform 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...

Shida Kartli. Located in close vicinity to the administrative boundary line with the South Ossetia/Tskhinvali region, the outpatient clinic in the village Nikozi has been serving conflict-affected communities for over 30 years. During the lockdown, we helped the clinic purchase a new X-ray machine and other modern devices, furnish and equip a clinical and biochemical laboratory, and provide critical healthcare services to IDPs and older people. Read our press release for more... Source: UNDP’s page on the Facebook

Tbilisi. Media Development Foundation (MDF) has carried out a survey in 4 regions of Georgia, findings of which are available here... The organization conducts already the second survey that aims at studying what impact disinformation and conspiracies have on public perceptions and which anecdotal evidences are most prevalent in society. “Besides, the purpose of the survey was to study public attitudes towards certain foreign policy related issues and the coronavirus pandemic, including vaccination aspects. The survey refers on the anecdotal evidence method, which basically uses informally collected data based on personal experience”. Read more… Source: mdfgeorgia.ge

Tbilisi. Georgia Fair Labor Platform responds to the fact of non-payment of a deserved labor remuneration to twelve workers, employed during construction of a hotel in Gonio, considering it as theft of their salaries committed by the company “Labau Gonio” LLC. “Workers state that despite completing work, the employer company still does not pay their deserved salaries. Current salary indebtedness in favor of employees is about GEL 27 000.  We call on the Labor Inspection Office to start systematic work to eliminate an unlawful practice of misappropriation of labor remuneration of workers (stolen wages) by employers in Georgia and, within the framework of the new mandate, while inspecting labor rights of employees at their work places, set as one of the priority areas identification and legal responsibility of those employers who have applied the practice of stolen wages as a norm”, - is noted in the joint statement. Read more… Source:gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Georgian Stone LLC owned by the former head of Architecture Service of Kobuleti municipality - Badri Romanadze received GEL 24 647 168 from Kobuleti municipality procurements during 2015-2020 - GEL 6 million without a competition. “Suspicious circumstances were also revealed in the procurements of Poti and Terjola municipalities, in 2020 the company won 4 procurements by offering the lowest bid, however, the value of contracts was more (GEL 3,074,239) than the highest bids offered to the buyer by competitors. We call on the Anti-Corruption Department of State Security Service to start the investigation on the aforementioned facts immediately”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. In the publication "TimeBank: Textbook about New Volunteering" you will read everything about modern volunteering. If you would like to learn what volunteering is, to read about foreign and Georgian experience of the TimeBank; also, if you are eager to know more about the success stories of the TimeBank and learn whether you are ready or not for volunteer work, this book is for you. The publication is created within the “Georgian Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” project. The project was developed and is implemented by the consortium lead by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in cooperation with four Georgian Civil Society Organizations: Civil Society Institute (CSI), Center for Training and Consultancy (CTC), Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG) and Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC). The project is funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Read more…  Source: Timerepublik Georgia’s page on the Facebook

Tbilisi. The new piece by Lasha Dolidze provides a brief overview of key international trends caused by the Covid-19 crisis, which are relevant to Georgia and are affecting or will affect Georgia’s economic development in 2021 as well as in the years to come. Full version of the publication... The document was prepared by the Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC), in the frames of Good Governance Initiative | GGI Georgia, USAID/Georgia. Source: EPRC’s page on the Facebook

Tbilisi. The Heinrich Boell Foundation presents a study carried out by Ana Lolua, which touches upon representation of women in exhibitions held in Georgia during the late socialist period and dedicated to the Second World War.  “This article contains an analysis of forms and meanings of representation of women in exhibitions dedicated to the Great Patriotic War and held within the period from the end of the 60s to the beginning of the 80s, on the examples of the exhibition of the Peoples Friendship Museum dedicated to the Great Patriotic War and the permanent exhibition of the Gori Museum of Battle Glory”. Read more… Source: feminism-boell.org

Imereti. EDEC in cooperation with UNDP, invites young people from Imereti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, and Shida Kartli regions to participate in the project "Protecting IDP Rights during the COVID-19 Crisis in Georgia". „The project aims to support IDPs and conflict-affected youth to get involved in solving the challenges and problems created in their communities as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic“. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. The Center for Development and Democracy (CDD) has launched a Georgian online educational platform Kentsero. “Visit and sweeten your studies with us At this stage, you will find on the site schools of democratization and good governance as well as international relations, interesting subjects and fun quizzes presented by experts in the field”, - is stated on the website of the organization in a social network.  Read more… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Green Alternative and the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center release a joint statement in regard to dissolution of a protest rally against the Namakhvani HPP project and resumption of construction works by “Enka”. “Demands of local population, protesting against unlawful actions of a company “Enka” and the Government in the Rioni gorge for almost 100 days, are fair and constructive. Taking into account growing nature of a conflict among the project-affected community, the company and government agencies, as well as the fact that there is still insufficient information on project implementation-related threats, we consider that: The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and LEPL Technical and Construction Supervision Agency have to restrict “Enka Renewables” to carry out construction works (including preparatory works) until threats, posed by implementation of the project to the environment, human lives and health, cultural heritage and material values, are studied and evaluated in accordance with requirements of law”… Read more… Source:gyla.ge

Tbilisi. On January 28, 2021 the Georgian Bar Association Chairman David Asatiani, Executive Director Giorgi Tshekhani, Head of Administration Salome Tkeshelashvili and Head of Analytical Department Tamta Devdariani had a second online meeting with USAID/PROLoG Experts Jay B, Myerson and John Hardin Young to discuss election systems of bar associations. Read more… Source: ewmi-prolog.org

Ajara. “Protect Batumi Boulevard” society protests against a plan of “Ambassador Batumi” Ltd to build a 16-story hotel on the old boulevard and publishes a manifesto for signatures: “Stop destruction of Batumi Boulevard”.  “Despite the fact that the 16-story hotel is completely inappropriate for the boulevard and directly contradicts legislation, as well as threatens and reduces the cultural and historical value of it, the project has already been approved by the Adjara Cultural Heritage Protection Council while the head of the Adjara Cultural Heritage Protection Agency intends to give his approval on its implementation.  It is our duty to stand up against this disorder and protect Batumi Boulevard from destruction. Following the above, we demand:  1. Stop construction of the 16-story hotel on the territory of Batumi Boulevard immediately and revoke an issued permit.  2. Suspend the issuance of a permit for any construction on the territory of the boulevard until a development plan of Batumi Boulevard is approved”, - is stated in the text of the manifesto.  At this stage, the mentioned manifesto is signed by about 3500 people.  Read more…  Source: manifest.ge