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. The Open Society Georgia Foundation launches a large-scale project together with 14 regional TV channels, broadcasting in Georgia, and the Journalism Resource Center in order to inform population of the region better about COVID 19. “From April 15, there will be broadcasted a daily special program on each channel that is going to inform local population about the pandemic and analyze current news with invited guests in the context of COVID 19. This is a good opportunity to convince population of the region once again that social distancing is important. Besides, these programs will enable citizens to pose relevant as well as interesting for them questions and receive answers not only from the capital, but also from local government officials, doctors and healthcare professionals, teachers and law enforcers”, - is stated on the website of the Foundation in a social network. Read more… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Shida Kartli. The City Assembly of Gori Municipality approved rules for implementation of co-funding programs for projects of the municipality and the list of information to be published proactively broadened. Amendments were made within the framework of the project – “Advocacy for effective participation”, which is implemented by the Gori Information Center and the Gori office of the Civil Society Institute with the financial support of NDI Georgia and USAID. Shortcomings existing in current programs of co-funding for projects and initiatives of Gori Municipality were revealed as a result of a qualitative research conducted at the beginning of the project. It turned out that there were no common rules that would ensure both increase of participation of population in implementation of projects and transparency of co-funding processes. It should be noted that this is the success of the first lobbyist woman of Gori Municipality - Darejan Muradashvili, Head of the Gori Branch of the Civil Society Institute and Mikheil Chitadze, Head of the Gori Information Center, registered as lobbyists at the City Assembly of Gori Municipality to lobby for projects related to initiated legal acts. Read more…  Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) publishes a blog post in regard to April 14, 1978 developments in Tbilisi, which also contains related excerpts from the Western press (New York Time and The Times).  “On April 14, 1978, there were held crowded demonstrations in Tbilisi. Citizens of Soviet Georgia were protesting against an attempt of the Communist Party to change the constitutional status of the Georgian language. In 1977, a new Soviet constitution was adopted, while the Supreme Council of the Georgian SSR was considering a new constitutional plan, according to which Georgian would no longer be the state language on the territory of Georgia. This fact caused a lot of disturbances within the society. The wave of protests reached its culmination on April 14, 1978.  Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) calls on the Government of Georgia and Tbilisi City Hall to take timely and effective measures to make sure students in need are provided with social protection and support, including arrangement of rental and postponement of tuition fees. “A large number of students are involved in hard precarious work in order to meet their basic social needs (rent, tuition fees, food). Under the conditions of the pandemic most of them lost their jobs, which fact obviously puts them at risk of losing housing and failing to pay tuition fees. In this regard, special attention should be paid to students from Abkhazeti and Tskhinvali regions, as well as to those from regions, cities and villages of which are isolated due to the closure of de facto borders and the quarantine regime”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. As UN Women Georgia informs in Georgia mostly women are engaged in production of medical protective garments and their role is enormous in the fight against the spread of coronavirus. “70 women employees of Doctor Goods are working around the clock to increase production of protective garments and masks for Georgian medical workers”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. On April 14, 2020 at 14:00, the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association conducted an online presentation of a research – “Standards of usage of preventive measures”. “For research purposes local legislation has been analyzed. One of the most important tools while carrying out the research was evaluation of a legislative framework related to preventive measures, implemented reforms and practices developed on the basis of them. The research contains a review of international standards in regard to preventive measures practiced in criminal proceedings, as well as summary of obstacles and best practices that exist in the national jurisdiction in terms of introduction of these standards”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes a report – “Electronic distribution system of cases in court”. “It is analyzed in the report how the rules of electronic distribution of cases functions in practice, as well as how complete the rules of distribution of cases is and what existing statistic data are in this regard. The document contains also a review of those shortcomings related to the rule of distribution of cases, which were revealed during the first reporting period, however, there have not been taken any steps to eliminate them”. Read more…   Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. According to information of Media Checker, the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics prepares guidelines for media in regard to COVID-19 coverage – “Ethics, safety and mental health while covering the coronavirus pandemic”.  “By this time the Charter has already elaborated guidelines for organizing distance working, while it will gradually publish thematically sorted recommendations in regard to other challenges occurred for media in parallel with the coronavirus pandemic. As the Charter states, media assumes a special role while covering issues related to coronavirus and it is important to adhere to principles of ethical journalism: accuracy, fairness, impartiality, etc. At the same time, media must be especially careful when using terminology”.  Read more…  Source: www.mediachecker.ge

Tbilisi. European Union in Georgia publishes a blog post: Covid-19: Disinformation can kill. “The COVID-19 outbreak is a global challenge that needs to be addressed at all levels of society: we have a responsibility as individuals to make sure we don’t spread the virus and take care of each other. Municipalities, regions, and states all have obligations to secure medical services, take care of the weakest and most vulnerable among us, and maintain public order. Academia and the wider research community, the private sector, the EU, the UN, and other regional and international bodies all have their designated responsibilities and functions. In the end, the effectiveness of the global response boils down to trust and cooperation. The Kremlin’s disinformation machine is seeking to undermine this essential solidarity at a time when disinformation can well and truly kill”. Read more… Source: eeas.europa.eu

Tbilisi. Institute for Development of Freedom of Information publishes a blog post: A Year after the Discovery of the Mass Graves of the Victims of the Soviet Repressions. “The discovery of the mass graves is very important event for Georgia. In general, the studies of the stories of the repressed persons, their proper commemoration and immortalization is an important and urgent issue in the post-Soviet region. In many countries, on the execution and burial sites, there are complexes of memorials and the governments support the commemoration of the repressed, educational and the other types of events. All of these have a key role in the formation of collective memory of the countries and the rethinking of the totalitarian past. The graves discovered in Khelvachauri is the first discovery of this kind in Georgia, which requires an appropriate attention from the state”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The report “Analysis of the state of fulfillment of obligations assumed by Georgia in the field of energy in 2014-2018 years on the basis of the Association Agreement between the EU and Georgia” is designed within the framework of a project – “Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” and contains: - A review of the energy market of Georgia, presenting main indicators of electrical energy and natural gas markets of Georgia by years; - Information regarding obligations assumed by Georgia in the field of energy on the basis of the Association Agreement and description of the state of fulfillment of these obligations in 2014-2018 years. Read more… Source: The website of the Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia

Tbilisi. The Georgian Center for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT) publishes tips on how to make it easier for adolescents to remain in isolation and what to consider while dealing with them. “Isolation, distancing and staying at home are special challenges for adolescents. Reasons to this fact are age-related features, which can be summarized as follows: The most important for an adolescent during this period are social connections with peers as well as autonomy from home and parents”. Read more…  Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Amid the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus COVID-19, governments have been rapidly introducing new emergency measures. While these measures aim to save lives, they also have a major impact on civil society space and fundamental freedoms. As part of its CSO Meter initiative, ECNL and its partners in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region have been following how the emergency measures taken by governments affect human rights and civic freedoms and how CSOs have responded. Our Briefer summarizes measures taken up to April 5, 2020. Read more… Source: csometer.info

Tbilisi. An information campaign for prevention of COVID-19 spread is being launched by the EU-funded project “Georgian Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” in 647 identified high-risk locations throughout 10 regions of Georgia. ▪️ Among other activities, non-traditional information delivery channels will be applied: - 173.760 loaves of bread, with special information stickers, to be distributed within the target population, - 22.500 bags for grocery with relevant information will be delivered to groceries in the villages for free-of-charge distribution. Learn more… Source: The page of the organization in the social network

Tbilisi. Coalition for an Independent and Transparent Judiciary publishes a statement in regard to closure of trials and other shortcomings in common courts in the conditions of the state of emergency. “On March 13, 2020, prior to declaring a state of emergency in the country, the High Council of Justice adopted recommendations related to measures to be taken in the judicial system to prevent spreading of the new Corona virus. Based on these recommendations the judicial system gradually introduced legal proceedings in a remote mode, which is unequivocally a positive development, however, it is important, at the same time, to make sure trials are public as well as court observers and other interested people are able to monitor proceedings”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. According to Women’s Information Center, there have been discussed risks of increase of domestic violence cases during the pandemic at a sitting of the inter-agency commission that works on the same issues. The statement, released by the Government, notes that along with economic and social risks, the state controls risks of violence against women and domestic violence. Read more… Source: ginsc.net

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) publishes a blog post: Importance of open data in the fight against pandemics: International Examples and Georgia. “In the near future, when internal spread of the virus starts, it is feasible to use the best international practice and introduce respective approaches. For instance, it is important to provide citizens with additional information about confirmed sites of infection in order for them to take extra careful measures. Along with tightening movement rules, it is necessary to ensure that citizens have access to a variety of online services, especially in terms of receiving health care and consultancy. Besides, the announced application will be of great importance” – is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) publishes a blog post: Russian information operation in Georgia - Coordinated network of “Sputnik” on Facebook. “ISFED discovered a suspicious scheme for coordinated dissemination of materials of Russian media source “Sputnik” in the Georgian space of “Facebook”. As a result of observation of open sources of “Facebook”, the organization came to the conclusion that fake personal “Facebook” accounts and certain thematic “Facebook” pages create a non-authentic coordinated scheme to disseminate materials posted on the website of “Sputnik”. Read more… Source: isfed.ge

EU announced its global response to support partner countries’ efforts in tackling the coronavirus epidemic by committing to redirect over €15 billion of existing resources. This includes over €183 million for Georgia. Read more… Source: eeas.europa.eu

Tbilisi. European Union releases the joint letter addressed to the goverment and people of Georgia. “The COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic crisis is unfolding at an unprecedented pace and has pushed the world economy into a recession. The impact will be worse than the global financial crisis and economic damage is mounting across all countries. As an open economy that relies on tourism, trade, and remittances, Georgia is particularly vulnerable to this pandemic.  To overcome this pandemic, we need a coordinated health, social, and economic policy response. We, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Union and the European Investment Bank, the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW, the French Republic through the Agence française de Développement, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank Group are working together to ensure rapid support to Georgia and are currently discussing a substantial financial relief package to help the authorities respond effectively to this unprecedented crisis. Many other development partners are similarly preparing support packages for the people of Georgia. As Georgia’s Coat of Arms so appropriately puts it, there is truly ‘strength in unity’”. Read more… Source: eeas.europa.eu

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...