Kvemo Kartli. Youth from Kvemo Kartli extend their support to Hamid Sadikov, a teacher of geography in Tazakendi, who has been forced by part of the population to apologize in the center of the village for his status related to kidnaping of a schoolgirl and posted in a social networ. There has appeared a website in a social network that publishes the first video, in which Muslim youth address both Hamid and the public: “Hello, we have come, we are in front of you! We come to fight against injustice! We come to protest premature marriage and abduction of girls by force! Hamid, you are not alone! Do not touch a teacher, if you have something to say tell it to me! I am Hamid! We are Hamids! Watch the video… Source: The website in a social network

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia publishes a blog post: there is an annual increase in the number of municipal legal entities in Kutaisi. “The number of legal entities established by the Kutaisi City Hall has increased from 20 to 22 in the last three years, which has resulted in a higher number of employees and budgetary allocation for their activities by the municipality”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: www.transparency.ge

Kvemo Kartli. In the framework of the EU-supported Employment Shuttle and VET Programme, Association Rural Development for Future Georgia (RDFG) and the Employment Programs Department of the LEPL Social Service Agency of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, held a VET and Job Fair in the city of Tetritskaro.  The event aimed to connect job seekers from the Kvemo Kartli region to the VET colleges and employer companies. The VET and Job fair was attended by the 11 vocational education colleges, local jobs seekers and 23 employer companies with more than 300 active vacancies, including the representatives of the EU-supported rural development projects implemented by RDFG.  Read more…  Source: http://enpard.ge

Tbilisi. “Transparency International Georgia” has publicized needs identified by civic councils in 2019 in Zugdidi and Poti. Members of civic councils of “Transparency International Georgia” identified more than 60 infrastructure problems/needs in Zugdidi and Poti. We anticipate that self-governments of Poti and Zugdidi will consider identified needs of citizens in a draft budget for 2020 as much as possible”, - is stated in the information released by the organization. Read more… Source: www.transparency.ge

Samtskhe-Javakheti. Public Defender and Deputy Public Defender met with representatives of the media and civil sector in Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda. The challenges of ethnic minorities in the region, the issue of teaching the Georgian language, shortcomings in the 4+1 programme and the problem of the low quality of general education were discussed at the meeting. Read more…  Source: http://ombudsman.ge

Kakheti. HEKS/EPER, in the frame of the EU-supported project “Promoting Citizen Engagement for Economic Development (PROCEED)”, organized a training in International Accounting Standards and Georgia’s Tax System for the beneficiaries of the 1st and 2nd grant cycles in Dedoplistskaro municipality.  The training aimed at raising awareness and improving skills of the EU grantees in modern standards and practices in project financial management. To make the training delivery most efficient, the 19 trainees were split into two groups. The split reflected the diversity of expertise by the trainees and their specific training needs.  Read more…  Source: http://enpard.ge

Tbilisi. Assessing Georgia’s progress on human rights over the past six years, a renowned international expert commissioned by the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) lauded significant achievements in legislative and policy reform, including new laws on anti-discrimination, juvenile justice, occupational safety, child rights and the protection of migrants and asylum seekers.  Independent expert report on Georgia’s National Human Rights Strategy for 2014-2020 finds significant achievements in legislative and policy reform, provides recommendations on better practical implementation especially in the areas of independence of judges and prosecutors, media pluralism, transparent and democratic law-making and non-discrimination.  Read more…  Source: https://eeas.europa.eu

Tbilisi. 15 participants successfully completed IDFI’s practical training on the Methods & Mechanisms of Government Oversight. “The training participants selected out of 200 applicants via the open call, included students, activists and journalists from all parts of Georgia“, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: Social network

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia publishes a blog post: the company of the advisor to the Mayor of Akhaltsikhe is winning tenders in Akhaltsikhe. “Gelvas Geladze, the advisor on infrastructure issues to the Mayor of Akhaltsikhe, Zaza Melikidze, is winning tenders in Akhaltsikhe municipalities without any competition with his company - Mshenebeli 2004. Since 2014, when Geladze was appointed to a position in the self-government, his company revenues amounted to 4 096 286 GEL, out of which 1 103 065 GEL (about 27%) was secured by Mshenebeli 2004 through procurement contracts in Akhaltsikhe municipalities. Gelvas Geladze was also a member of the Bidding and Admission Committees, as well as the supervisor for ongoing projects and also a contractor. More than half of this amount - GEL 651 420 - was secured through tenders with no competition”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. A full of positive emotions two-day “Community Leadership Forum 2019” is over. The forum of his year was dedicated to the International Day of Rural Women. The forum was conducted within the framework of the project “Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” with the support of the European Union and Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Read more… Source:The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. Institute for Development of Freedom of Information publishes a blog post: Selection of Supreme Court Judge Candidates: What people in Georgia know and think about the process. “What does the public in Georgia know about the process and what is their attitude towards the selection of Supreme Court candidates and judicial institutions? A phone survey conducted on September 5-11, 2019 suggests that people in Georgia are divided in their trust towards judicial institutions, are not knowledgeable about the process, have little trust in it, and largely have not heard of the selected candidates. Generally, thepublic is divided in whether they trust the High Council of Justice, Supreme Court, and the court system in general. About half of the public trusts and distrusts each of these institutions”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

To protect the country's captivating natural parks and help it achieve economic sustainability, the U.S. Government is launching a $1.6 million, five-year program to preserve and maintain Georgia's national parks while generating economic opportunities. Read more… Source: The social network

Tbilisi. According to information released by Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), on October 18, the conference of prosecutors of Georgia will elect six new prosecutor members to the Prosecutorial Council.  “Unfortunately, the Parliament did not take into consideration specific proposals in regard to determination of composition of the Prosecutorial Council and expansion of its activities. Within the frameworks of current regulations, it is difficult for the Prosecutorial Council to be an active body, as well as to ensure independence of the institution and its effective operation”, - is noted in the statement of the organization. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) submitted its opinion of a “friend of the court” (amicus curiae) to the Tbilisi Court of Appeals in regard to the case of murder of Vitali Safarov, a human rights activist, and urged to identify the motive for refusal of mercy. “In our opinion, identification of the motive for crime is essential for both prevention of hate motivated crimes and creation of a safe and equal political and social environment for minority groups”, - is noted in the statement of EMC. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Kakheti. With EU and FAO support local farmer’s sweetcorn goes on sale at Carrefour. Carl Hartzell, Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia and Raimund Jehle, FAO Representative, met with an FAO-ENPARD project beneficiaries on their first day of suppling Majid Al Futtaim Carrefour Georgia with their yield.  Kakheti sweetcorn on sale in supermarket is first success of large scale EU-FAO project aiming at increasing Georgian farmer productivity and income through modern methods and connecting producers with retailers.  Read more…  Source: http://enpard.ge

Tbilisi. Public Defender publishes an assessment of 10 years of torture prevention. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

USAID/PROLoG presents one pager about the new Law on Mediation. Leaflet... Source: The page 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. Hate crimes was a topic of yet another, two-day training organized by IDFI, with the participation of the journalists and prosecutors from the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The Training of Trainers program studying the work of private enforcement officers has started with the assistance of GIZ Legal Program within the framework of EU funded project “Development of Commercial Law and Practice”.  "Totally 14 state and private enforcement officers participate in the training. “The goal of the training is to train local trainers on the private practice of enforcement. These local trainers will train all state enforcement officers on the necessary issues of private practice during this and next year period. These trainings will prepare them for the reform planed in the enforcement law“, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: The web-page of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. How Georgia responds to Russian propaganda - This was the topic of a discussion at the meeting organized by “Transparency International Georgia” on October 15. “Participants of the meeting talked about dangers, which Russian propaganda poses to the country, ways that are used for dissemination, state policy to address this problem and measures that need to be taken to fight against intensified propaganda”, - is stated on the website of the organization in a social network. Read more… Source:The website of the organization in a social network