Tbilisi. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), under the EU-funded European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD III), announces Grant Competition to support agricultural initiatives in Georgia.  The objectives of the initiative are to improve access to finance, services, equipment and inputs for farmers, rural households, cooperatives and other small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in rural areas. These improvements are expected to contribute to increased competitiveness of the agricultural sector and better livelihoods for people living in the rural areas.  Information sharing meetings in the municipalities will be held.  Read more…  Source: http://enpard.ge

Guria. On 12-13 October, EU Ambassador to Georgia, Carl Hartzell, visited Guria region. During the visit he met with local government and civil society, visited EU project sites, and opened Europe Day in Ozurgeti.  The trip started with a visit to tea cooperative Nagromari, which received EU support through the ENPARD programme to purchase equipment and rehabilitate unused tea fields. Over half of the cooperative members are women, and it has doubled its land and expanded its factory in the last three years.  Read more…  Source: http://enpard.ge

Happening now UN Women in partnership with the Georgian Farmers Association (GFA) is organizing consultation meeting on promoting agritourism in Georgia. The meeting is devoted to the International Rural Women's Day. The event is organized within the framework of the UN Women's project "A Joint Action for Women's Economic Empowerment in Georgia" funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Read more… Source: The page of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) appraises legal status of homeless. “Homelessness is one of the severe forms of social exclusion and it entails encroachment upon various rights, including the right to adequate housing, the right to life, the right to health, the right to respect for private and family life, besides, it is associated with cases of inhuman treatment. In the circumstances of addressing minimal needs to exist, this part of society finds it difficult to talk about its rights and advocate for basic interests”, - is noted in the statement of the organization. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. On behalf of 16 people, GYLA applied to the Tbilisi City Court and demanded to abolish the prosecutor resolution, based on which respective status was not granted to people affected on June 20-21. GYLA demands the court to annul the resolution passed by the Prosecutor's Office and take a decision in regard to granting the status of victim to 16 people affected on June 20-21. The court has to consider the complaint within 15 days. Read more… Source:The website of the organization

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia found harassment on the ground of different opinion in the workplace against the Ltd Black Sea Group Company and its Deputy Director.  According to the case file, the Deputy Director used forms of unethical communication with applicants subordinated to him/her, including in the presence of third parties. In particular, he/she used offensive expressions and created a hostile and degrading work environment as a person with power. In addition, despite the applicants' request, the Director of the company did not respond to the above facts.  Read more…  Source: The web-page of the organization

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia filed an amicus curiae brief with the Tbilisi Court of Appeal in connection with the criminal case of the murder of Vitali Saparov.  The Public Defender, as a mechanism to combat discrimination, made such a decision as the case included alleged hate motive. In the amicus curiae brief, the Public Defender discussed the indicators of hate motive based on standards established by international institutions, as well as the importance of identification of such motive.  Read more…  Source: The web-page of the organization

Tbilisi. Human Rights Center requests the prosecutor’s office to grant victim status to the 38 journalists who covered the protest demonstration in Rustaveli Avenue on June 20.  ‘Human Rights Center calls on the Office of the Prosecutor General of Georgia: to conduct investigation over the criminal cases under the Article 154 of the CCG, which refers to the interference in the professional activities of journalists; to conduct comprehensive and impartial investigation and impose criminal liability over the perpetrators; to grant victim status to the citizens who received the injuries as a result of the dispersal of June 20, 2019 protest demonstration in accordance to the Article 56 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia’, - Is mentioned in the statement of the organization.  Read more…  Source: http://www.humanrights.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes a statement regarding World Mental Health Day.  “The stigma that exists in society and is related to people with psychosocial needs continues to be a major problem. In a lot of cases, violence committed against this group remains invisible to both society and the state, while high-profile cases of violence are automatically attributed to psychosocial needs”, - is noted in the statement.  Read more…  Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. On 10 October 2019, on the occasion of the World Mental Health Day, Public Defender of Georgia Nino Lomjaria held a public meeting on mental healthcare and human rights.  “The World Mental Health Day has been marked since 1992 and aims to raise public awareness of mental health issues and to mobilize supportive activities. This year's focus is suicide prevention”, is noted in the statement.  Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

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...

Ajara. As part of a broader effort to promote rural development in Georgia, the European Union (EU), in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is launching a series of workshops in Rural Development Advocacy in eight municipalities.  The first workshops brought together up to 60 community activists and representatives of civil society organizations from the municipalities of Tetritskaro, Lagodekhi and Dedoplistskaro. By the end of 2020, similar workshops will be carried out in five other municipalities – Akhalkalaki, Borjomi, Kazbegi, Keda and Khulo.  The series of workshops for the civil society organizations is part of the EUR 179.5 million in EU assistance that has been allocated to Georgia under the ENPARD programme between 2013 and 2022. This support aims to promote rural development policies and create economic opportunities for the rural population outside of agriculture.  Read more… Source: http://enpard.ge

Tbilisi. TI Georgia has studied the contracts concluded for organizing the celebration events in the years 2017-2019.  “In 2017-2019, public procurements with a value of GEL 1,493,385 were made for holding celebration events, out of which GEL 827,735 (about 55% of the total amount) was spent through simplified procurements”, is noted in the statement, - “Spending of budgetary funds on pre-planned events envisaged by the events calendar (New Year concerts, the opening of the tourism season in Batumi, May 26 celebrations, Batumoba (Batumi Day) celebrations) in a simplified manner contradicts the very criteria of substantiation of simplified procurement”.  Read more… Source: www.transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) has studied the practice of disbursement of reserve funds of local self-government units during 2018.  “The study has revealed that the practice of determination of the amount of reserve funds and their consumption is different in various municipalities. A number of city halls of municipalities incur expenses that entail questions in regard to the necessity of funding them from reserve funds”, - is stated in the final part of the study.  Read more… Source: The website of the organization

Tbilisi. Public Defender of Georgia publishes special report on the process of selection of supreme court judges.  “Monitoring showed that the selection of Supreme Court judges in a fair manner and in accordance with high standards was substantially affected by many shortcomings. The process ongoing in the High Council of Justice failed to convince an objective observer that the most competent and conscientious candidates were submitted to the Parliament of Georgia”, is noted in the statement.  Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia publishes a blog post: Questions concerning authenticity of Tadumadze’s diploma must be answered.  “Transparency International Georgia studied the documents which confirm inconsistencies with regard to the diploma of incumbent General Prosecutor Shalva Tadumadze. Specifically, according to the diploma, Shalva Tadumadze enrolled in the institute in 1993 while the institute itself was established in 1994. There are inconsistencies in terms of the graduation date too: the diploma indicated 1998, while, according to Shalva Tadumadze’s resumé, it is 1999”, is noted in the statement.  Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Ajara. EU Supports the Adoption of Economic Development Plan for Keda, Shuakhevi and Khulo Municipalities.  Over 50 representatives of public, private and civil society sectors gathered in Batumi, Adjara to discuss Economic Development Plans for Keda, Shuakhevi and Khulo municipalities. The document was prepared with EU support under “Mayors for Economic Growth” project, with the assistance from ENPARD’s ongoing rural development projects in Keda and Khulo and active involvement of Local Action Groups (LAGs).  The aim of the Economic Development Plans are to realize common interests, coordinate economic development sites between participating municipalities and initiate joint action concerning local economic development.  Read more… Source: http://enpard.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) releases a statement in regard to substantive consideration of the Moris Machalikashvili case that begins today in the Tbilisi City Court.  “EMC anticipates that the defense will have an opportunity to present relevant arguments during the review of the case in the court and that the court will manage to make correct legal evaluations”.  Read more… Source:The website of the organization

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia appraises actions taken by the state within the framework of investigation of the June 20 case.  “We present information in regard to approaches that the state applies towards both law enforcers and demonstrators. Provided examples and statistics create an impression of practicing selective approaches. In certain cases, actions of investigative bodies may even carry punitive content and be aimed at intimidating participants of rallies in the future”, - is stated on the website of the organization.  Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia is responding to the reports about alleged sexual and physical abuse committed by a member of Tbilisi City Assembly against his employee.  ‘Depending on the gravity and sensitivity of the case, the Public Defender calls on the Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia to conduct an effective investigation, including by carrying out all necessary investigative or other procedural actions. In addition, it is important to eliminate any doubts about political interests or biased investigation, and the investigating authority to actively cooperate with the alleged victim and her representative’, - Is mentioned in a Public Defender’s statement.  Read more…  Source: The web-page of the organization

Tbilisi. Heinrich Boell Foundation Tbilisi Office renews a lecture course for students "War and Peace". Local and international experts working on peace building and conflict transformation will deliver speeches on different topics.  Read more… Source: Social Network