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...

Adjara. The GYLA responds to the events of the peaceful protest in Batumi. “Based on the publicly disseminated facts it is known, that On June 3 at the Era Square in Batumi, At the rally aimed at declaration of solidarity with the illegally and arbitrarily detained human rights defenders in front of the parliament on June 2, 2023, 6 people were detained administratively, including two minors. It is worrisome, that after Tbilisi, in Batumi, the freedom of expression and assembly continues to be illegally restricted by repressive police mechanisms. The footage shows the use of physical force by the police against several people (clashes, handshakes), as well as the facts of violent arrests. As can be seen from the footage, the rally participant was arrested for calling the policeman "shameful". Detention of individuals on such grounds is not new in the Georgian reality, although it is important to note that state bodies and civil servants are subject to wider limits of criticism than private citizens. When a person's actions at a peaceful demonstration are neither violent, nor intended to be violent, their administrative detention runs counter to the guarantees protected by the freedoms of assembly and expression. In the footage, it is also clear how one of the detainees (who, as it turns out from the shouts of the people, is a minor) is probably being detained hands behind their backs, while their face is slammed to the front part of the car. In this regard, it is important to note that a widespread method of administrative detention is the use of rubber/plastic handcuffs during policing operations during demonstrations. However, in such a case, the police officer must warn the detainee that force/resistance may result in handcuffing and possible injury. Tight handcuffs can cause swelling, bruising, redness, numbness and other nerve damage, which in certain cases can reach the level of maltreatment. Such a warning does not appear in the video material”. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. The Information Integrity Coalition will host its first annual conference on June 6, focusing on Russian hybrid threats, Kremlin’s various vectors of influence and existing (or lack of) Georgia's state response. The conference will feature several panel discussions by Coalition members, representatives of policymakers, academia, media, and other experts. Read more…

Kvemo Kartli. The Education Development and Employment Center and Kvemo Kartli Regional Hub organized a workshop for the members of the Bolnisi Youth Council. “Volunteering and Civic Activism” was the topic of the workshop, which aimed to increase the culture of volunteerism among young people, facilitate an open dialogue about civic activism, support the role and activities of youth councils, and familiarize participants with the characteristics and connections that exist between volunteering and civic activism. Find out more… Source: The STAR project’s page on the social network

Kakheti. European Union in Georgia (EU) and UNDP Georgia under the Human Rights 4All project join hands with Qedeli Community to promote social inclusion, independent living, and empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the Sighnaghi municipality through the implementation of a personal assistant service. “The Community hosted the gathering with the representatives of Signagi as well as other municipalities from the Kakheti region to share best practices of personal assistant service. It will help to ensure PWDs in the area are able to exercise their rights and equal opportunities as everyone else. Qedeli is a dynamic, life-sharing community for adults with disabilities in Georgia that has been striving for more than two decades to overcome the stigmatization of PWDs and promote their social inclusion”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Ahead of World Environment Day, UNDP’s new research sheds light on environmental education and awareness in Georgia. 9 out of 10 respondents feel the negative impact of Climate Change. 91% of respondents believe that water pollution should be punishable by the law. 90% recognize the importance of waste separation practices. Read more... Source: The organization’s page on the 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. The forth award ceremony of ‘Georgia’s Responsible Business Awards – Meliora 2022’ supported by the European Union (EU) and Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), and implemented by the Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG) was held on 30 May 2023. “An annual competition aimed at developing corporate responsibility in Georgia and promoting it throughout society, awards business companies for their best initiatives and projects  contributing to the development of corporate social responsibility. As part of this event, the members of diplomatic corps and international experts presented awards to winners in various categories”. Read more… Source: eu4georgia.eu

Tbilisi. Institute for Development of Freedom of Information shares the survey: Analysis of Overall Statistical Data on General Courts of Georgia 2010-2022”. “The analysis of the overall statistical data received from the Supreme Court of Georgia shows that in 2022, compared to the previous year, the number of appeals to the court for all three categories of cases has increased. The highest rate of criminal cases filed since 2010 was recorded in 2022, which can to some extent be attributed to the deterioration of the criminogenic environment in the country. It is worth noting that the share of acquittals in criminal cases has significantly increased in the last 5 years, which on the one hand may be due to the raising of the standard of evidence required by the court to prove guilt, and on the other hand to the increase in the number of criminal cases conducted by investigative agencies in an unqualified manner”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. Social Justice Center shares the article: Georgia's Foreign Policy: The Causes and Impacts of Changes. "This article combines the opinions and views presented by experts. How would you characterize the foreign policy of Georgia during the last period of Georgian Dream rule? Especially in the last year, after the war in Ukraine? “On the one hand, the authorities point that they join dozens of international resolutions or statements in support of Ukraine, and, on the other hand, Georgia's compliance with EU foreign and security policy decisions has dropped from an already low 44% to 31% in 2022.[1] In 2022, Georgia supported only 3 out of 26 EU declarations on sanctions against Russia.[2]  The resumption of direct flights with Russia further reduced this compliance level, which is a direct blow to Georgia's EU integration process.[3] It is clear that the "declared" policy of Georgian government vis-à-vis the EU integration remains only on paper, that too in expired strategic documents”. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. Meet Babi - a 7-year-old girl who loves sculpting, music, walking, sliding, and listening to stories. Babi can't see. She is blind. Listen to Babi's story about what it means when the environment does not allow you to fulfill your potential and what it means to be a child with #disabilities. Find out more... The video was prepared by UNICEF and MAC Georgia with the support of Joint SDG Fund. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the 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. Transparency International Georgia previously wrote about the reasons why a register of beneficial owners (BO) needs to be set up in Georgia. The organization spoke about the need for citizens to know who ultimately owns companies that are strategically important for the country as well as the fact that the creation of such a register would help Georgia’s EU integration and the fulfillment of other international obligations. “Since then, another important reason for creating the registry appeared. After Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent decision by Western countries to fully engage their sanctions regimes, beneficial ownership registries have become one of the main tools for tracing sanctioned persons and their assets. In Georgia, where traces of ownership of many strategically important companies lead to Russia, and where economic dependence on Russia is growing at a rapid pace, setting up a register of beneficial owners is a necessity. Such a register will enable the identification of entities under Western sanctions and help mitigate risks associated with Russian capital in general”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. PHR representatives conducted a training on the sexual and reproductive rights of women with disabilities at the Georgian Bar Association. Read more… Source: phr.ge

Tbilisi. On May 15-16, a training session was held for the Leaders of Independent Living Centers within the framework of USAID Independent Living Program. The training based on the  module developed by World Vision International: "Traveling Together". Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Levan Ioseliani, Public Defender of Georgia, met with Kaori Ishikawa, UN Women Country Representative to Georgia. The topics of discussion at the meeting included issues of gender equality, women's economic and rights situation in Georgia. Special attention was paid to the issue of femicide. The meeting also touched upon the strengthening of partnership between organizations and close cooperation to improve the rights situation of women. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Spring semester of academic program - Disinformation and Propaganda Studies: History, Theories and Ways of Debunking continues. The educational program is jointly organised by the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) and the University of Georgia (UG). Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. Myth Detector shares the blogpost: How was Putin’s decision to lift ban on airline flights with Georgia covered in the Russian Media? “On May 10, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued two decrees; one revoked the 2019 decision to ban direct flights to Georgia, and the other allowed Georgian citizens to enter the Russian Federation without a visa for 90 days. The decision was actively covered in the Russian media. Kremlin propaganda journalists, politicians and representatives of the tourism sector welcomed Putin’s decision, while Russian news agencies, quoting Petre Mamrade, the head of “The Strategic Institute of Management” and Lali Moroshkina, the host at “Radio Imedi,” announced that Putin’s decision was welcomed by the Georgian people as well”. Read more… Source: mythdetector.ge

Tbilisi. The European Union (EU) co-founded the programme EU4Youth and created a Telegram chat-bot game Fair Employment. The game’s primary goal is to raise awareness and promote a better understanding of fair labour practices and standards that must be ensured before and after signing the contract for both young people and employers. “This game, among other EU4Youth initiatives, corresponds to the European Year of Skills 2023 activities aiming to increase people’s skills and empower them to navigate the labour market and its changes successfully and to engage in society and democracy fully”. Read more… Source: eu4georgia.eu

Tbilisi. Civil Society Organizations release the statement: Russian Plane Does Not Lend Itself To EU. “The decision by the Georgian authorities to allow direct flights between Tbilisi and Moscow is a deliberate act of sabotage against Georgia's aspirations for EU candidate status. The European Union has explicitly stated that flights to and from Russia are not permitted by its members and partners, and this action by the Georgian government raises concerns about Georgia's commitment to adhering to EU regulations in foreign policy, as stipulated in the Association Agreement. Contrary to the will of 89% of the Georgian people and in conflict with Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution, the Georgian government continues to shift its foreign policy course. Prior to determining the candidate status for EU membership, such a demarche goes against the Georgian people’s foreign aspirations, which have provided benefits such as visa-free travel and direct flights with the EU, rather than Russia. Our people are already experiencing adverse effects due to the government's foreign policy, resulting in a significant influx of Russian immigrants to Georgia. This has contributed to soaring prices, placing an additional financial strain on Georgian citizens. We call on the Georgian government to halt actions that sabotage the attainment of EU candidate status and immediately reverse the decision to start direct flights with Russia. Continuing down this path will only further damage the interests of Georgia”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the 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...