Tbilisi. The LEPL Agency for state care and assistance for the (Statutory) Victims of Human trafficking has shelters and crisis centers that provide support services to people (With children) who have experienced: Domestic violence Violence against women Sexual violence Human trafficking. Hotline 116 006 operates in 9 languages, including Ukrainian. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Non-governmental organizations express solidarity with Nika Gvaramia and Mtavari Arkhi team. “The decision of the Tbilisi City Court of May 16, 2022, and the imprisonment of Nika Gvaramia is perceived as a warning and threat to other independent media outlets to stop critical coverage of the government’s performance, to cease watchdog activities and to refrain from the disclosure of facts that are undesirable to the government. The imprisonment of the General Director of a critical media outlet, including on the basis of managerial decisions, is yet another example of selective investigation, prosecution and conviction. We think that these kind of developments may have a negative impact on Georgia's European integration process”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Shida Kartli. On May 13, IDFI representatives met with local students in Gori. “Celebration of May 9 has a significant meaning for Gori and for several groups, this day is associated with Stalin and his personal victory. However, it is noteworthy that youth is interested in asking new questions and conducting a discussion of the symbolic meaning of May 9”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. May 17 is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, which aims to condemn violence and express solidarity with LGBT+ people. However, LGBT+ people and their supporters have not been able to celebrate this day publicly for years due to the risks of violence and lack of state guarantees of protection. Although the visibility of the LGBT+ community has increased over the years and the discriminatory attitudes in the society have decreased, this process is not accompanied by a consistent or thoughtful state policy. Moreover, the legal inaction of the State encourages inequality towards LGBT+ people in almost all areas of public life, fails to improve their quality of life and leaves them vulnerable to violence and discrimination”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The EU and CENN brought together local, national and international organisations today to discuss youth challenges and opportunities in Georgia. Read more… Source: www.eeas.europa.eu

Tbilisi. According to the Social Justice Center, the security and rights of LGBT(Q)I persons remain susceptible to vulnerability. “Despite the long history of fighting for the recognition of LGBT(Q)I persons, the real protection of the security and rights of LGBT(Q)I persons and the high level of social homophobia, which has a serious impact on the daily, public and private lives of LGBT(Q)I persons, remains a significant challenge in Georgia. The dramatic events surrounding the recognition and realization of political rights over the past 10 years show the state's demonstrative indifference, political homophobia, and its dire experience of tolerating violence. This policy has severely damaged and continues to impair the opportunities for the development of a democratic, peaceful, and pluralistic society, and has created numerous social crises. For years, the government, political parties, the church, and other actors have been trying to politically instrumentalize LBGTQI people and LGBT(Q)I issues, and this dominant policy has often led to the deprivation of LGBQI people of their lives, dignity, and future”. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. According to the Transparency International Georgia the Court Fullfiled a Political Order by Punishing Nika Gvaramia - the Head of the Critical Media. “Based on the study of the case materials and observation of the court process, we can conclude that the case is politically motivated. It aims to punish Nika Gvaramia and disrupt the activities of a critical media outlet. The use of the justice system for media censorship and intimidation sends a clear message to other critical media outlets as well. This verdict is a continuation of the political persecution that has been waged against Government’s opponents for years”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The film “Europe and Me” and all other resources are now available on the European Union’s webpage. The film has been created by the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia in close cooperation with the film director Giorgi Kvelidze for Europe Day 2022. Read more… Source: eu4georgia.eu

Tbilisi. United Nations Development Programme - UNDP and SAWA Global Cinema Advertising Association launched an eight-week campaign aimed at raising awareness of the climate emergency… The campaign is shaped around UNDP’s #DontChooseExtinction initiative and the Frankie the Dino ad which has already reached an audience of 1.5 billion and garnered 3,000 media mentions. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Samegrelo. Transparency International Georgia publishes the blogpost: Companies of uncle and cousin of the Mayor of Senaki win local tenders. “Five tenders announced by the Senaki City Hall in March 2022, whose total value amounts to GEL 2 614 550 were won without competition by JSC Arkeopolisi, a company owned by Demur Gadelia, the uncle of the Mayor of Senaki Vakhtang Gadelia, and Indiko LLC, a company of Ioseb Gadelia, the Mayor’s cousin. The Head of the Administration Service of the Senaki City Hall, Nana Zarandia, is also connected with Arkeopolisi JSC. She is also the Deputy Chairperson of the Tendering Commission of the Senaki City Hall and has signed documents stating that she does not have a conflict of interest in relation to JSC Arkeopolisi and Indiko LLC. TI Georgia calls on the Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service to study the process of participation of JSC Arkeopolisi and Indiko LLC in the tenders of the Senaki City Hall and to establish whether or not it contains possible signs of corruption”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Kakheti. Debates clubs opened up in 20 village schools of Kakheti Region within the project of UNICEF and Georgian Institute for Debate and Education. The project is being implemented with the financial support from Norway. 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...

Samegrelo. Transparency International Georgia publishes the report on the outcomes of 2021 advocacy efforts of TI Georgia’s Committees of Concerned Citizens in Samegrelo. “As a result of advocacy efforts undertaken by TI Georgia’s Zugdidi Office and CCC members, 10 projects were implemented in Khobi, Zugdidi and Tsalenjikha municipalities in 2021; implementation of another 11 projects has begun and will be completed in 2022; five projects advocated in previous years have been planned under the 2022 budget”. Read more about the outcomes of the work and advocacy of our CCCs in Samegrelo in 2021 in the report… Source: jobs.ge

Tbilisi. On May 11, 2022, the Public Defender of Georgia and Prevention for Progress, a non-governmental organization, presented a joint report “Impact of Covid 19 on the Health and Other Rights of Prisoners and Staff of the Penitentiary System”. The study assesses the impact of special measures taken by the Special Penitentiary Service from March 2020 through 2021 on the rights situation of prisoners. “The results of the study show that restrictions were overused during the pandemic period and no appropriate efforts were made to find possible alternative solutions. No appropriate steps were taken by the state institution to reduce the number of prisoners”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Do you want to be more involved in the activities of the Georgian parliament, read draft laws, make comments or have online communication with any member of the parliament? Download and install the application GEO PARLIAMENT created with EU support on your phone and enjoy all these opportunities.  To install the app please visit  Play Store… App Store… Source: The EU’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) initiates a project in order to improve accessibility of public information within the framework of which offers full legal assistance to journalists and other media representatives regarding freedom of information. Legal assistance includes: Drafting applications, complaints and claims Representing in administrative bodies and courts  IDFI will cover state fees if necessary. Learn more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The Kremlin continues to build a national narrative about the great victory of 77 years and the defeat of Nazism. IDFI's blogpost will analyze how attitudes towards May 9 have changed over the years, what forms the main parade dedicated to this day took in the modern Russian Federation, and which symbols or narratives dominated this day.  Read more…  Source: idfi.ge

Tbillisi. The Social Justice Center is representing Aida Balafkan's legal rights. Aida Balafkan, a British citizen on an academic visit to Georgia on April 26, 2022, was arbitrarily denied entry into the country by the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs. This Ministry decision is another example of allegedly discriminatory and arbitrary border crossing regulations. The decision, among other things, impedes academic interaction and worldwide cooperation in this regard. Read more... Source: socialjustice.ge

Tskaltubo. On May 4-5, a two-day working meeting was held in Tskaltubo dedicated to teaching children's rights at universities. The event was organized within the framework of the program focusing on the professional development of higher education teachers in terms of children's rights. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. According to the IDFI International organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) annually publishes Global Press Freedom index results and rankings for 180 countries in the world. Results and estimations for 2022 became available to the public today.  Index for 2022 shows significant worsening of freedom of media in Georgia compared to last year. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Samtskhe-Javakheti. Transparency International Georgia periodically looks into the practice of “revolving door” in Georgia. “Revolving door” refers to the movement of individuals between public-sector and private-sector jobs, that involves risks of corruption and conflicts of interest. This time around, TI Georgia have exposed such fact in the Borjomi municipality. “When Piran Gogichaishvili, the owner of Mshenebloba da Proektireba LLC (Construction and Design LLC), was appointed to a position in the Borjomi City Council in 2018, he transferred his company to Vasil Mchedlidze for free. However, in 2022, after his term of office expired, the former City Council member reclaimed the company. As it transpired, Mshenebloba da Proektireba LLC and a sole entrepreneur, Vasil Mchedlidze, received GEL 2,203,460 through 52 public procurement contracts awarded by the Borjomi municipality over the period between 2018 and 2021”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge