Tbilisi. The Public Defender proposed to the Parliament of Georgia to make legislative changes in order to enable accused prisoners to call their lawyers any time, even when their right to make calls is restricted. The change is necessary to ensure the effective defence of the accused. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. According to the information of the Ombudsman OSCE/ODIHR Prepared Legal Opinion on Legislative Changes relating to State Inspector's Service at Public Defender’s Request. “According to the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, contrary to international standards, the abolition of the State Inspector's Service by the Parliament was hasty and was not preceded by prior consultations. According to the organization, this decision is a dangerous precedent as it poses a threat to the rule of law and effective functioning of independent institutions”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia studied the issue of campaign finances of 2021 municipal elections from August 2 to November 13, 2021. “13 election subjects who either are getting public funding or who received donations of at least GEL 100,000 during the year were selected for the study. Both in terms of total revenues and expenditures (up to GEL 27-28 million each), the ruling party's finances were almost twice as high as the other 12 parties combined, indicating an extremely unequal distribution of finances between the parties, which is detrimental to the electoral environment”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. According to the information of UNICEF Georgia the theme for International Women’s Day, 8 March, 2022 (IWD 2022) is, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, recognizing the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all. “Advancing gender equality in the context of the climate crisis and disaster risk reduction is one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century. The issues of climate change and sustainability have had and will continue to have, severe and lasting impacts on our environment, economic and social development. Those who are amongst the most vulnerable and marginalized experience the deepest impacts. Women are increasingly being recognized as more vulnerable to climate change impacts than men, as they constitute the majority of the world’s poor and are more dependent on the natural resources which climate change threatens the most. At the same time, women and girls are effective and powerful leaders and change-makers for climate adaptation and mitigation”. Read more… Source: georgia.unwomen.org

Tbilisi. The representatives of Taso Foundation held a coordination meeting with the community workers through the Zoom platform. “At the meeting, the project team summarized the work done in the regions and planned future activities together with community workers. Taso Foundation is implementing the project in Shida Kartli, Samegrelo, Guria, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi regions with the support of the UN Women and the Norwegian Government”.  Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia publishes the survey: Misuse of Administrative Resources during Georgia’s 2021 Municipal Elections. Organization’s observation of the 2021 municipal elections showed that the misuse of administrative resources during elections is still problematic for Georgia. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. On February 14th and 15th, in the framework of the training program “Georgia's future civil service leaders,” the Rondeli Foundation organized the 6th module of the lectures. “The discussion covered topics related to Public Policy Analysis. The program is implemented in cooperation with the Eesti Diplomaatide Kool/ Estonian School of Diplomacy. The project is designed to support Georgia’s civil servants on the career ladder by deepening their knowledge and enhancing their skills in the field of security and policy analysis”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. UNICEF Georgia publishes the article: What we know about the Omicron variant. “New variants like Omicron are a reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. It is therefore essential that people get the vaccine when available to them and continue to follow existing advice on preventing the spread of the virus, including physical distancing, wearing masks, regular handwashing and keeping indoor areas well ventilated”. Read more… Source: www.unicef.org

Adjara. Young doctors and medical students provided information about vaccination to young people living in Chakvi, Batumi, Keda and Khulo. The project, motto of which is "You can end this pandemic!" Is supported by USAID Georgia. Read more… Source: the organization’s page on the social network

Imereti. With the support of Local Democracy Agency Georgia in the municipalities of Kharagauli, Baghdati, Samtredia, Vani, Tskaltubo and Khoni has launched an online citizen feedback platform as a pilot. “The purpose of creating this platform is to evaluate the services / programs provided for the citizens by the municipality. In the first stage, social programs are being evaluated. The citizen feedback platform created within the framework of the grant "Increasing the quality of citizen involvement in local self-government", with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government of Georgia”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. UNDP Georgia and OHCHR organized a two-day training of trainers to assist Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia to better protect the rights of people with disabilities and fight stigma and discrimination. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. On February 16, the Rondeli Foundation in cooperation with the US Embassy organized a lecture for the participants and alumni of the "National Security and Public Policy Program". Ambassador Marc Grossman, Vice Chairman of the Cohen Group, discussed the topic: “What is the right strategy and the right structure for American Diplomacy?”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Rondeli Foundation publishes a roadmap: Who Forms and Who Implements the Kremlin’s Policy in the Occupied Regions of Georgia. “In this review, we shall try to identify who has been involved in shaping and implementing the Kremlin’s policy in the occupied regions of Georgia since August 2008. The document only assesses the activities of some key individuals or agencies whose area of direct responsibility is (in our opinion) the occupied regions of Georgia and whose activities can be monitored through an open source analysis. The review is based on materials used in the Roadmap to the Kremlin’s Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region project of the Rondeli Foundation”. Read more… Source: www.gfsis.org

Tbilisi. Taso Foundation shares information about Cyberbullying. “Cyberbullying is sending of intimidating, mocking, or threatening messages, often through social media, and according to studies, in most cases, it targets teens, young girls, and members of minority groups. Face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying can happen following or in line with each other, but in some cases, cyberbullying leaves a digital trace of malicious activity - a record or a message that can be useful and provide evidence to stop violence”. Read more… Source: Marcum, Catherine D. et al. “Battle of the Sexes: An Examination of Male and Female Cyberbullying.” International Journal of Cyber Criminology. Source: The organization’s page on the social network

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Tbilisi. On February 10, 2022, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Business and Technology University (BTU). The main purpose of the cooperation is to conduct research and projects as well as to develop various tools for support and mutually beneficial cooperation. Specifically, the collaboration will focus on encouraging the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. As a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, TI Georgia symbolically displayed the Ukrainian flag in our office today. Слава Україні! Героям слава! Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Adjara. On February 14, presentation of the project during which volunteers will hold meetings and discussions to raise awareness of hygiene practices as well as to prevent and control infections was held in Batumi. 150 adolescent volunteers unite in 63 municipalities of Georgia to promote safe hygiene and infection prevention measures among their peers. Read more… The project is organized by UNICEF, with the support of USAID and in partnership with the NGO "Helping Hand". Source: wcmsprod.unicef.org

Imereti. Local Democracy Agency Georgia held an introductory meeting with members of the Baghdati Youth Council. “At the meeting, the board members shared their expectations regarding the activities of the board. LDA Georgia presented the vision on the further activities of the Council and its involvement in it. The Baghdati Youth Council is being strengthened within the framework of the project "Civil Society Initiative," with the support of the European Union and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) publishes a blog post about the Economic Growth Overview of Georgia for 20201. “In 2021, the Georgian economy surpassed the 2019 level by 3%, despite significant growth in foreign debt and high inflation. In 2020, the Covid-19 Pandemic had a negative impact on economic growth, in Georgia and in other countries. Despite the -6.8% decline in 2020, GDP increased by 3% in 2021 compared to 2019. External debt Increased by GEL 10.5 billion (+ 50%) in the last two years. Total inflation exceeded 15% in the same period. Georgia's economy is expected to grow by 6% in 2022[1]. This does not significantly exceed the US (5.2%) and EU (4.2%) averages”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Adjara. On February 9, 2022, Polish Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) completed the process of exhumation in Adjara and the mass grave №6 of the victims of the Great Terror of 1937-1938, discovered in Khelvachauri, near Batumi, was fully examined. “According to research conducted by IDFI , a total of 1,050 people were shot dead in Adjara in 1937-1938. The study found that among these 1,050 people, 311 were from other provinces in the Russian Empire, as well as from Central European countries: among them, about 30 ethnic Poles were shot in Adjara. Based on the information provided by IDFI, the Polish Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) became interested in discovering the fate of its own citizens and taking appropriate measures for their exhumation and subsequent identification. Experts from IPN examined the grave for two weeks, after which they discovered skeletal remains of 29 victims”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. UNDP Georgia and the Bank of Georgia signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support the up-and-coming generation of women business leaders. “This unprecedented partnership is expected to create game-changing opportunities for over 200 women-led startups and growing companies across the country”. Read more… Source: www.ge.undp.org