Imereti. A workshop was held on July 5 in Kutaisi for young people living in the region. The event was organized by the Education Development and Employment Center. The workshop focused on promoting the culture of volunteering among young people and conducting an open dialogue about civil activism. It also featured discussions on formal and informal volunteering, the connections between volunteering and civil activism, as well as literacy and its role in the development of civil society. The meeting was chaired by the writer Giorgi Kekelidze. Source: Education Development and Employment Center

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...

The results of the Global Index of Responsible Artificial Intelligence (GIRAI) have been published. IDFI was involved in the research as a hub for Eastern Europe and Central Asia and coordinated the research process in 12 countries.  Please find our analysis of the results of the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia: the main findings and needs in terms of the use of responsible AI.  More... Source: IDFI

Kvemo Khartli. Two cohorts of the Civic Development School brought together over 70 young people aiming to empower and educate youth from the Kvemo Kartli region.  Through public lectures and thought-provoking discussions over six months, the school addressed crucial topics, such as human rights, equality, diversity, media and digital literacy, eliminating discrimination and violence.  Civic Development School was established by Red Bridge with support from UNDP and Norwegian Embassy in Tbilisi, in partnership with National Library of Georgia.  More… Source: UNDP

Tbilisi. TI published an analytical report – „Performance Assessment of the Parliament 2023“. „In 2023, the Parliament became a closed institution. It transformed into an even more inaccessible and non-transparent institution for representatives of civil society and critical media. The denial of access to enter the Parliament and attend committee sessions was made without providing specific justification, citing only the general security regulations of the Parliament. The Parliament has ceased the release of public information that could potentially be used as grounds for criticism against MPs.“  More… Source: transparency.

Imereti.The social entrepreneurship training course for students of professional colleges has been completed. The 60-hour course, designed specifically for students of vocational schools, was conducted by experts who also trained the teachers to implement the course. Students from "Iberia", "Construct2", "Gantiadi" colleges, and Akaki Tsereteli State University Professional Training Center participated in the training. The course covered topics: understanding and calculating economic indicators necessary for business success, creating a future development plan for entrepreneurial competencies, identifying and optimizing opportunities, generating, developing and evaluating ideas, business planning, resource management, and simplified financial accounting reporting.  The training was organized within the framework of the project “Strengthening Social Entrepreneurship Skills in Vocational Schools,” which is implemented by the Education Development and Employment Center, Childfund Deutschland E.V. (Germany), in partnership and with the support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).  Source: Education Development and Employment Center

Tbilisi. The festival season is underway! More music festivals in Georgia go green merging entertainment with the sustainable development agenda. With support from UNDP Georgia, Norwegian Embassy in Tbilisi and CENN, the popular eZo Festival introduced waste recycling practices, replaced plastic bottles with glass, and installed glass collection bins throughout the grounds for easy recycling.  This cooperation is part of UNDP’s Norway-funded project ‘Leadership, Equality, Advocacy, Democracy.  More… Source: UNDP

The Georgia Red Cross Society (GRCS) joins the World Blood Donor Day every year and organizes various activities. In 2024, blood donation campaigns were held in Tbilisi, Batumi, Khulo and Keda, with the involvement of the GRCS staff and volunteers. A total of 115 individuals participated in the campaign, with 90 meeting the blood bank requirements and donating blood. Source: The Georgia Red Cross Society

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. On July 2, the awards ceremony for ‘Georgia’s Responsible Business Awards – Meliora 2024’ was held at Tbilisi History Museum “Karvasla,” where the best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) focused projects and companies of the year were announced. At the ceremony, the representatives of the diplomatic corps and international CSR experts presented awards to winning companies in various contest categories. The contest revealed the best CSR projects implemented by the private sector over the past year, judged by the jury comprising the distinguished international and Georgian experts from public organisations and academic circles locally and internationally. more about winners... This contest was conducted with the assistance of the Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG), within the framework of the European Union (EU) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) funded project ‘Civil Society STAR Initiative: CSOs as Sustainable, Transparent, Accountable, and Resilient Development Actors in Georgia.’ source: EU in Georgia

50 Young Climate Ambassadors from 26 municipalities across Georgia joined the 4th Green Summer Camp to gear up with vital climate education. Since its launch in 2022, the Green Camp has empowered youth to foster local #ClimateAction in their communities.  More… Source: UNDP

Tbilisi. The Coalition for Independent and Transparent Judiciary reacts to the election of three new Supreme Court members by the Georgian Parliament, viewing it as another step damaging the European integration process. "Successful European integration and the realization of necessary democratic reforms, including fundamental judicial reform, represent an unwavering will repeatedly expressed by the overwhelming majority of Georgian society. The ruling party and all branches of the government must respect this mandate." more... source: transparency.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...

On June 26th at 14:00, the Georgian Farmers' Association, in collaboration with Defood, will host a webinar on the opportunities for exporting to Poland via a digital platform. More… Source: Georgian Farmers' Association

Tbilisi. With EU support, CENN brings together Georgian visual artists at the multimedia exhibition "Landscape Tells a Story" in Tbilisi. Over the past two months, these artists crafted a rich array of multimedia works, including paintings, sculptures, video installations, and illustrations. Their creations highlight the crucial role of energy efficiency and renewable energy in combating and adapting to the adverse impacts of climate change through the lens of visual art.  The exhibition will be open to the public from June 25 to June 30, daily from 12:00 to 18:00.  More… Source: EU

Ever wondered what the world REALLY thinks about #ClimateChange? Discover insights from the #PeoplesClimateVote, the world’s largest climate change survey, covering 77 countries and representing 87% of the global population. Launched in 2021, this groundbreaking initiative is led by United Nations Development Programme - UNDP, University of Oxford, and GeoPoll.  More.. Source: UNDP

European Commission’s Ethical Guidelines on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data in Teaching and Learning are now available in Georgian! The Guidelines are intended for primary and secondary teachers and educators with little or no experience with digital education. Learn more ... Source: EU

Samtskhe-Javakheti.On 11-15 June, the Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI) and the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo, held concluding two two-day seminars for the second cohort of the joint certified international course, Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for All. The seminars were led by experts from the University of Oxford, the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, the University of Oslo, Forum 18, and TDI.  The course was conducted with the support of the UNDP Georgia and the Norwegian Embassy in Tbilisi under the initiative LEAD „Leadership, Equality, Advocacy, Democracy” and in partnership with the Oslo Coalition for Freedom of Religion or Belief at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Universitetet i Oslo (UiO)University of Oslo, with the support of Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  More…  Source: TDI

Tbilisi. The EU Ambassador to Georgia, Pavel Herchinsky, visited the GYLA office. The ambassador met with GYLA staff and announced support for their work. This visit is particularly significant following the adoption of the "Russian Law" and emphasizes the EU's unwavering support for GYLA and civil society activities. The ambassador expressed hope that our country will continue to progress towards Europe. He also discussed increasing support for Georgian civil society from the European Union. Source: GYLA

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” publishes a traditional report on TV advertising market review.  “In 2023, compared to the previous year, the total advertising revenue of broadcasters increased by 18.8% (15.1 million GEL) and became 95 million GEL. TV station advertising revenues increased mainly because of pro-government broadcasters”.  More… Source: transparency.ge

UN Georgia’s Annual Report - 2023 - is out! The Report summarizes the progress made by the UN team in Georgia in 2023. A collective effort by UN entities in Georgia is focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and promoting greater well-being, capabilities, and social equality for all Georgians.  You can download the report here Source: UN Georgia