The newspaper "New Education" actively publicizes the work of the Fund "Sukhumi". The first article, published in March, presents a mini-film "Gender stereotypes and the role of schools in their elimination."
The second article "Online Conference - Conflict Management and Violence Prevention" is dedicated to the final conference of the five-month work with the youth of Western Georgia.
Collaboration with the newspaper began in February and 4 articles have already been published. The wide audience of “New Education” got acquainted with the direction of work with youth and saw the importance of non-formal education in the process of breaking stereotypes, managing conflicts and preventing violence.
These 12 children live in Saberio and study in Georgian school of Pakhulani (Tsalenjikha Municipality). Saberio and Pakhulani are the villages on both sides of Abkhazian conflict dividing line, which was closed during pandemic.Education was continued remotely. 12 children became isolated, as they didn’t have telephone, internet. Situation in families became tense due to conflict and violence.
Pakhulani Women Initiative Group (WIG) identified this problem. Advocacy was successfully finished: Fund "Sukhumi" found an opportunity, gave smartphones to children, paid money for the Internet.
Advocacy was continued at the central level. According to decision of the Ministry of Education of Georgia, children living in Saberio were given the opportunity to use available internet and 12 pupils continue to study remotely.
Familiarization with local and central services, identification of problems for advocacy - these issues were discussed at mobilization meetings in March.
An active communication was held with members of local governments in order to receive information. The meetings were conducted by mobilizers of the Fund "Sukhumi" Women Support Centers in Kutaisi, Tskaltubo, Khoni, Terjola, Senaki, Poti, Zugdidi, Ozurgeti, Lanchkhuti and Kobuleti municipalities. The meetings were also attended by a lawyer, a psychologist and a conflictologist of the organization, who provided the participants with information on the mechanisms for the elimination of violence.
The youth spirit was felt that day in the office of the Fund "Sukhumi". Students of the upper-grades from Kutaisi, Zugdidi and Tsalenjikha municipalities took part in the training “Conflict Management, Positive Communication, Tolerance, Empathy, Leadership, Civil Activism”.
Young people liked the comfortable atmosphere, topics, relationships between the participants, they boldly played roles during various activities.
At the end of the training, the participants shared their impressions. Here are some short phrases from their remarks:
Elene Shengelia (school of the village Koki, Zugdidi municipality): - The training strengthened the roots of non-formal education in me ... My knowledge and the knowledge gained during the training supplemented each other and created a strong chain.
The Fund "Sukhumi", with participation of members of Gender Equality Council of Sanaki municipality, held a round table on: “Strengthening the role and functions of the Gender Equality Council in the process of introducing local gender policy”.
The meeting discussed the strategy and various initiatives that will give more effect to the work of the Gender Equality Council. Particular attention was paid to planning of the existing resources for implementation of the plan for 2022, as well as to the issue of maximum involvement of the units responsible for the implementation of the plan.
The beginning, as it often happens, was difficult.
The public administration reform was considered less important in the municipality... but the more they got familiarized with the information, the better it was shown what should be done.
The most important thing, that was done in Vani municipality:
The Code of Ethics for self-government public officials was developed and approved!
Vani Municipality is the first, among the municipalities of Western Georgia in this direction.
The document was prepared by the working group, established within the framework of the Fund “Sukhumi” project “A common forum for CSOs from Guria, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi for PAR Roadmap monitoring”.
On 11 March, the EUMM Mtskheta Regional Office on Human Security has organized an information-sharing meeting dedicated to women’s leadership in conflict-affected communities and in local governments, the importance of their activism, challenges, and opportunities for their participation in the decision-making process. The meeting was attended by the representatives of the EUMM, as well as other international organizations accredited in Georgia and civil society organizations.
Ekaterine Gamakharia, the representative of Fund “Sukhumi” Tbilisi office highlighted the challenges and barriers that hinder women’s meaningful participation in the decision-making process and the obstacles that prevent IDP and conflict-affected to be engaged in advocacy of their own concerns. She emphasized the need to empower IDPs and conflict-affected women especially those living close to the conflict dividing line, to raise their awareness, build their capacity and develop a strong civil society in the field. She has also drawn attention to the importance of active communication, exchange of information, and cooperation between international organizations, civil society organizations, and community leaders.
Implementation of the action plan is one of the goals of Terjola working group. Several issues have already been completed, which were envisaged in the plan. Now they are working on the implementation of a participatory budget. The meeting, held in the municipality, discussed this issue and the following activities were planned: consultation with the Mayor, determination of the funds, formation of a competition commission, announcement of a competition. They are trying to resolve this issue by the end of April, so that soon one more point is fulfilled in the action plan.
The work is carried out in the framework of the project “A common forum for CSOs from Guria, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi for PAR Roadmap monitoring”.
“Strengthening the role and functions of the Gender Equality Council in the process of introducing local gender policy” - a round table on this topic was held with participation of representatives of Khoni Gender Equality Council, local self-government and civil activists.
The municipality makes important changes in terms of reorganizing the Council, creating thematic groups, choosing their strategies and initiating local programs with target on vulnerable groups. Particularly important for the participants was the question of how the budgetary support of the issues, envisaged in the plan should be carried out, as well as the issue of maximum involvement of the units responsible for the implementation of the plan.
