This article tells the reader of the newspaper “New Education” about the peacekeeping activities of the Fund "Sukhumi" - mainly about the new project “Bridging the Gap: People to People Initiatives for Conflict Resolution”.
It covers a series of trainings conducted for youth initiative groups.
The role of young people is special in this work. The article emphasizes their interest: to learn more about the conflict and discuss current topics, their desire is: to take initiatives and become peacemakers...
A consultation platform has been set up with the Office of the State Minister on "Women, Peace, and Security - Enhancing Women's Effective Participation in the Peacebuilding Process". The contribution of the Fund "Sukhumi" is important together with the partner organizations in this success.
There are two youth initiative groups in Tskaltubo. The group members determined the indicator of their own activity at the meetings and paid attention to the factors contributing to the development of activism. They recalled specific cases related to civic activism. According to them, the youth inclusion will contribute to the promotion of youth policy in society.
During the meeting with members of the women initiative group, the participants listened to information about the questionnaire, which aimed to assess the quality of human security and gender needs. The problems identified during the research will become the subject of advocacy, which will be determined by the advocacy plan of the initiative group from the next month.
Meetings of women and youth initiative groups were held in Senaki municipality. The young people discussed civic activism. According to the participants, young people have initiatives, ideas, and need support for their implementation. This will contribute to the development of civic activism.
The women's initiative group listened to the results of the study "Assessment of the quality of human security and gender needs of the population" conducted in Senaki. Participants discussed what kind of threats do the women feel most in concrete component of human security, what are the most actual problems for them, what are the existing threats. They will try to advocate the problems identified as a result of the research.
An online training was held for representatives of the civil peacekeeping coalition "Women and Peace" and leaders of women initiative groups.
Training topics: UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the policy of its local implementation, the basics and stages of advocacy; organization of informational meetings with project target groups, online platform “Voters’ Advisory Application” and its use.
The participants of the training got acquainted with the provision for localization of the National Plan of the Resolution "Women, Peace and Security", local practice, challenges, issue of women's participation; they familiarized with the essence of the online vote -o-meter, which will be introduced in Zugdidi municipality for the local elections, as a mechanism for informing the voter. They also discussed the methods of facilitation and principles of working with target groups.
It turned out that the project team is ready to be included in the next stage.
The needs research is completed, the problem is identified, and advocacy process starts.
How to plan the advocacy process, what are the principles should be envisaged when forming the messages, what arguments can prove the urgency and priority of the problem? Online trainings on these issues were held on May 21 and 25 for women initiative groups of Imereti and Samegrelo.
Participants worked on specific issues, identified the details of advocacy campaign.
The feedback showed that the training was fruitful:
“As a community leader, I should have known and already know about the ways of advocacy. It will help me in responding to problems".
“I got acquainted with the specifics of the advocacy plan. I especially liked the practical part of the training and learned a lot".
On May 24, 2021, Ekaterine Gamakharia, the head of the representative office of Fund “Sukhumi” participated in a regular information meeting between the participants of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in the direction of Ergneti and representatives of civil society. Representative Offices of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia and the State Security Service, the European Union Monitoring Mission, the UN Women, local CSOs and women's organizations, IDPs, and women affected by the conflict have participated in the info-sharing meeting.
At the meeting Ekaterine Gamakharia emphasized the importance of the inclusion of women's organizations with gender expertise in the group of experts, and other professionals in a specific field such as economics, ecology, violence against women, gender equality, healthcare, etc.
The head of Tbilisi representative office of the Fund “Sukhumi” - Ekaterine Gamakharia has participated in another session of high-level seminar of the OSCE Conflict Cycle.
The key question of the meeting was how can the OSCE work for inclusive and gender-just peace throughout the conflict cycle.
Welcome, and introductory remarked by Petra Tötterman Andorff, Secretary-General of the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, Sweden.
During the panel discussion speeches were delivered by Ms. Liliana Palihovici, The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office’s Special Representative on Gender, Nina Potarskaya, National Coordinator Ukraine, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Igo Rogova, Executive Director Kosovo Women’s Network, and Ekaterine Gamakharia, Cultural-Humanitarian Fund "Sukhumi".
“Tolerance and conflict” - this topic was discussed in the village Lia (Tsalenjikha municipality) with the youth initiative group.
At the end of the meeting, the general mood of the participants was as follows: you should treat people the way you want them to treat you - these are the words of great importance. We must respect each other. We can create a tolerant society ...
The second meeting was held with the women initiative group of the village Pakhulani (Tsalenjikha municipality). An assessment of the technical side of the women’s needs research was made. The group members, who participated in the research talked about the process of implementation, about the obstacles and what contributed to the work.
The meeting participants also touched upon the plans. It was noted that the work of the groups is quite effective.
