"I received the correct information about the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict."
"I am an IDP from Abkhazia, but I know very little about reasons and duration of conflict. This training gave me the opportunity to learn more. "
“I have heard only about the consequences of conflict. I always wanted to know more about the history of conflict. Thank you for this training and for answering my questions. "
This is a feedback from one part of the training participants. The training was conducted by the conflict expert Keti Vasadze.
“Prehistory of Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, its continuation and consequences”
- the participants of the online training on this topic were members of the Youth Initiative Group of Khoni municipality.
Women and girls needs research in 6 municipalities of Western Georgia - Kutaisi, Tskaltubo, Khoni, Senaki, Zugdidi and Tsalenjikha - was completed.
1000 respondents were interviewed through the questionnaires, 24 in-depth interviews and 24 focus - group meetings were held for qualitative research.
In May, the systematization of the research results will be held, and this will become the basis for the analysis. In frames of the project, it is also envisaged to develop a plan and further work to advocate the needs of local target groups at local and central levels.
The article in the newspaper "New Education" starts like this:
Within the framework of the project "Strengthening the Women's Rights in Western Georgia", the Fund “Sukhumi” has started to establish youth centers in 10 cities of Western Georgia (Kobuleti, Senaki, Tsalenjikha, Zugdidi, Samtredia, Vani, Terjola, Tkibuli, Bagdati). In agreement with local governments and resource centers, the Fund “Sukhumi” cooperates with youth departments, on the basis of which youth empowerment centers are established.
Link: https://bit.ly/3ew5m3x
Projects of 16 experienced and 14 new organizations - new ideas, interesting initiatives!
Specifically:
In 2019, within the framework of the project, the Forum of Civil Society Organizations was established, which joined 16 organizations from 8 municipalities. They participate in many activities. For them, a mini-grants competition was announced for the second time. And all 16 small projects were financed, just like the first time.
This time there is an innovation: in recent months, our project has contributed to the creation of 14 new organizations in Imereti, Guria and Racha-Lechkhumi. Moreover, it was decided to support their first projects.
On April 28, during the ordinary meeting of the competition committee, the results of the evaluation of project applications were discussed and a decision on their financing was made.
Thus, 30 small projects have been financed. Their implementation has already begun in Vani, Khoni, Bagdati, Terjola, Tsageri, Ambrolauri, Lanchkhuti and Ozurgeti municipalities.
The Fund "Sukhumi" held a round table in Zugdidi with participation of the representatives of local referral entities.
During the meeting there was a discussion regarding prevention of violence and protection of violence victims (referring of social cooperation), analysis of the situation in terms of domestic violence and definition of prospects for social cooperation. The emphasis was made on the problem of domestic violence and the prospects of cooperation with local structures.
The project "Strengthening of Women's Rights in Western Georgia" was also presented at the meeting.
According to the participants of the meeting, joint activities will enable to identify problems, increase the quality of their solution and prevention.
"New visions in the process of conducting public administration reform to introduce the needs of citizens" - a round table was held on this topic in Tsageri City Council. The organizers of the meeting were the Civil Society Organizations “Active Citizen - Accountable Government”, “Tsageri Center for Women's Rights and Equality” and the Fund of Women Entrepreneurs.
The facilitator and the speakers of the meeting spoke about the results of the project “A common forum for CSOs from Guria, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi for PAR Roadmap monitoring”, about the “working groups” created within the project and the activities. The presentation of the report on citizens’ needs evaluation was held, and at the end the emphasis was made on the vision of the municipality to solve the problems identified in the research. The meeting was attended by representatives of the City Hall and City Council of Tsageri, mass media, NGOs and different spheres of society.
Representatives of local self-government positively assessed the project and underlined the need for its implementation.
City Council of Bagdati municipality approved the code of ethics and rules of behavior for public officials.
The document was drafted by the chairman of the legal and procedural committee, who is a member of the working group, established in frames of the project. Before the presentation at City Council meeting, the document passed all the procedures, it was posted on the website of the municipality and everyone had the opportunity to familiarize with it. As a result of lobbying from the side of working group members, the document was approved.
On the one hand, the code defines a common standard of ethics and behavior for public officials based on general principles (fairness, responsibility, professionalism, efficiency, objectivity, political neutrality, informing the population about the powers they have in communication with public officials) and, on the other hand, together with protecting the interests of public officials, the decree serves to raise trust towards local government and public service.
Khoni working group raised important issues at the round table. The meeting was attended by representatives of local government, schools, mass media, as well as social workers and young leaders.
The head of the working group, Alexandre Akobidze, presented the work of the group, and member of the group Eliso Jikia presented the results of the third monitoring of public administration reform, carried out within the framework of the project.
During the round table, the participants were introduced to the effectiveness of the hotline, activated after the implementation of the mini-project. They talked about a code of ethics that will soon take its final form. The recommendations developed after analyzing the monitoring in terms of gender and participatory budget, adaptation of the city hall building and other topical issues were also significant.
Presentation of the project "Strengthening the Women's Rights in Western Georgia" was conducted by the Fund "Sukhumi" in Samtredia, Tsalenjikha, Zugdidi and Vani municipalities. The meetings were attended by representatives of local self-government, civil activists. Emphasis was placed on the prospects of responding to the problem of domestic violence and cooperation in this issues.
According to the meeting participants, joint activities will make it possible to identify problems, the quality of their solution and prevention will be increased. Local governments are ready to be actively involved in the prevention of domestic violence.
