Voting Advise Application VAA - What Is It? What meaning does it have? How does it work? What is its European model? How to introduce this model in Georgia?

The online workshop for the staff of the Fund “Sukhumi” was dedicated to these issues.

This project is supported by the Visegrad Fund and therefore the Visegrad countries are meant in the essence of European Experience.

This time the European model was presented on the example of Poland. Dr. Katarzyna Zielińska (Institute of Sociology) spoke about this with an overview of specific e-pages.

She familiarized the participants of the workshop to Poland's experience in integrating VAA (Voting Advise Application) and its results, as well as practical tools for disseminating VAA through media and online platforms, and how the population was involved in the process. Participants noted the difficulties that may accompany the introduction of this system in Georgia, but it is clear that political parties and voters will understand the urgency, importance and goodness of this model as a result of the right informational campaign.

The work is being carried out with the support of the Visegrad Fund in the framework of the project “Online Vote-O-Meter for 2020 Georgian Parliamentary Elections”.

The project is implemented with the support  of the Visegrad Fund

Online meetings were held with members of civil society organizations in Vani and Bagdati municipalities.

The meetings summarized the results of activities conducted in frames of local needs research. We discussed the challenges that organizations faced in the process. Members of the organization submitted a list of the working group for consideration, which is being formed within the framework of the project “A common forum for CSOs from Guria, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi for PAR Roadmap monitoring”.

The project is implemented with the support the European Union - #EU4Georgia

The group of monitors of the Fund "Sukhumi" continues to work remotely.

According to the plan, in April, the focus was made on the following issues –– programs to correct the attitude and behavior of the rapist; experience of state and non-governmental organizations.

In May, the monitoring group made changes to the action plan and worked on how COVID-19 affected victims of violence, what problems were identified during isolation and quarantine.

Through a quick research, women victims of violence, activists, psychologists, and NGO representatives were interviewed. As a result of the analysis of the obtained data, the publication “The Impact of COVID-19 on Domestic Violence, the Status of Women - Victims of Violence and Access to Services” was prepared.

Imereti Scientists' Union “Spectri” held an online meeting with its partner organizations from Guria.

Representatives of the Center for Education and Equality, the Union of Young Teachers (Ozurgeti), Lanchkhuti Information Center, and the Georgian Rural Hall (Lanchkhuti) took part in the meeting. Issues related to the implementation of the projects, which won the competition of sub-grants were discussed at the meeting. During the online meeting, significant attention was paid to the creation of working groups in the target municipalities and planning of their activities.

The project is implemented with the support the European Union - #EU4Georgia

In the framework of the project “A common forum for CSOs from Guria, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi for PAR Roadmap monitoring” the work to study the need for implementation of a public administration roadmap in the municipalities is going to its completion. Representatives of the local partner CSOs are actively involved in this process, despite the state of emergency caused by COVID-19.

The data obtained by the Lanchkhuti Information Center will become the basis for assessing local needs.

The project is implemented with the support the European Union - #EU4Georgia

The fourth meeting of the Forum of Civil Society Organizations was held through the online platform Zoom with participation of the representatives of 16 local organizations from 8 target municipalities.

Participants were given information about the results of the grant competition within the framework of the project and about the work, which should be done in direction of advocacy at the local level. The participants also got acquainted with the short preliminary analysis of the needs assessment of the local population project target municipalities, the results of PAR monitoring conducted in 4 municipalities of Imereti and heard the recommendations of the project's PR strategy.

During the discussion, the participants highlighted the interesting issues regarding how the local self-government websites can be maintained to increase citizens’ engagement and quality of interaction.

The project is implemented with the support the European Union - #EU4Georgia

The Fund “Sukhumi” has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Family Medicine Center “Bichvinta” (Kutaisi), with which the organization has long-standing relationships.

On May 19, 500 masks were handed over to the center’s medical staff. Reusable masks, with all standards, were sewn by the Fund “Sukhumi” Day Center. In addition, especially vulnerable patients of the Center (including IDPs, women, socially unprotected, large families, elderly people with disabilities, etc. will receive masks).

Khoni and Terjola civil society organizations completed another stage - they carried out important work in terms of local needs research. Questionnaires, in-depth interviews and 4 focus groups were conducted.

Following actors participated in the work:

Organizations of Khoni Municipality: IDP Initiative Group and the Center for Education and Development “Edelweiss”.

Organizations of Terjola Municipality: Union for the Protection of Children's Rights and Civic Education "Children - the Future of Georgia" and "Women for the Future of Georgia".

All organizations invited representatives from target groups. There were productive, interesting meetings - some - online, and some with the direct presence of the participants - despite the difficult situation. Audio material and reports were also prepared.

The work is being carried out in the framework of the project “A common forum for CSOs from Guria, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi for PAR Roadmap monitoring”.

The project is implemented with the support the European Union - #EU4Georgia

Representatives of the following partner organizations working in Tsageri and Ambrolauri:  “Tsageri Women's Rights and Equality Center”,  "Active Citizen-Accountable Government", "Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Savaneti Self-Government Resource Center", “Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Regional Hub-AbkhazIntercont“ completed 2 stages of studying the local needs: questionnaires and preparing interviews in-depth within the framework of the project“Guria, Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi General Forum of Civil Society Organizations for Roadmap Monitoring (PAR)”.

The project is implemented with the support the European Union - #EU4Georgia

The grant competition announced for the CSOs from Guria, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi within the framework of the EU-supported project, was finished.

The grant competition results were summarized at the meeting of the competition commission. 16 local CSOs were given the opportunity to implement various interesting projects and ideas that will raise the civil society role in the implementation of the Public Administration Reform at the local level.

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”.

The project is implemented with the support the European Union - #EU4Georgia