On October 15, the first official partners’ meeting of the project “A common forum for CSOs from Guria, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi for PAR Roadmap monitoring” was held.

Fund "Sukhumi" - a leading organization together with partners - the Union of Scientists of Imereti "Spectri" and the Fund of Women Entrepreneurs discussed the annual schedule for the implementation of the project and signed cooperation agreements.

The project provides empowerment of civil society organizations in 8 municipalities of Western Georgia (Khoni, Bagdati, Terjola, Vani, Ambrolauri, Tsageri, Ozurgeti, Lanchkhuti), which will be combined into a common forum and involved in monitoring implementation of Public Administration Reform (PAR) in 8 target munici

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

An informational meeting with medical staff on the topic “Violence against women / domestic violence - the role of doctors in violence prevention and assistance to the victim” was held in the conference of Vani Sakrebulo. The meeting was attended by, family doctors, emergency doctors, medical staff working in the clinic and in small rural clinics and the members of Gender Equality Council.

There was a conversation about the law on violence against women / domestic violence, assistance to the victim, referral mechanism and specifically the role of medical staff in identifying and assistance to the victim of violence. There was also a presentation of two publications prepared for the medical staff. The participants expressed their

The conference on the topic: "Teaching peace in schools is the key to a better future" was held in Kutaisi, in one of the halls of the cinema “Sakartvelo”. The Conference was attended by the heads of educational resource centers of 9 municipalities of Western Georgia and directors of those schools in which the Fund “Sukhumi” operates on issues of conflict management. The urgency of the problem and the importance of the impact of workshops on students were noted. Participants developed a “Strategy of working on topics of conflict and peace in schools.”

An information meeting was held at the Center for Democratic Engagement in Kutaisi. The participants got acquainted with the results of a research of the Fund “Sukhumi”: what is the impact of Presidential elections in de facto Abkhazia on Georgian population, how high are the risks of conflicts in society. The participants spoke about the need to introduce Gender Responsive Early Warning System (GREWS).

Risks of conflict development and its impact on women using a gender-oriented system of early warning of conflicts - these issues were discussed at a meeting in Zugdidi  Association “Imedi”.

Such meeting took place near the conflict dividing line - in the village Khurcha (Zugdidi municipality).

Participants of the meetings listened to information about a survey conducted by the Fund “Sukhumi”, which reflects the attitude of the Georgian population towards the de facto elections in Abkhazia.

The field monitor of the Fund “Sukhumi” held an informational meetings in the village Koki (Zugdidi municipality), which was attended by the residents of the village near the conflict dividing line. The participants got acquainted with the results of a study conducted by the Fund “Sukhumi”. They talked about the conflict early warning system and its significance.

A similar meeting was held in the village Pakhulani (Tsalenjikha municipality). Minimizing the risks of conflict development envisaging gender aspects - participants emphasized these issues.

On September 5, the field monitors of the Fund “Sukhumi” held informational meetings with the population in Kutaisi and Tskaltubo. Participants were provided with information obtained as a result of the research: what is the impact of the presidential election in Abkhazia on the population, how high are the risks of conflict. The participants spoke about the need to introduce the system of GREWs in practice.

The focus groups and in-depth interviews in Bagdati, Zugdidi and Vani municipalities, gathered information on the following issues: the role of local self-government in violence prevention and victims assistance, the effectiveness of the work of gender council, cooperation and coordination with referral subjects. Participants of monitoring spoke about achievements and challenges.

The meetings were held as part of the monitoring of the “Law of Georgia on the Elimination of Domestic Violence/Violence Against Women, Protection and Assistance to the Victims”.

- Gender Responsive Early Warrnins System - how this system is implemented in practice, what methods are used by the group of the Fund “Sukhumi”, what are the difficulties and results.

In order to identify these issues, an international expert Felipe Daza visited the Fund “Sukhumi” for two days. At the consultation meeting, project participants talked about how they collect information, how media monitoring, systematization of data, and analysis are held. The consultant got acquainted with the electronic program for calculating data and gave relevant advice.

The coordinator of the Swedish organization Kvinna till Kvinna in Georgia Etuna Nogaideli, international expert Felipe Daza and representatives of the Fund “Sukhumi” visited the conflict villages - Khurcha (Zugdidi municipality) and Pakhulani (Tsalenjikha municipality).

- How field monitors work on conflict dividing line, what are the difficulties, how are the beneficiaries selected, how much is confidential information of respondents protected during data collection, how is information sent – the meetings were mainly focused on these issues.

The guests also visited in the territories near existing checkpoint of the village Pakhulani and the closed point of Khurcha. The received information will be reflected in the organization’s reports.