International Republican Institute (IRI)
Y-Lead Georgia’ Youth Leadership, Education, Application and Delivery Program
$500,000
Public Summary: To increase youth political engagement with local, democratic political processes and institutions, the Institute will work with emerging young voices from the civil and political spheres of Georgia through the Youth Leadership, Education, Application and Delivery (Y-LEAD). Y- LEAD Georgia alumni will develop a voter education and GOTV campaign and will have the chance to participate in an Ideathon to address local issues in their home regions.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Strengthening Political Party Networks and Messaging at the Municipal Level
$246,000
Public Summary: To strengthen the representation of local voices in national politics and support political pluralism, the Institute proposes a program to enhance the ability of Georgian political parties to run issue-based campaigns responsive to local needs. The Institute will help parties develop and implement electoral strategies that enable them to better target their limited resources, actively recruit and engage new support, and run issue-driven campaigns that reflect the priority needs of voters.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Strengthening Political Party Networks and Messaging at the Municipal Level
$75,000
Public Summary: To strengthen the representation of local voices in national politics and support political pluralism, the Institute proposes a program to enhance the ability of Georgian political parties to run issue-based campaigns responsive to local needs. The Institute will help parties develop and implement electoral strategies that enable them to better target their limited resources, actively recruit and engage new support, and run issue-driven campaigns that reflect the priority needs of voters. In particular, the Institute will support political parties as they develop volunteer networks in communities across the country in order to develop and communicate meaningful policy messages. By rooting election campaigns in networks of volunteers and creating connections between candidates and local activists, this program will complement the Institute’s ongoing projects to increase the responsiveness of local and national governance.
Soviet Past Research Laboratory
Engaging Young Scholars in Democracy Research
$53,420
Public Summary: To promote a more accurate understanding of how Georgia’s Soviet past continues to damage social cohesion and faith in institutions and renders Georgia more vulnerable to Russian and antidemocratic disinformation. The organization will conduct research on identity and nationalism, local self-governance and elite-citizen relations. The organization will hold discussions, organize a social media awareness raising campaign about history and disinformation, hold roundtables for decision-makers about potential policy responses, work with the Ministry of Education to improve history curricula, and support ten young research interns.
Human Rights Center
Legal Aid and Human Rights Monitoring
$39,980
Public Summary: To improve human rights practices in Georgia, and to promote international fair trial standards and protect freedom of assembly. The organization will monitor and report on human rights, provide free legal aid to citizens, and support the activities of two regional human rights centers. The organization will monitor trials with potential political motivations, and as well as the right to freedom of assembly at public events. The organization will issue reports on its findings, and advocate for reforms domestically, as well as submitting reports to the UN, OSCE, COE, and other international organizations. Since its founding in 1996, the organization has become one of the central entities engaging with international institutions on issues of human rights and rule of law in Georgia
Kakhetis Khma (Voice of Kakheti) Media House
Independent Reporting for Local Communities
$51,930
Public Summary: To increase the availability of independent reporting on challenges facing the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia. The grantee will maintain and develop its online news portal, with a focus on news and reporting from rural communities in the Kakheti region and on tying those subjects to the larger political and social context of Georgia as a whole. It will draw attention to local governance problems, particularly in the context of the 2021 local elections. The Telavi-based organization, established in 2013, provides balanced coverage of Georgian elections and political developments, and it encourages greater transparency and public oversight of local governments
American-Georgian Initiative for Liberal Education
Youth and Democratic Values
$69,241
Public Summary: To develop the analytical skills and political and civic consciousness of Georgian youth. The organization will conduct public events with politically-engaged university students in Tbilisi and four regional cities, Telavi, Gori, Batumi, and one city to be determined on the state of Georgian politics, and perspectives for engagement with parties. The organization will also hold a workshop in Tbilisi for young activists, with the participation of political party leaders, scholars and civil society activists on the 2021 local elections. The organization will also work with local activists and political parties in three cities to build more robust connections between parties and civil society. Registered in 2007 by prominent Georgian and Western academics, the organization maintains educational partnerships with public universities in Georgia in order to strengthen liberal arts education in the country
Shame Movement
Increasing Youth Engagement in Local Governance
$64,123
Public Summary: To increase youth political participation and advocate for local governance reform in Georgia in advance of the 2021 municipal elections. The organization will combat youth political disengagement and promote voter turnout through public discussions and a “get out the vote” campaign; encourage youth activism in local communities in the regions; and draft policy recommendations for local self-governance reform. Born out of a youth protest movement, the organization has experience building momentum among politically-involved youth and making policy recommendations to relevant stakeholders, as demonstrated by the group’s prior advocacy campaign around election reform
Public Movement Multinational Georgia
Democratic Education for Ethnic Minorities
$77,995
Public Summary: To increase engagement in political processes among ethnic minorities living in Georgia. The organization will create an eight-month educational program for ethnic minority student to enhance participants’ understanding of democratic processes, local and national politics, and administrative procedures. Thematic experts will give lectures and students will participate in roundtables with political party representatives, representatives of the international community, and public figures. Participants will engage in simulations of policy debates, local government sessions, and conflict negotiations. Established in 1999 to promote the rights and develop the capacity of minority groups, particularly the ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Georgia, the organization’s work focuses on monitoring human rights and offering legal assistance
Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics
Developing Georgian Independent Media
$44,521
Public Summary: To raise the professional and ethical standards in Georgian media. The organization will monitor Georgian media outlets and publish critiques of unprofessional and unethical reporting on its online media critique platform. For 11 years, this respected nonpartisan organization, a union of 318 independent journalists and media professionals, has performed the function of media self-regulation to improve the quality of Georgian media and preempt government intervention in the media sector
Democracy Research Institute
Supporting Security Sector Reform
$70,978
Public Summary: To promote reforms of the State Security Service of Georgia in line with international standards for transparency and protection of human rights in the security sector. The organization’s researchers will analyze the existing legal framework and practices of the security services, as well as international best practices, and develop policy recommendations for the Georgian government. The grantee will present its findings to relevant stakeholders and conduct an advocacy campaign to encourage implementation of its recommendations. The organization, headed by the former Public Defender of Georgia, is a public policy think tank focused on the protection and promotion of human rights and transparent, accountable governance in Georgia
Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies
Engaging Key Actors in Democracy
$150,708
Public Summary: To increase the capacity of key institutions in Georgia political parties and the Georgian Orthodox Church to better understand and engage citizens on topics related to democratic development, particularly foreign policy The organization will organize a series of seminars and discussions for representatives of regional eparchies and the youth wings of political parties to discuss pressing issues The partner will also organize an interreligious study visit for leaders and clergy from all the main faiths of Georgia, and regional discussion groups for youth activists
United Nations Association of Georgia
Supporting Independent Georgian Media
$205,382
Public Summary: To maintain the daily news website Civil.ge. Articles will be published in English, Russian, and Georgian, and will provide timely daily news coverage and analysis of current events in Georgia. Under this program, Civil.ge’s reporters will continue to increase the number of short news pieces posted on the site, publish interactive explainers of current events, report on conversations in the Georgian media that capture the contemporary political zeitgeist, and develop engaging content to reach a wider audience on social media.
International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy
Protecting the Integrity of Georgian Elections
$130,742
Public Summary: To safeguard the electoral process in Georgia, and to advocate for systemic protections of free and fair elections As part of the project the grantee will: investigate and document mechanisms used to influence voters; conduct seminars with teachers, local officials and media outlets on voter’ rights; and continue to upgrade their organizational capacity to detect and respond to sophisticated violations of electoral integrity.
Center for Progress
Advocacy for Students’ Rights
$45,900
Public Summary: To promote political engagement among university-aged youth. The organization will advocate for reforms to the laws controlling university governance, and restricting freedom of association on university campuses, as well as for improving the economic conditions of students. Student activists will raise awareness of the right to free association, and promote accountability in the allocation of university funds, as well as greater financial support for students.
Center of Independent Journalists
Promoting Civic Engagement at the Local Level
$35,100
Public Summary: To support local news and citizen engagement in the Imereti region of Georgia. The organization will continue to operate its online news portal, including content on Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, monitoring of the local government’s activities, political talk shows, and regular news updates. Particular attention will be given to coverage of local issues and drawing connections between those issues and potential policy responses.
Investigative Journalists’ Team iFact
Researching Authoritarian Influence and Illiberal Movements
$50,121
Public Summary: To foster public debate on corruption and nepotism and to promote transparency and accountability in Georgia. The organization will conduct investigative journalism into systemic problems in Georgia’s socio-political landscape, including Russian disinformation spread by pro-Russian groups, the deleterious influence of investments from authoritarian regimes, and corruption and nepotism in Georgia’s Patriarchy, among others. The organization will produce long-form multimedia publications, weekly videos, and infographics on their findings, which will be disseminated to relevant media and civil society
Independent Journalists’ House
Citizen and Youth Engagement in Adjara
$45,637
Public Summary: To encourage civic engagement and increase the capacity of youth journalists in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara in Georgia. The organization will organize a discussion series about the intersection between community needs and local government responsibilities The organization will host an online training program for youth on local government and civic participation It will also work with youth volunteers to produce video programs about local issues in rural areas of Adjara and commission investigative articles.
Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development
Changing Elite Narratives in Georgia
$31,365
Public Summary: To clarify the attitudes and opinions of Georgian citizens towards the country’s political landscape and to engage Georgia’s political elite about citizen priorities The organization will host discussions with political parties and representatives from the international community about lessons learned from the most recent political crisis It will conduct public-opinion polling to determine lacunae between political assumptions of the country’s elite and its citizens. It will produce a policy paper and host a conference to share its results
Union of Journalists Voice of People
Promoting Civic Engagement and Interethnic Tolerance
$48,720
Public Summary: To promote civic participation in Kvemo Kartli through its Marneuli-based community radio station. The organization will be a reliable source of information on local and national political developments for members of the Azerbaijani and Armenian ethnic minority communities in their local language. The grantee will encourage civic engagement by soliciting contributions and commentary from community members
Journalism Resource Center
Regional Broadcasting for Better Local Governance
$49,900
Public Summary: To increase the availability of high-quality, unbiased information on local governance in Georgia’s regions and to hold political candidates and elected officials accountable The organization will train regional broadcast journalists on the roles and responsibilities of local governments and how to produce objective reporting on local government elections. The organization and its media partners will produce a series of videos on regional issues that relate directly to local governance and broadcast them on regional TV stations
NEOGEN
Promoting Human Rights Education
$108,897
Public Summary: To raise awareness of human rights issues and democratic values promote dialogue in Georgia’s regions. The organization will host trainings on human rights, including women’s rights, and dispel prevalent disinformation about democracy within different ethnic communities. It will convene a roundtable to discuss local human rights issues. The organization will continue producing an educational radio program on human rights in both Georgian and Russian
NGO Open Borders
Armenian-Language News and Information
$102,220
Public Summary: To promote citizen oversight of local government and freedom of information in Akhalkalaki in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Georgia. The organization will cover local governance issues in Akhalkalaki and other regional news, as well as national news stories, particularly developments affecting Georgia’s Armenian minority population. The news site will publish in Armenian and Russian and include multimedia and investigative journalism. The organization will solicit and disseminate news submissions from citizen journalists
Democracy Index – Georgia
Parliamentary Monitoring
$90,485
Public Summary: To promote democratic accountability and effective oversight of the Georgian parliament The organization will monitor Parliament to determine the legislative body’s effectiveness in providing executive oversight and lawmaking functions. The grantee will track votes and statements of all parliamentarians and maintain online profiles detailing this information. It will produce written assessments of parliamentary legislative initiatives and release statements when members of parliament violate procedures. It will engage in a public advocacy campaign to increase citizen demand for good governance
Shame Movement
Engaging Regional Youth Activists
$79,917
Public Summary: To build capacity for regional civic engagement and to increase local government accountability. In order to build capacity for civic engagement at the local level, the grantee will first convene meetings with policy experts and active youth to identify local challenges. To help youth address these challenges, the organization will then produce research on the effectiveness of municipal governments in fixing local issues and engage in an advocacy campaign for governmental accountability
Governance Monitoring Center
Squander Detector
$65,765
Public Summary: To investigate cases of government misspending and elite corruption in Georgia. The organization will increase public awareness of wasteful government spending by publishing investigations into unjustified and potentially illegal government expenditures. It will monitor campaign donations and political candidates’ finances prior to the 2021 local elections. The online publications will describe concrete examples of high-level corruption and highlight the lack of transparency and accountability of the government
