Project Activities

"Care for Each Other" - this is the name of the contest, which the Civil Society Institute has founded with the purpose of broad and in-depth coverage of social issues, to reveal the best newspaper article, best photograph, and best TV and radio stories prepared on the social issues. Accordingly, the contest aimed at revealing the winners in these four nominations and awarding them.

Articles, photographs, radio and TV stories of up to 60 authors were submitted at the third contest. Submitted contest materials were evaluated by the jury. On the panel of the jury were - Vazha Salamadze, Zviad Koridze, Davit Paichadze, Guram Tsibakhashvili, Lika Chakhunashvili, Soso Simonishvili. Jury members named the winners of the contest at the final event held in the "Sheraton Metekhi Palace" Hotel on 12 February.

• Nomination for the best newspaper article First prize was awarded to the two authors: Natia Guliashvili (for the article "Psychiatric Reservations", published in magazine "Liberal") and Eka Chitanava (for the article "Putrid Transplantation", published in magazine "Liberal"). Monetary prize (divided in half and 500-500 GEL were awarded) and diplomas were awarded to the winners. Jury decided not to award the second prize, while the bonus prizes were awarded to three authors: Shorena Ghlonti (for the article "Mother and Child Earned Living by Riding a Dog", published in newspaper "Guria News"), Oliko Tsiskarishvili (for the article "How the Blind See a Butterfly in the Spring", published on-line - www.fact.ge), and Jaba Ananidze (for the article "Chirukhi Seen from the Chinks", published in newspaper "Kviris Palitra"). Monetary prize (300-300 GEL) and diplomas were awarded to the winners.
• Best TV story First prize was awarded to Giorgi Gvishiani (for the story "Natalia", aired in "Courier P.S."). Monetary prize (1000 GEL) and the diploma were awarded to the winner. Second prize was awarded to Sopio Ochkhikidze (for the story "Khevsureti", aired in the show "Profile"). Monetary prize (500 GEL) and the diploma were awarded to the winner. Bonus prize was awarded to Nino Kakhishvili (for the story "Red Gown"). Monetary prize (300 GEL) and the diploma were awarded to the winner. Bonus prizes were awarded also to Rusudan Panozishvili and Tamar Paradashvili for the joint work (the story "For the Last Lamp Bulb"). Monetary prize (300 GEL) and the diplomas were awarded to the winners.
• Best radio story Jury has decided not to award the first prize this year, while the second prize was awarded to Eka Kevanishvili (for the radio story "If the Child Misbehaves", aired on Radio "Liberty"). Monetary prize (500 GEL) and the diploma were awarded to the winner.
• Best photograph First prize was awarded to Marika Kochiashvili (for the work "Portrait"). Monetary prize (1000 GEL) and the diploma were awarded to the winner. Second prize was awarded to Marika Amurvelashvili (for the work "Doukhabors Are Leaving"). Monetary prize (500 GEL) and the diploma were awarded to the winner.
• Special prize of the Civil Society Institute Special prize was awarded to Sopio Todua (for the article "When Gremi is so Close", published in newspaper "24 Hours"). Monetary prize (500 GEL) and the diploma were awarded to the winner.

Let Us Care for Each Other - 2008

On December 26, in Sheraton Metekhi Palace Hotel, award giving ceremony to the winners of the journalist competition has been held. Event has been attended by mass media, international and local non-governmental organizations' representatives.

Let Us Care for Each Other - thus has been named the competition founded by Civil Society. Aim of the competition is to provide deeper insight into social issues through awarding the best newspaper article, best photo shot and best TV and Radio topics related to social welfare issues. Consequently, competition has been held in these four nominations, each has been awarded twice - with first and second prizes.

Up to 50 articles, photos and TV and radio clips have been submitted to the competition. Materials have been reviewed by members of the Jury, made up of Vazha Salamadze, Zviad Koridze, David Paichadze, Guram Tsibakhashvili, Lika Chakhunasvhili and Soso Simonishvili.

Award winners have been named on the concluding event on December 26, in Sheraton Metekhi Palace Hotel.

• Prize for best newspaper article has been awarded to journalist Maka Jaiani for "Drug Addiction is not a Sentence" article (published in "Rezonansi" newspaper);
• Prize for best TV topic has been awarded to Temur Bardzimashvili, for "Blind Employment" (gipa);
• Prize for best photo shot has been awarded to photographer Marika Amurvelashvili for the shot titled "Portrait".

Along with the Winner’s Certificate and the Prize, money award for each nomination amounted to 1,000 lari.

As for radio topic award, by Jury’s decision the first and second prize have been combined to make 500 lari each and has been divided between three authors – to Goga Aptsiauri for best radio topic "Help Me!" (Radio "Tavisufleba"), to Eka Tchitanava for best radio topic "Homeless Kids" ((Radio "GIPA"), and to Jimsher Rekhviashvili for best radio topic "Migration" (Radio "Tavisufleba").

Second Prize winner in newspaper article nomination haven’t been awarded, as per Jury’s decision prize fund has been divided into two parts and has been awarded as an honorable mention prize to journalists Tsaulina Malazonia (“Meskheti Express”) and Ketevan Mishveladze ("Meskheti Gate"). Respectively, each of them has been awarded with 250 lari money prize.

Second Prizes in Best TV Topic and Best Photo nominations have been awarded to journalist Nino Shurghaia for "How I Spent My Summer" TV topic ("Moambe" news show, First Channel), and to photographer Gia Gogatishvili for "Square of Heroes". shot. Respectively, each of them has been awarded with 500 lari money prize, Winner’s Certificate and the Prize.

This year Competition has been partnered by Insurance Company IS Group. In all four nominations the partner has awarded special prizes – one year health insurance package. Insurance Company Prizes have been awarded to Nino Dalakishvili ("24 Hours" newspaper), Nino Shurghaia (News show "Moambe", First Channel) Eka Kevanishvili (Radio "Tavisufleba") and Temur Bardzimashvili (gipa) for reporting on August events in Georgia.

Within the limits of the Project “Creating Enabling Environment for Welfare Organizations in Georgia” Civil Society Institute launched training courses on legal issues. The objective of the courses is to contribute to institutional development of welfare organizations operating in Georgia through raising their legal awareness and assisting the organizations in solving legal difficulties they encounter. To ensure responsiveness of the issues covered by the courses, organizations were presented an opportunity to select legal issues of interest.
At this stage of project development, trainings were delivered to organizations operating in Tbilisi, Ozurgeti and Kutaisi. 12 organizations were represented at Tbilisi training, while trainings in Kutaisi and Ozurgeti were attended by all welfare organizations operating in the respective city/region. Currently, delivery of trainings in Batumi is planned.
The issues covered by trainings were outlined on the basis of applications provided by organizations and included the following: Legal procedures for registration of non-commercial legal entities (applicable to welfare organizations), legal procedures for obtaining charity organizations’ status and legal procedures for public purchasing of services.
The delivery of trainings on legal issues shall continue as the project progresses and shall cover all regions with functioning welfare organizations. The issues shall be selected according to the needs of organizations.

On June 20 2007, within the limits of the Project, a meeting of Project Implementation Team with Working Group members was organized. The meeting aimed at communicating findings of Survey of Development of Welfare Organizations in Georgia conducted within the limits of the project with the objective of determining development index of Georgian welfare organizations to forecast the possibility of their involvement in deinstitutionalization process to members of the Working Group.
The following welfare organizations and Government bodies were represented at the event: Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Security of Georgia, Inter-Ministerial Commission on Child Protection and Deinstitutionalization, Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia (Child Care Department), Ombudsman Office (Tolerance Center), EU/TACIS Child Welfare Reform Project, Association of People in Need of Special Care, Association "Anika", Association "Child and Environment", First Step Foundation, Every Child Georgia, Portege Association of Georgia, Association "Ia".
The principal objective of the project – elaboration of mechanisms enabling social service provider organizations to complement the Government in social service delivery through mechanism of state grants, as opposed to procurement – was welcomed by organizations. The idea was discussed among Working Group members and ways of cooperation were outlined.
Further, the organizations signed the Memorandum of Mutual Agreement on Improvement of Socially Oriented Organizations’ Operating Environment in Georgia.

On February 2 2007, CSI hosted a meeting, main objective of which was to communicate objectives and essence of the Project "Creating Enabling Environment for Welfare Organizations in Georgia" to leading welfare organizations operating in the country, representatives of government bodies involved in deinstitutionalization process and other social actors. The meeting further aimed at informing the actors of the survey of welfare organizations to be conducted within the limits of the Project and discussing criteria/sub criteria according to which the organizations would be assessed. The following welfare organizations and Government bodies were represented at the event: Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Security of Georgia, Inter-Ministerial Commission on Child Protection and Deinstitutionalization, First Step Foundation, Every Child Georgia, Association of People in Need of Special Care, Association "Anika", Association "Child and Environment".