November 21 Art pub "Torvald" Zviad Devdariani, Director of the Civil Development Agency (CiDA, Georgia), met with representatives of Belarusian organizations, initiatives and institutions Viciebsk Region. Master class held by Mr. Zviad was devoted to advocacy practices to protect and promote the public interest by the example of the Georgian experience.
The meeting was held with the assistance of social and cultural campaign "Budźma biełarusami" and Research Centre of Public Management SIMPA.
"Civil Development Agency", in which Mr. Zviad operates ten years, offers the public a range of services to address the specific socio-cultural and legal problems.
Quite successfully agency staff to help IDPs. In Georgia, it is a big problem after the war with Russia and thirty thousand people were forced to flee their homes. For them, settlements of accommodation were organized in different regions of the country, but apart from the provision of housing, nothing was done for the people. In this regard, the agency decided to promote their own businesses migrant women.
The agency is also focused on the development of non-governmental organizations in the regions of Georgia, in which civil society is not as strong as in Tbilisi. There are projects to combat violence against women in the family and the socio-economic integration of former prisoners.
In addition to its own service programs, representatives of agencies involved in programs and advocacy campaigns that perform other non-governmental organizations defending the public interest.
Many members of the organization and work to improve the system of local government, which is in the country have not yet fully formed, since it is related to the administrative and territorial reform, which will be held only after the restoration of Georgia's territorial integrity.
Communication in the field of local self-government between the state and civil society is gradually improving, but they are far from ideal. In 2012, with the help of non-governmental organizations was approved by Local Government Code. After that, the number of cities with local authorities has increased significantly.
Together with other non-governmental organizations in favor of the decentralization of the agency, the election of heads of municipalities and carrying out global reforms for greater citizen participation in the actual operation of local government.
It is engaged in agency and educational activities, meetings with the population, which explains the benefits of local government.
When all means of interaction with government agencies in the advocacy of civil interests are exhausted, then held mass public events, joined by interested parties.
Belarusian activists were surprised to hear that it is not necessary to ask for pickets, which do not interfere with traffic, no permission from the authorities. In cases where it is planned to hold a meeting or demonstration, the organizer must report the event to the town hall, and she, in turn, is obliged to solve the issues related to the change in patrolling and traffic. State structures do not require any payment from the organizers of a rally.
Quite interesting was the story of Mr. Zviad about the scandal connected with the illegal collection of information through the surveillance of citizens. Twenty thousand audio and video came to a special commission set up by the new government under pressure from the public. Resonance was a large non-governmental organizations and independent media have sounded the alarm that there is a systemic problem that needs to be urgently addressed. After all, in clear violation of the law has created a huge information base that can be used against those or other persons in the revitalization of their political or social activities. From the moment the scandal broke, it took four years, but has not yet held any litigation, although several people were arrested. The agency took the case under public control, has made inquiries about specific cases and punished individuals. However, the answers yet, and community activists believe that to change the situation is only capable of a law that would regulate the cases in which and how government agencies can monitor citizens.
Despite the existence of a certain distrust on the part of government agencies, the activities of the agency, as well as the entire third sector of Georgia, can be considered a success. The number of cases undertaken by activists for the public good, impressive. On this level of freedom of action and influence on social processes Belarusians can still only dream of. However, in contrast to all the situation in Georgia and Belarus, some of the experience of Georgian non-governmental organizations is useful for Belarus and can be applied in our country.
S. Horki
