UN Georgia Information Bulletin for the period of 11-20 Feb 2000

NGO Resource Centre Established in Kutaisi
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has rented premises for a 3-year period in order to create an NGO resource centre. The premises are undergoing thorough rehabilitation, and will be ready for inauguration in March 2000. The centre will contain facilities for seminars, trainings, internet connection, offices for newly started NGOs, and other activity rooms. In all there will be 11 rooms for the activities of NGOs in the Imereti region.

On 2 February, representatives of 35 Imereti based NGOs working on human rights, democratic issues, consumers' rights, environmental questions, IDP issues, student activism, health, youth, women and children were assembled for a Founder's Council to discuss the statute of the NGO resource centre. NGOs declared their support for the centre, and elected an executive committee. Members of the committee include representatives from the Charity Humanitarian Centre "Apkhazeti," the United Nations Association, the Kutaisi Young Lawyers Association, the Youth Centre, and the Students Union of the Subtropical Institute.

It is expected that this first executive committee will work for 6 months. At the next general assembly of the Founders' Council, two members of the committee will stand for re-election, while three members will keep their seats for another 6 month period.

Together with DRC the executive committee will employ the manager of the centre, work on the centre's statute, work out a strategic plan for activities, produce a budget, and form sectoral interest groups.

In the beginning of the three year period DRC will be economically responsible for the running of the centre. It will thereby have the right to overrule decisions made by the executive committee. The task for the Founders' Council will be to find resources to support the sustainability of the centre and to form a legal entity to take over the centre from DRC.

Ms. Natia Deisadze, office manager and capacity building coordinator from DRC shall be the laison to the centre from DRC.

Organisations that are interested in participating in the centre should contact Ms. Deisadze following the centre's inauguration to register as new members of the Founders' Council.

SECTORS

Capacity Building

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) has provided financial support to the Abkhazia-based NGO "Civil Society Development Centre" for implementation of a project that entails the organisation of computer courses in Gagra. It is expected that the project will enable adolescents aged 14-20 to get acquainted with computers.

In January and February, the Horizonti Foundation's research and analysis programme carried out a survey of NGOs operating in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region. The survey was designed to investigate the 3rd sector's development process in the region and assess the needs and problems of local NGOs. Ten NGOs from Akhaltsikhe and two from Ninotsminda participated in the questioning.

The survey was held within the framework of a research and analysis project which envisages studying NGOs development in six Georgian regions (Kakheti, Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Samegrelo, Guria Imereti), and preparing a comparative analysis. The final document will be available in the beginning of June, this year.

Food

From 9 to 19 February, Counterpart International delivered food packages to veterans of World War II, disabled persons, and single pensioners in Kharagauli. Dry food was delivered to vulnerable persons in Zugdidi and Kutaisi.

Health

The World Health Organisation (WHO), together with the Canadian Society for International Health (CSIH), and in close collaboration with the health ministries of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, is implementing the Trans Caucasus Health Information Project (TCHIP). The two-year project officially began on 31 March, 1999. The project focuses on the development of a certificate course in health information management and data collection for officials from the three health ministries, along with health administrators and health service providers. Two workshops have already been carried out in Tbilisi (June 1999, and November 1999). A Regional Steering Committee has been established. Its first meeting took place in Tbilisi, Georgia on 7 February, 2000.

From 9 to 19 February, Counterpart International delivered medicines donated by the Bristol-Myers Squibb Corporation to the Surami trauma hospital, the Kharagauli regional hospital, the Zugdidi Infectious hospital and the A. A. Athens Tbilisi medical-diagnostic centre.

Psycho-social Rehabilitation

UNV has funded a "Psycho-social Rehabilitation Training" project proposed by the "Centre for Humanitarian Programmes," an Abkhazia-based NGO. The project will be implemented in Sukhumi. It includes a three-month pilot run of an outpatient centre. The goal is to begin psycho-social work at the centre and identify community post-war mental health needs; identify community members interested in and qualified to be trained for psycho-social rehabilitation work; and to prepare an introductory training course in psycho-social rehabilitation.

Shelter

From 9 to 19 February, Counterpart International donated clothes to World War II veterans, disabled persons and single pensioners in Kharagauli. IDPs and vulnerable persons in Zugdidi received stoves and jerry cans.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mercy Corps International (MCI) is soliciting applications from qualified US and international Private Volunteer Organisations (PVO) and NGOs wishing to implement programmes under the US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Azerbaijan Humanitarian Assistance Programme (AHAP). Programmes will be implemented in the following sectors: economic opportunities; community development; and healthcare.

Information regarding this opportunity will be available on the following web-sites, as of 6 p.m. Azerbaijan time on February 14, 2000: http://www.mercycorps.org or http://www.Azerweb.com

In the event applicants are unable to access these web-sites, the information will be made available on diskette or hard copy at the following addresses:

Mercy Corps International, 37V, Suleyman Rustam str., Baku - 370007, Azerbaijan. Attention: Krishna Sob. Tel.: (994-12) 41-10-63; Fax: (994-12) 41-10-65. E-mail: krishna@mci.baku.az or Mercy Corps International, 3030 SW First Avenue, Portland, OR 97201-4796. Attention: Cindy Morseth. Tel.: (503) 796-6809; Fax: (503) 796-6844. E-mail: cmorseth@mercycorps.org

The year 2000 will mark the fifth year anniversary of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action for raising the status of women in the world. On June 5-9, 2000, a special session of the UN General Assembly will meet to review the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.

The fifth anniversary provides an opportunity for local advocacy campaigns to raise awareness about the status of women and to promote women's equality. The Network Women's Programme (NWP) of the Open Society Institute will encourage the active participation of women from the OSI region at the national and local level. To achieve this goal, the NWP is sponsoring a small grants competition for NGOs to conduct campaigns to implement the Beijing Platform for Action. These campaign seed grants are intended to raise awareness of the Beijing Platform for Action in the national context. NGOs may chose to do media campaigns, public awareness raising events, advocacy, outreach to new constituents, artistic performances or events.

For additional information please contact Ms. Elene Nakashidze, Programme Coordinator at the Open Society Georgia Foundation. Tel.: (995 32) 25 04 63; 93 89 99; 25 05 92.

The Union of the Blind in Georgia unites 2,500 blind persons, most of whom are extremely vulnerable. Members of the Union urgently need financial or material (food, clothes) assistance. Interested organisations and individuals can contact the Union at tel.: (995 32) 93 37 16 or 70 20 42.

Produced by OCHA Georgia. For more information, please contact Ms. Nino Zhvania, Information Officer

Tel/Fax: 995-32-959516; Tel: 995-32-943163; e-mail: unocha@unocha.org.ge

Contributions are welcome and should reach OCHA, 9 Eristavi St., Tbilisi by 12.00hrs. on 9th, 19th, and 29th of each month.