“The Purpose we Serve” – First-Ever Forum of Civil Society Organizations

The Georgian civil society organizations participated on April 2-3 in the NGO Forum in Tbilisi, which is the first of this kind ever held in Georgia.

The two-day NGO Fair, which involved exhibitions, panel discussions, and educational presentations about the activities of NGOs in Georgia, was organized in frames of the USAID-funded, three-year Citizens Advocate! Program (CAP). This program, which is implemented by Save the Children and a coalition of six Georgian civil society organizations, aims at the promotion of citizens’ interests and to effectively advocate their cause.

With coming the new authorities to power, particular speculations were spread, according to which the non-governmental sector does not exist any more and its activities have lost actuality. Naturally, this triggered the necessity for holding such a measure. 

However, the representatives of the non-governmental sector do not share the allegations over weakening the third sector.

“We should continue working and prove everybody that the rumors about the “death” of non-governmental organizations are not true. We are still here at work,” Tina Khidasheli of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association said.   

Fifty-six civil society organizations participated in the forum. They exhibited their publications and newsletters. Simultaneously with the exhibition, public discussions, press-conferences and meetings were held.

The representatives of donor international organizations, media, business circles, authorities and ordinary citizens also attended the Forum.

At the closing ceremony of the first-ever Georgian NGO Fair on April 3 the organizers of the two-day event awarded Ghia Nodia, Davit Usupashvili and late Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania with the Friends of Civil Society Development award for their exceptionally supportive role in development and strengthening civil society in Georgia.

According to the organizers of the event, such measures promote raising of public awareness regarding the importance of the non-governmental organizations, its purposes and scope.

“Our supreme goal was to help ordinary citizens come here and ask various questions, so that to learn in which form it is possible to participate in our activities,” Executive Director of the United Association of Georgia Ramaz Aptsiauri said.       

Noteworthy, that the TBC Bank also participated in the Forum by exhibiting its services. This circumstance attracted the attention of Tbilisi Mayor Zurab Chiaberashvili.

“The non-governmental sector can play a very important role, so that to promote joint activities of the private and public sectors for settling particular problems,” Zurab Chiaberashvili said.

However, the Tbilisi Mayor also made particular remarks regarding the non-governmental sector. “I cannot ignore the fact, that both donors and non-governmental sector need to think over priorities anew and avoid old stereotypes.”

According to the Mayor, before ‘the rose revolution’ the non-governmental organizations focused on human rights. Although, this problem is still actual, it is necessary to focus on the quality of implementation of basic functions by the state and local self-government bodies towards the citizens.

At the same time, “we should develop the so-called outsource mechanisms, in order to transfer many functions of the governmental agencies to the non-governmental organizations,” the Mayor said.

Taking into account a great deal of existing problems, the activities of the non-governmental sector become more important.

“Keep doing, what u’re doing. Keep doing it for your country. Keep doing, what u’re doing for the region. You know that all eyes in this part of the world are on Georgia, on you,” Denny Robertson, representative of the USAID said.