Mission: Green Caucasus (GC) is an environmental and human rights protection non-governmental organization, which considers that society should be have legal guarantees and adequate resources to participate in the decision making process which affects on the living environment and quality of life. Any strategy and actions of the authorities should be planned only on the basis of full participation of society, including youth, women and minorities. This is possible only in conditions of existing democratic institutions, free media and an active civil awareness of the population. We are eager to be contributor to the development of democracy, free media, civil engagement and social inclusion.
GC organized first civil petition to municipal council in country history in July 1999, through which have achieved creation of a special temporary committee of Tetritskaro District Council to ascertain the problem of environmental pollution due to manganese mining. The organization registered in May 30, 2000.
GC successfully implemented 2 projects financed by Save the Children, funded by British Petroleum Environmental Program: “The Problem of Abandoned Quarries after Manganese Mining in Tetritskaro” (3000 $, 2006) and “Strengthening Capacity of Civil Sector in Tetritskaro and Tsalka Districts” (15500 $, 2007-2008).
GC achieved introducing a chapter about population protection from the noise exposure in the Environmental Impact Report of the International Railway Baku-Tbilisi-Kars. In accordance with this achievement, a green strip of trees is arranged between the railroad tracks and populated areas now.
Organization took part in the activities for preparation and supporting the bill “Local Self-governance Code” in 2013.
GC implemented project “Local Self-governance School for Students from Kvemo Kartli Region” in January-September 2016 , funded by UNDP’s Project “Fostering Regional and Local Development in Georgia” (56.170 GEL). The text-book in local self-governance law needed for exams of civil servants was prepared, and 64 students (mainly ethnic minorities) are taking training course in Tbilisi, with followed practice in municipality offices. The training program aims to arising civic awareness among ethnic minorities' youth, it stresses the importance of their involvement in public and political life as members of the democratic society. Students expressed their willingness actively take part in other civic events together with their Georgian peers. Thus, up to 60 participants of Self-governance School were volunteer observers in the parliamentary elections 2016 in which GC was registered as local observer organization.
GC implemented project “Participatory Planning in Urban Settlement” funded by Open Society Georgia Foundation OSGF (15000 $) from June, 2016 to January, 2017. Foreign experience in the planning of city development with society engaging was adopted in Tetritskaro, appropriate manual for municipalities was prepared and published. Subsequently, based on the gained experience the organization prepared the proposal of additions to Article 851 of Self-governance Code about using the participatory planning mechanism in projects preparation by Civic Advisory Council of the municipality.
GC implemented project “Youth Initiative for Raising Awareness of Ethnic Minority” funded by UNDP (108.800 GEL) in October, 2016 – May, 2017. The project included web-publishing, printing and distributing to public libraries 380-page text-books “Local Self-Governance”, training course “Self-governance School” for 41 students (mainly ethnic minorities) and creation the Youth Web-Studio. 80 video-items, 32 live-streaming broadcasts and 8 articles in Azerbaijani language about social-political life of country were made and spread in social nets by young citizen journalists.
GC won the competition to promote the development of electoral capacities of political parties for the local elections 2017. According to grant contract with Center for Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Trainings (92.000 GEL), GC implemented the project "Improvement Capacity of Representatives of Local Political Parties in Bolnisi, Dmanisi, Tetritskaro and Tsalka Electoral Districts" . Trainings for 91 representatives of 20 political parties on the electoral law, local democracy principles and importance of access to electoral processes for traditionally marginalized communities (women, youth, persons with disabilities, ethnic, religious and other minorities) were held in Telavi in May-July, 2017.
GC was selected as a regional partner organization by the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), Management System Development Center (MSDC) and Center for Training and Consultancy (CTC) in their project “For Open and Accountable Local Government - National Assessment of Transparency and Public Participation of Georgian Municipalities” (funded by OSGF). Transparency of municipalities and the practice of citizens' participation in the decision-making process were assessed in May-July, 2017.
For the last Local Elections (October, 2017), we prepared 2 informational videos within the USAID-funded project "Strengthening Electoral Processes in Georgia" implemented by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems IFES.
GC implemented two projects in 2018: “Multicultural Tbilisi Today” funded by OSGF (8000 $, January-November) and “Monitoring on Implementation of Kvemo Kartli Regional Development Strategy” funded by CSRDG (5000 EUR, June-November). In the frame of first project the analytical report "Public Information on Immigration - 2018" was published, 6 informational videos against racism and xenophobia towards immigrants were made and spread in social nets.
GC is youth-led organization and we ensure gender balance in our team in which are peers from Azerbaijani, Armenian, Ossetian ethnic minorities. Experienced experts, who transferred the management of the organization to the young team in June 2017, help us in the implementation of all activities. With their help, GC receives additional income from advisory services and publications. Last publications prepared by GC are:
- Text-book “Local Self-governance” (2016)
- Manual for municipalities “Participatory Planning” (2016)
- Guide-book in “Law of Georgia on Development of High-Mountain Regions” (2017)
- The concept of facilitating the economic development of Samtskhe-Javakheti region (2017)
- Analytical Report "Public Information on Immigration, 2018"