II Fair/Forum of Civil Society Organizations
2005-05-08
<p>The United Nations Association of Georgia, Civic Initiative Center and Partners Georgia organized the second Fair/Forum of Civil Society Organizations at the Exhibition Center – Expo Georgia on May 4-5, 2007. Over 70 organizations representing the non-governmental sector participated in the Fair/Forum, which aimed to increase public awareness about the activities of CSOs operating in Georgia and gave opportunity to all participants to present a wide range of their activities.</p> <p>The fair officially launched on May 4. The ceremony hosted representatives of civil society organizations, local and international foundations, embassies, business sector, government and media representatives. During two days the Fair enabled all participating organizations to present their activities, services and achievements in different fields as well as publications and other products, also to conduct public presentations and discussions. The Fair/Forum included an official ceremony of awarding "Friends” of civil society sector, civil society leaders those who have made significant contribution to the development of the civil society sector in Georgia. The awards were granted to Education Minister Alexander Lomaia, who spent almost a decade as a civil society activist before being appointed as Minister in 2004; Gogi Gvakharia – art critic; Naira Gelashvili, head of the Center for Cuntural Relations – Caucasian house; Mikheil Chachkhunashvili, a former executive director of Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF) and Omie Kerr, who served as public affairs officer at the American Embassy in Georgia in the 1990s. On May 5, at the end of the second day, a special ceremony was conducted to award Civil Society Organizations compliant to the Five Silver Principles of the Code of Ethics. Five Silver Principles Cavalier Organizations are: Georgian Young Lawyers Association, Partners Georgia – Center for Change and Conflict Management, United Nations Association of Georgia, Educators and Scientists Free Trade Union of Georgia, Democratic Development Union of Georgia, Association of Young Economists of Georgia, Association "Sachino”, Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG), Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development (CIPDD), Civil Society Institute Foundation (CSI), Association Green Alternative, IDP Women Association "Consent”, International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), Student - Youth Union, Charity Humanitarian Centre "Abkhazeti”, Georgian Public Health Association, Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), CTC –Centre for Training and Consultancy, Civic Initiative Center. The Fair was supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Open Society Georgia Foundation and Eurasia Foundation. Partners of the fair were: Association of Young Economists of Georgia, Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia, Center for Training and Consultancy, Civil Society Institute and the Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development.</p>
<p>The United Nations Association of Georgia, Civic Initiative Center and Partners Georgia organized the second Fair/Forum of Civil Society Organizations at the Exhibition Center – Expo Georgia on May 4-5, 2007. Over 70 organizations representing the non-governmental sector participated in the Fair/Forum, which aimed to increase public awareness about the activities of CSOs operating in Georgia and gave opportunity to all participants to present a wide range of their activities.</p> <p>The fair officially launched on May 4. The ceremony hosted representatives of civil society organizations, local and international foundations, embassies, business sector, government and media representatives. During two days the Fair enabled all participating organizations to present their activities, services and achievements in different fields as well as publications and other products, also to conduct public presentations and discussions. The Fair/Forum included an official ceremony of awarding "Friends” of civil society sector, civil society leaders those who have made significant contribution to the development of the civil society sector in Georgia. The awards were granted to Education Minister Alexander Lomaia, who spent almost a decade as a civil society activist before being appointed as Minister in 2004; Gogi Gvakharia – art critic; Naira Gelashvili, head of the Center for Cuntural Relations – Caucasian house; Mikheil Chachkhunashvili, a former executive director of Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF) and Omie Kerr, who served as public affairs officer at the American Embassy in Georgia in the 1990s. On May 5, at the end of the second day, a special ceremony was conducted to award Civil Society Organizations compliant to the Five Silver Principles of the Code of Ethics. Five Silver Principles Cavalier Organizations are: Georgian Young Lawyers Association, Partners Georgia – Center for Change and Conflict Management, United Nations Association of Georgia, Educators and Scientists Free Trade Union of Georgia, Democratic Development Union of Georgia, Association of Young Economists of Georgia, Association "Sachino”, Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG), Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development (CIPDD), Civil Society Institute Foundation (CSI), Association Green Alternative, IDP Women Association "Consent”, International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), Student - Youth Union, Charity Humanitarian Centre "Abkhazeti”, Georgian Public Health Association, Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), CTC –Centre for Training and Consultancy, Civic Initiative Center. The Fair was supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Open Society Georgia Foundation and Eurasia Foundation. Partners of the fair were: Association of Young Economists of Georgia, Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia, Center for Training and Consultancy, Civil Society Institute and the Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development.</p>