CSO regional network kicks off
By Etuna Tsotniashvili
Monday, December 24
The civil society organization (CSO)–CiDA (Civil Development Agency), brought together regional NGOs to announce the establishment of the CSO Regional Network (R-SCN) in Georgiaon December 21.
The goal of the network is to consolidate the efforts and resources of the regional organizations and its activists to monitor the problems occurring in various places in the regions of Georgia and find adequate solutions locally.
“A project similar to R-SCN has never been carried out in Georgia. The main idea is to consolidate our efforts in order to identify the problems people in the regions are facing currently and to try to solve them efficiently. What is most important is that we should have close contact with the locals,” CiDA Executive Director Zviad Devdariani stated at the opening speech.
Representatives of over 40 local NGOs attended the event held at theBeaumondeGarden Hotel.
Devdariani introduced the guests to the tools of the regional network: how it will be available for each of the network members and what kind of benefits they will receive in their own regions, etc.
Network members expressed their readiness to get involved in this activity. They discussed what their future plans will bein details and how this network will help them achieve better results in the future.
“The concept is very interesting and different from others. One of the goals is to involve all regional actors. We will focus our attention on identifying the problems and find the solutions for them,” Inga Paitchadze, SIQA representative said, adding that very often,organizations are implementing projects in order to solvethose problems which are not in the interest of the society. She hoped that this network will help them focus on the realchallenges.
Marika Mgebrishvili, Executive Director of Biliki, says that the meeting was very fruitful for every participant with different backgrounds and skills. “We share our experience and we have a perspective to work together. Advocacy campaign is the most interesting part for me and my organization. While attending the conference, I was thinking about my role in this project and I saw many good things are achievable through this network.
“It will be much easier to communicate with each other through this network. Today’s event is very important for the regional organizations. We aim at strengthening our role in the regions and this network will really play a significant role in that. The people gathered here today are from different NGOs, so this is what we want – consolidation of partner organizations with different qualifications and recourses,” NodarJikia, Programs Director of GYLA in Kutaisi stated.
At the end of the meeting, every member of the network signed the communique agreeing to work together on the acute problems, share their experience and skills with each other, work on the strategy of their activity and become watch dogs in their regions. With this idea, CiDA handed photo cameras to every network member NGO representatives, now they will be able to identify problem, take a photo/video, and share it through the network. This is one of the ways the regional actors should inform the local government about the regional problems.
Project R-SCN is being carried out by the Policy, Advocacy and Civil Society Development in Georgia (G-PAC).
