People's Manifesto.Pdf
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1 PEOPles’ ManifesTO INCLUSIVE DEMOCRACY DOES NOT MEAN ONLY TO ELECT BUT TO MAKE THOSE WHO WERE ELECTED TO CARE ABOUT PEOPle’s PLIGHT 2 This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) and International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) can be in no way taken as to reflect the views of the European Union. Project is funded by the European Union (EU) Editor: KHATUNA KVIRALASHVILI Tech. Editor: IRAKLI SVANIDZE Responsible of publication: LELA TALIURI TAMAR BARTAIA Regional and District Coordinators, citizens engaged in the project. The contents of this publication are based on monitoring forms and reports provided by GYLA and ISFED Was edited and published in the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association 15 J. Kakhidze st. Tbilisi 0102, Georgia (+99532) 93 61 01, 95 23 53 Coping or disseminating of publication for commercial purpose without GYLA’s written permission is prohibited. 3 C o n t e n t Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 Legal Framework ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 Trainings of Citizens ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 Trainings of Self-Government Bodies’ Representatives ----------------------------------------------------------------- 8 StudyPress ConferencesTours -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8-9 9 Photo Exhibition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9-10 Contest of Essays ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10-11 Focus Groups --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11-26 ``Community Mobilization`` – Promises of Local Self-Governing Institutions -------------------------------- 26-28 MonitoringPublic Information Activities -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- of Local Self-Governing Institutions ------------------------------------------------------- 29-3928-29 Sakrebulo Sessions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39-46 Budgetary Processes ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46-53 Recommendation Proposals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53-68 Advocacy Campaign ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 69-93 AchievedEngagement Results of Population --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- and Attitude of Local Authorities ------------------------------------------------- 100-101 94-100 Gaps in the Legislation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 101-102 Recommendations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 102 4 PREFACE - mented by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) and International Society for Fair Elections and We would like to inform you on the results of activities fulfilled within ``People’s Manifesto`` project imple Democracy (ISFED). Activities fulfilled within the EU funded project ``Peoples’ Manifesto – a Real Democracy Means not Only a - Right to Choose but also Forcing the Chosen One to Care for People’s Interests``, aimed at increasing skills of local community organizations, strengthening transparency and responsibility of local self-governing or gans and facilitating increase of responsibilities for politic parties/subjects in the problem-solving process, by implementing monitoring and control of local self-governing institutions. - Trainings for active citizens and representatives of local self-governing institutions were one of the project’s components. In 62 Municipalities of Georgia trainings were conducted for 904 active citizens and repre sentatives of civic society organizations (CSOs) on active citizenship and monitoring of local self-governing - institutions. Trainings in 63 Municipalities of Georgia were organized for 1022 representatives of local self- governing institutions on topics – engagement of citizens in Local-Self government implementation, func tions of local self-governing institutions and budgetary processes. - 83 focus group meetings were organized in 62 Municipalities of Georgia aiming at identifying problems of local population and informing electoral subjects on problems identified during pre-election processes. Dur ing which, 960 respondents were interviewed. In the pre-elections process, problems identified by the focus other sectors during the round table meetings. groups in form of reports were submitted to the political parties/electoral subjects and representatives of Particular activities were implemented by the organizations aiming at increasing citizens’ awareness. 15 - study tours were organized aiming at informing on the activities of non-governmental organizations and sharing experience with the active citizens, in which 251 active citizens and 36 local non-governmental or - ganizations were involved. Organizations announced an essay competition. Citizens prepared 48 essays on bulo1 topics-``I and my self-government``, ``Self-government in service of people?!``,``If I were member of Sakre …``. Authors of best 7 essays were identified. A photo exhibition was organized in self-governing city - Batumi at the initiative of citizens involved in the project. The exhibition aimed at acknowledging the local - self-governing institutions and society in form of a photo-monitoring. Later on, photo-monitoring was imple mented in other regions as well. Organizations implemented 50 press-conferences on the activities imple mented and results achieved, aiming at informing society about current activities of the project and results of monitoring local self-governing institutions. It consisted of information on 10 regions of Georgia and 3 short documentary films were presented. - Citizens implemented monitoring of activities of local self-governing institutions, aiming at increase in the nisms. In particular, by monitoring publicity of information, attending Sakrebulo sessions and monitoring transparency and facilitating accountability of local self-governing institutions, suing three main mecha budget processes. Project was interesting, for the monitoring of problems identified by focus groups and fulfillment of promises made by the local authorities during the 2009 Village support program. - We consider that the project was a success, as far as 43 problematic issues have been taken into consider 1 City Council. 5 ation and solved and 65 promises on future regulation were received during the implemented campaign. - However, the most important part was the fact that activities implemented during the project fulfilled its aim and particular part of the population now has skills for independently solving their problems, representa tives of local self-governing institutions were propelled to envisage interests of the population, which is step forward to realizing a real self-government. and results reached. In the presented publication, you will find information on advocacy meetings organized in each Municipality, Best regards, Ekaterine Siradze-Delone Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) International Society for Fair Elections and Tamar Chugoshvili Democracy (ISFED) 6 INTRODUCTION The Project, ``People’s Manifesto`` introduced an innovative approach towards supporting engagement of civil society in the decision-making process. Taking today’s reality into consideration, engagement of civil society in- the decision-making process is quite low, especially on the regional level. This, on its part causes partial and often- ungrounded decisions by the local authorities, which in most of the cases does not at all reflect problems and in terestsElection of subjects local population. remember On problems the one ofhand, ordinary civil society citizens organizations only in the pre-election and ordinary period, citizens they lack promise the skills to regulate neces sary for planning, deciding and implementing processes, directly affecting their every-day life. On the other hand, - issues, however, after elections, and they tend to forget their promises or solve them improperly. One of the main elements of democracy and the rule of law is the right of individuals and society generally to par- ticipate in decision-making process, not simply participating in elections and voting for a particular candidate, but byinstitutions, means of thepermanent project hasmonitoring introduced and mechanismscontrol of those for publicfor whom monitoring, they voted. which Taking are therequest all above of public said intoinforma con- siderationtion, attending and Sakrebuloaiming at increasing sessions, submitting engagement recommendation of the population letters,