Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF 2019 ACTION PLAN OF THE STATE STRATEGY FOR CIVIC EQUALITY AND INTEGRATION Tbilisi 2020 1 Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Address: N 7, Ingorokva Str., Tbilisi, 0114 Tel.: (+99532)2923299;(+99532)2922632 Web-page : www.smr.gov.ge E-mail: [email protected] 2 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Strategic goal 1 .......................................................................................................................................................... 4 Equal and Full Participation in Civic and Political Life .......................................................................................... 4 Strategic goal 2 ........................................................................................................................................................ 25 Providing Equal Social and Economic Conditions and Opportunities ................................................................ 25 Strategic goal 3 ........................................................................................................................................................ 32 Providing access to high quality education and improving the knowledge of the state language ..................... 32 Strategic goal 4 ....................................................................................................................................................... 39 Preserving the Culture of Ethnic Minorities and Encouraging Tolerant Environment ..................................... 39 Competition “Promoting Creative Activities to Maintain the Identity of Ethnic Minorities” was held. 10 project proposals were submitted and 6 winners revealed. The total budget of projects amounted to 98 846 GEL. ........ 42 3 Introduction Georgia is a multi-ethnic country where the representatives of ethnic miorities (apart from Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/ South Ossetia) make up 13.2% of the country’s population. The main priority of the Georgian government is the protection of the identity of ethnic minorities residing in Georgia and supporting the process of their civic integration. The key instrument of the policy of civic integration is the “State Strategy for Civic Equlity and Integration and Action Plan for 2015-2020 ”. The strategy is based on the approach “More diversity, more integration” and is aimed at ensuring political and civic participation; providing equal social and economic conditions and opportunities for ethnic minority representatives; increasing the access to high quality education and improving the knowledge of the state language ; encouraging cultural diversity and its promotion. The Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality coordinates the elaboration, implementation and accountability of the “State Strategy for Civic Equality and Integration and its Action Plan”. Specific activities, programs, and projects envisaged by the Strategy were implemented during 2019. The document, which has been prepared with the coordination of the Office of the State Minister reflects the information about the implemented activities of 2019 Action Plan (January-December) within the scope of the State Strategy for Civic Equality and Integration. Strategic goal 1 Equal and Full Participation in Civic and Political Life The above strategic goal includes the following priorities: Improving the involvement of ethnic minority representatives at central, as well as local levels; Participation of ethnic minority representatives in the decision-making process; Ensuring full and equal participation of ethnic minority representatives in such political processes as elections; Ensuring civic engagement by improving mechanisms of accessibility to information and media, social services, state administration and law-enforcement bodies ; Supporting small and vulnerable ethnic minorities; Provide support to ethnic minority women’s rights and their empowerment. 4 Interim goal -1.1. Supporting small and vulnerable ethnic minorities Objective – 1.1.1 Developing and implementing policy for small and vulnerable ethnic minorities The objective covers the following directions: Protection of the identity of small ethnic groups; Ensuring registration procedures for the Roma population; Involvement of Roma youth in the educational system. Protection of rights of small and vulnerable ethnic minority groups and support of their full integration is the most significant objective of civic integration which is being implemented by line ministries. During 2019, certain public schools continued providing classes to teach their native languages (Ossetian, Chechen, Avar, Udi and Assyrian) to small ethnic minority representatives. Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia has implemented the following activities with the purpose of involvement of the Roma population in the educational system: Adolescents from Roma community have been actively participating in an inter-agency and inter- sectorial working meetings organized for enhancing their well-being; LEPL -N5 Public School in Kobuleti supports social engagement of Roma youth through informal “social inclusion” program for elementary (8-11 year olds) and senior (11-15 year olds) class pupils. The school runs reading (attended by 12 Roma and 8 local peers), dancing (with 8 Roma and 7 local peers) and drama (7 Roma and 8 local peers) clubs. The above activities have been instrumental for improving the knowledge of the state language, which has positively impacted their academic performance; Inclusion of the so called “invisible” Roma adolescents into the educational process and the assessment by multidisciplinary team was carried out through informal education in 2017-2019. They have been studying at the basic level with a specially devised individual plan; In 2018-2019, Public Schools of Zugdidi and Poti, within the scope of a grants competition, offered field trainings to beneficiaries of sub-program, where Roma adolescents from different regions of Georgia and their peers were given the opportunity to share information about Roma community culture and their everyday life; 65 adolescents from Roma community were involved in projects funded in the framework of the sub program of inclusion during the year. 8 Roma representatives were employed (as coordinators of Roma community under social inclusion program, among them 1 as a dance teacher, 1 as a mail delivery agent, and 1 was employed in a private sector for a short-term job (seasonal job). Besides, the Ministry is working to provide the second chance of education for children living and working on the streets, including Roma children, who are left without education. More specifically, the Ministry provides a special educational service (transit programs) for adolescents who are left without schooling or are at high risk of staying without school education for their integration-reintegration on the basis of day care centers for homeless children or other care services. 1.1.1.1. Carrying out various activities within a framework of Coordination Council of Ethnic Minorities under Tbilisi Municipality City Assembly 5 Coordination Council of Ethnic Minorities under Tbilisi Municipality City Assembly carried out various activities and meetings with the participation of ethnic minority representatives, including the event dedicated to “Nowruz Bayram” (hosting about 200 guests) 1.1.1.2 Rendering assistance in arranging identification documents of ethnic minority representatives living in Batumi in the framework of the “House of Friendship” activities. During 2019, the “House of Friendship” within its competence, rendered the assistance to 35 beneficiaries from ethnic minorities who were in need of help in arranging identification documents, as well as the problems related to property registration, getting information about issuing visas to foreign countries, informational support regarding private entrepreneurial activities. Besides, on the requests of representatives of ethnic minorities, various documents compiled in non-state languages have been translated into the official state language and certified by the Notary Office. As well as, documents have been translated from Georgian language into other languages, as required. 1.1.1.3 Providing access to information on municipal programs for ethnic minority representatives living in Batumi In order to improve ethnic minority representatives’ involvement at a local level, beneficiaries of the “House of Friendship” have actively been taking part in public presentation of 2019 budget and in public discussions on 2020 budget. On January 22, 2019, the representatives of Batumi municipality held a meeting with ethnic minority representatives to familiarize them with 2019 budget. The meeting was attended by 20 representatives of 9 ethnic groups (Azerbaijani, Greek, Jewish, Turkish, Yazidis, Russian, Armenian, Ukrainian). Participants discussed the issues of financing cultural events planned for 2019, where they expressed the idea of promoting ethnic diversity of Batumi during the celebration of “Batumoba”. As a result, one of the central events held in Batumi Boulevard during 2019 “Batumoba” was the pageantry called “Friendship Alley”. On October 15, 2019 a meeting for the representatives