European Union selects 14 best projects by non-governmental organisations in Georgia

14 Georgian and European non-governmental organisations have been selected to implement activities aimed at strengthening the role of civil society in promoting human rights and democratic reform, supporting rule of law and good governance. These organisations won the Call for Proposals launched in 2010 under the European Union's Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights with a total grant allocation of over Euro 1 200 000.

On 25 January 2011 at a special ceremony, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia Ambassador Philip Dimitrov presented 14 winners of the 2010 Call for Proposals for civil society organisations launched in Tbilisi in April 2010 under the European Union's Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).

The 14 winners of EIDHR call for so-called micro projects, with budgets ranging from Euros 39 000 to Euros 100 000, are the following Georgian and European non-governmental organisations: Foundation for Dialogue in Transition Regions STIDIT (Netherlands); Global Initiative on Psychiatry (Georgia); Penal Reform International (UK); Association of Disabled Women and Mothers of Disabled Children – DEA (Georgia, Zugdidi); Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA); Institute of Democracy (Georgia, Batumi); Rehabilitation Centre (Georgia, Batumi); Georgian Centre for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT); People in Need (Czech); Public Association Bemoni (Georgia); Heinrich Boell Foundation (Germany); Partnership for Equal Rights (Georgia); EveryChild Georgia; Multiethnic Resource Centre on Civic Education Development (Georgia).

The winners will be implementing projects in the following priority areas: Promoting the rights of vulnerable groups (including internally displaced persons, ethnic, religious and other minorities, children, women and the disabled), including their health, economical, social, cultural, labour rights and rights to equal treatment, physical integrity and promoting their integration into society, support to access to justice: advocacy and raising awareness of human rights, promoting the ability of civil society to engage in human rights policy dialogue

The European Union’s programme “European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights” (EIDHR) was created in 1994 following an initiative of the European Parliament. The EIDHR is a funding programme that supports and promotes human rights and democracy in non-EU countries around the world. Euro 100 million is allocated annually under this budget.