Advocating for rural development in Georgia

With EU and UNDP support, local civil society organizations trained to encourage community engagement in rural development

October 9, 2019

Photo: Vladimir Valishvili/UNDP

As part of a broader effort to promote rural development in Georgia, the European Union (EU), in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is launching a series of workshops in Rural Development Advocacy in eight municipalities.

The first workshops on 7-8 October 2019 brought together up to 60 community activists and representatives of civil society organizations from the municipalities of Tetritskaro, Lagodekhi and Dedoplistskaro. By the end of 2020, similar workshops will be carried out in five other municipalities – Akhalkalaki, Borjomi, Kazbegi, Keda and Khulo.

The workshop series is organized by the the Georgian non-governmental organization Civil Development Agency (CiDA) with the EU and UNDP assistance.  

Workshop participants are receiving practical knowledge about advocacy and activism which will equip them to carry out public campaigns in their municipalities and promote the concept of rural development across the country. With a focus on mobilising and empowering local communities to play an active role in rural development, the campaigns are expected to help establish constructive working relations between the citizens and local authorities, assist in shaping rural development policies at the local level and increase the Government’s accountability for achieving tangible results for the benefit of people and communities. Civil advocacy for rural development is built around the LEADER approach, a citizens’ activism practice recognised in the EU countries.

The series of workshops for the civil society organizations is part of the EUR 179.5 million in EU assistance that has been allocated to Georgia under the ENPARD programme between 2013 and 2022. This support aims to promote rural development policies and create economic opportunities for the rural population outside of agriculture. More information about ENPARD is available at: www.enpard.ge

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