Elena Palivoda, Author at Fellows eapcivilsociety.eu

Evaluation of Public Transport in Chisinau, Moldova

The action aimed to assess and evaluate the urban public transport in Chisinau in terms of comfort, vehicles, reliability, accessibility, and other relevant variables. To elaborate on the more inclusive public policies, Stanislav engaged the city residents in the discourse via applying the user-centered approach. Through research and online surveys, he studied public perception about the local transportation in Moldova. To identify trends and appraise the quality of the municipal transport system, Stanislav created a database of the 10 general and 28 specific indicators. The survey results are public and accessible for anyone, including the local media and decision-makers. In parallel with the research, he organized meetings, workshops, and interviews with local authorities, civil society activists, and media outlets. To improve the qualification and expand professional networks in the field, Stanislav participated in the training course offered by the Institute for Training Transportation Professionals, Manchester (the UK).

The project produced the research document and survey database aimed to facilitate inclusive public policies in Chisinau. Through the policy-oriented research, Stanislav enhanced critical thinking among the city residents and liaised between the people and the government by designing innovative solutions. Hence, the database played a crucial role for the local government in identifying public preferences. The research findings will serve as basic guidelines for the government while making policies on sustainable public transportation. Hence, the workshops and training held within the project increased the awareness of civil society actors; the meetings with the public officials put the topic of public transportation at the forefront of their political agenda.

Country	Moldova
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Capacity Building of Regional CSO and Local Stakeholders in the EU Affairs

The project comprised the field visits and interactive seminars in the nine regional cities of Georgia, including Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Batumi, Telavi, Gori, Akhalkalaki, Akhaltsikhe, Lagodekhi, and Lanchkhuti. The training aimed to equip the target audience with necessary empirical and theoretical knowledge and understanding to grasp, explain and analyze the dominant topics on the European Union from the prism of the EU-Georgian relations. Hence, the above field-visits contributed to the promotion of Georgia’s successful convergence with European values. Finally, in cooperation with the NATO-EU Info Center, Giorgi developed a brochure on Ten Myths and Realities About the European Union in Georgia.

The project increased awareness about the European Union and promoted the European values in the nine regional cities of Georgia. Therefore, meetings facilitated networking among the local civil society organizations. During the seminars, the project participants discussed the insights about EU-Georgia relations, including past experiences, future cooperation perspectives and challenges at the policy level. In total, more than 400 people attended the training delivered in all target cities. Also, the brochures about 10 Myths and Realities About the European Union served as a tool to overcome prejudices related to the perceptions of the EU in the Georgian regions and bust most widespread EU-related myths through educated, well researched and argumentative responses. Overall, 11,000 copies of the brochures (6000 in Georgian and per-1000 in Russian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Abkhazian and Ossetian) were printed and disseminated during the EU days in May 2018.

Country	Georgia
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Enhancing Cooperation between CSOs & Young Civil Leaders Working in the Ararat Region of Armenia

To enhance the cooperation among civil society leaders in the Ararat region (Armenia), the project delivered eight workshop sessions at the host organization Impact Hub Yerevan. The workshop program comprised eight workshop sessions on the topics of good leadership, social entrepreneurship, effective management of non-profit organizations, media outreach, tourism, and environmental mainstreaming. The seminars engaged 12 young leaders from ten local communities. To present and share the future collaboration initiatives, Samvel organized one final event. Finally, young participants organized a tree-planting campaign in the Ararat village as the best project idea.

The project established an interactive platform for civic leaders from the Ararat region, where they can network with like-minded young enthusiasts. The capacity-building training increased the awareness of 12 local leaders. Hence, the project stimulated beneficiaries’ inclination towards leadership, social entrepreneurship, green initiatives, and other trending civic topics. The participants learned how to address the local challenges through applying the problem-solving tools introduced at the training. Therefore, young leaders became more aware of how to promote their activities via modern technologies. All participants actively participated in the tree-planting campaign held in the kindergarten yard of Ararat village.

Country	Armenia
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Young Changemakers of Dilijan

The project Young Change-makers of Dilijan was a capacity-building initiative engaging up to 50 teenagers from the town of Dilijan. To empower the local youth, Taguhi held workshops on various trending topics, such as active citizenship, human rights and equality, cultural diversity, tolerance, and volunteering. The young people attended the training on project management, budgeting, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and community outreach that increased their qualifications and practical skills. As a result of the interactive sessions and brainstorming, seven groups proposed and implemented their social projects. Given that, the fellowship formed an active group of Dilijan (long-time residents and newcomers) and created an inclusive platform in the local community center.

The training increased the awareness of 50 young teenagers of Dilijan, who proposed and implemented seven social initiatives. Thus, the project stimulated beneficiaries’ aspirations towards self-development, civic engagement, leadership, networking, and project management. Young people learned how to engage in participatory decision making at family and community levels by applying tools learned during the program. Taguhi promoted the concept of volunteering in the local community, as the engaged teenagers actively participated in the social projects during and after the fellowship action.

Country	Armenia
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Promoting for Cycling as a Transport in Tbilisi

The project aimed to promote cycling as popular transportation in Tbilisi. To achieve that, Lika organized two large-scale cycling marches in the city center during the Christmas holidays. The volunteers actively distributed the information leaflets on safe transportation at both events. All participants received safety accessories as the necessary attribute for safe cycling. Both campaigns engaged influencers, activists, local authorities and media representatives. Apart from the community outreach activities, Lika held collaborative roundtables with the local decision-makers from the Tbilisi City Hall. To enhance the cycling environment in the city, policy recommendations were shared with the local authorities.

Through the offline meetings and campaigns, the project increased public awareness of safe cycling in the city. Thus, the civic activists shared their perspectives about road safety and infrastructure with the local government. Apart from the promotion of cycling as sustainable transportation, the project delivered outstanding institutional changes. Tbilisi City Hall just initiated a new transport policy that puts sustainable mobility on top of the political agenda. The latter includes the safe cycling regulations in the city.

Country	Georgia
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Implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (Judicial Cooperation in Civil and Commercial Matters / Cross-Border Insolvency)

The project studied the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement from the perspective of Judicial Cooperation in Civil and Commercial Justice and Cross-Border Insolvency. The project was divided into two parts. In the first phase of the fellowship, Vitalii analyzed legislative acts regarding private international law (PIL) in Ukraine and the European Union. Then, he compared the legislation and explored changes in different areas, such as jurisdiction and choice of law over consumer and individual employment contracts, the establishment of non-state law, determination of the law applicable, “Avoidance of the Law” and overriding mandatory rules as restrictions for the law applicable to a contract. In the second phase of the project, he studied the Insolvency Recast Regulation of the European Union. In parallel, he researched Ukrainian legal acts focusing on the areas of bankruptcy procedures, the appointment of the main insolvency practitioner and synthetic secondary insolvency in Ukrainian realities.

The project produced two academic documents. The first paper explores the potentials of the Ukrainian legal system and its harmonization towards the European legislation, in particular, in the private international law and cross-border insolvency law. The second document provides throughout research and analysis of private international law and insolvency legislation in Ukraine and the European Union. As the research deliverable, Vitalii created concrete proposals on harmonizing the European Law in these two areas. Additionally, he reviewed the compliance of Ukrainian rules with the Recast Insolvency Regulation of the European Union. Due to the vague Ukrainian bankruptcy legislation, foreign investors tend to be skeptical about the security of their assets. The research also explored the above issue and produced relevant expertise.

Research paper ‘The implementation of Association Agreement: adaptation of Ukrainian laws to EU legislation (judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters: contractual obligations)’:

Research paper ‘The implementation of Association Agreement: adaptation of Ukrainian laws to EU legislation (judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters: cross-border insolvency)’:

Country	Ukraine
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Countering the Pro-Kremlin Disinformation Campaign in Georgia

The project: Countering the Pro-Kremlin Disinformation Campaign in Georgia is a research carried out in cooperation with the European Values Think Tank under the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowship. The project addressed the lack of information in terms of pro-kremlin propaganda in Georgia; it reviewed the efforts that government and civil society organizations have taken to challenge the hostile information activities, including those targeting the religious segments of the society. The research aimed to contribute to a better understanding of how to prevent and manage the potentially harmful impact of disinformation on countries with similar social fabric and political environments.

The project produced an academic paper on Russia’s Disinformation Activities and Counter-Measures. In his research, Tornike reviewed the main lessons learned from Georgia’s experience in tackling the pro-Kremlin disinformation, and developed a list of recommendations for improving the effectiveness of these counter-measures. The document also served as a basis for a Georgia chapter in the 2018 ranking of countermeasures by the EU and EaP countries to the Kremlin’s subversion operations. Overall, Tornike’s research contributed to the conceptual understanding of the nature and characteristics of pro-Russian disinformation campaigns. Besides, the research was one of the very first systemic introductions of Georgia in the ongoing discourse on pro-Russian disinformation campaigns in Europe.

Country	Georgia
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Awareness raising campaign on mobility issues

On January 12, Vafa Huseyinli, the EaP Civil Society Fellow-2017, and the National Automobile Club of Azerbaijan organized an awareness campaign, during which residents of Baku had been informed about the difficulties people with disabilities are facing while using public transport and provided them with some statistics.

In addition, around 30 residents had been asked to give a video interview and express their opinions regarding this problem. Respondents were also kind enough to take pictures with our team and support the cause.

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Fellows-2017 in Local Media: თბილისის მერიის მუშაობას აღმოსავლეთ პარტნიორობის პროექტის ფარგლებში აკვირდებიან

droa.ge 04.02.2018

სპეციალურად დაკომპლექტებული ჯგუფი დაკვირვებას სამი ძირითადი მიმართულებით ახდენს: გარემოს დაცვა, გენდერი და ახალგაზრდობა. პროექტი მოიცავს ბიუჯეტის ანალიზს, მერთან შეხვედრას შუალედური შედეგებით და მისი პოზიციის დაფიქსირებას.

პროექტის ხელმძღვანელი მარიამ ხუროშვილი, მერიის ოფიციალურ პირებს უკვე აქტიურ რეჟიმში ხვდება და ზუსტ ინფორმაციას უშუალოდ მათგან იღებს. ამჟამად მის კითხვებს მერიის საფინანსო საქალაქო სამსახურის უფროსმა გაიოზ თალაკვაძემ უპასუხა. მისი თქმით, 2017 წლის ბიუჯეტი გეგმის მიხედვით დაიხარჯა და პირველად მიიღო ქ.თბილისის მერიის ბიუჯეტმა, წლის საუკეთესო ბიუჯეტის ნომინაცია.გაიოზ თალაკვაძემ 2018 წლის ბიუჯეტიც შეაფასა და წლის პრიროიტეტულ მიმართულებებსაც გაუსვა ხაზი.

,,2017 წლის ბიუჯეტი გეგმის მიხედვით ,დაიხარჯა.2018 წლის ბიჯეტის დაგეგმვისას პრიორიტეტების განსაზღვრა 2017 წლის ბიუჯეტის მსგავსად მოხდა. 2018 წლის ბიუჯეტში მთავრობამ გამოყო სპეციალური ტრანსფერი,რომელიც მიმართულია ინფრასტრუქტურის პროექტებზე.2018 წლის ბიუჯეტში პრირორიტეტულია ასევე თბილისის ტრანსპორტი,სპორტის და ახალგაზრდობის კუთხით გათვალისწინებულია მულტი ფუნქციური კოპლექსების აშენება.რაც შეეხება გარემოს,ამ მიმართულებით სტრუქტურული ცვლილებები მოხდება.გამწვანების სამსახურის ნაცლად გარემოს დაცვის სამსახური იფუნქციონირებს.’’-განაცხადა გაიოზ თალაკვაძემ.

პროექტი საქართველოში აღმოსავლეთ პარტნიორობის სამოქალაქო საზოგადოების გაძლიერების სტიპენდიის ფარგლებში ხორციელდება, რომელიც ახალგაზრდა ლიდერების მხარდაჭერას ითვალისწინებს.

პროექტი საქართველოში 24 წლის თსუ-ს დიპლომატიისა და საერთაშორისო პოლიტიკის მიმართულების მაგისტრატურის სტუდენტმა მარიამ ხუროშვილმა მოიგო, რომელიც ასევე არის ევროკავშირის დელეგაციის მიერ არჩეული ახლგაზრდა ევროპელი ელჩი. ახალგაზრდა ევროპელი ელჩი ექსპერტებთან თანამშრომლობის საფუძველზე მოახდენს ადგილობრივი პროექტების ანალიზს და ოთხთვიანი მუშაობის შემდეგ საკუთარ კვლევას ევროკავშირს წარუდგენს. პროექტი აღმოსავლეთ პარტბიორობის ქვეყნებში (საქართველო, სომხეთი, აზერბაიჯანი, უკრაინა, მოლდოვა და ბელორუსია) ხორციელდება. სტიპენდიის ფარგლებში 20 პროექტი დაფინანსდა.

Source: droa.ge

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Young people learned about project management and got mentoring support to develop their own social projects

A second round of workshops of the project “ Young Change Makers of Dilijan” was held on January 19-20 and 27-28.

35 young people attended the events to learn about effective communication and promotion, cooperation and teamwork. During the first session on January 19 participants learned how to work in teams, gained communication skills and interpersonal skills. The second day they were trained in SMART/SWOT analysis, effective time management and financial management.

On January 27 the groups worked on “Project passports”, which includes timeframe of the project, budget and project outcomes and on January 28 the groups met with mentors from Germany and Russia, discussed and planned together the sequence of steps and project implementation plan.

As a result six social projects will be implemented during next two months by the teenagers.

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