Foundation

Youth

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development

human rights

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rule of law

citizenship

Media

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Youth

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EU

CAUCASUS

training

Council of Europe

Peace

Ambassador Education

European

Youth

non-formal

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Intercultural

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ANNUAL REPORT 2011Institute for Democratic Changes

IDC

WWW.I4DC.GE

Dear Friends and Partners!

It is my honor to greet you on behalf of Institute for Democratic Changes - IDC. One year passed since our official establishment and I am happy to look back on the work that our team has been done.

Since establishment IDC is working according to its core values and in respect of the principles of Human Rights, Rule of Law and Democracy.

As the main field of work for the next three years we defined Youth Media Development, Youth Participation and Youth Policy. Together our Swedish and Georgian partners we were able to conduct 2 training seminars in order to raise organization capacity in video making and visualizing youth on media, we were able to create online media portal "Youth Express". In April 2012 we are going to conduct international youth meeting "School of Democratic Driving" with support of European Youth Foundation. In the field of youth policy we were able to conduct "Georgian Youth Policy Review" with support of partnership between European Commission and the Council of Europe. Our organization participates in the European wide projects such as: EU Eastern Partnership initiative and Council of Europe Youth Peace ambassador Project.

We work to support freedom of expression, rule of law and human rights as we believe it helps our countries transition into free and democratic society, which is a guaranty for Georgia's western integration.

Vakhtang AsanidzeChairman

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Introduction

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Mission and Aim

Institute for Democratic Changes - IDC is a membership based non-governmental, non-commercial legal entity, created according to Georgian civil code. Founders and the members of the organization are professional youth workers and activists in the field of Youth policy, Youth Work, Youth participation, Intercultural learning and non-formal education. Members of IDC are young people from 18 to 30 years.

The main aim of the organization is to:

Ÿ Stand for democratic valuesŸ Promote youth participation and democratic

citizenshipŸ Support freedom of expressionŸ Defend human rights and rule of lawŸ Support new media and information technologiesŸ Conduct public researchesŸ Seek international partnership in the fields of

democracy, human rights, freedom of expression

Ÿ IDC membership can gain any Georgian citizen who shares aims and objectives of the organization.

Ÿ The one wishing to became IDC member must apply to board of organization in written form

Ÿ Board must make decision on membership application within 2 month

Ÿ Before decision is made applicant must collect two written recommendations form existing members.

IDC member can loose its membership:

Ÿ by personal decisionŸ If membership fees are not paid during one year and

IDC board is not notifiedŸ In case member is admitted Incapable by courtŸ If case of violations of statutory responsibilities or his

activities are against IDC aims and objectives member can be excluded from the organization.

Membership

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Our Team

Vakhtang ASANIDZE

Chairman

Ketevan TSUTSKIRIDZE

Executive Director

NinoTSULAIA

Board Member

BenedicteGEGECHKORI

Board Member

SosoDOLIDZE

EVS Coordinator

AnnaKhizanishvili

PR Manager

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Our Projects

Youth Opinion

Georgian youth have always been an active member of the society, involved in the historical processes and has influenced its development. However, at present time opinion and voice of young people is hard to be brought to state structures or taken into consideration. Furthermore, conventional media actors are also overlooking Georgian youth and challenges they are facing. Youth organizations and Young leaders are aware of needs and interests of young people and would like media to play of a more positive role to promote youth interest in appropriate institutions and Georgian society.

IDC sees this current status, where both the state and media are not interested in youth opinion, as an urgent problem that needs to be solved. Since January 2011 in cooperation with "Media Union Obieqtivi" IDC is able to run one hour Live FM Radio and online TV talk show "Youth Opinion". Program is broadcasted weekly and has already hosted more than 50 young person or representative of youth NGOs. Radio Talk Show gives floor to any young person with any background to express his or opinion of other groups and talk about topics that matter in their lives.

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Our Projects

Content is King, but Efficient Delivery is King Kong

Project "Content is King, but Efficient Delivery is King Kong" was jointly developed by "International Media Network Services" (IMNS) - Sweden, Institute for Democratic Changes (IDC) - Georgia and Youth Center - Georgia. Project financially is supported by Swedish Foundation"Swedish Institute".Project is about empowering a strong digital presence of Georgian youth providing them with software, hardware equipment, technical "know-how", proficiency of producing professional stories based on video, and to set up and maintain an efficient and cost-effective digital platform for publishing. The featuring content is set to cover life and challenges of youths in Georgia, as well as expressing the importance of institutionalizing democratic values in Georgia. The main objectivity of this project is to support - with the use of new media - youth organizations in their work when promoting the opinion of young people in Georgia. By creating these opportunities for youth organizations, the project also supports the process of democratic actors when working for the institutionalization the rule of law and freedom of speech in Georgia. Within the project 10 participants were selected to train and strengthen their journalistic skill as well as introduce and use in practice brand new equipment. During project two 2 day training was held in Bakuriani and Tbilisi. First in Bakuriani was about how to produce quality content, how to use the camera and perform interviews in a professional way and how to edit and produce video documentaries in the editing software iMovie. During second Workshop participants learned how to establish a digital presence by publishing and distributing content in the Internet, know-how on Content System Management and cost effective communication solutions by using other open source tools in the internet.

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Our ProjectsMedia Platform - YouthExPress

Media Platform - YouthExPress was the result of cooperation of "International Media Network Services" (IMNS) Institute for Democratic Changes (IDC). Project aims to activate young people and through new media web technologies and other social media networks inform society about life, needs and challenges of young people. To support active citizenship and development of democratic environment. Youth Express objectives are:

Ÿ to support youth civil activism and democracy Ÿ to support freedom of Youth ExpressionŸ to inform society about problems, needs and challenges of young people

Media platform Youth Express enables registration on the portal to any young person and gives opportunity share and freely expresses their opinion through video, photo or story telling. Youth Express is based on "Citizen Journalism" principals, which means to share any youth related information immediately. We are ready for cooperation! Contact us!

and

School of Democratic Driving

From 23 to 27 April 2012 with financial support of European Youth foundation IDC will conduct international youth meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia. Participants from 10 different countries will discusse following topics: youth participation, democratic citizenship and to empower participants with CoE core values of Human Rights, Democracy and rule of law. Specific objectives are: To discuss and popularize the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education, To explore the "Symbols of the Democracy" in Democratic society in order to develop participants attitudes, defend their democratic rights and responsibilities in society and play an active part in democratic life. Under "Symbols of the Democracy" we mean core democratic institutions and values of any democratic country such as Court, Parliament, Media, Rule of Law, Human Rights, freedom of expression.

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Youth Policy Research

Youth Policy and Research has always been one of the main directions of the IDC. In this regard first large scale survey addressed on youth policy was conducted by IDC with support of partnership between European Commission and the Council of Europe. It was carried out between 1st of September and 31st of October 2010. For this survey was used crossectorial approach in order to cover every single stakeholder that could deliver us needed information. On the first stage appropriate sources and the target groups were identified for the research among them were most of the ministries of the Georgian government, different Non-Governmental organizations, Internat ional organizat ions and institutions, all these stakeholders were asked by an official letter to provide with

necessary information and support the project. The support letter from Council of Europe Director of Youth and Sport was essential in this regard. The official answers to the letters were collected sorted out and filtered by priorities and spheres. Documents were diverse, quantitative, containing statistical information such as the numbers of young people, age range and so on as well as qualitative providing more comprehensive information about aims and objectives of different stakeholders responsible on youth,

statutes or programs organized for youth. Results of the survey were officially presented on annual symposium organized by European Commission and the Council of Europe in Odessa, summer 2011.

Our Projects

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ParticipationEU Youth Conference – Warsaw, Poland

September 5-8, 2011 the polish EU presidency hosted first EU youth kick conference in Warsaw, Poland. More then 100 youth delegates from all over the Europe met for new structured dialogue following successful consultations with young people in the 27 EU member states on the Polish Presidency's theme of "Youth in the World". These consultations focused on the Eastern dimension of youth mobility and international youth cooperation with Eastern European and Caucasus countries. As an official delegate to this event IDC Representative together with member state officials and young people discussed such barriers to youth mobility as visa issues and lack of interest in international cooperation. At the end of the conference joint recommendations to the EU were adopted. EU Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, Azeri blogger and youth activist Emin Milli attended to the conference.

Roundtable for Identification Youth Program for Eastern Partnership Countries

The round-table which was part of a current European Commission Endeavor aimed at identifying a new regional program in the sphere of Youth in the Eastern Partnership took place in Moldova on May 24-25 2011. To attend to the event participants were invited from across the Eastern Partnership region, from a broad stakeholder base - including Ministries of Youth, Education; NGOs; national and international organizations working in the youth sphere. During the event there was presented findings of a needs assessment conducted by an expert team. Participants discussed on the priority areas in the youth policy sphere and other important issues concerning youth from the region. Round-table was addressed by welcome speech of Mr. Ion Cebanu Minister of Youth and Sports, Republic of Moldova and Head of European Union Delegation in Moldova.

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Participation

Youth Peace Ambassadors, EYC Budapest

The project Youth Peace Ambassadors is a Council of Europe , that builds on the understanding of peace and deep security

as long-term and deep-rooted processes ensuring equality in dignity for all, fostering intercultural dialogue, and providing real access to and participation in the democratic process all over Europe. IDC

representatives were selected as a participants of the first residential seminar, about human rights and human rights protection in conflict-affected communities. Project that, gathered 25 participants from various countries as: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Sweden, Kosovoy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, United Kingdom, Russian Federation, Hungary, Turkey, Cyprus, Macedonia, Serbia, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, Moldova, took place in European Youth Center in Budapest. The methodology of the training seminar was based on the principles of non-formal education. just right after the first seminar participants are supposed to implement

their learning into practice by initiating various activities in their community to support youth participation and contribution to peace-building processes The seminar was a great experience and good opportunity for better understanding the Council of Europe and its main actions related to the promotion of human rights. The project foresees five more seminars including Network, consolidation and evolution seminar in 2013.

program

Caucasus Peace Camp

On July 4-10 2011 Council of Europe hold international youth camp that brought together 40 young people from conflict and post-conflict regions including Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Germany and Moldova. It was grate experience for IDC members represented Georgian youth as well as for each participant of the project. They shared knowledge, views, discussed different ways of peaceful problem solution and faced problems caused from conflict situation in different countries. On may 2011 IDC participated in preparatory meeting of the project focused on framework, program and methodology of international peace camp.

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Participation

IRI Training on New Social Media

On 9th of September IRI Georgia conducted the training on New Social Media for the participants of the training Course "Content is King, but Efficient Delivery is King Kong". Participants introduced new methods and tools of social media and how to effectively use it in every day life for personal, pub l i c o r j ou rna l i s t i c

porpoises. For IDC it was first step partnership with IRI and we are ready for future cooperation. IDC also participated in IRI youth conference In Gudauri on August 10-13 with a focus on Volunteerism and the role of youth in civil society. On Three day congress participants discussed questions like Georgia in the world, Volunteerism and Youth Advancing Democracy. Lectures were interesting and interactive including discussions and arguments with professional trainers.

Children and Youth Development Fund

Institute for Democratic Changes registered at the Registry of "Children and Youth Development Fund", which is the legal entity the Ministry of sport and youth affairs of Georgia. The aim of the fund is to provide governmental support for children and youth organizations. The fund, based on competition finances the projects of organizations which are members of children and youth development fund's Registry. Mainly found is financing a small grants and projects. The main decision-maker body of the fund is Deliberation Committee, which consists from fifteen members, among whom 6 are represented by the Director of the Fund, been registered in the Registry, and 8 are appointed by the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs of Georgia. The Deliberation Committee is chaired by the Minister of the Sport and Youth Affairs of Georgia.

Income

4448 Euro - Project "Content is King, but Efficient Delivery is King Kong”

Balance 2011: 0.00 (Gel, USD, EURO)

Expenditure

4448 Euro - Project "Content is King, but Efficient Delivery is King Kong”

Applied Grants 2012:

Donor:

International Media Network Services, Sweden

Project: School of Democratic Driving

Donor: European Youth FoundationAmount: 10000 EURO

Project: We Are 1,042,600

Donor: U.S. Embassy Democracy Commission Small Grant ProgramAmount: 16350 USD

Donor: Children and Youth National Fund of Ministry of Youth and Sport affairs of GeorgiaAmount: 5000 EURO

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Finances

Editor & DesigneeVakhtang Asanidze

Proofreading Anna Khizanishvili

Contact:

e; +995 555 910926

www.i4dc.ge; info@i4dc.g

© 2011-2012 Institute for Democratic Changes. All Rights Reserved