Peter WIEBLER of USAID Georgia: "Georgian organizations can and will cope with challenges"

interview

28.03.2019 (Caucasian Journal). Today, Caucasian Journal’s special guest is Peter A. WIEBLER, Mission Director of USAID Georgia, who kindly agreed to answer our questions. (Read the Georgian translation here).

Alexander KAFFKA, editor-in-chief of CJ: We highly appreciate your attention towards our journal’s readership. Caucasian Journal is a new project, which emerged in the aftermath of regional political developments of critical importance, such as presidential elections in Georgia and change of leadership in neighboring Armenia. In fact, when we read your Elections and Political Processes project description (read more here), we were pleased to find paragraphs almost identical to our mission statement. But let me start with a cautious question. USAID planning to spend $4-5 million in direct awards to Georgian civil society organizations sounds like an important piece of news, but we have found very little media coverage on it, so far. Perhaps USAID is not interested in wider dissemination of such information as a matter of policy?

Peter A. WIEBLER: First, congratulations on your new project! We wish you the best of luck in this endeavor. I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to speak with you today.

First American ambassador to Georgia joins the board of Caucasian Journal

Honorable Kent N. Brown, the first American ambassador to Georgia, became a member of advisory board of Caucasian Journal (CJ).

“I would be honored to be a member of your advisory board”, – Ambassador Brown told the Caucasian Journal. Currently Mr. Brown is vice president and advisor on government relations at JTI, and member of International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). “Fascinating times, tough times”, – Ambassador Kent Brown said recalling his term as ambassador in Tbilisi in 1992-1995.

"Emerging Europe" launches call for applications for 2019 awards

Caucasian Journal is delighted to present our partner Emerging Europe journal, which is inviting South Caucasian participants to its Emerging Europe Awards 2019 edition. The official press release follows below.

CJ is proud to be a media partner of Emerging Europe Awards 2019 .

Following the successful launch of the Emerging Europe Awards in June 2018, Emerging Europe, a London-based business, media and research platform, whose mission is to contribute to the social and economic growth of 23 countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, is delighted to have launched applications for the 2019 edition.

Open Letter to Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze

Fady Asly, chairman of International Chamber of Commerce Georgia (ICC), sent an open letter to Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze. "ICC Georgia has never gone to such extremity before, but considering the exceptional aggression against local businesses and foreign investors, we cannot close our eyes anymore and witness other innocent businesses pressured and harassed again and again", - reads the open letter from the head of Georgia's largest business association.

Caucasian Journal is publishing the full text of Fady Asly's letter in English below. The full text in Georgian can be found in our Georgian language version.

US Department of State releases Azerbaijan 2018 Human Rights Report: Full text

The US Department of State released the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2018. All the three countries of South Caucasian region are included in the Reports.

Caucasian Journal publishes the full texts of country reports on Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan. See the full text of country report on Azerbaijan below.

US Department of State releases Armenia 2018 Human Rights Report: Full text

The US Department of State released the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2018. All the three countries of South Caucasian region are included in the Reports.

Caucasian Journal publishes the full texts of country reports on Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan. See the full text of country report on Armenia below.

US Department of State releases Georgia 2018 Human Rights Report: Full text

The US Department of State released the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2018.

On March 13, 2019 Secretary Mikel Pompeo delivered remarks introducing the release at the Department of State. All the three countries of South Caucasian region are included in the Reports.

Caucasian Journal publishes the full texts of country reports on Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan. See the full text of country report on Georgia below.

Join "Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network" workshop in Brussels (age under 35)

Join the The German Marshall Fund TILN 2019 workshop in Brussels this June! Applicants from both sides of the Atlantic are eligible while organizers  especially encourages candidates from Armenia and Georgia!

German Marshall Fund (GMF) runs an open selection for the Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN).  The TILN 2019 workshop will take place in Brussels, Belgium, June 23-29, 2019.  Applications received by March 20 will be considered for this class.

Jiří SCHNEIDER of Aspen Central Europe: "Value of Aspen programs is in connecting people who want to change society"

interview

05.03.2019 (Caucasian Journal). Our honoured guest today is Jiří SCHNEIDER, Executive Director of Aspen Institute Central Europe in Prague. 

Caucasian Journal:  First of all, thank you so much for taking time to answer our questions. Aspen Institute Central Europe became one of key partners of our project, and we greatly appreciate your support. We believe that organizations of Aspen Institute’s caliber might be very useful for civil society development in our countries. May I ask you to comment on the concept of Aspen Institute CE, and its overall effectiveness in your country and region?

Jiří Schneider: We decided to establish Aspen Institute in Central Europe as the ninth branch of the Aspen Institute in the world in order to bring its specific models of supporting value-based leadership and providing a non-partisan platform for responsible dialogue about society.

CJ: The world’s only statue of Václav Havel is situated in Georgia: The monument to the great Czech intellectual and first president was unveiled in Tbilisi in 2017. This is not a formal tribute - indeed major part of Georgians associate themselves firmly with the Western civilization. This is one of reasons why we believe Aspen’s ideas will bear fruit on our soil. How such a perspective is seen from Prague?

USAID Tbilisi Grants: Georgia Elections and Political Processes Support through Direct Awards to Georgia’s Civil Society

USAID/Georgia is requesting applications from Georgian civil society organizations (CSOs) in support of its new Elections and Political Processes project (2019-2023).  Proposed CSO activities will aim to improve how Georgian citizens and their diverse interests are represented and satisfied through the political system. USAID intends to provide approximately $4-$5 million in total USAID funding, subject to the availability of funds, to Georgian organizations through approximately 5-7 assistance awards with up to a 42-month period (3.5 years) of performance between 2019 and 2023. 

More information can be found in our interview with Peter Wiebler of USAID/Georgia.

Assistance awards will contribute to the following project sub-purposes: