Georgia
March 2011 - The John Smith Memorial Trust is delighted to announce that Giorgi Abashidze and Irakli Khorbaladze have been awarded a place on the 2011 John Smith Fellowship Programme. They will travel to the UK in June as 2011 John Smith Fellows.
Trust Director delivers UGPN lecture on E-Governance and Public Finance
On January 11th 2011, Professor Brian Brivati was the inaugural speaker at the new home of the UGPN policy club in Tbilisi, Georgia. He spoke on the theme of 'E-Governance, Digital Democracy and Public Finance - the UK Experience.' There was a lively debate featuring John Smith Fellows and key practitioners who are modernizing Georgia's governmental practice. A more detailed report of Brian's lecture can be found in the Trust's January 2011 e-newsletter (please scroll to the bottom of the page)
November 2010 - The John Smith Memorial Trust will be conducting a series of online seminars during the week commencing 22nd November in which the Trust's Director Brian Brivati will answer your questions about the application process and the Fellowship Programme. Details of the seminar in Georgia are as follows:
Tbilisi - 2pm, 26th November. Please email Rusudan Bakhtadze for venue information and to subscribe to the event.
Georgian seat belt legislation amended due to efforts of 2006 Fellow Gela Kvashilava (October 2010)
Due to the persistent efforts of Georgian Fellow Gela Kvashilava and his team at the Partnership for Road Safety, significant amendments have been made to Georgia’s seat belt legislation. Read more
30 May 2010 - 2002 Fellow Gigi Ugulava is re-elected as Mayor of Tbilisi
2010 - 2008 Fellow Natalie Tsnoriashvili's JSMT action plan project - Monitoring Criminal Courts - was launched in November 2008 in Tbilisi. The goal of the project is to identify errors in the administration of justice and to provide recommendations for improvement. The project enjoys support from the Georgian government and in 2010 was extended to two neighbouring regions - Rustavi and Mtsketa.
Exploring Constitutional Reform – visit to Georgia, October 2009
The Trust Director, Brian Brivati, visited Georgia between 12-14 October 2009. The purpose of the visit was to promote the 2010 Fellowship Programme and to explore the theme of constitutional reform in the UK and Georgia. Read More
June 2009 - former MP Levan Metreveli has been appointed as Ambassador of Georgia to Romania and Moldova.
John Smith Fellow Archil Bakuradze organises peace-building conference in Georgia
This event was launched by Archil as part of the John Smith Memorial Trust’s ‘Year of Action’. Read More
New Road Safety Project Launched across Georgia by 2006 Fellow Gela Kvashilava
The Partnership for Road Safety has recently launched its new project - “Youth Road Safety Education” - which will be conducted in 48 schools in Georgia. Read More
2008 John Smith Memorial Trust Networking Conference held in Tbilisi, Georgia
On 10-11th April 2008, John Smith Fellows travelled to the Georgian capital Tbilisi to take part in the 2008 John Smith Memorial Trust Networking Conference. Read More
January 2008 - former MP Lali Papiashvili (2007 Fellow) has been appointed as a Member of the Constitutional Court of Georgia
Georgian Road Safety Review led by 2006 John Smith Fellow Gela Kvashilava
The Partnership for Road Safety, launched by 2006 Fellow Gela Kvashilava, has published a review of the road safety situation in Georgia. According to the review, not 'a single research study' on Georgian road safety has been conducted for the last decade. Read More
Trustee Lord McCluskey travels to Georgia to promote 2008 John Smith Fellowship Programme
From 15th to 17th October 2007 Lord McCluskey visited Georgia as a guest of the Scottish Football Association. Among other visits, Lord McCluskey met with representatives from the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association. Read More
2006 Fellow Gela Kvashilava launches first UN Road Safety Week in Georgia
In late April 2007, The Partnership for Road Safety launched the UN First Global Road Safety Week in Georgia. The Partnership for Road Safety was established by 2006 Fellow Gela Kvashilava to reduce road traffic accidents and make roads safer in Georgia. Read More
CEGSTAR hosts international conference on 'Effective Democratic Governance'
On December 4-5 2006, the Center for Effective Governance Systems and Territorial Arrangement Reforms (CEGSTAR) organised a two-day international conference on ‘Effective Democratic Governance at Local and Regional Levels’. Read More
George Ugulava, 2002 Fellow, elected Mayor of Tbilisi
On October 12th 2006, George Ugulava was elected as Mayor of Tbilisi by the Tbilisi city council. The Trust warmly congratulates Gigi on his election which has been welcomed by Georgian Fellows. George, a 2002 Fellow, had previously been appointed as Mayor of Tbilisi on 14th July 2005. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Minister of Justice and as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of State Security.
(see his photograph in Photo Gallery Two)
“Transition: 15 Years of Building the Future” - 2006 Fellow speaks at the EBRD's 15th Anniversary Conference
A John Smith Fellow from Georgia, Nana Janashia, joined an impressive panel of speakers at the 15th Anniversary Conference of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development at its London headquarters on the 28th November. Read More
Damian Green MP meets Georgian MPs to share UK experience of engaging with constituencies
Trust Deputy Director Damian Green MP travelled to Georgia from the 24th-28th September 2006 on a mission to share his experience as an active constituency MP with Georgian 'majoritaire' MPs representing local districts. Read More
Articles
TV at Heart of Georgian Crisis
by 2006 Fellow Eka Kvesitadze
Fate of opposition television station Imedi is subject of intense political haggling.
First published in IWPR on 29th November 2007
Human Rights: Georgia
By 2004 Fellow Besarion Bokhashvili
'The assembling of tens of thousands of people in Tbilisi and of hundreds of thousands in Kiev… Rose and Chestnut Revolutions … demonstrated identical purposes and the same intention - to get rid of a regime overgrown with moss, and mired in political stagnation, and to vindicate the people's choice, which has been thwarted and neglected by the authorities..."