Archive activities carried out by IDFI (Institute for Development of Freedom of Information) in 2010 mostly covered the issues of freedom of information and access to public information;

In terms of working on Soviet past, it is worthy to mention the role of international conference “Freedom of Information at Caucasus Region“ (8-11 May, 2009). Participant countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and the USA) of the conference discussed several solutions, such as creating joint strategy and effective network due to answer the problems in the region. The meeting covered the issues of Soviet influence at representative countries. Citizens did not have access to information and the vast majority of the population does not know about the Law on Information.

On November 9th, 2010 IDFI organized a presentation of the Project “Publishing of the Collection of Archival Documents” (financed by the Embassy of Switzerland in Georgia) at the 2nd Department of the Archive Administration of the Ministry of Interior of Georgia (former Archive of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Georgia). Representatives of IDFI spoke about the 1956 demonstrations and explained the significance of archival documents in studying this particular page in Georgian and Soviet History. Presenters also discussed the importance of archival documents in providing researchers with materials necessary for writing true history.

On October 23 – through 26 IDFI analysts took part in the First International Conference “Georgia in the XX Century: In the Files of the Georgian Security Archive”. Speakers discussed topics such as openness of the archives, archives of the Soviet period, archival documents and more importantly, scientific research studies conducted based on these documents;

It is important to highlight that researchers of the institute organize exhibitions based on archival and other sources, collect photo and documentary materials, record verbal stories and publish researches. In scope of these activities the Institute cooperates with Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Archive of Georgia, as well as with leading research institutes and scientific organizations of the world.