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2 May 2013

IDFI distributed informational flyers

The project Development of e-Participation in Georgia aims at increasing governments accountability, establishing modern forms of government-citizen communication and involving citizens in active social and political life. In the frames of this project IDFI planned the event which aims at increasing the social consciousness about the importance of citizen involvement in public policy. It is very important to ensure that the members of society get more actively involved in decision making

1 May 2013

Discussion with the representatives of media

The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information conducted a discussion with the representatives of media in the frames of the Development of e-Participation in Georgia project. The main topic of the meeting was the public relation strategy of government agencies and assessment of the level of usage of the communication tools. IDFI presented the tendencies that were identified during the monitoring of the web-sites and social network pages of government agencies. Particip

25 April 2013

International Conference about Freedom of Information and Open Government Partnership

On 26-27 April a conference dedicated to the issues of open government partnership and freedom of information will take place in Tbilisi. The conference was organized by the National Security Archive (George Washington University, US) and IDFI (Institute for Development of Freedom of Information). The representatives of nongovernmental and human rights organizations from seven countries - United States, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Georg

22 April 2013

IDFI Data in the Report of the U.S. Department of State

U. S Department of State has published itsannual Report on Human Rights Practices. The most important human rights problems reported during the year 2012 in Georgia were: violation of the rights of prisoners, lack of independence in the Court and the problems of internally displaced persons. Apart from these problems, the report paid attention to the cases of corruption and lack of transparency in the Government of Georgia. The document also mentions the matter of the new Parliam

17 April 2013

Open Discussion - Universal Healthcare Program: Expectations and Reality

On April 15th, 2013 a discussion about Universal Healthcare Program: Expectations and Reality in the frameworks of the Discussions after a working day project of the German Adult Education Association dvv international. The goal of the project is to raise public awareness and form an active public position. Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) became the partner of the project in 2013. The director of the National Center for Disease Control and Pub

9 April 2013

Past Legacy of a New State

IDFI is working on a new project that intends to analyze the events that took place in 1989-1991 in Georgia. The project - Past Legacy of a New State - is being implemented with the financial support of dvv international. Even 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union the last years of the existence of USSR and the first years of the independence of Georgia practically have not been researched. The topic does not find adequate coverage in school textbooks and sci

3 April 2013

IDFI Discusses Improvements to Georgian Government Websites

On April 2, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) met with public relations professionals from nearly 20 Georgian ministries to discuss the effectiveness of the governments electronic communication platforms. IDFI presented its research about the topic and identified strategies to improve the e-communication of public institutions. IDFI analyzed the e-participation mechanisms on the webpages of 23 Georgian public institutions, inc

2 April 2013

The Response of the Chancellery of the Government of Georgia to the Recommendations of the Civil Society

On March 22nd IDFI received a letter dated March 19th from the Chancellery of the Government of Georgia which contained a response to the recommendations of the civil society, which were sent to the Office of the Prime Minister from the CSOs on February 5th.

29 March 2013

Sweden: EU data bill threatens transparency

By Nikolaj Nielsen BRUSSELS - Swedens ministry of justice says the EUs draft data protection law could upset the delicate balance between transparency and privacy in its own national law on access to documents. With a regulation there is a need to make it perfectly clear that member states may keep their national rules on access to documents, said David Torngren, an official at Swedens ministry of justice, in an email on Tuesday (19 March). Torngren described the

15 March 2013

IDFI appeals against the requests ignored by the Administration of the President of Georgia one more time

In the practice of IDFI the Administration of the President of Georgia tends to leave the public information requests unanswered. In 2012-2013 IDFI appealed two times against the requests left unanswered by the Administration. It seems, that the tendency continues in 2013 as well and IDFI also continues to appeal against it. On February 11, 2013 IDFI addressed the Administration of the President of Georgia with the request on the following issues: Number of the employe