Project Title: Civil Society Action for Promoting Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Georgia

Project Duration: 2 years

Donor: European Union

Partners: Changes for Equal Rights; Coalition for Independent Living

Goal: Contribute to strengthening the civil society for enhancing human rights and fundamental freedoms of vulnerable groups

Target regions: Tbilisi, Adjara, Kakheti

Project Objectives and Activities:

Overall Objective:

Contribute to strengthening the civil society for enhancing human rights and fundamental freedoms of vulnerable groups.

Specific objectives:

Developing capacity of civil society organizations to enhance access to justice and eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities including women with disabilities and those belonging to ethnic minority groups through effective advocacy and development of the legal services in Tbilisi and the regions of Adjara and Kakheti

Activities:

1.1 Identify and recruit individuals to form Disability Advocacy Teams (DATs) in Tbilisi, Adjara and Kakheti regions

1.6. Conduct awareness seminars for 150 law students and 120 PWDs/family members on disability rights, intersectionality, the UNCRPD and anti-discrimination legislation

1.7 Conduct seminars for 120 legal professionals and 60 social workers/public servants on disability rights, intersectionality, the UNCRPD and anti-discrimination legislation

1.8 Hold initial consultations with High School of Justice and create a working group to initiate the process of developing a training module on UNCRPD for judges with the purpose to be incorporated in HSoJ training and continued education programs.

1.9 Hire the international consultant to work to strengthen capacity of judges in understanding and addressing disability-based discrimination (draft training module, interim workshops on UNCRPD)

1.15 Conduct the UNCRPD workshops led by the international consultant (in-country)

2.3 Announce CfP for small grants program

3.2 Select and hire local researchers to analyze the implementation and outcomes of the legal capacity reform

3.8 Public presentation of research findings and recommendations