National web site : 

whiteband.ge

Quick background

GCAP Georgia has completed a one-page brief including background information.

National Coalition : Future Without Poverty

"Future Without Poverty" is a national GCAP coalition in Georgia, representing a union of 100 non-governmental organizations, initiative groups, professional associations and individuals that have come together to demand elimination of poverty and achievement of Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). The Campaign was launched at the end of June 2005. . Implementing partners of the project are Oxfam GB Georgia programme partners AYEG (Association of Young Economists of Georgia), GYLA (Georgia’s Young Lawyers Association) and Welfare Foundation.

Those interested in joining the GCAP Campaign in Georgia, please contact:
David Gogolishvili - david[at]welfarefoundation.org.ge
Nino Gvianishvil - NGvianishvili[at]Oxfam.org.uk

Events 2008

IWD 2008

The Georgian coalition has long planned 8th of March as one of the three mobilisation days of the year.

We will start the day with a presentation of the results of maternal and child health survey conducted by the Welfare Foundation at the end of 2007.  We have developed recommendation for the government for a better access to  maternal services of women living in poverty. A report of this survey has  been published and it will be distributed at the presentation. We expect  that Ministry of Health and Parliamentary Health Committee will be present  at the event as well as media and NGO sector. We also working on media  coverage of the event in the TV and radio news programs.

Lots of print material will be distributed on this day as well as T-shirts,  clocks with Future without Poverty logos, bags, etc.

Then we are planning to travel to a nearby town of Gori (about 100 km from the capital) in a GCAP-bus (a bus with GCAP logos and Future Without Poverty  banners) where we will be visiting local maternity hospital and meet with  the staff as well as with the women who just had delivery. We have nice  presents for them and they all bear GCAP and Future Without Poverty logos.

For more information, please contact:

David Gogolishvili - david@welfarefoundation.org.ge
Georgian Coalition Future without Poverty

Events 2007

October 17, International Day for Poverty Eradication

Two locations to conduct “Stand Up and Speak Out” events were selected: one – a historical place of Georgian Natural Museum – “The Museum Under the Sky”; where a concert ART-GENE was organised by the famous Georgian faces of “Future Without Poverty” Coalition; Georgian song devoted to poverty – the Georgian version of the GCAP requiem opened the concert, followed by famous singers associated with the Georgian GCAP activities – the same faces were involved in such activities since 2005.

Another location was the National Dynamo Stadium, where a Euro Cup qualifier match was held – Georgia vs. Scotland. Initially, this was a tentative plan, since because of the standards of the GFF (Georgian Football Federation) and IFF (International Football Federation) we were afraid that we would not be allowed to stage a Stand-Up Speak Out event. However, we have managed to launch the Poverty Requiem on a plasma screen after the first match. The anchor announced about Poverty Day and Stand Up Speak Out took place.

Number of people that participated in the Stand Up and Speak Out at the ART GENE Concert were – 2700 people.
Number of people at the National Stadium during Scotland vs. Georgia – were around 40.000 people.

Before the 17 October event, wide media coverage was used to mobilise the public and announce of the event from TV and leaflets that were distributed on the streets. Three days rights before the event, a short advertising on the “Future Without Poverty” coalition, The Stand-Up Speak Out event and the concert was running on many channels. Media covered the event at the ART-GENE location. TV channel and press representatives were present at the concert as well as the Football Stadium.

Future Without Poverty and a team of the Rustavi2 Georgian Broadcasting Company prepared a special report on this date that was aired on a Sunday News Summary Programme.

See the photo gallery Georgia

07-07-07 Events

“Future without Poverty” bus tour paved the demand of accessible healthcare and life without poverty across Georgia: lunching Essential Service campaign and MDGs midway Point on 7/7/07 in Georgia

Dedicated to Millennium Development Goals midway point celebration, “Future Without Poverty” alliance members held an informational bus tour to visit impoverished cities and villages, meet with local population and learn their poverty and healthcare situation for the set midway date of 7/7/07.

Two day long “Future Without Poverty” bus tour took a start from Tbilisi capital and ended in the remote village center of Khulo (high mountainous Adjara, west Georgia) targeting more the 400 civilians to promote their indispensable right of accessible healthcare, essential services and life without poverty.

Alliance members and young activists handed informational booklets about MDGs and state funded social and healthcare programs to vulnerable people, doctors and high officials reminding them that effective measures are to be taken in providing healthcare and social support to poor people.

Even through seven years have passed since prioritizing millennium development goals in the country, approximately half of the Georgian population still live under poverty line and lack access to qualified healthcare that farther marginalizes the life of poor. “Me and my neighbors try to abstain form healthcare services to escape high costs and extra fees but our children must have quality and accessible healthcare”, said Nana, 45, one of the participants of the event. Meeting Coalition members, Nana gained precise information about the procedures and programs she can be entitled in order to get free healthcare services. Even though the procedures seem to be long, I should stand for my children’s right” said Nana, reviewing newly gained brochure about state funded healthcare and social programs. 

White banded “future without Poverty” bus served as effective tool to acquire attention of the population, press and local authorities to share a message of accessible essential services and life without poverty for all.

4 local TVs, 2 local radio stations and regional newspapers highlighted the event.

Photo gallery

Events 2005

Achievements in 2005 include:
• 5000 people were mobilized through actions, 50 NGOs joined “Future Without Poverty” alliance, media campaign to raise public awareness about MDGs and GCAP covered the whole population of Georgia.
• Over 300 local governmental representatives were provided with detailed information on MDG/GCAP.
• State Agency for Employment and Social Assistance offered the alliance to get involved in evaluating and monitoring state program on Social Assistance; Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association and Association of Young Economists of Georgia became members of the State Agency for Employment and Social Assistance Civil monitoring board.
• UN Country representative lobbied the requests of the alliance and “Future Without Poverty” participated actively in working on Georgia Country MDG and EDPRP Progress Reports; Alliance members were highly involved in a series of advocacy meetings through 2005: This led to recognizing the coalition expertise in MDG related issues.

Photo gallery

Photo gallery on White Band day I – July 2005