Georgia

From 2008-2010 the Civil Society Index was implemented in Georgia by the Caucasus institute for Peace, Democracy and Development (CIPDD), with the support of the Open Society Institute.

An Assessment of Georgian Civil Society

The CSI research revealed that a majority of CSOs identify two value groups in Georgia. These are: a) a retrograde value system, which has totalitarian origins and mostly favours Northern (pro-Russian) orientation in foreign policy; and b) a democratic value system, which is perceived as Western (European and Euro-Atlantic) oriented. A majority of Georgian CSOs consider themselves as supporters of the latter.

The research identified the weaknesses of civil society in Georgia as including: a low impact on society, significantly low levels of organisation and a disenabling external environment due to the concentration of power with the authorities. The strengths of civil society mentioned included: organisational experience, dominance of democratic values among CSOs and potential for development.

A positive development that has recently emerged in the wake of the government’s diminishing credibility is that authorities have given a clear signal that they would like to cooperate more with civil society groups on numerous issues. Unfortunately, civil society has been substantially weakened in the last seven years and is thus no longer usually able to respond adequately to new challenges.

CSI Country Reports in Georgia

• Georgia CSI Report (2008-2010): Full Report
• Georgia Policy Action Brief 2011: PDF