Democracy Protection in Action: Second Meeting of Sakartvelo SOS Project Unites Activists from Ukraine and Georgia
The second online meeting of the “Sakartvelo SOS: Eastern European Experience for Georgia” project, organized by Daily Humanity in collaboration with the Ukrainian organization “Insight,” took place on October 10.
This initiative aims to exchange experience between activists and journalists from Georgia, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries ahead of the parliamentary elections in Georgia scheduled for October 2024.
The speakers shared their experience and recommendations:
Roman Stepanovych, Development Director of Daily Humanity and co-founder of 2402 Foundation, spoke about risk assessment methods for non-governmental organizations and activists. He emphasized the importance of identifying potential threats, distributing team responsibilities, and being ready for quick adaptation in changing conditions.
Olena Shevchenko, head of NGO “Insight,” presented practical steps for ensuring activists’ safety during possible protests. Her recommendations included creating a network of “safe places,” developing secure communication channels, and preparing financial reserves.
Meeting participants discussed specific scenarios for developments during and after the elections and developed a preliminary action plan. Special attention was paid to activist safety, civil society coordination, and international support issues.
“The main priority now is to do everything possible to support Sakartvelo’s activists in their fight for freedom. One of the directions is to share our experience of participating in protests,” emphasized Olena Shevchenko.
During the discussion, participants identified key areas for effectively countering potential threats:
Conduct security audits in organizations. Assess current resources and vulnerabilities to increase team resilience in critical conditions.
Prepare a network of local contacts for support. Engage additional resources and establish interaction with international partners ready to provide rapid assistance.
Develop general recommendations for public mobilization. In case of post-election oppression, prepare plans for peaceful response and community support.
Speakers emphasized the importance of digital security and protecting personal data from the risk of leaks. Following the meeting, it was decided to continue work on a detailed action plan and maintain coordination through the created WhatsApp group.
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