Implemented by the United Nations Association of Georgia (UNAG)

Donor organization: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

MDF budget per year – USD 81, 365

GDI sub-grant per year: USD 16,720

Timeframe: June 15, 2015 – April 30, 2021

In partnership with the United Nations Association of Georgia (UNAG) and with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Media Development Foundation (MDF) participates in implementing the Promoting Integration, Tolerance and Awareness (PITA) Program.

The program involves a number of measures to support tolerance, awareness and integration in Georgia; particularly, to enhance interaction and dialogue between national and religious minorities and the Government of Georgia; promote functioning of youth civic centers at non-governmental organizations and strengthen them in terms of civic engagement and diversity management; strengthen the mechanism of civil monitoring on civil integration programs through supporting the Tolerance Center at the Georgian Public Defender’s Office; fight discrimination and hate speech; carry out media monitoring and advocacy to implement rights-based public policy; increase awareness about tolerance and diversity and encourage national discussion through using regional and national media resources.

Within the framework of the program, Media Development Foundation (MDF) implements a media component, which involves monitoring of hate speech in media and public space and reacting on possible violations. Besides efficient use of media self-regulation mechanisms, the program envisages holding of training courses for media representatives, organizing educational simulations with youth participation and, in collaboration with Ilia State University, awarding media representatives with tolerance prizes to promote inclusive coverage of diversity.

Through the coordination of Georgian Democracy Initiative (GDI), it is planned to establish, under the format of a civil platform No to Phobia, a mechanism of efficient reacting on any forms of hate speech from politicians and public servants, as well as to promote the introduction of self-regulation mechanisms in public sector.

The program also envisages creation of a unified electronic database of the civil platform No to Phobia.

Partner organizations: Office of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality; Tolerance Center at the Georgian Public Defender’s Office; Partners – Georgia (PG); Media Development Foundation; Center for Civil Integration and Inter-Ethnic Relations (CCIIR).