The Slow and Quick Declines in Trust in the Georgian Orthodox Church

The Georgian Orthodox Church is among the most powerful institutions in Georgia. The majority of the country identifies as Orthodox Christian. The Church's Patriarch, Ilia II, has consistently been named the most trusted person in the country in surveys. Yet, Caucasus Barometer data suggests a slow but steady decline in trust in the church over the last ten years. While the data clearly show a slow and steady decline, recent scandals also appear to be taking their toll, particularly among the religious. This article first looks at the slow and steady decline, and proceeds to describe the impact of one of the most recent scandals - accusations that the Church’s Patriarch was a pedophile

NGOs and the Georgian Public: Why Communication Matters

The civil society sector in Georgia has gone from near non-existent at independence to a vibrant sector with a multitude of competing voices aiming to affect change. While cynicism towards the third sector was pronounced in the 1990s in Georgia, relatively positive attitudes toward NGOs have developed in Georgia over time. Today though, these attitudes have likely been endangered by Bidzina Ivanishvili's statement that one of his organizations was preparing reports on the heads of three of Georgia’s most active NGOs. This article looks at knowledge and perceptions of NGOs in Georgia using data from the 2011 and 2014 Volunteering and Civic Participation in Georgia surveys funded by USAID and implemented by CRRCGeorgia. Survey results indicate that while knowledge of the third sector is relatively low, Georgians are generally not misinformed, and that those who have interacted with NGOs have more positive impressions of NGOs than those who have not. With these findings in mind, the article suggests that if NGOs want to maintain or improve the positive attitudes that have accrued toward them over time in Georgia, especially in light of the recent and widely discussed accusations against NGOs, an active communications and engagement strategy is critical

Think tank state of the sector 2022

This report provides an annual snapshot of the state of the think tank sector across the globe. Drawing on data from the Open Think Tank Directory and a think tank survey conducted by On Think Tanks, this year's report offers insights to questions such as: Are political funding contexts for think tanks improving or worsening? What big challenges are they facing? What are the most pressing policy issues they're working on? What's the average think tank size, age and turnover? And how do all these answers vary across regions?Add your organisation to the Open Think Tank Directory to support sector transparency and be counted in next year's report

Young people in Latvia and Georgia: Identity formation and the imprints of traditions and globalization

Youth in the post-Soviet countries have faced the challenges of identity formation in concomitance with the processes of state-building in newly independent states. This paper focuses on young people aged 14 to 19 in seemingly different post-Soviet countries, Georgia and Latvia, who grew up after the collapse of the Soviet Union in independent countries striving towards Europe and its values. Based on qualitative interviews conducted in schools for the <#funding-source;>Horizon 2020 CHIEF project, the paper discusses some aspects of young people’s identity formation, and how they see themselves in national and European contexts. Along with some similarities evident in both countries, such as young people reporting a very strong sense of national belonging and identity, the data also show important differences when it comes to young people’s perceptions of Europe in Latvia and Georgia, as the latter report some reluctance in regards to accepting European identity and values

Sites of Memory

ISSN:1867-932

Public Opinion In Georgia: New Caucasus Barometer Results

This issue of the Caucasus Analytical Digest focuses on Public Opinion in Georgia: New Caucasus Barometer Results. Firstly, David Sichinava discusses the evolution of people’s attitudes towards conflict resolution in Georgia. Secondly, Rati Shubladze and Tamar Khoshtaria analyze trends and inconsistencies in popular support for democracy in Georgia. Thirdly, Dustin Gilbreath tackles the trajectory of trust in the most trusted institution in the country, the Orthodox Church of Georgia.Diese Ausgabe des Caucasus Analytical Digest konzentriert sich auf die öffentliche Meinung in Georgien: Neue Ergebnisse des Kaukasus-Barometers. Zunächst erörtert David Sichinava, wie sich die Einstellung der Menschen zur Konfliktlösung in Georgien entwickelt hat. Zweitens analysieren Rati Shubladze und Tamar Khoshtaria Trends und Ungereimtheiten in der Unterstützung der Bevölkerung für die Demokratie in Georgien. Drittens befasst sich Dustin Gilbreath mit der Entwicklung des Vertrauens in die vertrauenswürdigste Institution des Landes, die Georgische Orthodoxe Kirche.ISSN:1867-932

Civil Society

ISSN:1867-932