On November 15 – 16, 2022 MESA10, in cooperation with Kartlosi NGO from Gori (Georgia) and organised the conference titled ABL communities and their challenges: What are their solutions? in Gori.

During the two-day Conference on ABL communities’ needs with an emphasis on the local administration and regional development self-government and local administration representatives, small businesses owners, NGOs/CSOs representatives, local journalists, and representatives of the central government, experts and representatives of the Georgian decision-making sphere discussed the findings of the initial field research that was conducted during the first part of the project.

In addition, the conference served as a platform for the presentation of the results of field research – studies and will be a space for a final discussion on the recommendations and solutions from the perspective of local governments located along the ABL in Georgia.

On November 17, 2022, MESA10 in cooperation with Kartlosi NGO from Gori (Georgia) and the Information Center on NATO and EU organised a follow-up advocacy event in Tbilisi titled The Administrative Bordeline Communities: increasing the knowledge of their specific challenges.

The project in the media:
November 17, 2022: Quartli news / Qartli.ge Research at the Boundary Line (ქართლის ამბები / Qartli.ge კვლევა გამყოფ ხაზთან)

November 22, 2022: TV monitoring: “Sharing the experience of Visegrad countries for Georgia in the direction of regional development and green innovations” – project presentation (TV მონიტორინგი: ,,ვიშეგრადის ქვეყნების გამოცდილების გაზიარება საქართველოსთვის რეგიონულ განვითარებასა და მწვანე ინოვაციების მიმართულებით“ – პროექტის პრეზენტაცია)

Study: Communities on the Administrative Boundary Line: Challenges and Opportunities
Communities along the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating the de facto South Ossetia/Tskhinvali region from the rest of Georgia face specific challenges, that have never been mapped. This extensive report aims to present the key findings from the field research targeting these communities. What are the primary issues that local populations along the ABL face today? This is the key question this study primarily seeks to address. By identifying the most important areas for intervention, we aim to provide an answer to this query.

The report will also attempt to provide a response to the question: „HOW can the international and domestic donor community solve the concerns of local communities on the Georgian-Ossetian ABL most effectively?“ This report identified more than 50 interventions that could improve the quality of life of these communities, from areas of the local economy and SMEs, agriculture, social entrepreneurship, improved possibilities for youth and women, enhancing tourism, access to education and information, blue-green innovations, and settlement-specific interventions. In the next phase, the project team and its experts will prepare feasibility studies to help to materialize these interventions and approach the donor community.

Download the Study in PDF here: