Three Questions for... Giorgi Kikalishvili

Giorgi Kikalishvili, Director of Droni, a Georgian NGO whose mission is to promote the establishment of a modern, healthy and educated society through educational initiatives in the fields of civil society, conflict resolution, human rights and peace-building as well as intercultural relations.

Dear Mr Kikalishvili, since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there has been a lot of solidarity with Ukrainian civil society in Georgia. What has changed since February 2022, especially for young Georgians?

Since February 2022, young people in Georgia have become significantly more engaged in politics. They have become more critical and concerned about the events happening around them, both within the country and in the region. Georgia's youth has shown solidarity with Ukrainians by organizing online campaigns and taking specific actions such as fundraising and collecting resources, particularly in the early stages of the conflict. For instance, through our initiatives at Droni, we organized multiple fundraising events and resource collection drives that gathered essential supplies for Ukrainian refugees and displaced families. This included items such as torches, warm clothing, small-sized generators, and medical kits, which were shipped to Ukraine.

More importantly, young Georgians have begun to clearly express their stance, aligning themselves with Western and European values such as democracy, sovereignty, independence and equality. This shift is evident in the increased participation in civic activities and public demonstrations advocating for these values. The youth has also been instrumental in organizing and participating in workshops and seminars that promote democratic principles and human rights, facilitated by our organisation.
 

The Georgian Parliament  recently passed the “foreign agent” law. How will it affect Georgian civil society and younger generations in the coming years?

The “foreign agent” law creates an atmosphere of insecurity, limiting innovation and creativity, and makes it difficult to voice needs, assess situations and suggest solutions to political decision makers. Georgia has a robust civil society, which, despite facing criticism by the government, consistently proposes constructive solutions. With this law, we fear losing both the critical voices and the innovative solutions we were able to present so far. Clearly, our freedom of expression is at risk.
We are concerned that the law will be manipulated and used against organisations as well as individuals, threatening them and disrupting their work through so-called monitoring and examinations. According to the law, anyone can make accusations, potentially destroying organisations due to subjective, conservative or differing views. This risk is especially high for organisations like Droni, which actively engage in promoting human rights, conflict resolution, and peace-building.
For example, we have already observed attempts to label our initiatives as foreign influence, which undermines our credibility and threatens our ability to operate effectively. The law could lead to blackmail and threats against organisations that contribute to social welfare in the community, as seen in other countries with similar legislation.
The civilized world, including key allies and partners of Georgia, have expressed strong opposition to this law. International organisations and European institutions have warned that such legislation distances Georgia from the European Union, undermining our aspirations for European integration. This law goes against the very principles of democracy, transparency, and human rights that the EU stands for. Therefore, it is not just a national issue but a significant setback in our journey towards European integration.

To what extent is Droni’s work going to change as a result of the new law?

Currently, we are focused on fighting against this law, aware of the profound changes it will bring to the entire NGO sector. We forsee several negative impacts: With regard to youth work and youth workers: Youth work and youth workers will be deprioritized. They had never been at the top of the list for actions and support, but with the new changes, they will become even more "unnecessary", a dispensable part of society. In the area of cross-sectoral cooperation, we foresee a significant reduction in cooperation with municipalities, state institutions and public entities. For instance, our ongoing projects with local government bodies on youth engagement and public health education may face significant hurdles or be discontinued altogether. In addition, safety concerns will limit our ability to conduct rural youth work and public events. Our successful rural outreach programs, which provide educational workshops and resources to underserved communities, are at risk of being scaled back or stopped. Another negative impact is that projects focusing on equality, diversity and inclusion will be limited or will not take place publicly due to increased insecurity. These initiatives, which are crucial for fostering an inclusive society, may be hindered, depriving marginalized groups of necessary support and representation. Lastly, NGO workers will be stigmatized and inappropriately labeled, a trend that has already begun. For example, some members of our staff have faced harassment and baseless accusations of being foreign agents, even before the law’s full enforcement. This stigmatization undermines our efforts and affects the morale and safety of our team members.

In summary, the new law threatens to diminish the scope and effectiveness of our projects and programs, which aim to promote a modern, healthy and educated society. We remain committed to our mission but recognize the substantial challenges ahead.
While NGOs may still technically be able to apply for grants and projects funded by the EU’s various programs and by international donors, the process will become much more challenging. The law's requirements could discourage these institutions from partnering with Georgian NGOs due to the risk of their funds being perceived as foreign interference. This would severely limit our access to crucial financial resources needed for our program
The law could harm the reputation and credibility of NGOs in the eyes of the public and of potential international partners. Being labeled as a "foreign agent" or just agent or spy might lead to a loss of public trust and make it more difficult to garner support for our projects both domestically and internationally.
The additional legal and administrative burdens imposed by the law can divert resources away from our core mission. This includes time and effort spent on compliance, reporting, and defending against unfounded accusations, which could otherwise be directed towards impactful project work.

Already now, the personal safety and well-being of our members, like many from other NGOs have been compromised. Some members of our organisation, and even their parents, have received threatening calls from unidentified persons. Additionally, some of our staff have been blackmailed online through bots. Despite these challenges, our spirit remains unbroken, but the safety and morale of our team are at risk.

Additional Note:
We, as a Youth NGO and as citizens of Georgia, do not want any barriers between Georgia and Europe. For us, Europe is associated with a colorful life, where your life matters, where you feel protected socially and economically, and where human values are important and protected. This remains the choice of our nation, as supported by Article 78 of our Constitution. Despite ongoing disputes, we believe that the voice of the young people will ultimately prevail and lead us to victory. We are steadfast in our commitment to the European path, as it aligns with the aspirations and values of the people living in Georgia.