This working direction is brought in the front during the community mobilization process, as an activity directed to bring benefits to the self-help group communities. It develops consecutively and successfully according to the results and visibility of the mobilized groups’/ community mobilization leaders’ work in the community.
In case of such developments, the groups/leaders, with the knowledge/experience and the trust gained from the community are conducting dialogues with the local self-government authorities as to the official representatives of the community and with the mandate of trust from it.
So is the self-government as well as the national legislation about the local self-governments conducted and improved.
The working directions include:
- Teaching (training-seminars and periodical informational and consultation meetings) formed for the self-help groups, for the local community members who are re interested and the self-government authorities; communities: the national legislation about the self-government, the accepted procedures, and the participation of citizens in local self-government.;
- The self-help groups conduct research according to an especially composed questionnaire: the profile of the topic;
- The self-help groups conduct inquiries with the population, research the problems and needs of the village; they have a dialogue with the authorized representative of the community/with the coworkers and the community deputy, create a list of the most urgent needs of the village; study these matters and prepare to represent the most urgent topics to the assembly of the local, municipal self-government elective and executive branch authorities.
- The “round table” meetings are conducted in the space of the municipal self-government; the representatives of the community represent the prepared topics, the self-government authorities answer and presume considering the matters in local planning and budgeting; the “round table” format meeting is documented/reported. The report is given to the local self-government authorities among many others.
- The self-help groups monitor that the “promises” given by the authorities are actually realized.
- The topics that have made themselves clear as the most important ones from the research conducted by the self-help groups in the locals are taken into account while making decisions for the grant call.
Creating, developing, sustaining, and networking youth groups
The youth groups were created in the space of Taso Foundation’s grantee partners, alongside resource centers. It was fostered by the necessity of establishment of meeting places, internet computer equipment for rural youth; the work of local community organizations for reaching out to more youngsters in order to involve them in the volunteer work for community wealth and development. In 2011-2014 with the support of TF, 22 youth groups were created with a majority of female members.
The working direction includes:
- Teaching social justice and peace philanthropy; volunteering and the importance of it for democratic development;
- Research of community needs from the perspective of youth;
- Grantmaking program for supporting youth initiatives;
- Documentary films and publications for girls ’ enhancing activism and volunteering culture in Georgia.