#ngo registration 2023

[vakilkarosblog]

Do NGO pay income tax?

Whether NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) are required to pay income tax depends on several factors, including the jurisdiction in which they operate and the specific activities they engage in.

In many countries, NGOs that are registered as charitable organizations or have obtained tax-exempt status may be eligible for tax exemptions on certain types of income, such as donations or revenue generated from charitable activities. However, they may still be required to pay taxes on income from commercial activities or investments that are not directly related to their charitable purposes.

Why Choose Vakilkaro for NGO registration in Kushinagar

Do you want NGO registration in Kushinagar? Choose VakilKaro for seamless NGO registration services. Our experienced team ensures a hassle-free process, efficiently guiding you at every step. With Vakilkaro, your NGO registration journey will be smooth and worry-free. So contact the team of lawyers today on this number: 9828123489!

[humanrightsupdates]

The Belgian government has repeatedly failed to provide adequate accommodation to asylum seekers and refused to increase reception places to meet the needed capacity. In so doing, authorities have created a self-inflicted crisis that has left thousands of asylum seekers sleeping in the cold in violation of their human rights.

On 19 October 2021, 50 people were denied shelter whilst applying for asylum at Brussels’ asylum registration centre. As a result, they started camping outside of the centre. Since then, thousands more were abandoned on the streets after they applied for asylum. They were only provided with shelter after waiting for several months of living in the streets, makeshift camps or squats, or shelter offered by organisations. The authorities have carried out forced evictions against asylum seekers camping on the street or in squats, with no alternative accommodation provided. In at least one case, the police destroyed makeshift tents made from cardboard and other materials, set up near the registration centre, leaving people entirely without shelter.

Several informal settlements have emerged in Brussels, notably one located in Rue des Palais, which served as a shelter for approximately 1,000 people. Belgian media and NGOs reported that the living conditions within this settlement were dire, with limited access to food provision, clean water, and sanitation. Belgian medical NGOs reported the presence of infectious diseases such as scabies and diphtheria. The ‘palais des droits’ settlement, as it was ironically called, was cleared out by the police in February 2023. More squats and informal settlements developed in the following months, and the authorities proceeded to clear them out, sometimes providing no alternative accommodation for all or some of the asylum seekers.

With winter approaching, and temperatures plummeting below zero, the federal government should immediately activate a ‘dispersal plan’ to provide adequate shelter to people seeking protection and comply with Belgium’s international human rights obligations

Take action now

[thesportsgrail]

Mumbai Sustainability Summit 2023

💡Theme- Ideas & Action for smart and sustainable Mumbai Metropolitan Region

About the event

✅ Mumbai Sustainability Summit will provide a valuable platform for exchange of views from eminent personalities, experts and thought leaders in various areas of environment impact and sustainability.

✅ The summit will bring key stakeholders together from government, corporate sector, academia, nongovernmental organizations and civil society at large and will influence opinion makers, increase awareness about the environment crisis, mitigation strategies and roles of various stakeholders

❓Who can join?

🔹 NGOs Founders/Trustees and Fundraising Team

🔹 CSR Professionals

🔹Companies offering sustainable goods & services

🔹Sustainability Enthusiasts & Startups

🔹University Students

Registration Details:

✅Registration Charges : 100/-

💱Refundable Deposit : 400/-

💰Total Fees : 500 /-

🗓 Date: 12th January 2023

⏰ Time: 9:00 am - 6:30 pm

📍 Venue: Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, 7/8, General Jagannath Bhosle Rd, Nariman Point, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400021.

Note:

▪️We will be refunding the deposit in cash at the end of the Summit. We would require you to carry your Aadhar card along for identification.

▪️We will permit only those whose identification number is registered with us

🔗Registration Link

https://rzp.io/l/MSS23

Click on the following link to read more about the summit:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tBS4Ft0ONRJnkd1q19oKmNW73z2MpjNi/view?usp=sharing

Click on the following link to read more about the award nomination:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s3TrIpH9Mg-Mx_qMPvwU56z3hx4FrgNr/view?usp=sharing

[beardedmrbean]

Kenyan authorities were wrong to ban the gay community from registering a rights organisation, the country's Supreme Court has ruled.

Yet at the same time it stressed that gay sex remains illegal.

The judges ruled three-to-two that the country's NGO board was wrong to stop the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) from registering in 2013.

As Kenya's highest court, the Supreme Court's ruling cannot be overturned.

In their judgment, the judges ruled that "it would be unconstitutional to limit the right to associate, through denial of registration of an association, purely on the basis of the sexual orientation of the applicants".

Nevertheless, the ruling is bitter-sweet for Kenya's gay community. Laws which were introduced under British colonial rule mean that it is criminal to have sex that "is against the order of nature", which can result in up to 14 years in prison.

In May 2019, Kenya's high court rejected an attempt to overturn these laws.

Africa Live: Latest update from around the continent

'Why our fight for gay rights in Kenya isn't over'

Where it's illegal to be gay

Friday's judgement ends a 10-year legal battle which began in 2013 when Eric Gitari, the former executive director of the NGLHRC, challenged the head of Kenya NGO Coordination Board's refusal to permit him to apply to register an NGO under a name containing the words gay or lesbian.

The judges ruled in his favour at the High Court in 2015, again at the Court of Appeal in 2019 and finally in 2023.

Speaking after the ruling, Njeri Gateru, the current executive director of the NGLHRC, said: "The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the lower courts' rulings is a triumph for justice and human rights.

"At a time where the Kenyan LGBTIQ+ community is decrying the increased targeting and violence; this decision affirms the spirit and intention of the Constitution to protect all Kenyans and guarantee their rights."

The ruling comes at a time when homophobic rhetoric has been rising in Kenya.

Members of the LGBTQI+ community have been harassed by police, subjected to body examinations to "prove" gay sex, and openly insulted on social media and in public spaces. Some say they have even been denied healthcare and thrown out of rental houses for being gay.

On the day of the judgement, Member of Parliament George Peter Kaluma filed an official notice that he intended to introduce a bill which would jail for life people convicted of homosexuality or the promotion of it.

While Friday's Supreme Court ruling arguably torpedoes any attempts to legally harass openly gay people with new laws, Mr Kaluma can still rally MPs to increase jail terms for gay sex.

It is also illegal to have gay sex in neighbouring Uganda, where Muslim leaders used Friday prayers to preach against homosexuality.

The head of the country's Muslims, Mufti Sheikh Ramathan Mubajje, called on the authorities to enact even tougher laws against same-sex relations.

He was speaking at the Old Kampala mosque in the capital, Kampala, where hundreds had gathered for Friday prayers.

Earlier in the week, the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council circulated a letter to all clerics under its association gazetting Friday as the day to carry out peaceful protests against homosexuality in Uganda.

The clerics were asked to prepare sermons condemning same-sex relations and extend the same message to the media and schools.

In the event, the protests were only held in the eastern city of Jinja.

Gay rights activist Frank Mugisha described the protests as dangerous, saying they could increase cases of violence against those who identify as LGBT.

There has been a recent surge in homophobic sentiment in the country.

Last week, President Yoweri Museveni said Uganda would not embrace homosexuality and that the West should stop trying to impose its views and "normalise" what he called "deviations".

[the-final-straw-blog]

Anti-Militarist and Feminist Resistance in Azerbaijan

This week on the show, you’ll hear an interview with Lala an anarchafeminist in the Azerbaijani group Feminist Peace Collective about the recent war against and expulsion of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, about the Aliyev regime and patriotic elements in Azerbaijan’s reaction against anti-militarist voices, conspiracy theories and real critiques of non-profit NGO’s versus grassroots lgbtq+ and feminist organizing, and other topics. You can learn more about Lala’s group at FeministPeaceCollective.Com.

On December 19th at 8pm Caucasus time / UTC+4 (or 11am Eastern Standard or 8am Pacific Standard time) Feminist Peace Collective is hosting an online discussion with Dr. Chiara Bottici via zoom called “Anarchafeminism in troubled times” and with a focus on antifeminist and anti-queer backlash and war in the South Caucasus, central Asia, Turkey and Russia. There’s a registration link here.

Sean Swain

Sean’s segment starts at [ 01:06:24 ]

Announcements

Fundraiser for Emergency Committee for Rojava

There’s a GoFundMe fundraiser for the guests of our October 15th interview, the Emergency Committee for Rojava including some thank-you gifts. More details at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-emergency-committee-for-rojava-2023

. ... . ..

Featured Track:

Down 4 Life (instrumental) by DJ Muggs

Check out this episode!

[wishwaindia]

In this week's WishwaTalks,We invite you to a fascinating session on “how to transform your dreams into tangible achievements”. Discover the art of creating a Vision Board and unlock the power to bring your dreams to life.

🗒️ Topic: The Vision Board Magic: Turning Dreams into Reality 🎙️ Speaker: Gayatri Uppalapati, Counselling Psychologist , Teja Kishore, Art and Craft Enthusiast, & Viveka Varma, Mix media Artist NGO/Organisation: Roshini Art Workshops Team, Roshini Counselling Centre 📌 Registration Link: https://bit.ly/LearnEffectiveGoal-SettingStrategies Date & Time: 26th Aug 2023 🕒 Saturday 11.00 AM 🌐 Platform: Zoom

Key Takeaways: Vision boards – “What, why and how” of vision boards Understanding the difference between Dreams and Goals Different type of vision board and relevance based on your goals Shifting from a unidimensional approach of goals to multidimensional approach

Subscribe: bit.ly/SubscribeToWishwaTalk

[iitroorkee]

Dept. of ECE, IIT Roorkee is organizing two events on Cell-Free Communication for 6G and beyond Systems under the SERB's Accelerate Vigyan Schemes, namely, Karyashala and Vritika.  The first event, 'Karyashala' is a seven-day workshop starting from 05 to 11 June. Whereas, the second event, 'VRITIKA' is a 6-week internship for PG/PhD students starting from 01 June.  

The details of the events are as follows:

Karyashala

Title: Demystifying Cell-free Communication for 6G and beyond Systems Sponsored by: SERB  Date: 05-11th June

Registration Link:  https://forms.gle/ow2E5dANWNE3Y5YNA

Registration deadline: 31st May 2023.

Website: www.iitr.ac.in/karyashala

Guest of Honor: Prof. K.K. Pant

Speakers: Prof. Ajit K. Chaturvedi (IIT Kanpur),  Prof. A Chockalingam (IISc Bangalore), Prof. Hien Ngo (Queens University Belfast), Prof. Luca Sanguinetti (University of Pisa, Italy), Dr. Satya Vankayala (Samsung R&D Bangalore), Dr. Saptarshi Choudhury (Radisys India Pvt. Ltd.), Prof. Adarsh Patel (IIT Mandi)

Organizers: Prof. Abhay K. Sah, Prof. Ekant Sharma, Prof. Anshul Jaiswal, and Prof. M. Rawat

Vritika

Title: Co-existence of Cell-free Massive MIMO with beyond 5G Technologies Sponsored by: SERB  Date: 01st June-14th July

[criminaljusticeday]

Programme of the 32nd Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.

Opening of the thirty-second session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Item 1. Election of officers Item 2. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters Item 3. General debate

Item 4. Strategic management, budgetary and administrative questions.

Item 5. Thematic discussion on enhancing the functioning of the criminal justice system to ensure access to justice and to realize a safe and secure society

Item 6. Integration and coordination of efforts by UNODC and by Member States in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice

Item 7. Use and application of United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice Item 8. World crime trends and emerging issues and responses in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice Consideration of draft resolutions (continued) Item 9. Follow-up to the Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and preparations for the Fifteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Item 10. Contributions by the Commission to the work of the Economic and Social Council, in line with General Assembly resolution 75/290 A and B, including follow-up to and review and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Item 11. Provisional agenda for the thirty-third session of the Commission

Item 12. Other business Item 13. Adoption of the report of the Commission on its thirty-second session

CCPCJ Thirty-second session - Vienna, Austria, 22-26 May 2023.

GENERAL INFO

Organizational arrangements

Registration        

Information for Participants (E, F, S)

Programme

Side Events and Exhibitions

Journals

List of Participants 

Online Participation

NGO Participation 

Live stream

Photos

PLENARY PROCEEDINGS

Documentation

Statements: Opening and General Debate - Thematic Discussion - Other Items

Thematic discussion

List of speakers

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

PNI Workshop

Draft proposals

General information on draft resolutions and decisions 

[dayofconscience]

We invite you to open together with conscience, new ways of love and peace for non-violent societies, more just and happier. 

Programme of the International Day of Conscience 2023 on 5 April at the UN in Geneva.

The CONSCIENCE. PEACE. LOVE Conference will be held on the Room 22, from 10am to 6pm followed by a Reception in room 22 from 9:30 am. This event is organized in partnership with the Permanent Mission of India, under the banner G20/C20.

Initiative and conception of the event: Sofia Stril-Rever, author and founder of Be the Love, Jean Fabre, Deputy Director of UNPD 1998-2008, and Dr. Vikrant Singh Tomar, founder of United Consciousness.

Coordination of the event: Lisa Silvestre and Emmanuelle Le Du, with the NGO Le Mouvement de la Paix, consultative status ECOSOC. Press and media, Benjamin Joyeux, with Jai Jagat Geneva.

Moderation : Sarah Noble, curator of the Geneva Peace Talks, and Helene Pichon, director of the French Alliance Nederlands 

*The strength of conscience and love to co-create non-violent, fairer and happier societies together*

Project: Our event is dedicated to the youth of the world. We invite you to open together with conscience, new ways of love and peace for non-violent societies, more just and happier. In the spirit of Gandhi, in the presence of H.E. the Ambassador of India, Bertrand Piccard, academics, meditators, actors of peace and change, climate activists and representatives of NGOs around Education for the Culture of Peace. Come live a unique day, composed of short lectures, with panels on topics such as spirituality, neuroscience, commitment to nature, climate, education for Peace. In the afternoon, after lunch break, experience a Be the Love meditative walk in the UN gardens, followed by workshops on various themes. You can participate in the workshop of your choice.

You will also be able to see video messages from our supporters: the 3 Nobel Peace Prize winners, the Dalai Lama, Dr.Mukwege and Wangari Maathai, Chief Ninawa and Christiana Figueres, architect of the Paris Agreement Registration is mandatory on the page indico You will then have to make a daily badge at the entrance of the United Nations, so please plan to arrive at 9am to make all the steps at the entrance, villa of the leaves to collect the badges. Welcome to all of you!

registration on site for the workshops.

[humanrightsupdates]

The Belgian government has repeatedly failed to provide adequate accommodation to asylum seekers and refused to increase reception places to meet the needed capacity. In so doing, authorities have created a self-inflicted crisis that has left thousands of asylum seekers sleeping in the cold in violation of their human rights.

On 19 October 2021, 50 people were denied shelter whilst applying for asylum at Brussels’ asylum registration centre. As a result, they started camping outside of the centre. Since then, thousands more were abandoned on the streets after they applied for asylum. They were only provided with shelter after waiting for several months of living in the streets, makeshift camps or squats, or shelter offered by organisations. The authorities have carried out forced evictions against asylum seekers camping on the street or in squats, with no alternative accommodation provided. In at least one case, the police destroyed makeshift tents made from cardboard and other materials, set up near the registration centre, leaving people entirely without shelter.

Several informal settlements have emerged in Brussels, notably one located in Rue des Palais, which served as a shelter for approximately 1,000 people. Belgian media and NGOs reported that the living conditions within this settlement were dire, with limited access to food provision, clean water, and sanitation. Belgian medical NGOs reported the presence of infectious diseases such as scabies and diphtheria. The ‘palais des droits’ settlement, as it was ironically called, was cleared out by the police in February 2023. More squats and informal settlements developed in the following months, and the authorities proceeded to clear them out, sometimes providing no alternative accommodation for all or some of the asylum seekers.

With winter approaching, and temperatures plummeting below zero, the federal government should immediately activate a ‘dispersal plan’ to provide adequate shelter to people seeking protection and comply with Belgium’s international human rights obligations

Take action now

[xtruss]

What Is "Democracy?" Whatever The US Says It Is

— Nebojsa Malic | March 30, 2023

Crumbling Democracy Illustration: Liu Rui/Global Times

The second US-organized Summit for Democracy will conclude on March 30 local time. It is a gathering of like-minded countries set to declare their allegiance to "democratic values" and defiance to the forces of "autocracy" supposedly threatening them - although not named, strongly implied to be led by China and Russia.

Technically, the summit is co-hosted with a country from every continent: Costa Rica from South America, the Netherlands from Europe, Zambia from Africa and South Korea for Asia. This "regional diversity" is supposed to "[reinforce] the truth that a safer and fairer world grounded in democratic values is both a shared aspiration and a shared responsibility."

The gathering is virtual, and quite appropriately so - because everything about it is fake, from the token hosts to the values they purport to champion: "transparent, responsive, and accountable governance; rule of law; and respect for human rights." Just about the only thing that's authentic is the US commitment to "leading the world" - toward a "peaceful, prosperous" future, according to the State Department.

There is no need to discuss the "peaceful" part, what with the long list of US military adventures since the World War II. As for prosperity, the US-led embargo against Russia misleadingly described as "sanctions" is currently crushing the economies of its European allies. It was also imposed unilaterally, without any due process - so much for "rule of law" - and increasingly in violation of the very property rights supposedly sacred in the West. The recent wave of bank failures in the US and Europe merely underscores the point.

The Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires non-governmental organizations receiving 20 percent or more income from abroad to register as foreign agents and face fines for violations, is fine when applied in the US, even against media such as CGTN, but if any other country dares ask the US-funded NGOs to show some receipts, democracy itself is in mortal danger! So much for accountability, then.

Tainted Summit, March 30, 2023 | Illustration: Liu Rui/Global Times

As for human rights, the US itself considers "life" to be the foremost of them, right in its declaration of independence. Yet when El Salvador sought to protect the lives of its citizens by locking up thousands of violent members of the MS-13 international criminal syndicate, Washington was suddenly very concerned about human rights - of the murderers!

"Where were you when they were killing our children?" asked President Nayib Bukele. Well, El Salvador used the American dollar and sent migrant laborers to the US to work for low wages, so Washington didn't mind. When Bukele changed that, and vowed he would be everyone's friend by no one's vassal, suddenly there was a problem.

Time and again, wherever you go, it's the same story. Every country has the right to choose - but only if it makes the "correct" choice. Otherwise it is declared an "autocracy" that violates "human rights" and needs some "freedom," preferably delivered by US-funded NGOs.

It's blindingly obvious that all this talk of democracy is but an attempt by Washington to muster up more legitimacy for its heavy-handed actions around the world. The rhetoric about "international community" doesn't quite work anymore when it's clear that it covers just NATO, Australia, South Korea and Japan.

In today's world, "democracy" has basically come to mean whatever the US government says it means. That Washington has to hype a virtual summit to reinforce that message, shows that fewer countries are willing to put up with it.

— The Author is a Serbian-American Journalist.

[dimanique]

Pro-Russia Power Grab in Georgia Thwarted by Massive Street Protests

Demonstrations involving some 10,000 protestors opposed to a Russia-style "foreign agent" law took to the streets of Tbilisi, the capital of the Republic of Georgia, last week. They were met in front of the Parliament building by police who used water cannons and tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds. The protesters responded with rocks, and in a few isolated incidents, Molotov cocktails. In the end, the country's Russia-aligned ruling party, Georgian Dream, conceded and withdrew the proposed bill, at least for now.

It remains to be seen how long the withdrawal lasts.

This incident is merely the most recent example of the complicated, often opaque methods that pro-Russian actors employ in their attempts to retain influence abroad, especially in countries which were once part of the Soviet Union.

A Russian-style law

The bill in question was not actually proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which was founded by and is still understood to be closely aligned with Bidzina Ivanishvili, a Georgian billionaire who amassed much of his fortune in Russia in the 1990s. It was put forward by an "opposition" party that shows all the hallmarks of having been created by Georgian Dream in an attempt to deflect criticism for legislation that was all but certain to be met with public outcry.

On February 14, 2023, "Power of the People" submitted a bill to the Georgian parliament concerning the "Transparency of Foreign Influence." The authors proposed to create a register of "foreign agents" in Georgia, which would include all non-profit legal entities and media outlets that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad, or else face a fine ranging from 10,000 to 25,000 lari ($3,800-$7,600 U.S.).

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"Power of the People" participants emphasized that the goal of the law was to "inform," not to restrict the activities of NGOs and media outlets. According to the authors, they wanted to ensure "transparency of foreign influence" in the country. In addition, they claimed to have used American experience, namely the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), in developing the proposed bill.

The U.S. State Department disagreed.

State Department spokesman Ned Price, said that the bill was "based on similar Russian and Hungarian laws, not on FARA or any other American law."

While the American law requires lobbyists in the pay of foreign governments to disclose their sources of funding, it does not restrict their right or ability to work on behalf of foreign interests. The Russian law, however, has been used mainly as a tool of domestic repression, leading to editorially independent outlets, including "Voice of America," being labeled as "foreign agents." The list also includes indigenous Russian civil society groups like the "Soldiers' Mothers of Saint Petersburg," who organized in opposition to Russia's 2014 invasion of eastern Ukraine.

When the proposed bill was announced, the European Union quickly issued a formal statement declaring that passage of the foreign agent law would be a serious impediment to Georgia's stated goal of gaining EU membership.

"The law in its current form risks having a chilling effect on civil society and media organizations, with negative consequences for the many Georgians benefiting from their work," Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said in a statement released on March 7. "This law is incompatible with EU values and standards. Its final adoption may have serious repercussions on our relations."

The "Georgian Dream" is not a European Dream

Although the pursuit of both EU and NATO membership are enshrined in the Georgian constitution as aims which the government in Tbilisi is obligated to follow, the ruling Georgian Dream party is widely suspected of taking actions that would impede Georgia's accession to both institutions.

Rather than openly pursuing pro-Russian initiatives, Georgian Dream has instead used the cover of legality, as it did regarding the "foreign agent" law, to implement policies which would delay or derail the country's westward movement.

Newsweek reached out to the Georgian Dream party for comment, but did not receive a response.

"More than 80% of Georgians want to go to Europe, join NATO, and be part of the West," Samadashvili explained. "Politicians who openly support Russia get no more than two to three percent of the vote here. People here are very clearly anti-Russian. Therefore, it disguised itself, and unfortunately, many people were deceived."

"I think they have clear instructions not to get [European Union] candidate status because that is not in Russia's interests," she added. "Russia wants the 'Georgian Dream' to remain in power, already with an openly anti-European position."

The Growth of the Protest Movement

On February 28, a total of 63 Georgian media outlets issued a joint statement refusing to register as foreign agents should the draft bill actually be signed into law.

The discussion of the bill in parliament on March 2 was met with resistance from inside the chamber itself, as opposition lawmakers used parliamentary procedures in order to prevent the debate from proceeding. A scuffle broke out in the chamber between supporters and opponents of the law.

That evening, a demonstration was held in Tbilisi, with civil society activists and opposition figures blocking the entrances to the building where parliament was meeting, and chanting slogans including "No to the Russian law!"

Some protesters were briefly detained by police, and there were clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement personnel as protesters attempted to block a police vehicle carrying away one of those detained, one of 36 in total.

Georgia's President Salome Zurabishvili, a political independent who was elected to her post in 2018, has stated that she strongly opposes the "foreign agents" law, which she believes is "designed to distance Georgia from Europe."

"I will not discuss this law," she said. "I will veto it."

However, such a step would have minimal effect in Georgia's parliamentary system of government, as parliament has the right to override the veto of the president.

Still, on March 2, the president reminded the proposed law's supporters that Georgia's aims of accession to the European Union and NATO were enshrined in the country's constitution.

"The supreme law of the country requires constitutional bodies to take all necessary measures to ensure Georgia's full integration into the European Union," Zurabishvili said. "Full integration into the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a goal proclaimed by the Constitution of Georgia."

On March 6, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Georgian parliament met again to continue the consideration of two draft laws, one modeled on Russia's "foreign agent" legislation, and the other bearing a closer approximation to the U.S. FARA law. Civil activists, media representatives, and NGOs took to the streets again to protest outside the parliament building in Tbilisi.

Several hours later, it was revealed that the Legal Committee had supported both draft laws—the "Russian" and the "American" versions—on the first reading. However, due to the noise from the protesters, the parliamentarians were unable to discuss the legal issues in the legislative chamber, and they postponed the session until 10 a.m. on March 7.

On Tuesday, March 7, after the end of the legal session, Mamuka Mdinaradze, a member of Georgian Dream, suggested that rather than putting off further discussion until March 9, as had previously been planned, parliament should take up the issue later that evening.

"On Monday, they announced that the reading would be on Thursday, and on Tuesday they suddenly added it to the agenda, thinking that people would not have time to gather," said Samadashvili, the Lelo Party Secretary.

"But we, the opposition, were able to prolong the discussion in parliament until the evening to buy time and call on people to come to parliament," she added. "And by the time of the vote in the evening, there were already a lot of people there."

Despite the efforts of Samadashvili and the protesters, at approximately 8 p.m. the parliament approved the draft law "On Transparency of Foreign Influence."

People power triumphs, at least for now

The morning of March 8, International Women's Day, started off with a bang as a column of approximately 2,000 women marched down the main avenue towards Parliament, carrying the flags both of Georgia and of the European Union.

The protest on March 8 in the center of Tbilisi grew into the largest demonstration to date, with protesters attempting to storm the parliament building, throwing stones and bottles at police and attempting to build barricades. In response, special riot police used water cannons and tear gas against the protesters. Following the crackdown on the protests, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that 133 people had been arrested for "minor hooliganism" and for "disobeying the police."

On the morning of March 9, "Georgian Dream," along with its allies in the Georgian parliamentary majority, formally withdrew the draft law, "On the Transparency of Foreign Influence."

During the parliamentary session of March 9, the chairman of the Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, thanked all those who voted for the draft law on "foreign agents" in the first reading and referred to non-governmental organizations as "foreign agents," who, in his retelling, had demanded the resignation of the government, declared the elections to be rigged, did not respect the church, engaged in "LGBT propaganda" and committed "provocations on the borders."

Civil society activists in Georgia see a long fight ahead

"The game has only just begun," Nina Nakashidze, Deputy Director General of Mtavari TV, a local channel, told Newsweek.

"We were able to make the government take a step back," she explained. "But I think that we cannot stop here. We must demand that the government fulfill the 12 points that EU has set for candidate status. If we lose this opportunity now, it will be a big mistake."

Opposition politicians also see a historic opportunity to set Georgia on an irreversible course towards Western integration.

"I think it will not be easy to fight," Lelo representative Samadoshvili said. "We are actually fighting against Russia, but we are confident that the Georgian people will win."

Despite the opposition's determination to battle on, Georgian Dream shows no sign that it is prepared to surrender. In an official statement released on March 9, the party laid out its future plans: "As the emotional background subsides, we will better explain to the public what the bill was for and why it was important to ensure transparency of foreign influence in our country. To do this, we will start meetings with the population and let the general public know the truth about each and every detail of the matter."

The party has not yet clarified what that process will look like. On the morning of March 14, crowds of conservative activists from the "Alt-Info" movement took to the streets chanting anti-European and anti-LGBT slogans.

Despite its recent victory, the battle over Russian influence in Georgia appears far from over.

[nutritionsectorcxb]

After a massive fire outbreak in the Rohingya Refugee/FDMN camp on Sunday, March 5, 2023, over 2,805 shelters were demolished or damaged throughout 3 blocks and 45 sub-blocks, and 15,926 people were impacted by the tragedy. Our Integrated Nutrition Facility in Camp 11 completely burned down, and nothing could be salvaged but a few registration books. A fast endeavor was made to restore the services by the nutrition sector partners. The nutritional initiatives in camp 11 have already resumed with the assistance of our partners and stakeholders. Three tents were erected where the nutrition partner resume the nutrition services and other cross-cutting issues. In addition, hygiene kits, Dignity kits, Mosquito kits, cooking items, etc were distributed by relevant sectors. We appreciate the kind assistance and collaboration of all of our partners, other organizations, and sectors provided to our nutrition-implementing partner SHED in Camp 11. It cannot be handling this terrible fire event without effective cooperation from CS, CiC/RRC, UN agencies, and NGOs.

[crazynewsindia]

Registration open for the upcoming Conference on Himalayan Science and Technology

Solan, February 25 Shoolini University is organizing the first conference on Himalayan Science and Technology (HiSTCon) 2023 on April 29 and 30, 2023. The central theme of this conference is Sustainable Development in the Himalayas: The Role of Science and Technology. HiSTCon is aimed at bringing together scientists, academicians, students, and entrepreneurs working for the sustainable development of the Himalayan region. This conference will have keynote lectures and panel discussions based on the following themes: healthcare and health systems, food and zero hunger, biodiversity concerns, HimVirsa (cultural and natural heritage of the Himalayas), climate crisis, and science for farmers and tribal. Students, researchers, healthcare professionals, NGOs, non-profit organizations, and corporate delegates can register to present their ideas in the form of a poster and/or oral presentation at this conference. This conference will be an excellent platform to exchange ideas, make connections, and nurture research/entrepreneurial activities. Interested candidates can write to histcon@shooliniuniversity.com for further details. Registration for early birds closes on February 28, 2023. Link for registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1tpsN8nnQlidN9jP3r7l0Z1NERDoLixPdFvmJluS4gEU/viewform?edit_requested=true#setting Read the full article

[hicginewsagency]

Leaked report shows intent to criminalise gay activities, Big Donors Cited and 22 NGOs investigated.

By By Jacobs Odongo Seaman A security guard points at posters warning against drug abuse and homosexuality at Kibuli SS, Kampala, on February 5, 2023. PHOTOS/ STEPHEN OTAGE The government should “comprehensively criminalise” activities that promote homosexuality in the country and lay down stringent requirements for registration of civil society organisations, a leaked report reveals. The…