Right to Know Day around the world - Georgia

Organizer: Georgian Young Lawyers Association
Date: Septrember, 28, 2006
Events: Open lessons in secondary schools; FOI hotline; announcing of most transparent and most secretive public institutions

Description: On September 28, the international right to know day the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association together with the Georgian Public Defender (Ombudsman) and the Georgian Ministry of Education will arrange open lessons in secondary schools of various regions. The Georgian Public Defender and the chairperson of the Georgian Young lawyers’ Association will conduct the lessons aimed at promoting of the right to acquire information and informing of the future generation. As for the regional secondary schools, heads of the regional offices and representatives from the public defenders’ office will lead the lessons.

On the open lessons school children and teachers will receive leaflets: “You are entitled to know: request…participate in” and lesson curricula aimed at increasing public awareness with regard to the right to acquire information. The printed materials would be prepared specifically for the day.

On international right to know day, September 28 the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association will introduce to public agencies and NGOs the results of the questioning which was conducted among GYLA staff, members and other interested persons and which was aimed at identification of the most transparent, non-transparent public agencies as well as those public officials which apply freedom of information principles effectively/ineffectively.

On the same day, the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association will open the hotline on freedom of information by which interested persons would have opportunity to acquire qualified legal aid on freedom of information issues. Free legal consultations will be accessible to public by GYLA hot-line consultations. Public will be informed on the mentioned fact by radio and advertising statements.