The Embassy of the United States in Georgia addressed the statements of the State Security Service and the leaders of the Georgian government about USAID. According to the embassy, despite the unjustified attacks, they will continue to support those Georgian organizations that help people protect their fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia.
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‘’The accusations against one of our projects are false and misrepresent the fundamental goals of our assistance to Georgia.
USAID has been supporting the people of Georgia since 1992. As always, this support is transparent and we welcome any opportunity to discuss any concerns the Government may have.
The right of citizens to freely express their minds and aspirations is the foundation of any democracy and a value that we, both countries, share,’’ says the statement issued by the embassy.
The Embassy confirms that USAID's Civil Society Engagement Program has been working with CANVAS for more than two years in order to help people raise their voices on issues that matter to their families and communities.
‘’In cooperation with CANVAS, trainings were conducted for mothers who demand improvement in the treatment of children's oncological diseases and for persons who advocate for the rights of senior citizens,’’ - the statement says.
At a briefing held at the State Security Service on October 2, SSSG representative Khvicha Begiashvili said that one of the large groups of non-governmental organizations and civil activists, who should play a decisive role in the preparation and execution of revolutionary movements to violently overthrow the government, was retrained with the funding of USAID. After that, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, accused USAID of funding the riots.
According to Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, the statements made by the Security Service are of a preventive nature and he is expecting a ‘’transparent explanation’’ from the local USAID office.
The Civil Society Engagement Program is a five-year initiative carried out by the East-West Management Institute (EWMI) with USAID funding. The program, which has a budget of 15 million USD, started in November 2021 and will end on October 31, 2026. The goal of the program is to strengthen the civil society of Georgia: to help new and existing civil actors develop their capacity and increase their legitimacy and trustworthiness, so that they can effectively represent the interests of citizens.
The website of the East-West Management Institute publicly states that various international and local organizations, including CANVAS (Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies), will work closely with EWMI throughout the program.
SSSG implicates CANVAS representatives in the preparation of groups for a coup in Georgia.
