Chatham House report: Georgian civil society remains “weak”

When the views of society and the Government do not match, it would be easy to blame officials for not listening to its people but in Georgia’s case, citizens are not doing enough to stand up for their beliefs and challenge the Government.

In the briefing paper titled How to finish a Revolution: Civil Society and Democracy in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine by world-leading independent analysis group Chatham House, author Orysia Lutsevych describes her investigation into civil society and democracy and how the three countries have progressed at different rates, and why.

It stated Georgia had come a long way in recent years but civil society remained "weak” and citizens had little capacity to influence political developments, owing to a lack of engagement, corruption and other factors.

"Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine share the legacy of a totalitarian regime. The Soviet system aimed to supress public debate, eliminate critical thinking and bring collective endeavours under state control. It also left behind flourishing corruption, informal networks and disengaged citizens who were reluctant to participate in public initiatives,” the report read.

Who do Georgian’s trust?

Today, Georgian society was disengaged and had a poor perception of NGOs that were created for the purpose of helping citizens.

Surveys revealed the Georgian Church is the most trusted institution in society. Photo by N. Alavidze 

Lutsevych said people wanted change but were not willing to be involved in society, and backed this up by stating there were increasing numbers of NGOs in Georgia however there was low citizen engagement (4.8%) which could be attributed to a lack of trust in voluntary organisations, or because citizens did not know which NGOs were out there. As a result, citizens were reluctant to contribute their time or finances to local NGOs and were more likely to donate to fellow citizens in need, supporting churches and monasteries, beggars or victims of natural disasters.

"The Orthodox Church enjoys a high level of public trust and … it is the most trusted institution and a powerful opinion-maker. The level of trust in religious institutions is … 88% in Georgia.”

"[Meanwhile] only 18% of Georgians say they trust local NGOs. These are very low percentages compared with trust in other institutions, such as the army, police or local government, especially in Georgia,” the report read.

To perpetuate this issue, when surveyed, the majority of NGOs believed their main role was to help drive social change however less than a third of NGOs described their organisation as an association of citizens. Furthermore, generating a social foundation for democracy and supporting citizens’ rights was ranked third and fourth among the NGOs goals. Building trust and networks was the least valued function, and membership development was not considered a priority.

Even the stencil-art in the streets of Tbilisi promote more art than social and political messages. Photo by N. Alavidze 

The author then asked, how can the NGO know what society wants if society does not voice its opinion to the NGO? And if the NGO does not know what society wants, then how can it lobby on behalf of its people?

Closed political system

The survey revealed 90% of Georgian NGOs have never received support from local businesses.

In addition, the author said many NGOs operated as private consulting companies and were not open, inclusive democratic institutions, and they had "poor media profile”. Lutsevych claimed many failed to tap into social media networks, which made it extremely difficult to spread information effectively.

"Poor media outreach weakens NGOs … [and] in Georgia, NGOs are the least understood of all public institutions,” she said.

A weakness in civil society not only rendered citizens helpless to prevent backsliding by ruling elites, it also allowed those holding power to commit abuses, Lutsevych said.

Photo by N. Alavidze 

"In Georgia, despite competitive parliamentary elections in October 2012, the reduction in petty corruption and economic liberalization, the political system still lacks openness and public oversight.”

"NGO leaders also express concern about their marginal impact, with 70% of them in Georgia saying that their political impact is minimal and they can only achieve success in areas that do not challenge the political or economic power of the state.”

The author stated all three countries – Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova – governments had adopted major policy decisions without real public debate, and used ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili government’s plan to build a new port city of Lazika as an example.

"Citizens are not satisfied with this approach: for instance 68% of Georgians say they regret that the decision on Lazika was taken without any public consultation.”

"Part of the problem is that governments do not see NGOs as credible counterparts, nor do they consider wider consultation beneficial,” Lutsevych claimed.

But in some cases Georgia succeed in its desire to move forward.

"The October 2012 parliamentary elections in Georgia proved that peaceful transfer of power is possible, despite numerous obstacles to democratic competition before the elections,” report highlights.

Things to be changed

So how can Georgia move forward from here?

Georgian citizens need to become active and empowered, and in order for NGOs to gain citizens’ trust, NGOs must design a strategy to engage them more, Lutsevych stated.

"In practice, governments are unwilling to give more space to citizens in decision-making. It is up to citizens to demand and occupy this space. They should expand it little by little, by becoming better organised and more active, educated and demanding.”

"NGOs need to be more transparent, increase their media outreach and build more domestic and international networks.”

Lutsevych said it was crucial Georgian citizens cherished their freedom and embraced their responsibilities in a democratic system of governance, as it will be these citizens who decide the future path of Georgia.

Presidential elections in October 2013. Photo by N. Alavidze

"Although voting in elections is an essential element of the process, if the citizens of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine want true democracy, transparency and personal freedom, they also need to engage in public debate and build social trust. What was started on the central squares of capitals during the [Rose Revolution] must continue in self-expression and participation in public and political life.”

The report was compiled by Chatham House, home of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. The London-based NGO is a world-leading source of independent analysis, informed debate and influential ideas on how to build a prosperous and secure world for all.

Read the full report of Chatham House.