The Daily Dispatch – July 3

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GO BACK SCHOOL! UNICEF, the UN children’s fund, said Georgia must prioritize sending pupils back to school. To counter the pandemic, Georgia locked down early and hard, which was the key to its success in managing the crisis. But now the time has come to ease the restrictions. UNICEF argued “there is overwhelming evidence of the negative impact of school closures on children’s physical and mental health, nutrition, safety, and learning” and advised to reopen schools after putting few key precautions into place.

HUMAN RIGHTS MATTER Thus spoke Georgian and EU counterparts in during regular chapter of “dialogue”. The final communique casts sharp light on regular violations that occur in Georgia’s occupied provinces. The EU welcomed Georgia’s progress in several areas, but singled out minority and women’s participation, labor law, and civil society’s increased involvement in policymaking as areas, where more has to be done.

ARMS RAISED in a chilling salute, xenophobic and nativist “Georgian March” made another step towards political mainstream – it is now an established party. The party has pumped hatred against immigrants, queer community, haggled foreigners with self-styled militias, and picketed movie screenings it deemed “immoral” in the past. Now, encouraged by the new election law that lowers the threshold to a meager 1%, they hope to get a parliamentary foothold. Expect more disgusting antics ahead of the polls. Georgia’s liberal community was rightly incensed at a shameless appropriation of Ilia Chavchavadze’s name – the Marchers held their party congress at his house, now a state museum. It is heartrending to see the name of the proponent of Western liberalism and a scion of Georgian enlightenment desecrated in such a brazen way.

THERE BE DRAGONS Distorting Georgia’s territory on the maps is now a criminal offense. Repeat offenders risk spending two years behind bars. You’ve been warned.

That’s full lid for today!