Tamta is one of the founders of Social Justice Center. Since the foundation of Social Justice Center, she has been the member of the Board of Directors and led the organisation with other programme directors. She is responsible for the management and coordination of the Equality Policy Programme. The programme is preoccupied with matters relating to antidiscrimination policy, the oppression of non-dominant groups (religious and ethnic minorities, as well as LGBT people) and their exclusion at the political, social and discursive levels. In so doing, the programme employs the instruments of research, advocacy, strategic litigation and dissemination of knowledge.  As the programme director, Tamta’s immediate commitment is the strategic development of the programme, of its vision and agenda, as well as ensuring the mobilization of financial resources and coordinating and supporting the programme staff.

Professional Experience

2015-present: Associate Professor- Ilia State University

2009-2013: Lawyer of strategic litigation at the European Court of Human Rights and as a human rights researcher - Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA);

2009: Advisor to the National Security Council;

2005-2009: Advisor at the Department for State Representation at the European Court of Human Rights of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia.

Tamta is the author/supervisor of up to 10 studies/reports concerning the freedom of assembly and religious freedom, secularism, the state of the legal rights of the LGBTI people, and anti-discrimination policies.

Education

2006-2008: Master of Public Law - Tbilisi State University;

2002-2006: Bachelor of Law - Tbilisi State University.

Guram joined Social Justice Center team in 2013 and in 2019 became the member of the board of directors and manages the organization alongside other members of the board. He is responsible for the management and coordination of the Judiciary and Democracy Programme. The aim of the programme is to promote the establishment of a fair justice system with a high degree of social sensitivity and to insure the creation of law enforcement system with high degree of accountability that is tailored to the specific needs of individuals. To achieve the stated goal, the programme aims to advocate systemic reforms in the court, law-enforcing organs and the security sector to insure governance based on justice, solidarity and on the common good of people. As a programme director, Guram is responsible for planning policies, strategies and positioning and implementing them with the rest of the programme team. Moreover, he is also responsible for organizing, coordinating and supporting the programme team.

Professional Experience

2019-present: Guest lecturer- Ilia State university

2013-2018: Project Coordinator in Judiciary and Democracy program – Social Justice Center

2016-2017: Project Director “Drug Policy Research in Georgia” – Human Rights Watch

2013-2015: Lawyer/Researcher at Social Justice Center

Guram is the author/supervisor of up to 10 studies/reports concerning the independence of the judiciary, institutional reform of the judiciary system, drug-policy, political neutrality of the police and institutional organization of law enforcement agencies

Education

2018-2019: Criminology and Criminal Justice – University of Sussex

2013-2015: Master of Criminal Law at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University

2009-2013: bachelor of Law at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University

Salome worked at Social Justice Center in 2020-2021, and in 2023 she joined the organization as a member of the Board of Directors.

Social Policy Program, which is led by Salome, works on matters of economic inequality and social rights in the country. To this end, Program’s work encompasses documenting the human rights conditions of different vulnerable groups including workers, the homeless, and people with disabilities, unveiling their needs and introducing them into the political agenda, as well as strategic litigation and policy advocacy on specific rights. The Program team also works on monitoring environmental policy and practice, with a focus of the human rights dimension of extractive industries and large-scale development projects.

As Program Director, Salome is responsible for planning program policy, strategy, and positioning and implementing the mentioned alongside the program team. Her functions also include mobilizing the financial resources required for the activities of the program, as well as organizing, managing, and supporting the program team.

Professional Experience

2022: International Committee of the Red Cross, Advisory Service, traineeship;

2020-2021: Project Coordinator/lawyer – Social Policy Program, Social Justice Center;

2019-2020: Lawyer/chief specialist - Energy Policy and Investment Projects Department, Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia;

2018-2019: Lawyer/ specialist – Agreements Expertize and Court Representation Department, Ministry of Justice of Georgia;

2016-2017: Intern, Public International Law Department, Ministry of Justice of Georgia.

Education

2021-2022: LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, Geneva Academy (Switzerland);

2017-2019: Master of International Law, International Law Program, Faculty of Law, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University;

2013-2017: Bachelor of International Law, International Law Program, Faculty of Law, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University;

2016: Exchange student, Faculty of Law, Viadrina European University (Germany).

Elene joined Social Justice Center team in 2016. As the Organizational Development Manager, her main role consists in developing and elaborating the organization’s strategic plan and providing its implementation. In addition, she is responsible for effective realization of organization’s participative governance, operation of an internal communication system, supervision of an administrative department, as well as implementation of organization’s human resource and external communications, media and publicity policies.

Professional Experience

2016-2018: Communications Manager – Social Justice Center;

2014-2016: Communications Manager – Media outlet „Liberali”;

2011-2013: Sales and Marketing Manager – Media Holding „DEKOM“ (Magazines „Hot Chocolate“; „Liberali“; „Business“);

She, in the framework of an internship program, worked in 2 non-governmental organizations in France as a Communications Manager and Project Coordinator Assistant.

Education

2013-2014: Communication and Administration Management (Master) - Univesrity of Toulouse (Capitole 1);

2009-2010: Public Administration - High School of Management/the State University of Liege (Master; Bulgary/Belgium);

2005-2009: Bachelor of French Language Philology- Ilia State University/Paul-Valery Montpellier 3.

Salome joined the Social Justice Center team in November 2018.  As the Communications manager, her main role is to develop and elaborate on the organization’s communication strategy. She is responsible for the operation of communication systems and for external communications with media and other stockholders.

Professional Experience

2017 – Presenter at Black Sea International University – invited lecturer

2015 -2018 Mediachecker – Editor-in-chief

2013-2018 Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics – Media researcher

2010-2013 Human Rights Center, Reporter/executive editor

Education

2014-2016 Tbilisi State University. Faculty of Social and Political Studies. Mass Communication and Media studies (MA degree of Mass Communication in Media Studies)

2006 – 2010 Tbilisi State University. Faculty of Social and Political Studies, Specialization - Journalism. (BA degree)

Anastasia joined the Social Justice Center team as a Communications Specialist in March 2019. Her responsibilities include developing a strategic vision for Social Justice Center communication, managing the organization's various social media accounts, website administration, media monitoring, event planning, also converting and visualizing organization’s publications and other materials into multimedia products.

Professional Experience

2019 March-September: Public Relations Intern - Social Justice Center;

10/2018-03/2019: Journalist - Imedi TV (Internship);

04/2018-09/2018: Journalist  - On.ge (Internship).

Education

2019-2021: Master in Public Relations - Ilia State University;

10/2019-12/2019: Economic Media School - Non-governmental organization "Society and Banks";

03/2018 -07/2018: Media School - The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics;

2015-2019:  Bachelor’s Degree in  Social Sciences with a major in Journalism - Tbilisi State University.

Dea joined the Social Justice Center team in 2015. She is responsible for the management and planning of the financial activities of the organization as well as its execution and analysis. Her tasks also include recording the financial and material resources of the organisation and reporting to donor organisations and the state. Apart from this, her duty is to identify the financial needs of the organisation and to participate in the process of mobilising financial resources.

Professional Experience

2008-2015: Senior consultant, Outsourcing Department of Accounting - BDO Ltd;

2006-2008: Assistant to the Accountant - Poultry Georgia Ltd.

Education

2009-Present: Institute of Professional Accountants (ACCA) – F1-F6;

2000-2004: Microeconomics and Management- State and Municipal Management (BA) - Tbilisi State University.

Natia joined the Social Justice Center in late 2021. In her capacity as a fundraiser, she is responsible for searching for funding, coordinating proposal writing process, building organizational capacity in proposal and report writing. Natia is also involved in communication with donor organizations. 

Professional experience

2020  - 2021: Peaceful Change Initiative (UK) – Project Manager  

2018 – 2019: Peace Corps Georgia – Individual and Organizational Development Trainer

2017 – 2020: Gori Information Center - Shida Kartli Hub – Projects Coordinator

2015 – 2017: Saferworld (UK) – South Caucasus Projects Manager

2013 – 2017: Saferworld (UK) - Shida Kartli Community Security Project Coordinator  

Natia has extensive working experience in project monitoring and evaluation. At different times she was involved in USAID conflict assessment and Good Governance Initiative (GGI) evaluation together with a team of international experts. In addition, she is an experienced trainer in the areas of civic education, democratic participation, local self-governance, and organizational development.

Education

2009 – 2010: Policy Studies (MSc)  - University of Edinburgh (Scotland, UK);

1998 – 2000: English Language and Literature (MA) – Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University;

1994-1998: English Language and Literature (BA) – Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.