Caucasus and Central Asia

Last month International Alert organised a four-day training seminar for students from South Ossetia on overcoming societal trauma through civic activism, as part of a project funded by the European Union and UK Conflict Pool.

Last month ten Armenian and Azerbaijani media professionals travelled to Bosnia and Herzegovina to attend an intensive conflict study programme organised by International Alert.

The trip was part of our broader programme supported by the European Union and UK Conflict Pool which involves working with journalists from the Nagorny Karabakh conflict context.

We are proud to present four more articles in our Caucasus Dialogues series, which focuses on current issues evolving in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict context. This month the articles focus on three different themes: the role of the church in the conflict context; the new politics of the new Georgian government; and the role and effectiveness of the Abkhaz parliament.

On 1st October 2012, Georgians went to the polls to elect a new parliament, the results of which surprised even the most experienced of commentators on Georgian issues.

С помощью серии «Диалог через исследования» International Alert представляет результаты последнего анализа процесса грузино-абхазского диалога [Фактор Северного Кавказа в контексте грузино-абхазского конфликта]. После войны 2008 г. правительство Грузии предпринимает целый ряд усилий для установления связей с народами Северного Кавказа и для привлечения их к взаимовыгодным партнерским отношениям. Имеются веские доводы в пользу укрепления региональной стабильности в контексте неразрешенных конфликтов с Абхазией и Южной Осетией и при отсутствии стабильности на Северном Кавказе.

Report

From the series "Dialogue through Research", International Alert presents the latest analysis from its Georgian-Abkhaz dialogue process on the North Caucasus factor in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict context. Since the 2008 war, the Georgian Government has stepped up efforts to establish links with the peoples of the North Caucasus, to draw them into mutually beneficial partner relations. The case for promoting regional stability in the context of unresolved conflicts with Abkhazia and South Ossetia and ongoing instability in the North Caucasus is strong.

Full report

International Alert has successfully concluded two EU-funded projects in Tajikistan, one on secular-religious dialogue and the other on the promotion of peaceful behaviour among young people. We held conferences with local stakeholders in the country to review the successes, recommendations and lessons learnt from both projects.

International Alert recently oversaw the training of community mediators in Jalal-Abad province in Kyrgyzstan.

«Искусство занимается правдой и извлечением правды; оно дает голос безмолвным»

Паулина Росс, директор драматического театра, Дерри/Лондондерри

Since the mid-1990s, international and local civil society actors have been engaged in a wide range of initiatives aimed at transforming the conflicts in the South Caucasus. This book brings together the perspectives and reflections of both Western facilitators and local participants from opposing sides of the conflicts. While not claiming to be fully comprehensive, the initiatives described in this book demonstrate the diversity of peacebuilding, including work with politicians, economic actors, women, media, academia and cultural figures, to name a few.

Full report

‘Art is about truth and the excavation of the truth; giving voice to the voiceless’ - Pauline Ross, Director, Playhouse Theatre, Derry/Londonderry

From 19th to 22nd of July 2012, International Alert and Caucasus Business and Development Network (CBDN) organised a cross-learning trip of South Caucasian beekeepers to Kars, Turkey. The trip was part of CBDN’s ongoing work in this sector, which aims to promote and strengthen regional cooperation among beekeepers in the South Caucasus.

International Alert is proud to present its new annual report, “Peace Talks”, which looks back at Alert’s work and impact in 2011 – when Alert celebrated its 25th year – using dialogue as a theme.

Annual report 2011