On 23rd – 29th January and 13th – 19th April in Tbilisi, International Alert held the first two in a series of four residential training schools for students and young professionals from the South Caucasus.
The first school on “Modern Approaches to Civil Peacebuilding” brought together nearly 30 Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian participants from various policy-related sectors, including political scientists, sociologists, analysts and lawyers. In the second school on “Introduction to Conflict Transformation” another 30 young Armenians and Azerbaijani participants were brought together, this time, with a background in the field of creative arts, including artists, filmmakers, writers and photographers.
Both programmes included a variety of workshops and interactive exercises aimed to stimulate discussion and broaden the participants’ understanding of the conflict in the region, while equipping them with new tools for context analysis and developing interpersonal skills. For example, during a simulation of small social conflicts through role play, the participants tried to analyse conflicts, exercise their skills in identifying genuine causes of conflict and distinguishing facts from perceptions and interpretations. They also discussed factors that can have an influence on conflict, such as manipulation of information, the role of alliances, propaganda and its knock-on effects, the role of distorted or biased information, the effect of poor communication and stereotypes. Every session was closely facilitated and observed by a team of trainers, who conducted feedback sessions and debriefed the group after each activity in order to fully explore perceptions and assumptions and to help the participants shape more positive and constructive attitudes.
Along with classroom modules, the schools included a series of meetings with prominent representatives from the political sphere and civil society in Georgia and the broader South Caucasus region, who shared their peacebuilding experiences with the youth and emphasised the importance of maintaining human contact across conflict divides. Another part of the programme was designed to offer the participants a wider social experience by visiting places of cultural and historical interest in Tbilisi. The participants of the second school also learnt from the experience of Jonathan Banks, an award-winning British photographer whose work in conflict areas has been widely recognised.
Most importantly, the schools were a powerful confidence-building opportunity for the young participants. They provided an open space in which to build personal relationships and access to communication for a new generation not laden with political positioning, self-censorship and the burden of representation and defence. Commenting on this experience, the participants said: ’for me the most important thing is that we managed to have a dialogue‘; ’many stereotypes and images of the enemy were debunked through personal contact’; ’I made good friends and lost enemies’; ’there was no intermediary, we had direct human contact with young people across the conflict divide‘; ’I realised that we are not isolated and I overcame the “aquarium” syndrome‘; ’I learned to be tolerant by not looking for similarities but acknowledging and respecting different opinions‘; ’there was great positive momentum‘; ’I really want to maintain these relationships’.
The next school will take place in summer and will bring together young active women from various backgrounds affected by the conflict.