International Alert has been working in the Caucasus since 1995, working on both region-wide issues and conflict specific issues. The regional approach provides a safe space for partners and beneficiaries to continue participating in dialogue on sensitive issues even in times of crisis, such as the 2008 Georgian-Russian war over South Ossetia and Russia’s subsequent recognition of Abkhazia’s and South Ossetia’s independence. By working with divergent target groups – from civil society activists and journalists to small-scale entrepreneurs and large businesses, Alert aims to establish the relationships and structures necessary for positive peace to take root in the South Caucasus societies.
Conflict context
The so called “frozen” conflicts in the South Caucasus have become even more polarised in recent years leaving little hope to the nascent civil society that peaceful political settlements will be reached in the near future. Since the violent conflicts of the early 1990s left the region divided with closed borders, people-to-people contacts have been significantly limited and civil society and economic actors have been cooperating across the different divides with caution.
While there have been periods of high promise, with increasing hope that the various international peace talks and initiatives might bear fruit and change the conflict dynamics in the region, the recent past has been characterised by deep disillusionment for many, as it became clear that no breakthroughs were in sight. Indeed, unhelpful and mutually exclusive positions are currently being reinforced. Regarding Georgia’s conflicts there is no consensus even on who are the parties to the conflict, with Tbilisi regarding Abkhazia and South Ossetia as territories occupied by Russia. On the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, fatal shootings and security incidents on the Line of Contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces have increased; the Minsk Group headed by the OSCE makes little discernible progress; and parallel civil diplomacy efforts are scarce and with limited outreach.
How
The programme’s strategic approach is to work on the underlying causes of conflict in the region, particularly on changing how society views the conflicts. This “affective change” can be summarised in the following five change goals, developed in 2010:
- Shift mental models from confrontation to seeing the value of change
- Create a more inclusive and democratic political culture
- Develop alternatives to the territorial integrity/self-determination narrative
- Provide practical examples of how to work across borders and divides
- Enlarge the space for engagement and advocacy
On the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, Alert is facilitating “dialogue through research” – a process of research, analysis and dialogue by Georgian and Abkhaz experts. This analysis is planned to inform wider audiences through interactive roundtables and discussions in Tbilisi and Sukhum/i. In addition to policy publications on critical topics such as the “de-isolation” of Abkhazia and security guarantees, Alert is also supporting dialogue and public awareness within the Georgian and Abkhaz societies aimed at increasing understanding of the conflict and the other side’s position. The Georgian-Abkhaz work with civil society is also coupled with high-level dialogue and engagement with the EU and other international stakeholders to promote a better understanding of the conflict and inform international actors.
In South Ossetia, following the 2008 war and Russia’s recognition of the territory as an independent state, peacebuilding efforts had to start from a blank page. With a civil society that is quite weak in comparison to elsewhere in the region, Alert is working with teachers to provide psycho-social support to traumatised children both in the classroom and in the community and to implement small community projects.
In Nagorno-Karabakh, Alert is bringing external expertise on official and civil society peacebuilding processes from other contexts to be discussed in the region at policy events, public round tables, lectures and seminars. Projects are also targeting leading journalists and opinion shapers to enable them to interpret conflict related events in a more nuanced fashion. Alert and its partners also work with youth from Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia, to increase their understanding of conflict and support them in playing a constructive role in their communities.
Working region-wide with the Caucasus Business and Development Network (CBDN) Alert promotes regional economic cooperation and dialogue between all business communities across the South Caucasus and Turkey. CBDN was founded in 2005 by Alert and its work is guided by its members’ shared vision of an economic connected and cooperating peaceful Caucasus.
Why
With the political dialogue processes in deadlock, all sides pursuing isolation policies from each other, public opinion being manipulated for political purposes and little hope of fundamental change in policy, Alert’s role is to keep alive some debate within expert circles and with the wider community where possible, and to attempt to continue dialogue with political decision makers, whether at international or national levels. Innovative and practical approaches to peacebuilding, such as initiatives bringing direct benefit to communities or the business, can also gradually harness wider support.
