Program
Summary
The
goal is to promote and study problem-solving relations in conflict zones.
The focus is on the conflict between Georgians and Abkhaz in the Southern
Caucasus. The participants are Abkhaz and Georgian academics and nongovernmental
organizations. They engage in joint research and action to overcome
the obstacles to peace and contribute to theory on conflict transformation.
Outside facilitation is necessary because of their inability to travel
to each other's cities, and lack of basic means of communication, such
as phone, fax or e-mail. The project is generously funded by The
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Work is in the three inter-related
areas described on this web site:
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The
Conflict
Georgia
is one of fifteen successor states of the Soviet Union. Now an independent
country, it has been struggling to build a democratic society in the face
of two civil wars and two ethno-political wars. In 1992-1993, there was
armed conflict between the Georgians and the Abkhaz who seek independence
from Georgia. This war resulted in thousands of deaths, tens of thousands
of refugees, and ruined economies. To date a resolution has not been found.
Russian forces guard the border between the two sides while a settlement
is negotiated.
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Evaluation
of Citizen Peacebuilding Initiatives
The
goal of the evaluation research is to go beyond assumptions about the impact
of citizen peacebuilding by providing solid evidence about what does and
does not work, in order to guide more effective initiatives in conflict
zones. The research activities involve participant-observation, in-depth
and focus group interviewing, and surveys. We also use Action Evaluation
methodology within the project. This method has been crucial to our
successes. It has helped us chart our goals and plans as we go along,
kept us on track, pushed us to keep our promises to each other, and signaled
us to switch gears when necessary. Action Evaluation is more than
an effective process to articulate goals and gather data systematizing
what is normally done in the design and implementation of conflict resolution
processes. The methodology enables participants to recognize the
motivations, values and interests necessary to negotiate consensus on shared
goals so as to promote reflexive evaluation among key stakeholders as they
move forward.
go
to The Action Evaluation Research Institute
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Civil
Society Development
This
project facilitates a constructive dialogue and interaction between Georgian
and Abkhaz representatives of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). It
promotes skills and structures in the nongovernmental sectors, conducive
to developing safe, civil and stable society. Our assumption is that NGOs
are crucial to an effective process of reconciliation at the community
level, and are far more effective in promoting and maintaining genuine
peace than reliance on coercive, police-oriented approaches. NGOs can be
mini-models of self-governance and peaceful negotiation for common interests.
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Coordination
of Mutltple Initiatives
A few
times a year this project initiates meetings with all other international
and indigenous organizations and individuals working on peace initiatives
in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. In addition we schedule periodic
virtual meetings by phone and through the internet. The purpose of
the meetings is to discuss the general context of the conflict and to explore
how we can be supportive of each other's work and encourage complementarity
of our multiple efforts by establishing shared goals. At these meetings
we update each other on project developments and coordinate plans;
develop ways to combine our resources to fund indigenous peacebuilding
and democracy building acitivities; share analyses of productive
and unproductive activities in the peace process; discuss options
for how to continue this kind of coordination--whether as simple information
sharing, resource sharing, joint strategy development, joint projects,
or as a consortium; generate research together on the efficacy of
our coordinating actions.
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to Coordination Message Board
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