Deutsch ქართული Azərbaycanca  հայերեն

English ქართული Azərbaycanca  հայերեն

How do Georgian specialists view “green competitors” in politics within the framework of sustainable development, caring equally for both global and local issues?

Population increase, massive forest destruction, increased demand for water and energy sources, and expanding urbanization are only a few of the factors resulting in the environmental disaster that the Earth is currently facing. Humans have never treated nature as badly as they have during the second half of the 20th century.

Representatives of non-government organizations, government, and the public gathered at the Press Cafe in Batumi on October 31 for a discussion organized by the Heinrich Boell Foundation. They met to discuss the public and politics after the October elections and the public’s expectations for changes.

Maka Kalandadze, accountant, joined the Heinrich Boell Foundation in 2003.
In 1998-2003 Maka was working in various non-governmental organizations as an accountant, before that she was giving lectures on Pre-school Psychology at various institutes.
Maka Klandadze graduated from the Tbilisi Teacher Training State University with major in theory-history of Education studies and Psychology. She also completed a course of Financial Accounting and Bookkeeping at International Model of Service (IMS).

• E-mail: Maka.Kalandadze[at]ge.boell.org

• E-mail: Tamuna.Shvangiradze[at]ge.boell.org

• E-mail: Nino.Lejava[at]ge.boell.org

Meddling Is Desirable: Public Debates at the Heinrich Böll Foundation 2012 (in Georgian)
Publisher: Heinrich Böll Foundation South Caucasus Regional Office
Editor: Nino Bekishvili
ISBN 978-9941-0-5125-8

In the fourth year of the programme, aiming to strengthen ties between journalists from Turkey and Armenia and to establish direct means of exchanging news sources, journalists, columnists, and bloggers from Armenia visited Turkey and learned in-depth about various issues on Turkey’s agenda.

The image of a city is not just about architecture, design or infrastructure, but also about the people who live in it, shape it and create its lifestyle; the software rather than the hardware.

South Caucasus Regional Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation is pleased to invite interested young researchers and representatives of civil society in Armenia to the presentation of its Regional Scholarship Programme in Yerevan on Wednesday, 3 October, 2012, at 18:00.
Presentation will take place at the Library of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia (15, Charents str., Yerevan)

South Caucasus Regional Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation welcomes new staff members - Mr. Malkhaz Saldadze, Programme Coordinator, and Ms. Nato Ketiladze, Financial Coordinator.

During the last 10 years Nato was a financial manager of “Civil Society Institute” Foundation.

• E-mail: Nato.Ketiladze[at]ge.boell.org

In 2009-2012 Mr. Saldadze worked as a Civil Society Support Program coordinator at the Open Society Georgia Foundation. Currently he also delivers lectures at the Ilia State University.

• E-mail: Malkhaz.Saldadze[at]ge.boell.org

Desecularization is not happening in Georgia due to a simple reason: it has never been a secular state. This point served as the key message from the discussion held at the Heinrich Boell Foundation Office on the topic “Politics and Religion: Desecularization Tendency”. The idea for the discussion occurred after the Christian-Democratic Party’s initiative for constitutional amendment. Since then, many interesting statements have been made in this regard, which naturally caused doubts of a strengthened desecularization processes.

For many years, Barbara Unmüßig has been an active environmentalist. In 1991/92, in the run-up to the Rio Earth Summit, she was head of the project office organised by UNCED, Deutscher Naturschutzring (DNR), and Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND). Since 2002 she has been co-president of the Heinrich Böll Foundation where, on 31 May 2012, a press conference took place on “Figures, Dates, and Facts about the June 2012 Rio Summit: A Green Economy – Silver Bullet or Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?” Afterwards Schattenblick spoke with Barbara Unmüßig.

Key activities of the 2012 program consist of a) an intensive Summer Institute to be held in Krakow between July 17th and 26th, and b) an international symposium to be held in Krakow on July 28 and 29th on "Economic Crisis in Europe: Towards Gender-Equitable Macroeconomic Policy-making and Economic Governance". Up to thirty Fellows will be admitted to the program. more»

• მე-3 კვარტალური ანგარიში. 1 დეკემბერი 2011 წელი - 29 თებერვალი 2012 წელი
• მე-2 კვარტალური ანგარიში. 1 სექტემბერი - 30 ნოემბერი 2011 წელი
• 1-ლი კვარტალური ანგარიში. 1 მაისი - 31 ივლისი 2011 წელი

• Media Monitoring Report #3. 1 December, 2011 – February 29, 2012
• Media Monitoring Report #2. 1 September - 30 November, 2011
• Media Monitoring Report #1. 1 May - 31 July, 2011

Presented material is a collection of works on gender issues prepared by scholars of the South Caucasus Regional Office the Heinrich Boell Foundation's Scholarship Program. The presented studies belong to the young scientists involved in the social sciences in the South Caucasus region, who were at different times the scholars of the Foundation.

The South Caucasus Regional Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation hosted a round table entitled “LBT Rights are Women’s Rights” on 12 March 2012. The round table was a part of the Week of 8th March Campaign organized by “Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group”. The photo exhibition “A Room of One’s Own” was also part of the event, where participants could view professional and amateur photographers’ works. 

Deadline for application submission: 21 May 2012 (18:00 pm).

• Flyer 2012 - English (pdf)  Flyer 2012 - German (pdf)  Flyer 2012 - Georgian (pdf)

• Your Ideas, Your NATO (pdf)
• Your Ideas, Your NATO - atlantic-community.org

Liberali, #81, 20-26 June, 2011
Power-wielding agencies are struggling for a third term of presidency for Kokoyty six months ahead of the presidential election in South Ossetia. In the meantime, the Kremlin is searching for a new ruler of South Ossetia.

Liberali, #76, 16-22 May, 2011
The Sailor company was the lobbyist of Abkhazia's and South Ossetia's interests in the United States after the August war. The company will stop working for Tskhinvali in early June and reduce cooperation with Sukhumi to individual projects.

On December 21, 2011 presentation of interim reports concerning media monitoring was held at the South Caucasus Regional Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation. The topic of the media monitoring was highlighting hate speech in print media. The interim report was presented by Internews -Georgia, which is partner within the HBF SC project “Addressing Hate Speech in Georgia: A Litmus Test for Human Rights and Social Tolerance”. The aim of the monitoring is study of hate speech in Georgian print media, towards ethnic, religious and sexual minorities.

On 27 September 2011, the Heinrich Boell Foundation South Caucasus Regional Office organized the public debate in Baku. The topic of the discussion was: “Gender as an issue of academic discourse in Azerbaijan”. This was already a second public discussion organized by the HBF in Baku in 2011. As a rule, HBF discussions raise critical issues and actual problems facing the Azerbaijani society.

The reaction of the Georgian public to the adoption of "The Rule of Registration of Religious Organizations as Legal Entities of Public Law”, endorsed in July 2011 by the Georgian Parliament, was not homogenous. What positive or negative results could bring the ratification of the new legislation, does its adoption carry any potential threats for the society, what are the threats foreseen by the Georgian Patriarchate with the adoption of the new legislation, how the state had to negotiate the issue with the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church, why the public reacted so sharply to the new legislation – these were the questions raised by the participants of the HBF discussion on the topic of “Registration of Religious Organizations as Legal Entities of Public Law.”

For detailed information, please, visit http://www.boell.de/stipendien/bewerbung/bewerbung-11239.html (in German) and http://www.boell.de/scholarships/apply/application.html (in English).

Integration of persons with disabilities into the society, stereotypes that exist regarding persons with disabilities, ensuring their equal rights, including access to education and social security, functions and roles of governmental institutions and self-government bodies in protecting rights of persons with disabilities, concrete cases of human rights’ violations – these were main issues discussed at three public debates organized by the HBF in regional towns of Georgia: Gurjaani (5 September 2011), Poti (7 September 2011) and Batumi (8 September 2011).

After signs of a breakthrough in 2008 diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia are in a bottleneck again. At the same time there is increasing interest in both societies in overcoming legacies of the past, exchanging experiences with neighbors and aiming towards an open border. Since its inauguration in October 2010, the Ani Dialogue — organized by the Heinrich Boell Foundation South Caucasus, the Heinrich Boell Foundation Turkey and the Caucasus Institute in Armenia — is dedicated to bottom-up reconciliation and normalization of mutual ties between Turkey and Armenia. In 2011 the annual meeting of Ani Dialogue was held in Heybeliada, Istanbul on July 7-10. The Dialogue was held in three different formats: plenary sessions as an introduction, working groups targeting specific issues and field trips to various institutions related to the topics of the dialogue. The event was accompanied by different social and cultural activities.

Is tourism the sole source of income in Adjara? – this question was raised several times during the public discussion organized by the Heinrich Boell Foundation on 18 July 2011 at the Press Café in Batumi.

• UNRISD Research and Policy Brief 11
• Religion, Politics, and Gender Equality

On May 10, 2011, the fifth public debate supported by the South Caucasus Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation was held at Telavi State University. The meeting was devoted to the agricultural problems and challenges in the Kakheti region.

Media independence, censorship and self-censorship, objective and non-biased information, information publicity and accessibility, lack of resources and transparency, non-professionalism - these are some of the key problemsthe media sphere faces in today’s Georgia.

The Public Debate held at the Heinrich Boell Foundation on April 6, 2011 was devoted to the topic  “Hate Speech in Georgia: What is the Borderline between Freedom of Expression and Crime?” Taking into consideration the fact that Georgia does not enjoy a long discourse tradition on this topic, with active discussion on the hate speech issue having begun only two years ago,  the debates caused wide interest within  Georgian society.

ჰაინრიჰ ბიოლის ფონდის მიერ ორგანიზებული საჯარო დისკუსიის თემა, რომელიც პრესკაფეში, 15 აპრილს გაიმართა “აჭარის უმაღლესი საბჭოს ფუნქცია” იყო. აჭარის უმაღლესი საბჭო ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკის უმაღლესი საკანონმდებლო ორგანოა, რომელიც კონტროლს უწევს ავტონომიის მთავრობასა და ამტკიცებს რესპუბლიკის ბიუჯეტს. თუმცა, დღეს  საზოგადოების ერთი ნაწილი ფიქრობს, რომ აჭარის უმაღლესი საბჭო ვერ ასრულებს თავის ფუნქციას. საჯარო დისკუსიაზე  აჭარის უმაღლესი საბჭოს წევრებმა შენიშვნები მედიის, არასამთავრობო ორგანიზაციებისა და პოლიტიკური პარტიების წარმომადგენლებისგან ცხარე დებატების ფონზე მოისმინეს.

“He was a true friend of the South Caucasus, and of Wider Europe as a whole,” said Iris Kempe, Director of the Heinrich Boell Foundation South Caucasus. “He will be much missed, for his lively spirit, his passion for improving European politics, his determination to keep making progress even when the steps seemed terribly small, and the joy that he brought to discussions of even the most contentious issues.”

Public discourse on the issue of IDP integration in characterized by various attitudes – IDPs themselves often consider integration as a factor hindering return to their homes and are less likely to view this process as a positive change either for them or for a wider societal life. For that reason, there exists diversity of approaches while defining the term “integration.”

On behalf of “Memorial” Moscow, the Heinrich Boell Foundation will donate a series of publications and academic papers on Soviet history to the National Library of Georgia.

The event will take place on Friday, April 15th, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.

Address: Lado Gudiashvili str. 7

“Homophobia: Are attitudes towards minorities changing in Georgia?”

Non-Nationalistic Critical Discourses against Soviet Regime: Progressive and Western-Oriented Ideas in Social Life of Soviet Georgia during 1970s and 1980s

The Space Adaptation Regularities on an Example of the New Settlement Built for the IDP-s from Shida Kartly During the Russian-Georgian War in 2008

The debate hosted by the HBF on the issue of rethinking the Soviet past and the Stalinism era attracted unprecedented public interest. The debate was attended by more than 150 persons. All participants of the discussion unequivocally noted that the Georgian society became ready to discuss this issue. Participants asked a lot of questions concerning the phenomenon of Stalinism, removal of the Stalin statue from the center of Gori, prohibition of Soviet symbolic in Georgia, the process of lustration and experience of Baltic and Eastern European countries concerning de-sovietization. A question was asked on how the Georgian society in today’s Georgia is still influenced by the Soviet system and Stalinism.

Joint Statement of the representatives of the National Platforms of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

• Download pdf

On 20 December 2010, the Heinrich Boell Foundation South Caucasus Regional Office (HBF) organized a roundtable in Baku dedicated to the impact of the urban infrastructure on the lives of residents of Baku. Participants of the round-table discussed issues that are problematic for the Azerbaijani society, among others: current state of the city infrastructure, ecological problems of Baku, the degree of comfort of everyday life for Baku residents, their involvement in the solution of social and infrastructural problems of the city.

The issue of the integration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) into local communities is still problematic for our country. The lack of integration is the issue not only for an older generation of IDPs from Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but also for those born in displacement. New generations of IDPs also suffer from this problem. Non-governmental organizations, governmental agencies and donors are trying to support and encourage integration, but the problem persists.

In fact, in World Press Freedom rankings, Georgia has dropped to a lower place that confirms existence of unsatisfactory reality of media environment.

• Lado Vardosanidze – Professor, Technical University of Georgia;
• Papuna Dzidziguri – Specialist, Architectural Department, Tbilisi Mayor’s Office;
• Joseph Salukvadze – Professor, I. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.

• Poverty in the South Caucasus by Katy E. Pearce, Georgetown University, Washington DC 
• Pverty in Azerbaijan by Nazim Habibov, Windsor, Canada
• Understanding Poverty in Georgia by Alexi Gugushvili, Cambridge
  download pdf (467 KB)

• Relations between the North and South Caucasus: Divergent Paths?  by Aude Merlin, Brussels
• Azerbaijan and the North Caucasus: A Pragmatic Relationship by Anar Valiyev, Baku
• The North Caucasus:  Bone of Contention or a Basis for Russian–Georgian Cooperation? by Paata Zakareishvili, Tbilisi
  more

Introducing jury trials is a part of recent legal reforms in Georgia. The objective is to establish a criminal law system based on the adversarial trial principle.

20 October 2010
Mamuka Areshidze – Head, The Caucasus Center for Strategic Research
Paata Zakareishvili – Head, The Institute for the Study of Nationalism and Conflict
Giorgi Molodini – Director, The Georgian Institute for Russian Studies
Oleg Panfilov – Journalist, Professor at the Ilia University
Moderation: Zviad Koridze, Journalist.

The opening of the exhibition will take place at Europe House Georgia on the 27th of September at 19:00 and will be on display for the public until the 30th of September 2010. Address: 1, Freedom Square, 2nd floor.

• Young researchers to conduct individual and interdisciplinary research that contributes to the development of social sciences in the countries of the South Caucasus.
• The development of a regional network of social scientists in the South Caucasus.

Small War? Big Questions?

Two years ago, firefights between Georgians and South Ossetians escalated into a general war between Russia and Georgia. While the fighting lasted less than a week, the effects continue to echo across the South Caucasus, Europe and the Transatlantic community. From the first weeks after the conflict, the Heinrich Boell Foundation has engaged key issues, ranging from the concerns of internally displaced persons to the report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia (Tagliavini report) or the pan-European implications of the war.

To mark the second anniversary of the conflict, the Foundation asked leading Georgian and European experts to address questions that still face the Caucasus: integration with Europe, relations between Russia and Georgia, democratic development after a war, and a host of others. Seven papers discuss the challenges that citizens and leaders must come to terms with in the wake of the Russia-Georgia war. In addition, this dossier brings together the summaries of the Foundation’s debates on topics related to the war. All in all, even two years after the fighting many issues are unresolved, and the possibility of new conflict is far too near.

• Georgia: The Interconnections between Democracy and Security by Alexander Cooley and Lincoln Mitchell, New York 
• The Political System of Armenia: Form and Content by David Petrosyan, Yerevan
• Comparing Azeri Attitudes toward Political Participation in Azerbaijan and Georgia by Joshua Noonan, Azerbaijan and Georgia Fulbright Fellow ’09–’10

more

• Eastern Partnership: Towards Civil Society Forum
• Beyond zero-sum thinking in the EU’s Eastern Partnership
• Declaration of the Prague Eastern Partnership Summit