Nana Sumbadze
1. Problem background
The main goal of the project is the preparation of a program and a working plan for the opening of the “center for social partnership”. The need for establishing of such a center became especially evident as a result of the research carried out in the framework of the Open Society Institute International Policy Fellowship. The study of Moslem Meskhetians – Turcophone group deported in 1944 to Central Asia and now spread all over Central Asia, North Caucasus, central Russia and Ukraine, but in the first place concentrated in Azerbaijan, revealed that one of the main obstacles for repatriation, which is much sought by Meskhetians and is strongly advocated by the Council of Europe and other International organizations, is largely determined by the negative attitude of the majority of Georgia’s population towards the return of Moslem Meskhetians to the country. Such an attitude is to a considerable degree determined by the low level of integration of Moslem Meskhetians to local communities in Georgia, as previously before the deportation, as well currently in the countries of their present residence.
Repatriation of Moslem Meskhetians is the obligation signed as a precondition of membership of Georgia in the Council of Europe, and is at the same time undoubtedly the question of the restoration of historical justice and a moral imperative for the Georgian state. However, without adequate planning and close monitoring of the process, it can turn into still another tragedy both for Moslem Meskhetians themselves as well as for the Georgian state. Expected influx of Moslem Meskhetians in coming twelve years should be well prepared on legislative and organizational levels. Contact of local population with returnees can easily become a source of conflict, especially if the other side is perceived as a rival for available scarce resources. Therefore there is a pressing need of organizing the contacts between the local population and returnees in a way conducive for peaceful cooperation.
In the survey, representatives of the population of Georgia, as well as Moslem Meskhetians living in Georgia and Azerbaijan, pointed to the big cultural distance separating deported people from the local population in Georgia. This distance is first of all determined by poor command of Georgian, different religious practices, little knowledge of dominant traditions, customs and history of Georgia. Not much is known by the local population either about the culture and the history of Moslem Meskhetians. Attitudes of both groups feed on myths and memories of enmity rather than on facts of past peaceful co-existence.
2. Aims of the project and plans of its realization
For building the framework of peaceful coexistence the work among both the Moslem Meskhetians and the local population is to be carried out. The activities in both groups should begin long before the actual repatriation and should continue after its completion. There is an urgent need for a program and an institutional framework for organizing and realization of such work.
Project is targeted at the preparation and launching the Center for Social Partnership. The center can serve as a facility for carrying out social integration activities. Specifically project aims at:
a)defining in detail the concept and the structure of the center,
b)promoting the idea of the center and building partnership among different state and non-government organizations,
c)development of country orientation training program and a book for repatriates.
Concept of the center. The center is conceived as the meeting place for deportees and local population. The courses offered at the center, round tables, discussion, video, audio and printed material of informational character, will all serve the aim of increasing cross-cultural understanding. Legal assistance and consultations provided in the center will ease and speed up the process of integration of Moslem Meskhetians to host culture.
1.Courses. The center will offer repatriates a country orientation course. Repatriates will also be able to attend the courses of Georgian language. At the same time Turkish language and culture course will be provided for the interested section of local population.
2.Consultations. The center will offer legal assistance through consultations, publication of main laws and regulations and their interpretations. Social workers will assist repatriates in solution of their social, health-related and educational problems.
3.Resources. Resource center will provide the information on Georgia, its history, geography, culture and laws as well as the information on culture, history and present day of Turkey.
4.Meetings. The center will become a meeting place for representatives of different cultures. Round tables and discussions will be held for expressing the positions and gaining understanding in the views of representatives of both, the local population and the Moslem Meskhetians, and finding solutions for the problems.
Promotion of the idea of the center and building a partnership. During the fellowship the support for the opening of the center will be actively sought and secured. The idea will be promoted at the Parliament of Georgia and the Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation. Tbilisi offices of OSCE, UNCHR, UNDP and IOM will be also approached. Partnership with these organizations as well as local NGOs, and NGOs of Meskhetians in the countries of their present residence, will be established. The preliminary agreement for such cooperation with the Parliament of Georgia, Ministry, Open Society - Georgia Foundation, the Union of Young Repatriates, Meskhetian Women’s organization in Baku and Meskhetian Youth organization in Istanbul already exists.
Development of the program of country orientation for repatriates. Special interactive courses for repatriates aimed at acquiring knowledge and skills necessary for successful integration to the host culture will be developed. The course will allow repatriates to learn about the milestones of Georgian history and the deeds of country’s popular heroes, to gain understanding on traditions and habits of Georgians, to master communication, to learn about the main responsibilities and rights of Georgia’s citizens, as well as the ways of their realization. The course will consist of a number of components. First of all the course will focus on culture training. This component will comprise the basics of cross-cultural communication, will provide training on traditions and habits of local population, will provide information about the main events in the history of the country. The second focus of the course will be on legal environment in Georgia, the ways of pursuing justice, possibilities and regulations of economic activities. By mastering this component participants will also learn about the education opportunities and possibilities for obtaining assistance in health care. The next component will concentrate on civic rights and responsibilities as defined by the citizenship of the country.
The book covering the training topics will be complied and printed during fellowship to be distributed among participants of the training.
3. Expected outcomes of the project.
Realization of the project will contribute to gaining better understanding of the culture and habits of Georgians and Moslem Meskhetians. The framework provided by the center will ensure cooperation between the groups and will build a solid foundation for their peaceful coexistence. Thus gained knowledge on the culture of each other and experience of cooperation will serve as a potent conflict preventive measure as, besides better understanding of the mutual positions, will promote the idea of problem-solving through open discussion.
The experience gained at the center, as well as the program of the country orientation developed in the framework of the fellowship can be used for the improvement of integrating processes of refugees and different ethnic groups inhabiting Georgia. The concept of the center, principles of its organization and the structure of the country orientation course can prove useful for solving the similar problems in the whole region of South Caucasus.
My membership in Parliament commission of social integration and the commission of Academy of Sciences on social development will assist me in the realization of the project. The Institute for Public Studies launched by the initiative of IPF will serve as a good bases for organizing the work. Intended trips to integration centers in Western Europe will give me insight in the best ways of organizing such center.