Promoting IDPs' and Women's Voices in Post-Conflict Georgia

The campaign should have a face, such as a successful IDP with a compelling story to speak to the nation(Tamar Tchelidze could be a good fit). A second idea is for a highly respected figure within the religiouscommunity to be the face of the campaign and carry the message. A third option for a face of thecampaign is a local or internationally recognized star, like Georgian singer Katie Melua, or a celebrityadvocate (Angelina Jolie’s promotion of refugee issues has been fairly successful and could be used asan example to replicate).This campaign should be run by a coalition of NGOs (see previous recommendation on the need ofbetter coordination among NGOs), but should also ensure the support of all other stakeholders. Theinternational community can provide financial assistance, the government can help strengthen thescope of the campaign, and the Church ––the most prestigious and respected social institution inGeorgia–– can also help by spreading the campaign’s message and legitimizing it.IDPs who have been successful in their professional careers can engage in this campaign within IDPcommunities to help them realize that improving their lives is possible. Also, a network of gender andIDP-aware leaders can come together to give talks and conferences across the country and appear onmedia platforms in order to promote IDPs’ and women’s rights. The successful case of how the Georgianrugby national team has advocated against domestic violence can be used as an example of a campaignto increase public discourse on an important issue. The Gender Equality Council should also be involvedin all gender aspects of the project to ensure that both women and men IDPs are included andrepresented fairly.The campaign should focus on promoting the rights of IDPs, letting everyone know that the rights toreturn and integration are completely compatible and should be pursued at the same time. Also, thecampaign should aim to support confidence-building efforts among IDPs, and strengthen theirawareness on their rights. A high level politician and member of the parliament encapsulates theimportance of this idea:“Marginalization of IDPs is very bad, only talking about social problems is not right. Weneed good examples of IDPs who are involved. Always discussing how they are poortakes agency away; we must raise awareness of good examples (educated IDPs, engagedin communities). IDPs must know that they are in their country and have the same rightsas others, they must know about their rights and must be stronger.” 486486 Rusudan Kervalishvili, Personal Interview.105