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

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esults of eviction on those who did not resettle in government housing. 251 The Internal DisplacementMonitoring Centre describes opportunities and challenges in this process:“The state has a legitimate interest to close down collective centres housing IDPs, as thishas the potential to increase the integration of IDPs into their local community andfurther develop the country. However, there was no survey of IDPs who were to beevicted to determine their needs, housing offered as an alternative was ofteninadequate and legal protections were not explained to IDPs.” 252The lack of genuine consultation and information on alternatives serve as two of the key shortcomingswith the resettlement process regarding IDP participation. The government’s Standard OperatingProcedures require authorities to share information with IDPs, but they are not obligated to officiallyconsult them on alternatives to evictions or choices in the resettlement process. Without thisinformation, they were unable to make an informed decision regarding their housing options. As a resultof these deficiencies, Amnesty International argued “that the eviction of people without genuineconsultation and adequate notice constitute forced evictions.” 253The experience of evicted IDPs aligns with this assessment, as they have largely not supported thisprocess. Those who accepted the relocation offer said they did so because they had nowhere else go.On short notice, they lacked another means of obtaining a private home. 254 This situation in turn clearlyposed a significant threat to any integration that had occurred over the past two decades. Sources haveeven referred to the eviction process as causing a “second displacement” for IDPs. 255 In addition to themyriad challenges that IDPs often face in their new homes, the experience of being evicted and sense ofbeing sent to another part of the country as a last resort may promote alienation from the government,decreasing the likelihood that they will interact with authorities in the future. The violation of humanrights highlights how the lack of consultation and participation of IDPs clearly results in adverseconsequences for this population, with negative implications for further participation in public life.251 Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 146.252 Ibid., 87.253 Ibid., 90.254 Ibid., 88.255 Government-in-Exile Representative, Personal Interview, 19 March 2012.51
Case Study: Potskho-EtseriThe case of Potskho-Etseri presents a specific example of resettlement’s unintendedconsequences for IDPs. IDPs living in collective centers in Tbilisi were resettled to a remotevillage in western Georgia, next to the border with Abkhazia. In some cases IDPs reportednot knowing where their new home would be. One woman IDP said, “They didn’t tell usthat we were going to Potskho-Etseri. They said we were going to Zugdidi…When they toldus that we’d go to Potskho-Etseri I was very sorry about it; everybody was.” Anotherwoman IDP said that her family “found out a week before we came” that they would berelocated to this town.IDPs received apartments in newly constructed or renovated buildings, but little else.There seem to be almost no viable employment opportunities for the resettled IDPs. Thoseinterviewed indicated that international organizations have offered some livelihoodssupport, but that overall their situation was dire. The government has said it plans to buildnew infrastructure and development in the area, so IDP resettlement is part of anexpansion and repopulation plan. 1 However, in the short-term the newly resettled IDPsgenerally continue to lack access to social services, including schools and healthcare. IDPs’isolation in this remote part of the country significantly limits any opportunities toparticipate in public life. This resettlement option does not seem to be a durable solution,as it largely does not reflect the wishes of IDPs who moved there.IDPs do participate to some extent in decision-making processes regarding the implementation of theState Strategy and Action Plan. Moreover, the MRA has shown an increased effort to improvecommunication and consultation with IDPs so that they can play a more active role in making decisionsthat affect their own lives. While their ability to choose among the durable solutions has increased,continuing issues with the lack of access to information, support for return and peacebuilding efforts,and fair housing allocation, along with the eviction process, represent examples and results of thefailure to truly involve IDPs in the policies that affect them.This engagement plays a key role in ensuring that IDPs can choose among the durable solutions. It canpromote a positive cycle of empowerment in which IDPs participate more actively in society, supportingtheir own integration process, which can then continue to enhance their involvement in public life. Thisapproach is ultimately in the government’s interest as it aligns with their argument that local integration(with the resulting increased economic strength) actually supports IDPs’ ability to return to their formerhomes, should that option become available to them. Strengthening IDPs’ participation in one durablesolution can thus lead to the realization of another.52
Page 2 and 3: Promoting IDPs’ and Women’s Voi
Page 4 and 5: CONTENTSAcronyms and Abbreviations
Page 6 and 7: EXECUTIVE SUMMARYInternally displac
Page 8 and 9: THE WOMEN’S POLITICAL RESOURCE CE
Page 10 and 11: fair reporting on politically sensi
Page 12 and 13: people-to-people diplomacy efforts
Page 14 and 15: and the Guiding Principles, in Febr
Page 16 and 17: an effort to address these stereoty
Page 18 and 19: The identities, perceptions, and re
Page 20 and 21: even IDPs themselves. The HRBA seek
Page 22 and 23: Karaleti settlement, and Potskho-Et
Page 24 and 25: displacement differently, with men
Page 26 and 27: on an equal footing with men in for
Page 28 and 29: The Ministry for Internally Displac
Page 30 and 31: Defender’s Office) and leave no r
Page 32 and 33: prominent national level IDP NGO wo
Page 34 and 35: in the past but none have yet to be
Page 36 and 37: Grassroots Peacebuilding EffortsCiv
Page 38 and 39: esettlement and local integration h
Page 40 and 41: ability to contribute to the new Ac
Page 42 and 43: Women convened a working group to a
Page 44 and 45: were involved, in addition to “wo
Page 46 and 47: towards addressing this population
Page 48 and 49: waves. 224 A Conciliation Resources
Page 50 and 51: governing shelter requirements. 238
Page 54 and 55: FINDINGSSIPA team member Drilon Gas
Page 56 and 57: unique opportunities exist for them
Page 58 and 59: an important opportunity for women
Page 60 and 61: early morning…when I was going to
Page 62 and 63: our office to investigate these iss
Page 64 and 65: on this? It’s impossible.” 322
Page 66 and 67: high levels of unemployment and pov
Page 68 and 69: groups do not differentiate between
Page 70 and 71: funding and influence to implement
Page 72 and 73: een in operation for two years or l
Page 74 and 75: organization, and highlighted that
Page 76 and 77: The Education System’s Influence
Page 78 and 79: system has an important role to pla
Page 80 and 81: Political FactorsMany elements of t
Page 82 and 83: international organizations working
Page 84 and 85: uling party. 433 There were some si
Page 86 and 87: especially highly-influential broad
Page 88 and 89: ationale behind the government’s
Page 90 and 91: international working for a major d
Page 92 and 93: Also, according to a World Bank rep
Page 94 and 95: willing to challenge authorities th
Page 96 and 97: The lack of narrative connecting po
Page 98 and 99: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE GEORGIAN GO
Page 100 and 101: the government also needs to commit
Page 102 and 103:
‣ Continue to support and expand
Page 104 and 105:
‣ Address male IDP needs (Immedia
Page 106 and 107:
The campaign should have a face, su
Page 108 and 109:
APPENDIX BList of IntervieweesLocal
Page 110 and 111:
Kristy KellyLincoln MitchellLawrenc
Page 112 and 113:
Article 10 - Non-discrimination in
Page 114 and 115:
Principle 18.1 - Adequate standard
Page 116 and 117:
Esaiashvili, Mariam (Official, Mini
Page 118 and 119:
Lanskoy, Miriam and Giorgi Areshidz
Page 120:
Transparency International Georgia.
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Promoting IDPs' and Women's Voices in Post-Conflict Georgia

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