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

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ationale behind the government’s (non)inclusion of IDPs in the Geneva process: the presence of IDPs isactually counter-productive to the goal of peace. “What can (IDPs) bring to the peace talks?...TheAbkhaz…are against the IDPs being present in any format.” Having IDPs on the Georgian side thus “onlyhinders the potential for reaching a resolution.” The analyst said that IDP issues are on the sidelines ofthe talks, with the agreement on non-resumption of hostilities as the main issue. 452An international NGO staff member was more blunt in her assessment, saying that,“the Georgian government doesn’t think they need to ask [IDPs] what they want,because they don’t want to give...the agenda to anyone else. And this is all about theplaying the game with Russia, and what do [IDPs] understand about Moscowpolitics?...For the government, it’s all about territory, it’s not about people, (despitewhat the State Strategy says about the importance of people-to-peoplepeacebuilding).” 453The argument that the government – and indeed, much of the Georgian population – is more concernedwith the issue of territorial integrity than with IDPs’ right to return was a common feature of severalinterviews.Corroborating these perspectives, a recent survey of public attitudes by the National DemocraticInstitute (NDI) found territorial integrity to be the third most important issue in the country. 454 The NDIstudy did not make a direct reference to IDPs, however. It is unclear how support for territorial integritycompares with support for IDP return or even general well-being, as such a question has seemingly notbeen included in recent surveys.From the government’s perspective, it is important to recognize that the borders themselves – and notnecessarily the people who live within those borders – serve as their primary focal points. This state ofaffairs discourages IDPs and officials from pressing for greater IDP inclusion in peacemaking. Thepolitical calculus behind the government’s prioritization is clear – its view is that the creation of a stablepeace requires an agreement on territory as a first step. Furthermore, President Saakashvili has madethe “wholeness” of Georgia a central plank of his platform from the beginning of his presidency. 455 Inthis political environment, IDPs and their advocates face a significant challenge in finding points ofleverage that would push the government to include IDPs more substantially in high-level peacemaking.At the Track II level, the government faces less pressure to so tightly control conflict resolution efforts,allowing for more IDP involvement in grassroots initiatives. A senior government official describes the452 Senior Fellow, Personal Interview.453 Tina Gewis, Personal Interview.454 “Public attitudes in Georgia: Results of a February 2012 survey carried out for NDI by CRRC,” National Democratic Institute,March 2012, Print.455 de Waal, 5.87
government’s support for people-to-people diplomacy: “Divided communities have to rebuild thebridges. This is the idea of the State Strategy on Engagement with Occupied Regions and Action Plan.Confidence-building, people-to-people relations come first. But this is not enough for the finalsettlement of the conflict.” 456 He goes on to say that these efforts must work in concert with officialpeace talks with Moscow and the international community. Overall, it seems that a greater level ofsupport for IDP engagement in grassroots efforts could promote links with Track I diplomacy, therebycontributing to the conflict resolution process. These efforts are certainly in the government’s interest,as they have focused on return of IDPs as a means to lay claim to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.International Influence on Georgian Domestic PoliticsIt is well recognized that representatives of the international community significantly influence Georgianpolicymaking. International support for measures promoting gender equality, for example, may haveplayed an important role in the government’s interest in adopting the National Action Plan on UNSCR1325. 457 Georgian political actors are for the most part eager to demonstrate that Georgia is building adynamic modern democracy in line with contemporary Western political culture. More concretely,Georgia is focused on gaining NATO membership and building foreign economic support andinvestment, and is anxious to retain Western approval and support.International actors therefore present an important source of leverage regarding IDP inclusion indomestic policymaking and the peace process – even though they certainly do not have the final sayover Georgian policies regarding IDPs. International donors and NGOs, in their authoritative positions onthe MRA Steering Committee, for example, to some extent are able to act as a conduit between IDPNGOs and government representatives. 458 This is critical for IDPs because the politicization ofpolicymaking around the durable solutions provides a challenge for civil society in successfully lobbyingthe government on its own. 459However, the role of the international community in supporting IDP rights may be changing somewhatas international donors and NGOs increasingly shift their focus. 460 Currently, the internationalcommunity does not seem to be holding out many sticks regarding human rights (and specifically, IDPrights) that would translate into significant pressure to strive for greater inclusion of IDPs inpolicymaking. The Georgian government consequentially seems to be satisfied that it is inclusive enoughto retain sufficient international approval. 461 Major international donors have also not always provided agood example of inclusive decision-making in their own activities supporting IDPs. 462 According to one456 Senior Government Official, Personal Interview.457 Graziella Piga, Personal Interview.458 Staff member, Office of the Public Defender, personal interview.459 Staff member, Office of the Public Defender, personal interview.460 Tina Gewis, Personal Interview.461 Lincoln Mitchell, Personal Interview.462 Caroline Stampfer, Personal Interview.88
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Promoting IDPs’ and Women’s Voi
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CONTENTSAcronyms and Abbreviations
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYInternally displac
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THE WOMEN’S POLITICAL RESOURCE CE
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fair reporting on politically sensi
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people-to-people diplomacy efforts
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and the Guiding Principles, in Febr
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an effort to address these stereoty
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The identities, perceptions, and re
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even IDPs themselves. The HRBA seek
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Karaleti settlement, and Potskho-Et
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displacement differently, with men
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on an equal footing with men in for
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The Ministry for Internally Displac
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Defender’s Office) and leave no r
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prominent national level IDP NGO wo
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in the past but none have yet to be
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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 52 and 53: esults of eviction on those who did
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 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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