Human Rights House Tbilisi Started Peace Week by Meeting with Students

Mariam Imerlishvili

On September 20, the Human Rights House Tbilisi organized discussion at the International Black Sea University about the “Alternative Ways of Conflict Resolution” together with the Social Science Club. The HRHT opened the Peace Week with the discussion.

Main speakers of the event were Ucha Nanuashvili – executive director of the Human Rights Center and editor-in-chief of the humanrights.ge Aleko Tskitishvili. The topic of their speeches was role of media and peace campaigns in conflict resolution. Two short films were screened during the discussion – one about the International Day of Peace and second - about Peace Campaign in Lebanon.

Ucha Nanuashvili spoke about the “Sorry Campaign” launched by the Human Rights Center which aims to start peacebuilding and reconciliation process between Georgian and Abkhaz people.

The Center also presented the newspaper published in the framework of the “Sorry” Campaign. Different opinions and attitude of famous public figures and ordinary citizens about the conflict are published in the newspaper.

“The Human Rights Center launched “Sorry” Campaign in 2007. It is peacebuilding campaign in the framework of what we apologize to Abkhaz people. We should take responsibility for those crimes which were committed years ago. It is high time to take first steps to each other’s hearts,” said Ucha Nanuashvili.

Editor-in chief of the humanrights.ge Aleko Tskitishvili spoke about importance of the role and importance of media in conflict resolution and peacebuilding process. He said the role of media in peacebuilding process can both positive and negative. Media can escalate the conflict or vice versa – to dispose people for reconciliation. Unfortunately, militarist rhetoric is more detected in modern Georgian media today.

As it was expected, the opinion of the students attending the discussion was divided in two. One part remained indifferent to the Center’s initiative and the discussion, though another part expressed solidarity with the “Sorry” Campaign.

“It is difficult to apologize as well as to accept the apology. I think, the stronger side shall be more concerned about the fact and shall be first initiator of the reconciliation activities,” Giorgi Ekvtimishvili, student of the International Black Sea University, told us.

The Human Rights House Tbilisi intends to organize peacebuilding events from September 20 to September 23. The Peace Week was devoted to the International Day of Peace – September 21. The project is implemented with the support of Swiss Embassy in Georgia.

“The HRHT scheduled several events to celebrate the Peace Week. They are: round tables, documentary films, discussions, etc,” said Nino Gvedashvili, coordinator of the HRHT.

International Day of Peace – September 21, was established in 1981 based on the Resolution 36/27 of the UN General Assembly. In 2002 the General Assembly officially declared the September 21 as International Day of Peace.