Georgia – Peace Zone

The Human Rights Center Celebrated International Day of Peace

Roman Apakidze
Ana Sheshaberidze

Today, near the Rustaveli Undergraound Station and Tbilisi State University the Human Rights Center organized an event to celebrate the Internaitonal Day of Peace.

The UN International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by resolution 36/67 of the General Assembly to coincide every year with its opening session in September. In 2001 September 21 was fixed to become a day of global ceasefire and non-violence through 24 hours.

Executive director of the Human Rights Center Ucha Nanuashvili assessed September 21 as very important day. He said the main goal of the event was to attract public attention. “We wanted to attract public attention to this date. We pasted special in the streets and declared that every building is a peace zone. With this action we want to support the establishment of the peace movement in Georgia,” said Nanuashvili.

International Day of Peace is really important day for Georgia, the country which still suffers from the last-year military conflict. On this day, Georgian people should once more tell Abkhazian and Ossetian people and the entire world that war and violence cannot resolve problems; furthermore they cause more problems and create danger for more people.

Participants of the event pointed out that Georgian society still expects a new war. In order to eradicate similar fear in the society representatives of the Human Rights Center pasted stickers on many buildings in the city in order to express their will of turning Georgia into a “Peace Zone.”

Actor Nikoloz Lutidze gave a performance to demonstrate a person (society) sick from public information, war and death. The artist performed fear, despair, strained body and great will of freedom.

“The triangle where the performance was put on is under construction and incomplete. It does not have boundaries yet. The triangle is on the cross-road. The performance was not complete and it was spontaneous – I indicated to the endless disaster of the war. With this performance I wanted to show my attitude towards the war. I performed a mummy which is wrapped in newspapers or information. This information does not allow me to move freely and to communicate with people without barriers. My attempt to release soap-bubbles demonstrated my will to realize my wishes however since I am wrapped with information and war I cannot realize my dreams,” Nikoloz Lutidze explained his performance.