Showing posts with label Minority. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Minority. Show all posts
Saturday, October 07, 2017
VIDEO: Ethnic minorities in Georgia - via @takosvanidze
National minorities who live in towns and villages across Georgia usually have a common problem - poor knowledge or lack of knowledge of the state language. This forces them to be in an ‘information vacuum’, where they are cut off from social and political life of Georgia and consequentially, have a weak interest in the elections.
Journalist: Tamar Svanidze
Camera Operator: Ramaz Giorgashvili
Film was made within the project of Internews Georgia
Sunday, January 10, 2016
LÄNDERABEND: Minderheiten in Georgien. Recht auf Leben? (copernicus-stipendium.de)
Ort: MitOst e.V., Alt-Moabit 90, 10559 Berlin
(copernicus-stipendium.de) Georgien ist ein Land, in dem die verschiedenen ethnischen, religiösen und sexuellen Minderheiten immer zusammen gelebt haben. Historisch waren die Georgier besonders tolerant gegenüber anderen. Die Lage des Landes begünstigt eine vielfältige und multikulturelle Gesellschaft. Aber gibt es unter dieser Toleranz versteckten Rassismus oder Sexismus?
Die orthodoxe Kirche ist sehr stark in Georgien. Manche Gläubigen denken, dass sexuelle Minderheiten gar kein Recht auf das Wort, auf die Wahl und überhaupt, auf das Leben haben. Warum sind gerade Mitglieder einer Institution, die Toleranz predigt, dieser Meinung? Wird das Thema einfach falsch verstanden?
Eine der größten ungelösten Fragen in Georgien ist laut der EU der Schutz der Minderheiten. Seit die georgische Regierung ein Antidiskriminierungsgesetz geschaffen hat, gibt es starke Proteste. Von der Bevölkerung wurde dieses Gesetz so aufgefasst, dass ihre eigenen Rechte zu Gunsten der Minderheiten eingeschränkt würden, während jene zusätzliche Privilegien erhielten, die sie nicht verdienten. Ist das Gesetz nun realistisch anwendbar und auch gewollt oder war es vielmehr ein gezielter formaler Schritt in Richtung EU, der aber ohne Folgen blieb? Ist die Regierung überhaupt dazu in der Lage, die Mentalität der Bevölkerung zu verändern?
Die georgische Stipendiatin Mariam Kikvidze (Studiengang: Rechtswissenschaft) beschäftigt sich neben dem Studium mit verschiedenen Projekten, die Menschen- und Minderheitenrechte betreffen. In ihrem Vortrag wird sie versuchen ihre persönlichen Erfahrungen einzubringen und das Problem von mehreren Seiten zu beleuchten.
Unser Verein lädt die Teilnehmer im Anschluss an die Veranstaltung zu weiteren Gesprächen im informellen Rahmen bei einem kleinen Buffet mit Getränken (georgischem Wein) und selbst zubereiteten georgischen Spezialitäten ein. Der Eintritt ist frei. Spenden für die Arbeit des Vereins sind willkommen. Diese Einladung kann gerne an Freunde und andere Interessenten weitergegeben werden!
weitere Informationen:
www.copernicus-stipendium.de,
berlin@copernicus-stipendium.de
Sunday, July 06, 2014
RELIGION: The rise of Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses in the Caucasus. By Tara Isabella Burton @T_I_Burton via via @AJAM (america.aljazeera.com)
(america.aljazeera.com) Armenia and Georgia were the first to adopt Christianity as their state religion; now, American evangelical sects beckon
In the Armenian town of Artashat, a grid of Soviet concrete and corrugated tin roofs an hour from the capital city of Yerevan, few buildings stand out like the meeting hall of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Unlike the crumbling towers that surround it, this building sports an impeccably white façade. On one Sunday in May, more than a hundred Armenians — most in their 40s and 50s — are sharing what Mormons call spiritual “testimony,” their words translated via earpiece to attending American missionaries.
Here in the Caucasus region, ethnicity and faith are often treated as one. Christians in Armenia and Georgia — which in the fourth century became the first two countries worldwide to adopt Christianity as their state religion — almost uniformly belong to the Armenian Apostolic and Georgian Orthodox Churches, respectively (93 percent in Armenia, 83 percent in Georgia).
But a near-century of Soviet-imposed secularism dramatically weakened the standing of state churches. Now, many ethnic Armenians and Georgians are gravitating toward American evangelical sects with an emphasis on attracting converts and a strong missionary presence in the region, such as LDS and Jehovah’s Witnesses. In Armenia, the number of Jehovah’s Witnesses here hovers around 11,000; LDS claims more than 3,000 members (also known as Mormons). These may be small numbers, but they are significant in this country of 3 million, where practitioners of other faiths tend to be members of minority ethno-religious groups, such as Jews or Muslim Kurds.
Both Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons identify as Christians, although their non-Trinitarian doctrine — both deny that Jesus Christ shares a single fundamental divine essence with God the Father and the Holy Spirit — has often brought them into conflict with mainline Christian tradition.
“Ask any Armenian on the street and they’ll say, ‘Yes, I believe in God. I believe in Jesus,’ ” says Varuzhan Pogosyan, president of the LDS Mission in Armenia. “But they don’t always practice.”
Pogosyan’s journey started shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. Then an expatriate in Russia, he attended a local Armenian church, both for spiritual reasons and for the opportunity to socialize with other ethnic Armenians. But an encounter with a Mormon missionary made him realize he could do more than just attend services. “I could participate,” he says. “I could be involved in the life of the church.” In the absence of formal clergy, the LDS church offers ordinary members a greater role in church affairs, Pogosyan explains.
It is this sense of involvement that inspired his colleague, Margarit Ayvazyan, to convert. Like Pogosyan, Ayvazyan grew up nonreligious during Soviet rule, adopting atheism as a philosophically inclined teenager. Yet her encounters with LDS missionaries in the early 90's left her with a sense of spiritual fulfillment she had not found in her parents’ Armenian Apostolic services. In a traditional Armenian service, she says, “You just stand there and the priests pray.” Many Armenians cannot even understand the classical Armenian used in services. In LDS, where congregants are encouraged to share their experiences and participate in Bible-study classes, she has a role to play. Even those church members who do not become missionaries are encouraged to circulate information among family and friends, recruit curious “investigators” to visit services and keep track of lapsed members. Pogosyan says most converts here grew up like Ayvazyan: secular under the Soviet regime, but now seeking something more.
In some ways, he says, their history makes his mission easier, as “Armenians have always been religious.” Soviet-era secularism was a temporary aberration, and organizations such as LDS are ideally situated to reach those whose religious needs have not been met elsewhere or who feel that the Armenian Apostolic Church has failed them. After all, in all the years since he left the Church, he’s never once been contacted by any priests trying to win him back or find out why he left: a striking contrast with the LDS church, whose members actively identify and reach out to those whose attendance has lapsed.
Of course, there are challenges. Smoking, drinking and abortion were all permissible under the Soviet regime, Pogosyan says, and encouraging new converts to maintain what he calls a “healthier” way of life is a struggle. The American missionaries at Artashat tell stories of priests who attacked their brethren in neighboring towns, boys who throw rocks at them as they walk down Yerevan streets (“I think [the boys] thought we were Jehovah’s Witnesses,” one laughs. “They can’t tell the difference”).
But the biggest challenge for those seeking to convert others may be reconciling converts’ faith with their ethnic identity. Many of Pogosyan’s countrymen see those who leave the Apostolic Church as less Armenian. He takes pains to emphasize the long-standing relationship between Armenia and the LDS church, which first took hold in the Armenian diaspora in 19th-century Constantinople, as well as the increasing number of foreign missionaries of Armenian descent who have come to their ancestral homeland to serve. He is also careful to stress the cultural similarities between Armenia and the LDS church. “We’re very big on family values in Armenia,” he says, making the LDS church here a perfect fit. Ultimately, his faith has made him more Armenian, not less. It has strengthened his relationship with his family, his local community. “It has made me a better citizen.”
Minority evangelical Christian sects face similar challenges in Armenia’s northern neighbor, Georgia, where religion and nationalism are even more closely intertwined. Between 1999 and 2003, Jehovah's Witnesses lodged almost 800 complaints of religiously-motivated incidents of conflict, many violent, says Manuchar Tsimintia, a lawyer and practicing Jehovah's Witness who frequently defends the church in human rights cases. Following Georgia's bloodless Rose Revolution in 2008 and the subsequent installation of Western-leaning Mikhail Saakashvili as president, things drastically improved, but tensions remain. This situation isn’t ameliorated by the fiercely Orthodox, nationalist stance of the ruling Georgian Dream coalition, which has succeeded Saakashvili's United National Movement. In early May, a group of teenagers destroyed a cart of pamphlets Jehovah’s Witnesses were using to proselytize in Tbilisi’s city center, although, Tsimintia is pleased to report, the police charged and fined the culprits responsible.
Still, he estimates that there are about 20,000 baptized converts; another 20,000 or so attend meetings and worship: such figures, if accurate, would comprise nearly 1 percent of Georgia's population. Like the Mormons in Armenia, adherents say they converted because of disillusionment with Soviet-style anti-clericalism and existing ecclesiastical institutions and a desire to participate more fully in the activities of their church.
“It was the end of the communist regime,” Tsimintia says of his joining the Jehovah’s Witnesses. “All people were seeking God.” But Tsimintia, then enrolled in college, felt dissatisfied by the Georgian Orthodox Church, which stirred him emotionally, but could not provide him with the answers he sought. “Who is God? Who are we? Where do we come from?” It was through independent Bible study, Tsimintia says, that he came to the conclusion the Jehovah’s Witnesses had access to spiritual truth.
Increasingly, he says, those who came of age after the collapse of the Soviet Union are also finding themselves disillusioned with what they see as hypocrisy and corruption within the current hierarchy of the Georgian Orthodox Church, whose vast wealth and close financial relationship with the country’s ruling classes have often attracted scrutiny. In 2009, for example, each of Georgia’s 10 archbishops received a luxury SUV from the Georgian government. And the disenchantment has only grown more common in recent years as the church has attempted to wield greater political influence through its alliance with the Georgian Dream party ruling coalition. Many youths are also critical of the church’s tacit approval of violence; in May 2013, local Tbilisi priests, leading a mob of 20,000, attacked a small group of unarmed anti-homophobia protesters, injuring at least 12.
“They are not living according to Bible standards,” Tsimintia says. “[That is what] young people see.”
His colleague Tamaz Khutsishvili recalls a friend who sought spiritual guidance from an Orthodox priest, only to have the priest turn up at his home “so drunk he could not stand up.” One potential convert became disillusioned with his own church after a local priest with whom he had entrusted some money for temporary safekeeping informed him he had spent the funds on the construction of a new church. And both Khutsishvili and Tsimintia condemn the Orthodox church-sanctioned anti-gay violence last year as an example of church hypocrisy. The Bible, they say, condemns aggression. “Even if [people] are doing something we see as against the Bible,” Khutsishvili says, “we must never talk of violence.”
Yet here, too, converts struggle with reconciling their cultural and religious identities. “You are not Christian. You are not Orthodox. You are not Georgian. I must have heard that 10 times a day,” says Tsimintia.
Still, as with the Mormons in Armenia, Tsimintia and Khutsishvili choose to appeal to history to defend the essential Georgianness of their choice. “Once our ancestors were pagans,” Khutsishvili says. “Then they found the truth and became Orthodox. Now we’re finding truth again — and converting. We are following our ancestors.”
In the Armenian town of Artashat, a grid of Soviet concrete and corrugated tin roofs an hour from the capital city of Yerevan, few buildings stand out like the meeting hall of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Unlike the crumbling towers that surround it, this building sports an impeccably white façade. On one Sunday in May, more than a hundred Armenians — most in their 40s and 50s — are sharing what Mormons call spiritual “testimony,” their words translated via earpiece to attending American missionaries.
Here in the Caucasus region, ethnicity and faith are often treated as one. Christians in Armenia and Georgia — which in the fourth century became the first two countries worldwide to adopt Christianity as their state religion — almost uniformly belong to the Armenian Apostolic and Georgian Orthodox Churches, respectively (93 percent in Armenia, 83 percent in Georgia).
But a near-century of Soviet-imposed secularism dramatically weakened the standing of state churches. Now, many ethnic Armenians and Georgians are gravitating toward American evangelical sects with an emphasis on attracting converts and a strong missionary presence in the region, such as LDS and Jehovah’s Witnesses. In Armenia, the number of Jehovah’s Witnesses here hovers around 11,000; LDS claims more than 3,000 members (also known as Mormons). These may be small numbers, but they are significant in this country of 3 million, where practitioners of other faiths tend to be members of minority ethno-religious groups, such as Jews or Muslim Kurds.
Both Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons identify as Christians, although their non-Trinitarian doctrine — both deny that Jesus Christ shares a single fundamental divine essence with God the Father and the Holy Spirit — has often brought them into conflict with mainline Christian tradition.
“Ask any Armenian on the street and they’ll say, ‘Yes, I believe in God. I believe in Jesus,’ ” says Varuzhan Pogosyan, president of the LDS Mission in Armenia. “But they don’t always practice.”
Pogosyan’s journey started shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. Then an expatriate in Russia, he attended a local Armenian church, both for spiritual reasons and for the opportunity to socialize with other ethnic Armenians. But an encounter with a Mormon missionary made him realize he could do more than just attend services. “I could participate,” he says. “I could be involved in the life of the church.” In the absence of formal clergy, the LDS church offers ordinary members a greater role in church affairs, Pogosyan explains.
It is this sense of involvement that inspired his colleague, Margarit Ayvazyan, to convert. Like Pogosyan, Ayvazyan grew up nonreligious during Soviet rule, adopting atheism as a philosophically inclined teenager. Yet her encounters with LDS missionaries in the early 90's left her with a sense of spiritual fulfillment she had not found in her parents’ Armenian Apostolic services. In a traditional Armenian service, she says, “You just stand there and the priests pray.” Many Armenians cannot even understand the classical Armenian used in services. In LDS, where congregants are encouraged to share their experiences and participate in Bible-study classes, she has a role to play. Even those church members who do not become missionaries are encouraged to circulate information among family and friends, recruit curious “investigators” to visit services and keep track of lapsed members. Pogosyan says most converts here grew up like Ayvazyan: secular under the Soviet regime, but now seeking something more.
In some ways, he says, their history makes his mission easier, as “Armenians have always been religious.” Soviet-era secularism was a temporary aberration, and organizations such as LDS are ideally situated to reach those whose religious needs have not been met elsewhere or who feel that the Armenian Apostolic Church has failed them. After all, in all the years since he left the Church, he’s never once been contacted by any priests trying to win him back or find out why he left: a striking contrast with the LDS church, whose members actively identify and reach out to those whose attendance has lapsed.
Of course, there are challenges. Smoking, drinking and abortion were all permissible under the Soviet regime, Pogosyan says, and encouraging new converts to maintain what he calls a “healthier” way of life is a struggle. The American missionaries at Artashat tell stories of priests who attacked their brethren in neighboring towns, boys who throw rocks at them as they walk down Yerevan streets (“I think [the boys] thought we were Jehovah’s Witnesses,” one laughs. “They can’t tell the difference”).
But the biggest challenge for those seeking to convert others may be reconciling converts’ faith with their ethnic identity. Many of Pogosyan’s countrymen see those who leave the Apostolic Church as less Armenian. He takes pains to emphasize the long-standing relationship between Armenia and the LDS church, which first took hold in the Armenian diaspora in 19th-century Constantinople, as well as the increasing number of foreign missionaries of Armenian descent who have come to their ancestral homeland to serve. He is also careful to stress the cultural similarities between Armenia and the LDS church. “We’re very big on family values in Armenia,” he says, making the LDS church here a perfect fit. Ultimately, his faith has made him more Armenian, not less. It has strengthened his relationship with his family, his local community. “It has made me a better citizen.”
Minority evangelical Christian sects face similar challenges in Armenia’s northern neighbor, Georgia, where religion and nationalism are even more closely intertwined. Between 1999 and 2003, Jehovah's Witnesses lodged almost 800 complaints of religiously-motivated incidents of conflict, many violent, says Manuchar Tsimintia, a lawyer and practicing Jehovah's Witness who frequently defends the church in human rights cases. Following Georgia's bloodless Rose Revolution in 2008 and the subsequent installation of Western-leaning Mikhail Saakashvili as president, things drastically improved, but tensions remain. This situation isn’t ameliorated by the fiercely Orthodox, nationalist stance of the ruling Georgian Dream coalition, which has succeeded Saakashvili's United National Movement. In early May, a group of teenagers destroyed a cart of pamphlets Jehovah’s Witnesses were using to proselytize in Tbilisi’s city center, although, Tsimintia is pleased to report, the police charged and fined the culprits responsible.
Still, he estimates that there are about 20,000 baptized converts; another 20,000 or so attend meetings and worship: such figures, if accurate, would comprise nearly 1 percent of Georgia's population. Like the Mormons in Armenia, adherents say they converted because of disillusionment with Soviet-style anti-clericalism and existing ecclesiastical institutions and a desire to participate more fully in the activities of their church.
“It was the end of the communist regime,” Tsimintia says of his joining the Jehovah’s Witnesses. “All people were seeking God.” But Tsimintia, then enrolled in college, felt dissatisfied by the Georgian Orthodox Church, which stirred him emotionally, but could not provide him with the answers he sought. “Who is God? Who are we? Where do we come from?” It was through independent Bible study, Tsimintia says, that he came to the conclusion the Jehovah’s Witnesses had access to spiritual truth.
Increasingly, he says, those who came of age after the collapse of the Soviet Union are also finding themselves disillusioned with what they see as hypocrisy and corruption within the current hierarchy of the Georgian Orthodox Church, whose vast wealth and close financial relationship with the country’s ruling classes have often attracted scrutiny. In 2009, for example, each of Georgia’s 10 archbishops received a luxury SUV from the Georgian government. And the disenchantment has only grown more common in recent years as the church has attempted to wield greater political influence through its alliance with the Georgian Dream party ruling coalition. Many youths are also critical of the church’s tacit approval of violence; in May 2013, local Tbilisi priests, leading a mob of 20,000, attacked a small group of unarmed anti-homophobia protesters, injuring at least 12.
“They are not living according to Bible standards,” Tsimintia says. “[That is what] young people see.”
His colleague Tamaz Khutsishvili recalls a friend who sought spiritual guidance from an Orthodox priest, only to have the priest turn up at his home “so drunk he could not stand up.” One potential convert became disillusioned with his own church after a local priest with whom he had entrusted some money for temporary safekeeping informed him he had spent the funds on the construction of a new church. And both Khutsishvili and Tsimintia condemn the Orthodox church-sanctioned anti-gay violence last year as an example of church hypocrisy. The Bible, they say, condemns aggression. “Even if [people] are doing something we see as against the Bible,” Khutsishvili says, “we must never talk of violence.”
Yet here, too, converts struggle with reconciling their cultural and religious identities. “You are not Christian. You are not Orthodox. You are not Georgian. I must have heard that 10 times a day,” says Tsimintia.
Still, as with the Mormons in Armenia, Tsimintia and Khutsishvili choose to appeal to history to defend the essential Georgianness of their choice. “Once our ancestors were pagans,” Khutsishvili says. “Then they found the truth and became Orthodox. Now we’re finding truth again — and converting. We are following our ancestors.”
Friday, January 10, 2014
DOKUMENTATION: Das Glück des abchasischen Hirten. Ein Film von Andrzej Klamt (arte.tv)
(arte.tv) Donnerstag, 16. Januar um 11:15 Uhr (44 Min.)
Im abgeschiedenen Bergdorf Arasandsysch im Kaukasus werden noch alte Traditionen gepflegt und Rituale sind feste Bestandteile im Leben der Bewohner. Auch die patriarchalische Ordnung ist hier erhalten geblieben: Die Frauen kochen, besorgen den Haushalt und stellen Käse her.
Murman Lomia liebt seine Tiere. Jedes Jahr im Sommer zieht der abchasische Ziegenhirt mit seiner Herde in die Berge des Hohen Kaukasus. Für Murman, Oberhaupt einer großen Familie, ist der Auftrieb der Ziegenherde der Höhepunkt des Jahres. Auch die Rinderherde zieht mit und will ebenfalls rechtzeitig versorgt werden. Bei der Vorbereitung des beschwerlichen Aufstiegs packen alle Familienmitglieder mit an. Zum festen Bestandteil der Vorbereitungen zählen auch antike Fruchtbarkeitsrituale, damit die Höhenwanderung gelingt.
Im Dorf gilt noch die patriarchalische Ordnung: Die Frauen gehen ihren häuslichen Pflichten nach, bereiten die traditionellen Speisen zu, stellen den berühmten Sulguni-Käse her. Betroffen von den Unwägbarkeiten der postsozialistischen Gesellschaft nach dem Zusammenbruch der Sowjetunion und dem Krieg mit Georgien zu Beginn der 90er Jahre sind die Abchasen gezwungenermaßen Selbstversorger geworden.
Die Bewohner des Bergdorfs Arasandsysch gehören zu den letzten, die die alten Traditionen des Landes pflegen. Ob Hochzeit oder Totenkult, Rituale sind noch fest verankert im Denken und Handeln der Bergbewohner. In der abgeschiedenen Bergwelt führt Murman gemeinsam mit anderen Hirten ein karges aber glückliches Leben, während die Menschen in der Hauptstadt Suchumi den Anschluss an den wohlstandbringenden Tourismus suchen.
Origin: ZDF
Land: Deutschland
Jahr: 2013
Als Live verfügbar: ja
Tonformat: Stereo
Bildformat: HD, 16/9
Arte+7: 09.01-16.01.2014
Tuesday, January 07, 2014
CALL: Regional Cooperation for Peace and Stability, Georgia (mladiinfo.eu)
Deadline: 12 January 2014 Open to: residents of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, or Turkey, aged 23–35, holding university degree Venue: 4–12 February 2014, Tbilisi, Georgia
Description
(mladiinfo.eu) The Centre for Cultural Relations — Caucasian House, with the financial support of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be conducting a study and dialogue visit (4–12 February 2014) in Georgia. Project aims to promote the regional cooperation between young professionals (civil activists, researchers, analysts, academics, etc.) of the South Caucasus and Turkey in an effort to contribute to integration process between the respective societies. It is our hope that the project will help to foster peace and stability in the region while making a contribution to the integration of these societies.The process will consist of two components:
- Study component: Participants will have the opportunity to receive information on current domestic and foreign policy issues in Georgia, examine the situation of ethnic and religious minorities in the country as well as look at the issues connected to economic development and security through meetings with senior officials, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, and think tanks working in the field.
- Dialogue component: Participants will discuss the important issues in the region and in their respective countries. They will deliver presentations based on drafts submitted beforehand on prominent issues in their societies and discuss the possibilities for regional cooperation while working in the group. The presentations and discussions will form the basis for final articles which will be published on the website HERE. The website was developed under the dialogue projects previously implemented by the Caucasian House and serves as an analytical platform for the dialogue among young professionals from the region.
Eligibility
- Residents of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, or Turkey;
- Age 23–35;
- University degree;
- At least early stage of professional/academic career;
- Interest in the region of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey;
- Proficiency in English.
Costs
All costs related to transportation, accommodation, and board will be covered by the project.Application
The application form, CV or résumé, and the optional writing sample should be sent to regionalcooperation.ch@gmail.com no later than 12 January 2014, at midnight (UTC +04:00). Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview and notified of the selection results by 24 January.For more information please visit the official website HERE.
Read more: mladiinfo.eu
Saturday, October 20, 2012
PHOTODOCUMENTARY: The Unpromised Land. By Temo Bardzimashvili
In 2009, I worked on a short story about a few Meskhetian families. After more than 60 years of exile, they had returned to Abastumani, Georgia - the same village their
forefathers were deported from to Central Asia. It was then that my interest grew
in this group of people, especially in their traditions and their love for soil.
In 2011, I was commissioned by the European Centre for Minority Issues, Caucasus to document the Meskhetian communities in four different countries - Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Kyrgyzstan. The project was exhibited in Georgia. The exhibition toured Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Akhaltsikhe, Batumi, Gori, and Telavi.
The present book is a compilation of the documentary material that I have gathered from 2009 to 2011. Through the images, I have strived to present a realistic image of their lives and the way the deportation has affected them.
Working on this project has given me the opportunity to learn more about this group of people, and I hope that the present book can do the same for its readers.
Temo Bardzimashvili
privatephotoreview.com/temo bardzimashvili: meeting with the spirits
keithrkenney.wordpress.com/a journalist and a photographer
keithrkenney.wordpress.com/a journalist and a photographer
Temo Bardzimashvili is a native of Tbilisi, Georgia. After finishing his graduate school in the technical fields, he became interested in photojournalism and graduated cum laude from the Caucasus School of Journalism and Media Management. Temo Bardzimashvili works mostly on long-term documentary projects focused on ethnographic, social, and travel photography. His work has been published in a number of international publications, and exhibited both in Georgia and internationally.
Introduction: Jana Sommerlund
Accompanying text: Negin Angoshtari
Book concept: Negin Angoshtari and Temo Bardzimashvili
Photos: Temo Bardzimashvili
Archive photos: From the private collections of Rafik Efendiev, Bahadır Metan Enveroğlu, Emil Gamidov, Sarvar Lazishvili (Safarov), Sona Ulfanova, and Gyunesh Tursunova.
Design: Tornike Lordkipanidze
Cover photo: A Meskhetian house in Medrese, Azerbaijan.
© All photos copyrights belong to Temo Bardzimashvili except for pages 126 through 135.
© Book copyrights belong to ECMI, Caucasus except for pages 126 through 135.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the copyright holders.
ISBN 978-9941-0-4856-2
Published by
© 2012 European Centre for Minority Issues – Caucasus
Printed in Georgia by Cezanne
+++
Introduction
As part of the massive repressions of the Soviet regime, a large group of people were deported from southern Georgia to Central Asia. They were mostly the inhabitants of Meskheti - a historical region now split between Georgia and Turkey, who throughout their history were subjected to conflicting interests and influences from the Ottoman and Russian Empires.
During the Second World War, the Soviet hostility towards the Meskhetians, and other Muslim groups in Georgia intensified. In November 1944, the Muslim population of Meskheti and Ajara region– including Karapapakhs, Kurds, Turks, Roms, Hemshins, and the Meskhetian Turks were forcefully gathered at the train stations and transported in cargo carriages to three Central Asian republics: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
According to the official figures, a total of 94,955 people were deported1. The journey to Central Asia lasted between 18 and 22 days. Due to the harsh transportation conditions, many of the deportees, including children and elders
became ill or died. After arriving in Central Asia, the deportees were distributed between different collective farms (kolkhozs) and factories. They were provided with housing, but were prohibited from leaving their assigned districts. It is estimated that 3,000 people died during the transportation, and thousands more perished in the first years of exile due to the rough climate and the harsh living conditions 2.
Meskhetians are Sunni Muslims, and speak the Eastern Anatolian dialect of Turkish language. The Soviet rulers perceived them to be the Turkish fifth column, and they were accused of treason, espionage, smuggling, and other crimes. The deportation has made a big influence on how the Meskhetians define their identity and their lives in exile.
After Josef Stalin died, the restrictions against the Meskhetians were partially lifted. From 1956 onwards, they were allowed to resettle in any Soviet Republic except for Georgia. Many Meskhetians moved to Azerbaijan and Russia in order
to be closer to their homeland, hoping one day to return to Georgia.
In 1969, a small group of Meskhetians managed to return, and to settle in Georgia’s western regions of Guria and Samtredia. These early returnees still live in the country, and feel fully integrated into the Georgian society. Over 40 families have returned afterwards and they now reside in their historical homeland in Samtskhe-Javakheti.
After the demise of the Soviet Union, and upon becoming a member of the Council of Europe in 1999, Georgia has committed itself to repatriate the deported population. In 2007, the Georgian Parliament adopted the law “On Repatriation of Persons Forcefully Sent into Exile from the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia by the Former USSR in the 40’s of the 20th Century”. This created a legal framework for the Meskhetian repatriation. By the end of 2010 – the official deadline for submission of applications – the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation, and Refugees has received 5,841 applications covering about 9,000 individuals. By the time of this publication about 800 Meskhetian applicants were granted repatriate status.
The majority of the Meskhetians today live in eight countries of the world: Turkey, Azerbaijan Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the United States of America.
Meskhetians prefer to settle compactly in family groups. This pattern of social organization represents an essential strategy to survive adversities that this group has faced during and after their deportation. In many cases, the Meskhetian settlements in the other countries resemble the composition and the structure of the villages and the communities they were deported from.
As Muslims, the majority of Meskhetians adhere to the Hanafi rite of Sunni Islam. They practice religious traditions by praying, fasting, and celebrating the main religious holidays, such as Kurban Bayram, and Ramazan Bayram. They also observe the ancient feast of Nowruz. Furthermore, the Meskhetians have preserved and practiced some of the old Christian traditions – such as placing open scissors resembling a cross on the chest of a deceased, or a bride drawing a cross with honey on her husband’s door.
The eastern Anatolian dialect of Turkish is the spoken language between the Meskhetians, regardless of where they live today. Due to the constant migration and re-settlement in several countries, many Meskhetians know several languages such as Russian, Azeri, Turkish, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Uzbek depending on their countries of residence. Georgian is spoken only among those who have returned and settled in Georgia.
The Meskhetian society is a rather traditional society with a clear division of gender roles. Meskhetian families are led by the eldest men, who are the heads of the families, and are traditionally treated with a profound respect from the younger members of their kin. Women have secondary status and are usually subordinated to their husbands, fathers or brothers. The father of the family is considered to be the breadwinner, while the mother is perceived to be the hearth keeper. This gender division plays an important role in the lives of many Meskhetians, especially the women who are required to seek permission from their fathers and husbands in choosing their education or work.
Meskhetians observe the births, the marriages, and the funerals with a mixture of Muslim rituals and customs specific to places of their residence. Thus, upon their integration in the local communities, many customs are adopted from Turkish, Russian, Azeri or Georgian traditions.
The author of this book focuses on the important details of the Meskhetian life. Rituals, customs, family, gender roles, work, leisure, and finally their longing for the historical homeland are depicted through documentary style of photography.
The majority of the photos presented here have been exhibited in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, and in the regional cities of Gori, Akhaltsikhe, Kutaisi, Batumi, and Telavi. The exhibitions were organized by the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) within the framework of the EU-funded programme “Supporting the Repatriation of Persons Deported from Georgia in the 1940s and their descendants” implemented by the European Centre for Minority Issues Caucasus and Action Against Hunger, International. I hope this book will enhance the awareness on deportations and plights of the deported population among a broader public in Georgia and beyond.
Jana Sommerlund
ECMI Caucasus International Project Manager
Tbilisi, September 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
VORTRAG: „Ivane Javakhishvilis langer Schatten. Zur Lage und Entwicklung der Historiographie in Georgien seit 1992.“ Von Dr. Oliver Reisner - in Jena
Am Mittwoch, dem 27.06. wird Dr. Oliver Reisner bei uns in Jena gastieren und einen Vortrag zum Thema „Ivane Javakhishvilis langer Schatten. Zur Lage und Entwicklung der Historiographie in Georgien seit 1992.“ halten. Oliver Reisner hat sich v. a. der neueren und neuesten Geschichte Georgiens gewidmet und zu den folgenden Themen gearbeitet: Nationalismus, Minderheitenrechte und Konfliktbearbeitung in Georgien, Historiographiegeschichte Kaukasiens, Geschichte der Regionalforschung. Er ist Autor der wichtigen Monographie „Die Schule der georgischen Nation“.
Oliver Reisner ist derzeit Mitglied der Delegation der Europäischen Kommission für Georgien.
Mittwoch, 27.06., 16.00Uhr, SR 206, Carl-Zeiss-Str. 3
+++
On Wednesday, the 27.06. is Dr. Oliver Reisner at us in Jena be held and one lecture on "Ivane Javakhishvilis of long shadow." Keep "to the situation and development of historiography in Georgia since 1992.". Oliver Reisner has notably dedicated to the newer and newest history of Georgia and worked on the following topics: nationalism, minorities and conflict resolution in Georgia, Caucasus historiography history, history of the regional research. He is author of the important book "The school of the Georgian nation".
Oliver Reisner is currently a member of the delegation of the European Commission for Georgia.
Wednesday, 27.06, 16.00Uhr, SR 206, Carl-Zeiss-str. 3
AmazonShop: Books, Maps, Videos, Music & Gifts About The Caucasus
Oliver Reisner ist derzeit Mitglied der Delegation der Europäischen Kommission für Georgien.
Mittwoch, 27.06., 16.00Uhr, SR 206, Carl-Zeiss-Str. 3
+++
On Wednesday, the 27.06. is Dr. Oliver Reisner at us in Jena be held and one lecture on "Ivane Javakhishvilis of long shadow." Keep "to the situation and development of historiography in Georgia since 1992.". Oliver Reisner has notably dedicated to the newer and newest history of Georgia and worked on the following topics: nationalism, minorities and conflict resolution in Georgia, Caucasus historiography history, history of the regional research. He is author of the important book "The school of the Georgian nation".
Oliver Reisner is currently a member of the delegation of the European Commission for Georgia.
Wednesday, 27.06, 16.00Uhr, SR 206, Carl-Zeiss-str. 3
AmazonShop: Books, Maps, Videos, Music & Gifts About The Caucasus
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
REPORT: Minority Language Controversy in Georgia (iwpr.ne)
Critics of European language charter warn that granting legal rights to linguistic minorities could weaken Georgian statehood.
By Natia Kuprashvili - Caucasus
CRS Issue 563,
22 Oct 10
The Georgian government regularly says it wants to live up to European standards, but the question of granting rights to minority language groups remains deeply divisive.
Back in 1999, the then government gave itself a year to decide whether to ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. More than a decade on, no decision has been taken either way.
The debate in Georgia is complicated by the question of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two separatist regions with their own languages which Moscow has recognised as independent states.
In Georgia, there are fears that awarding a formal status to languages and dialects might promote other separatist tendencies in this small country, perhaps spurred on by Russia.
Experts who took part in a September 13-14 conference in Tbilisi expressed concern that ratifying the European language charter could weaken the state.
more: iwpr.net
By Natia Kuprashvili - Caucasus
CRS Issue 563,
22 Oct 10
The Georgian government regularly says it wants to live up to European standards, but the question of granting rights to minority language groups remains deeply divisive.
Back in 1999, the then government gave itself a year to decide whether to ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. More than a decade on, no decision has been taken either way.
The debate in Georgia is complicated by the question of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two separatist regions with their own languages which Moscow has recognised as independent states.
In Georgia, there are fears that awarding a formal status to languages and dialects might promote other separatist tendencies in this small country, perhaps spurred on by Russia.
Experts who took part in a September 13-14 conference in Tbilisi expressed concern that ratifying the European language charter could weaken the state.
more: iwpr.net
Friday, May 14, 2010
TRADITION - In Aserbaidschan am Fuß des Kaukasus werden noch jahrhundertealte Bräuche gepflegt (gea.de)
Bergjuden im »letzten Schtetl«
VON CARSTEN HOFFMANN
Der aserbaidschanische Rabbi Adam David empfängt Fremde mit finsterem Blick. Besucher, die es aus der Hauptstadt Baku in die etwa drei Stunden Autofahrt entfernte »Rote Siedlung« am Fuße des Kaukasus schaffen, müssen dies aber nicht persönlich nehmen. »Wir sind glücklich, aber wir zeigen es nicht«, sagt der Rabbi. Er gehört zur kleinen Minderheit der Bergjuden. »Es ist fast unmöglich, einen Bergjuden lachen zu sehen. Wir fürchten den Neid der Nachbarn. Aber wir lächeln innen«, sagt er.
VON CARSTEN HOFFMANN
Der aserbaidschanische Rabbi Adam David empfängt Fremde mit finsterem Blick. Besucher, die es aus der Hauptstadt Baku in die etwa drei Stunden Autofahrt entfernte »Rote Siedlung« am Fuße des Kaukasus schaffen, müssen dies aber nicht persönlich nehmen. »Wir sind glücklich, aber wir zeigen es nicht«, sagt der Rabbi. Er gehört zur kleinen Minderheit der Bergjuden. »Es ist fast unmöglich, einen Bergjuden lachen zu sehen. Wir fürchten den Neid der Nachbarn. Aber wir lächeln innen«, sagt er.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
PHOTOSTORY: CAUCASUS GROUPS PUT ASIDE CONFLICT TO LIVE AS TURKS. By Justyna Mielnikiewicz (eurasianet.org)
I am away from the Caucasus now ... but I could read here in Loas in my google reader ... around me a lot of moscitos ... this photostory from Justyna Mielnikiewicz ...
more here: www.eurasianet.org
Sunday, January 17, 2010
NEW WEBSITE: BATSAV and the batsbi ans other unknown caucasian peoples (batsav.com)
Alexander J. T. Bainbridge wrote in the last times his own blog. Some knows his blog: transcaucasian.blogspot.com. Now you have note that A.J.T. Bainbridge will slowly transferring his blog to his new home at www.batsav.com.
This new (December 2009) website initially started as a blog called "Transcaucasus", which was hosted on Blogger.com (at www.transcaucasian.blogspot.com).
I had been thinking of creating a dedicated website for my Caucasus-related "findings" (i.e. ramblings) ever since I first landed on Blogger, but for the usual reasons I never actually created such a website, and the blog just got longer and longer and longer and longer and longer... and more and more contorted and unreadable and chaotic... and then one day (summer 2009) I started noticing that images which I uploaded to my blog-posts started disappearing. This phenomenon - which Blogger i.e. Google seem to be ignoring - just got worse, and when some tables disappeared the day after I first uploaded them, I decided that I had had enough, and began to create this website.
Monday, December 28, 2009
NEWS: 26 Nov 09 | Caucasus Reporting Service 521 until 24 Dec 09 | Caucasus Reporting Service 525 (iwpr.net)
24 Dec 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 525
Armenia: Nuclear Plant Controversy
Yerevan pushes ahead with new station in face of protests from ecologists. By Gayane Mkrtchyan in Yerevan (CRS No. 525, 24-Dec-09)
Georgian Conflict Exploitation Concerns
Some observers suspect the authorities are taking advantage of people caught up in Georgia’s wars. By Natia Kuprashvili in Tbilisi and Davit Gaimsonia in Gori (CRS No. 525, 24-Dec-09)
18 Dec 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 524
Armenia: Media Reach Out to Turkey
But commentators say they should not be too quick to let down their guard. By David Muradian and Sara Khojoian in Yerevan (CRS No. 524, 18-Dec-09)
Azeris Turn to Satellite TV in Propaganda Battle
Armenians wooed with TV news broadcasts from the enemy. By Samira Hasanli in Baku (CRS No. 524, 18-Dec-09)
Chechens Mark Ten Years of Exile
A decade after they fled their homeland, Chechens in Georgia still fear it is unsafe to go back. By Lizaveta Zhahanina in Tbilisi (CRS No. 524, 18-Dec-09)
Abkhazia Gets Recognition Boost After Poll
Bagapsh says his re-election showed Abkhaz desire to be independent. By Anaid Gogorian in Sukhum (CRS No. 524, 18-Dec-09)
11 Dec 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 523
Greens Protest Over Georgian Airport Plans
Environmentalists oppose controversial hub close to Black Sea nature reserve. By Lasha Zarginava in Poti (CRS No. 523, 09-Dec-09)
Gyumri Residents Recall Catastrophic Tremor
Destructive force of 1988 earthquake was so swift that people thought the Armenian city had been bombed. By Ashley Killough in Gyumri (CRS No. 523, 09-Dec-09)
4 Dec 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 522
Tbilisi Criticised Over Repatriation Requests
Tens of thousands of Meskhetians apply to come home, but Georgian officials accused of not doing enough to help them. By Fati Mamiashvili in Tbilisi (CRS No. 522, 04-Dec-09)
Georgia: Collapse of Armenian Church Provokes Row
Armenian minority say incident illustrates their limited rights in the country. By Lela Iremashvili in Tbilisi and Hasmik Hambardzumyan in Yerevan (CRS No. 522, 04-Dec-09)
Azeris Face Spending Crunch
Economic experts warn budget cut resulting from falling oil revenues could harm most vulnerable. By Kenan Guluzade in Baku (CRS No. 522, 03-Dec-09)
Project Highlights
Caucasus: Oct/Nov ‘09
IWPR Karabakh workshop participants find out how web journalism can enhance work of journalists and activists. By IWPR staff (4-Dec-09)
Reporting Impact
Caucasus: Oct/Nov ‘09
IWPR discussion events prompt Tbilisi officials to cooperate with Georgian NGOs on refugee issues. By IWPR staff (4-Dec-09)
26 Nov 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 521
Azerbaijan: Ethnic Azeri Immigrants in Rights Struggle
They say the country’s immigration law makes it hard for them to gain permanent residence permits. By Samira Ahmedbeyli in Baku (CRS No. 521, 24-Nov-09)
Armenia Surprised by Anti-Russian Agitation
Emails and text messages seek to spark campaign over military bases. By Naira Melkumyan in Yerevan (CRS No. 521, 24-Nov-09)
Abkhazia Sees Tourism Boom
Russians flock to breakaway territory despite accommodation shortage and poor service. By Anaid Gogorian in Sukhum (CRS No. 521, 26-Nov-09)
Armenia: Nuclear Plant Controversy
Yerevan pushes ahead with new station in face of protests from ecologists. By Gayane Mkrtchyan in Yerevan (CRS No. 525, 24-Dec-09)
Georgian Conflict Exploitation Concerns
Some observers suspect the authorities are taking advantage of people caught up in Georgia’s wars. By Natia Kuprashvili in Tbilisi and Davit Gaimsonia in Gori (CRS No. 525, 24-Dec-09)
18 Dec 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 524
Armenia: Media Reach Out to Turkey
But commentators say they should not be too quick to let down their guard. By David Muradian and Sara Khojoian in Yerevan (CRS No. 524, 18-Dec-09)
Azeris Turn to Satellite TV in Propaganda Battle
Armenians wooed with TV news broadcasts from the enemy. By Samira Hasanli in Baku (CRS No. 524, 18-Dec-09)
Chechens Mark Ten Years of Exile
A decade after they fled their homeland, Chechens in Georgia still fear it is unsafe to go back. By Lizaveta Zhahanina in Tbilisi (CRS No. 524, 18-Dec-09)
Abkhazia Gets Recognition Boost After Poll
Bagapsh says his re-election showed Abkhaz desire to be independent. By Anaid Gogorian in Sukhum (CRS No. 524, 18-Dec-09)
11 Dec 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 523
Greens Protest Over Georgian Airport Plans
Environmentalists oppose controversial hub close to Black Sea nature reserve. By Lasha Zarginava in Poti (CRS No. 523, 09-Dec-09)
Gyumri Residents Recall Catastrophic Tremor
Destructive force of 1988 earthquake was so swift that people thought the Armenian city had been bombed. By Ashley Killough in Gyumri (CRS No. 523, 09-Dec-09)
4 Dec 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 522
Tbilisi Criticised Over Repatriation Requests
Tens of thousands of Meskhetians apply to come home, but Georgian officials accused of not doing enough to help them. By Fati Mamiashvili in Tbilisi (CRS No. 522, 04-Dec-09)
Georgia: Collapse of Armenian Church Provokes Row
Armenian minority say incident illustrates their limited rights in the country. By Lela Iremashvili in Tbilisi and Hasmik Hambardzumyan in Yerevan (CRS No. 522, 04-Dec-09)
Azeris Face Spending Crunch
Economic experts warn budget cut resulting from falling oil revenues could harm most vulnerable. By Kenan Guluzade in Baku (CRS No. 522, 03-Dec-09)
Project Highlights
Caucasus: Oct/Nov ‘09
IWPR Karabakh workshop participants find out how web journalism can enhance work of journalists and activists. By IWPR staff (4-Dec-09)
Reporting Impact
Caucasus: Oct/Nov ‘09
IWPR discussion events prompt Tbilisi officials to cooperate with Georgian NGOs on refugee issues. By IWPR staff (4-Dec-09)
26 Nov 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 521
Azerbaijan: Ethnic Azeri Immigrants in Rights Struggle
They say the country’s immigration law makes it hard for them to gain permanent residence permits. By Samira Ahmedbeyli in Baku (CRS No. 521, 24-Nov-09)
Armenia Surprised by Anti-Russian Agitation
Emails and text messages seek to spark campaign over military bases. By Naira Melkumyan in Yerevan (CRS No. 521, 24-Nov-09)
Abkhazia Sees Tourism Boom
Russians flock to breakaway territory despite accommodation shortage and poor service. By Anaid Gogorian in Sukhum (CRS No. 521, 26-Nov-09)
Friday, October 16, 2009
PHOTOREPORTAGE: An Azeri village in Georgia / Un villaggio azero in Georgia (osservatoriobalcani.org)
Our correspondents from Baku and Yerevan, Arzu Geybullayeva and Onnik Krikorian, visited an ethnic Azeri village in Karajala, eastern Georgia. A photo-reportage[...]The full article accompanied by photos and video is at: www.osservatoriobalcani.org
Un villaggio azero in GeorgiaI nostri corrispondenti da Baku e Yerevan, Arzu Geybullayeva e Onnik Krikorian, sono stati a Karajala, in un villaggio etnicamente azero nella Georgia orientale. Un fotoreportageThe full article accompanied by photos and video is at: www.osservatoriocaucaso.org
---Also see:
http://globalvoicesonline.org
http://frontlineclub.com/blogs/onnikkrikorian/2009/09
http://flyingcarpetsandbrokenpipelines.blogspot.com/2009/10
---The Global Voices Online post is also available in Spanish, Chinese and Bangla.
Un villaggio azero in GeorgiaI nostri corrispondenti da Baku e Yerevan, Arzu Geybullayeva e Onnik Krikorian, sono stati a Karajala, in un villaggio etnicamente azero nella Georgia orientale. Un fotoreportageThe full article accompanied by photos and video is at: www.osservatoriocaucaso.org
---Also see:
http://globalvoicesonline.org
http://frontlineclub.com/blogs/onnikkrikorian/2009/09
http://flyingcarpetsandbrokenpipelines.blogspot.com/2009/10
---The Global Voices Online post is also available in Spanish, Chinese and Bangla.
Monday, August 10, 2009
BOOK REVIEW: Georgian Minorities: Roma, Qists, Assyrians, Ezids
With contributions by Dea Elibegova, Meqa Khangoshvili, Sergey Osipov, Eka Bitkash, Dimitri Pirbari
15,00 EUR (payable in EUR, plus postage if outside of the EU); electronic version 12,00 EUR
(PDF will be sent by e-mail after receiving the amount of the invoice on our bank account)
Can be ordered either in every bookshop or directly (eVersions only directly) at:
LIBERTAS - Europaeisches Institut GmbH (LIBERTAS Verlag),
Lindenweg 37, 72414 Rangendingen (Hechingen), Germany,
phone +49 7471 984996-0, fax +49 7471 984996-19,
eMail: verlag@libertas-institut.com
Internet: www.libertas-institut.com
Content
Protection or Isolation? On Georgia’s Policy Choice Towards Roma - Dea Elibegova
The Qist Phenomenon in Georgian Reality – Meqa Khangoshvili
Assyrians in Tbilisi - Sergey Osipov and Eka Bitkash
Ezidism in Georgia - Dimitri Pirbari
The Publication
This booklet includes articles on four ethnic groups or minorities - Roma, Qists, Assyrians, Ezids – in Georgia today. This South Caucasus country is today a multiethnic country where different national and ethnic minorities live side by side, and it can hardly be understood without knowledge of their minorities. The preservation of national-historical originality and ethnic self-identification of these groups, while keeping their culture, traditions, history and language is the key issue and a noble task of minorities today as well as the state.
The paper serves as first entrance, mainly for non-Georgians, but also for Georgians to be aware of the culture, traditions, history and customs of people living next to the majority population. The importance of the paper is in indicating and identifying key points characterizing the precise ethnic or minorities groups. The paper may become, after all, a useful contribution for European minority research.
By different kind of analysis the originality of each group should be highlighted. While the contribution on Roma is a genuine social science research work, with high empirical content, it states that there are significant differences between the obligations Georgia has signed for in European conventions and the de facto treatment of Roma, for which Dea Elibegova sets up an ambitious – but also self-evident – checklist for the state. She works as Chief Specialist in the Department of Minorities of the Ministry for Reintegration in Tbilisi/Georgia. Her co-author and colleague Meqa Khangoshvili describes the history and mentality of the Qists, a Chechen minority in Georgia, who always were friends of the Georgians throughout their history. Also the other chapters are more culturally and historically oriented, first about the Assyrians, written by Sergey Osipov and Eka Bitkash, both very active in Assyrian organizations, in the case of Sergey Osipov as Deputy Chairman of the World Assyrians Association, in the case of Eka Bitkash as chairperson of the Young Assyrians in Tbilisi. The Ezidism chapter by Dimitry Pirbari also includes specific religious criteria and gives an excellent overview about the habits and customs of Ezidism. After all, this booklet brings valuable insights and an interesting picture of life in Georgia.
AmazonShop: Books, Maps, Videos, Music & Gifts About The Caucasus
Ms. Elibegova has compiled articles of four minorities in Georgia (Caucasus). LIBERTAS – European Institute is a think-tank on European and international economy and governance (all other books see under www.libertas-institut.eu, then Button “Publishing House”).
We would appreciate any review or being registered with the data/website, and I am available for all further information. If you want a hardcopy sent to a review editor please tell us his/her address. Otherwise we would be grateful if we would get a short feedback with a review.
Thank you and kind regards, Hans-Juergen Zahorka
Hans-Juergen ZAHORKA, Assessor jur.,
LIBERTAS - Europaeisches Institut GmbH,
Lindenweg 37, 72414 Rangendingen (Hechingen), Germany,
tel. +49 7471 984996-0 (direct -13), fax +49 7471 984996-19,
mobile +49 173 6603682 (new)
Skype: zahorka
www.libertas-institut.eu
zahorka@gmx.de, zahorka@libertas-institut.com
15,00 EUR (payable in EUR, plus postage if outside of the EU); electronic version 12,00 EUR
(PDF will be sent by e-mail after receiving the amount of the invoice on our bank account)
Can be ordered either in every bookshop or directly (eVersions only directly) at:
LIBERTAS - Europaeisches Institut GmbH (LIBERTAS Verlag),
Lindenweg 37, 72414 Rangendingen (Hechingen), Germany,
phone +49 7471 984996-0, fax +49 7471 984996-19,
eMail: verlag@libertas-institut.com
Internet: www.libertas-institut.com
Content
Protection or Isolation? On Georgia’s Policy Choice Towards Roma - Dea Elibegova
The Qist Phenomenon in Georgian Reality – Meqa Khangoshvili
Assyrians in Tbilisi - Sergey Osipov and Eka Bitkash
Ezidism in Georgia - Dimitri Pirbari
The Publication
This booklet includes articles on four ethnic groups or minorities - Roma, Qists, Assyrians, Ezids – in Georgia today. This South Caucasus country is today a multiethnic country where different national and ethnic minorities live side by side, and it can hardly be understood without knowledge of their minorities. The preservation of national-historical originality and ethnic self-identification of these groups, while keeping their culture, traditions, history and language is the key issue and a noble task of minorities today as well as the state.
The paper serves as first entrance, mainly for non-Georgians, but also for Georgians to be aware of the culture, traditions, history and customs of people living next to the majority population. The importance of the paper is in indicating and identifying key points characterizing the precise ethnic or minorities groups. The paper may become, after all, a useful contribution for European minority research.
By different kind of analysis the originality of each group should be highlighted. While the contribution on Roma is a genuine social science research work, with high empirical content, it states that there are significant differences between the obligations Georgia has signed for in European conventions and the de facto treatment of Roma, for which Dea Elibegova sets up an ambitious – but also self-evident – checklist for the state. She works as Chief Specialist in the Department of Minorities of the Ministry for Reintegration in Tbilisi/Georgia. Her co-author and colleague Meqa Khangoshvili describes the history and mentality of the Qists, a Chechen minority in Georgia, who always were friends of the Georgians throughout their history. Also the other chapters are more culturally and historically oriented, first about the Assyrians, written by Sergey Osipov and Eka Bitkash, both very active in Assyrian organizations, in the case of Sergey Osipov as Deputy Chairman of the World Assyrians Association, in the case of Eka Bitkash as chairperson of the Young Assyrians in Tbilisi. The Ezidism chapter by Dimitry Pirbari also includes specific religious criteria and gives an excellent overview about the habits and customs of Ezidism. After all, this booklet brings valuable insights and an interesting picture of life in Georgia.
AmazonShop: Books, Maps, Videos, Music & Gifts About The Caucasus
Thursday, March 05, 2009
ARTIKEL: Der verlorene Stamm der kaukasischen Juden (caucaz.com)
Artikel erschienen am 24/09/2007
Von Michel TENDIL in Krasnaja Sloboda
Ubersetzt von Gebhard REUL
Im Nordwesten Aserbaidschans leben die letzten Bergjuden von Krasnaja Sloboda. Für diese Gemeinschaft der Taten, deren Ursprung auf die zehn verlorenen Stämme Israels zurückgehen soll, verbindet sich die Öffnung zur Welt mit bitteren Enttäuschungen.
Der ganze Artikel >>>
Von Michel TENDIL in Krasnaja Sloboda
Ubersetzt von Gebhard REUL
Im Nordwesten Aserbaidschans leben die letzten Bergjuden von Krasnaja Sloboda. Für diese Gemeinschaft der Taten, deren Ursprung auf die zehn verlorenen Stämme Israels zurückgehen soll, verbindet sich die Öffnung zur Welt mit bitteren Enttäuschungen.
Der ganze Artikel >>>
ARTIKEL: Georgien: Ein neuer Gesetzesentwurf zur Rehabilitierung der Mes’cheten (caucaz.com)
Artikel erschienen am 21/10/2007
Von Sophie TOURNON in Paris
Ubersetzt von Fiona GUTSCH
Von Sophie TOURNON in Paris
Ubersetzt von Fiona GUTSCH
Seit dem 14. Juni beschäftigt sich die georgische Öffentlichkeit mit dem Thema der Mes’cheten – einem Volk, das 1944 aus Georgien deportiert und seitdem nicht rehabilitiert wurde. Das georgische Parlament befasst sich intensiv mit der Untersuchung eines äußerst kontroversen Problems, das allerdings in den letzten 15 Jahren für die Gesetzgebung völlig nebensächlich gewesen war. Die Eile erscheint eigenartig, wenn man die Missachtung und das Desinteresse bezüglich dieser Frage kennt: die Rehabilitierung eines der letzten bestraften Völker, das, wie auch die Krimtataren, nicht repatriiert wurde.
ARTIKEL: In den Dörfern Chewsuretiens : zwischen arschaischen Lebensweisen und dem 21. Jahrhundert (caucaz.com)
Artikel erschienen am 04/03/2009
Von Nicolas LANDRU in Dschuta, Schatili, Korscha und Tbilissi
Dschuta ist ein kleines Dorf von etwa dreißig Familien. Es befindet sich im Herzen der östlichen Massive des georgischen Großen Kaukasus, deren höchste Erhebung mit 5033 Metern der Berg Kasbek darstellt. Sieben Kilometer entfernt von der Grenze zu Inguschetien in der Russischen Föderation liegt Dschuta am Nordhang der Bergkette. Mit einer Höhe von 2200 Metern stellt es knapp hinter Uschguli im westgeorgischen Swanetien den am zweithöchsten bewohnten Ort Europas dar – falls hier überhaupt noch Europa sein sollte. Über einem tiefen Tal gelegen, befindet sich Dschuta am äußersten Rand der georgischen historischen Regionen von Chewi und Chewsuretien. Oberhalb des Dorfes wohnt keine Menschenseele mehr: halb christliche, halb heidnische Heiligtümer aus trockenem Stein kann man dort als einzige Spuren von Zivilisation finden.
Von Nicolas LANDRU in Dschuta, Schatili, Korscha und Tbilissi
Dschuta ist ein kleines Dorf von etwa dreißig Familien. Es befindet sich im Herzen der östlichen Massive des georgischen Großen Kaukasus, deren höchste Erhebung mit 5033 Metern der Berg Kasbek darstellt. Sieben Kilometer entfernt von der Grenze zu Inguschetien in der Russischen Föderation liegt Dschuta am Nordhang der Bergkette. Mit einer Höhe von 2200 Metern stellt es knapp hinter Uschguli im westgeorgischen Swanetien den am zweithöchsten bewohnten Ort Europas dar – falls hier überhaupt noch Europa sein sollte. Über einem tiefen Tal gelegen, befindet sich Dschuta am äußersten Rand der georgischen historischen Regionen von Chewi und Chewsuretien. Oberhalb des Dorfes wohnt keine Menschenseele mehr: halb christliche, halb heidnische Heiligtümer aus trockenem Stein kann man dort als einzige Spuren von Zivilisation finden.Sunday, February 15, 2009
NEWS: 30 Jan 09 unti 13 Feb 09 | Caucasus Reporting Service 478 und 480 (iwpr.com)
13 Feb 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 480
Georgia: Funding Cuts May Jeopardise Army Recovery
Big reduction in defence budget means military unlikely to be restored to pre-war strength for some time. By Koba Liklikadze in Tbilisi (CRS No. 480, 13-Feb-09)
Armenian Religious Minorities Complain of Discrimination
They fear that proposed amendments to religious legislation could makes things worse. By Gita Elibekian and Seda Muradian in Yerevan (CRS No. 480, 13-Feb-09)
Karabakh Faiths Decry State Controls
Minority religions protest over new law that puts them under supervision of authorities. By Lusine Musaelian in Stepanakert (CRS No. 480, 13-Feb-09)
5 Feb 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 479
Georgia Accused of Bullying Ethnic Armenians
Some Yerevan politicians say arrest of Armenian activists on espionage charges is attempt to intimidate the minority. By Olesya Vartanian in Tbilisi, Tamana Uchidze in Akhaltsikhe and Nelly Babaian in Yerevan (CRS No. 479, 5-Feb-09)
Azerbaijan: Outcry at Commissars' Reburial
Armenia furious over move as some of the communists were Armenians. By Magerram Zeinalov in Baku, and Gegham Vardanian in Yerevan CRS No. 479, 5-Feb-09)
30 Jan 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 478
Georgians, Armenians Bemoan Border Restrictions
Villagers on both sides of the Armenian-Georgian border say new controls are ruining their lives. By Naira Bulghadarian in Dzyunashogh, and Marika Tsikoridze in Irganchai (CRS No. 478, 30-Jan-09)
Armenia: Opposition Raps PACE Resolution
They’re angry with European organisation over suspected U-turn on punishing the government for rights record. By Rita Karapetian in Yerevan (CRS No. 478, 30-Jan-09)
Azerbaijan: Poverty in Midst of Plenty
Homeless oil workers wait years for flats, as officials argue amongst themselves over who is to blame. By Diana Isayeva in Surakhany (CRS No. 478, 30-Jan-09)
Georgia: Funding Cuts May Jeopardise Army Recovery
Big reduction in defence budget means military unlikely to be restored to pre-war strength for some time. By Koba Liklikadze in Tbilisi (CRS No. 480, 13-Feb-09)
Armenian Religious Minorities Complain of Discrimination
They fear that proposed amendments to religious legislation could makes things worse. By Gita Elibekian and Seda Muradian in Yerevan (CRS No. 480, 13-Feb-09)
Karabakh Faiths Decry State Controls
Minority religions protest over new law that puts them under supervision of authorities. By Lusine Musaelian in Stepanakert (CRS No. 480, 13-Feb-09)
5 Feb 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 479
Georgia Accused of Bullying Ethnic Armenians
Some Yerevan politicians say arrest of Armenian activists on espionage charges is attempt to intimidate the minority. By Olesya Vartanian in Tbilisi, Tamana Uchidze in Akhaltsikhe and Nelly Babaian in Yerevan (CRS No. 479, 5-Feb-09)
Azerbaijan: Outcry at Commissars' Reburial
Armenia furious over move as some of the communists were Armenians. By Magerram Zeinalov in Baku, and Gegham Vardanian in Yerevan CRS No. 479, 5-Feb-09)
30 Jan 09 Caucasus Reporting Service 478
Georgians, Armenians Bemoan Border Restrictions
Villagers on both sides of the Armenian-Georgian border say new controls are ruining their lives. By Naira Bulghadarian in Dzyunashogh, and Marika Tsikoridze in Irganchai (CRS No. 478, 30-Jan-09)
Armenia: Opposition Raps PACE Resolution
They’re angry with European organisation over suspected U-turn on punishing the government for rights record. By Rita Karapetian in Yerevan (CRS No. 478, 30-Jan-09)
Azerbaijan: Poverty in Midst of Plenty
Homeless oil workers wait years for flats, as officials argue amongst themselves over who is to blame. By Diana Isayeva in Surakhany (CRS No. 478, 30-Jan-09)
Monday, February 09, 2009
DOCUMENTARY: OSI Documentary Photography Project (soros.org)
The Open Society Institute (OPI) Documentary Photography Project based NY and Arts and Culture Network Program announce a grant opportunity for documentary photographers from Central Asia, the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Pakistan. Approximately 20 grants in the amount of $3,500 each will be awarded to photographers to produce a discrete body of work on a current human rights or social justice issue in the region.
Following are some examples of the kind of problems that might be addressed: gender rights, ethnic minorities, migration, religious freedom, free speech, civil liberties, ecological or environmental challenges, urban renewal and transformation, public health, tuberculosis, AIDS, drug policy and narcotics, resource development and exploitation, forced and child labor, domestic violence, corruption and bribery, and restrictions on the freedom of movement. Other social problems, as defined by the applicant, may also be addressed.
We will need your help in distributing this information among the relevant contacts that you may know.
Deadline
Additional Information
Thank you in advance Sincerely
Laura Gevorgyan
Arts and Culture Program coordinator
Source: www.soros.org
Following are some examples of the kind of problems that might be addressed: gender rights, ethnic minorities, migration, religious freedom, free speech, civil liberties, ecological or environmental challenges, urban renewal and transformation, public health, tuberculosis, AIDS, drug policy and narcotics, resource development and exploitation, forced and child labor, domestic violence, corruption and bribery, and restrictions on the freedom of movement. Other social problems, as defined by the applicant, may also be addressed.
We will need your help in distributing this information among the relevant contacts that you may know.
Deadline
The deadline for proposals is March 20, 2009, at 5:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time).
Additional Information
For more information on the grant, please review the grant guidelines.
Требования к подаче заявки на русском языкеThank you in advance Sincerely
Laura Gevorgyan
Arts and Culture Program coordinator
Source: www.soros.org
Monday, June 09, 2008
REPORT: Georgia’s policy towards its national minorities: Tolerance or Integration
TI Georgia, June 2008
Historically, Georgia has been a multiethnic country and remains so to this day. Georgians consider that they are among the most tolerant countries/nations in the world and argue that non-Georgian minorities residing in the country have never been threatened or suppressed or otherwise disenfranchised. Minority communities in Georgia do not always share this opinion, however. Feeling isolated and deprived, minorities often accuse the national authorities of being unwilling to take the issues more seriously and address the existing problems.
Georgia has recognised the international principles and best practices regarding the policy towards national minorities and the need for their integration. The country is a signatory to the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) and takes note of most international instruments and recommendations on the subject of minority rights.1 However, the country has not ratified other important conventions, notably the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.2 Taking note of the fact that effective protection of rights of minorities at times substantially differs from the general protection of human rights the EU-Georgia ENP Action Plan specifically addresses this issue. Chapter 4.1.1 calls on Georgia to “ensure respect for rights of persons belonging to national minorities; sign and ratify European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages” and “develop and implement a civic integration strategy and ensure its implementation, including creation of appropriate monitoring instruments.” In spite of these international commitments, the government has not addressed the issue in a coherent and consistent manner.
This paper will explore the state policy towards national minorities in general and on the individual institution level and review several key concerns voiced by minorities and the state’s responses to them.
Historically, Georgia has been a multiethnic country and remains so to this day. Georgians consider that they are among the most tolerant countries/nations in the world and argue that non-Georgian minorities residing in the country have never been threatened or suppressed or otherwise disenfranchised. Minority communities in Georgia do not always share this opinion, however. Feeling isolated and deprived, minorities often accuse the national authorities of being unwilling to take the issues more seriously and address the existing problems.
Georgia has recognised the international principles and best practices regarding the policy towards national minorities and the need for their integration. The country is a signatory to the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) and takes note of most international instruments and recommendations on the subject of minority rights.1 However, the country has not ratified other important conventions, notably the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.2 Taking note of the fact that effective protection of rights of minorities at times substantially differs from the general protection of human rights the EU-Georgia ENP Action Plan specifically addresses this issue. Chapter 4.1.1 calls on Georgia to “ensure respect for rights of persons belonging to national minorities; sign and ratify European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages” and “develop and implement a civic integration strategy and ensure its implementation, including creation of appropriate monitoring instruments.” In spite of these international commitments, the government has not addressed the issue in a coherent and consistent manner.
This paper will explore the state policy towards national minorities in general and on the individual institution level and review several key concerns voiced by minorities and the state’s responses to them.
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