ARTIST: Rena Effendi in Moving Walls #19 (instituteartistmanagement.com)

Open Society Documentary Photography Project Announces Moving Walls 19 Photographers inc. Rena Effendi

The exhibition will open to the public on December 1, 2011, in the Foundations’ New York City office and move to the Washington, D.C., office in fall 2012.

The exhibition recognizes the brave and difficult work that photographers undertake globally in their documentation of complex social and political issues. Their images provide the world with human rights evidence, put faces onto a conflict, document the struggles and defiance of marginalized people, reframe how issues are discussed publicly, and provide opportunities for reflection and discussion. Through Moving Walls, the Foundations honor this work while visually highlighting the mission of our foundation to staff and visitors.

Approximately 400 applications were received this year. Each portfolio was carefully reviewed by the Documentary Photography Project staff, with the final decision being made by a selection committee comprised of Open Society Foundations staff and the show’s curators, Susan Meiselas and Stuart Alexander.

ART: Interstices of History: A Timeline of Body Art and Performance Practices (geoairresidency.blogspot.com)

Wednesday, March 2 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Open Society Georgia Foundation
Chovelidze St. 10
Tbilisi, Georgia

Angela Harutyunyan. Talk: Interstices of History: A Timeline of Body Art and Performance

In her presentation Angela Harutyunyan will refer to a collaborative research project conducted with Joanna Sokolowska, Tevz Logar, Vesna Madzoski, Vardan Azatyan and Eszter Lazar and entitled ‘A Timeline of Performance and Body art Practices from Eastern Europe and Former USSR’. This project epitomizes the larger methodological and art historiographical concerns that inform Angela Harutyunyan’s work. It is a collaborative publication with several art curators and historians facilitated by her. It constitutes a methodological narrative as well as political and artistic timelines encompassing the period between 1949-2007. In this project, the two main areas of Angela Harutyunyan’s practice - art history research and curating - intersect: art history writing comes out as a mode of curating, and curating appears as a historically grounded practice.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Gabriela Bulisova. 13 Pictures from Azerbaijan (gabrielabulisova.photoshelter.com)

The Open Society Documentary Photography Project is hosting an opening reception for Moving Walls 18, featuring the following seven bodies of work: Also you can see Photographies by Gabriela Bulisova, The Option of Last Resort.

I know her images especially from the project in Azerbaijan. Click on the photo and you can view a slideshow about this area nearby the Caspian Sea. (slideshow >>> )

ART: Anna Smolak’s stay at GeoAIR residency (geoairresidency.blogspot.com)

more here: geoairresidency.blogspot.com

Anna Smolak (born 1976), curator. Graduated from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, faculty History of Art as well as Cultural Diplomacy Postgraduate Studies at the Collegium Civitas and Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Warsaw. From 2004 working for the Contemporary Art Gallery Bunkier Sztuki in Krakow. Before she had run private “Sito” Gallery promoting young artists. Co-curator of the TRANSKULTURA project (2006-2008). In 2008 she organized international conference accompanying European Year of Intercultural Dialogue entitled “Transkultura: Art and Fluid Reality of the XXI Century”. Co-curator of the “Follow the White Rabbit” exhibition exploring the bounds of children’s perception of contemporary art (2010). She took part in the International Summer Seminar for Art Curators “Post Socialism and Media Transformations: Strategies of Representation” (AICA; Yerevan, Armenia, 2007) and “Galicia. Historical region of Europe” seminar (International Cultural Center; Krakow-Lviv, 2001). She is particularly interested in projects that involve different disciplines.
Anna Smolak’s stay at GeoAIR residency is part of her in-depth research project based on studio visits to source the most up-to-date art, which, frequently, is created in opposition to the official idiom, outside of the institutional framework, and which reacts most sensitively to even the least social changes. The result of the research is an exhibition of contemporary art from Caucasus region at Bunkier Sztuki Contemporary Art Gallery, which will also make use of public spaces in Kraków.

ანა სმოლაკის კვლევითი პროექტის და გეოეარის რეზიდენციაში სტუმრობის მხარდამჭერები არიან:/ Anna Smolak's research project and residency stay at GeoAIR is supported by: Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the European Cultural Foundation (ECF) in collaboration with the Open Society Institute (OSI) through the STEP beyond Travel grants:

CONFERENCE: New trends in the study of the history at the onset of the 21st century: Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean Crossroads Conference

pdf >>>

New trends in the study of the history at the onset of the 21st century: Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean Crossroads Conference (ANEMCC)
4-5 February 2011, Tbilisi, Georgia

The Conference is organized as the second act of the project "Conceptions of „Eternal Capitals‟ – From Ancient Cosmopolitan Cities to Modern Megapolises".

The project is supported by the Programme of the Open Society Institute, Higher Education Support Program Regional Seminar For Excellence in Teaching, ReSET, Tbilisi Iv. Javakhishvili State University, Faculty of Humanities.

When Fernard Braudel wrote his pioneering book on the history of the Mediterranean region, the study of large-scale entities (spatial and temporal) constituted a theme of central importance for all scientific disciplines, especially the humanities. At the time, social sciences operated under the rubric of what is broadly known as the "modernist" paradigm, which professed to have developed effective criteria for clearly defining units of analysis and for explaining the historical trajectory of these units. A cardinal element of this intellectual tradition has been the firm belief that the units established by science were not only epistemologically but also ontologically valid. In Braudel's case for instance, "environment", "institutions" and "individuals" were "real" and not "fictive" classificatory distinctions. Of pivotal significance on the other hand, has been the acknowledgement that the writing of "history" had greater analytical potential in so far as it could prioritize large-scale over small-scale units; it is for this reason precisely that Braudel's core concept of the "long durée" involved the meticulous diachronic study of "institutions" and the "environment" but to a lesser extent, of "individuals".

Over the past few decades however, this mode of thinking has been put under severe scrutiny and in certain respects, has been heavily criticized. At the same time, the birth of a new paradigm -that of "postmodernism"- has lead to a shift of attention from the "general" to the "particular". The reasons for this paradigmatic shift are to be traced in contemporary concerns on (i) the conscious neglect of social diversity in social studies, (ii) the empowerment of the "whole" and the simultaneous "disempowerment" of the "individual", (iii) the tendency to attribute an obvious surplus of analytical weight on "global" as opposed to "local" processes, (iv) the great emphasis laid on the reconstruction of a single "history" and the denial of the possibility that multiple "histories" are actually at work and (v) the belief that so far, all aforementioned trends were seen as an achievement and guarantee of scientific "objectivity" and "truth". At the onset of the 21st century, the "postmodern" paradigm has taken an entirely different trajectory. Its main aim has been to create an arena of scientific discourse which:

1. encourages epistemological and ontological multivocality instead of absolutist/monolithic narratives
2. sees boundaries as the product of social negotiation and practical performance and not as predetermined, arbitrary constructs 2
3. and finally, chooses to emphasize movement and fluidity (in our ways of thinking and in our ways of living) as opposed to stasis.

In the light of all these developments, the idea of an "Ancient History", appears to require some degree of modification; indeed, for some scholars, it would even necessitate the abandonment of the term altogether. The Conference : "New trends in the study of the history at the onset of the 21st century’ embarks on the investigation of this very issue: how has the "postmodern" paradigm affected our understanding of the past and to what extent should we allow the further penetration of its principles (diversity, fluidity, mobility, macro-social processes, urbanism) to the practice of the general history?

For the purposes of this conference, two broad thematic sessions have been established. Scholars are invited to contribute papers pertinent to issues such as cultural diffusion and indigenous development, local identity and global process, actor-network theory, world-systems theory, time-geography, population movement, object biographies, trade and gift exchange, islandscapes vs. landscapes, travel and transport technologies, colonization, colonies vs. empires, issues of social urbanism and etc. The second session broadens the conference themes and adopts an interdisciplinary debate concerning the sociopolitical implications of the "postmodern" agenda in the present and the impact of this agenda on the study of the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean past.

The aim of this conference is to bring together researchers working on different aspects and to encourage the sharing and examination of a wide spectrum of themes and problems. Moreover, it will provide an excellent opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration and will hopefully help to forge and identify new methodologies for dealing with the now widely acknowledged complexity of the Ancient Studies.

The conference will take place in Tbilisi, Iv. Javakhishvili State University, 4-5 February 2011.

Presentations will be 20 minutes in length and will be followed by additional time for discussion. The proceedings of the Conference will be published.

Organizing Committee:
Prof. Eka Avaliani, Iv. Javakhishvili State University, Georgia
Prof. Gocha Tsetskhladze, The University of Melbourne, Australia
Prof. Ligia Ruscu, Babes- Bolyai University, Romania
Prof. Maia Gambashidze, Iv. Javakhishvili State University, Georgia
Prof. Iulian Moga, University Al.I Cuza Iasi, Romania
Prof. Nino Chikovani, Iv. Javakhishvili State University, Georgia
Prof. Bejan Djavakhia, Iv. Javakhishvili State University, Georgia
Prof. Vaja Kiknadze, Iv. Javakhishvili State University, Georgia

PROGRAMM: Art Residency in Tbilisi (geoairresidency.blogspot.com)

Guest at the time: Pelin Tan *
Resident in 2011
Pelin Tan (Turkey)
January 04-30
Presentation: Photos

The GeoAIR opened it's residency program in January 2010. This is a self directed residency program, that offers primarily curators and culture producers the opportunity to base themselves in Tbilisi, Georgia and use this location as a starting point to build networks, meet artists, cultural institutions and curators from the Caucasus region, and develop and deepen their knowledge and research of the Caucasus context. In return local artists, curators and organizations will have the opportunity to extend their knowledge about the innovative ways that many international curators are working. GeoAIR has designated her residency mainly for curators or cultural producers because it feels that they are most able to affect multiplier effects through exchange and production and are more equipped to use the residency as a platform from which to jump for to instigate future collaborations between the resident and artists and organizations form the Caucasus region.

Residents are expected to make at least one public presentation of their work or related topic for Georgia public.

more here: geoairresidency.blogspot.com

GeoAIR Art Residency Team:
Sophia Tabatadze, Nini Palavandishvili, Sophia Lapiashvili
Contact infogeoair@gmail.com

+++

* Pelin Tan is a sociologist and art historian. She was a researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul (2001-2010). Tan is a research fellow in Spring 2011 at the ACT (Art, Culture, and Technology) program of the Department of Architecture – School of Architecture and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Previously she was a guest professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Architecture and Urban Research MA Program, Nuremberg (2008); and guest lecturer at the History of Art Departments at the Technical University, Berlin (2006–2007) and Trier University, Trier (2004). Tan is currently working on the publication Unconditional Hospitality and Architecture (forthcoming) and co-edited (with Sezgin Boynik) the publication Güncel Sanatta Kamusal Alan Tartışmaları [Public Space Discussion in Contemporary Art] (2007). She is also editor of Muhtelif contemporary art magazine, and has contributed to numerous publications including: Becoming Istanbul, An Encyclopedia (2008); When Things Cast No Shadow (catalog, 5th Berlin Biennale) (2008); Megastructure Reloaded (2008); and Contemporary Art In Turkey: 1986–2006 (2007).

She is a member of the curatioral advisory board of DEPO Istanbul. Tan curated several research-based projects and exhibitions that are consisting of issues in contemporary art: Urban localities and social conflict, Alternative education formats, Institutional criticism, Social surplus value and dissemination. For 2011, Tan is working on a research project of artist run-spaces in Asia and labor; editing a special issue on social surplus, freelance teaching and curating Knut Asdam Solo show (June, DEPO).

Pelin Tan is based in Istanbul, works trans-locally.
www.tanpelin.blogspot.com

Residency stay of Pelin Tan is supported by: Open Society Institute, Arts and Culture Network Program

VERANSTALTUNGEN: Unterwegs - South Caucasus and Europe - Young Perspektive (dioezese-innsbruck.at)

Ausstellung: 12.-18. Dezember 2009
Mo - Fr 11 bis 18 Uhr / Sa - So 11 bis 16 Uhr
Eintritt frei

Haus der Begegnung
Rennweg 12
6020 Innsbruck

Dienstag, 8. Dezember 2009
19.30 Uhr
"From Home to Home" Filmvorführung unter Teilnahme von Regisseurin Frau Seda Muradyan
anschließend Diskussion mit Jugendlichen aus Armenien, Georgien und Aserbaidschan
Sprache: Englisch

Dokumentation
Regie: Seda Muradyan, Arsen Gasparyan
Produktionsjahr: 2009
Dauer: 28 Min.
Zwei Dörfer: Kyzlshafag (jetzt Dzyunashogh) in Armenien und Kerkenj in Aserbaidschan liegen Hunderte Kilometer auseinander. Bis 1989 war Kyzlshafag von Aserbaidschanern und Kerkenj von Armeniern bewohnt. 1989, kurz vor dem Karabach-Krieg, fanden die Bewohner beider Dörfer eine eigene Lösung: Die Armenier und Aserbaidschaner entschließen sich, ihre Dörfer auszutauschen, und versprachen einander, sich um die hinterlassenen Gräber zu kümmern. Seit 20 Jahren haben sie ihr Versprechen nicht gebrochen.
Der Film wurde in Armenien und Aserbaidschan gedreht, obwohl zwischen den beiden Ländern keine diplomatischen Beziehungen bestehen und Armenier nicht nach Aserbaidschan reisen dürfen.
Über die Dokumentation diskutiert die Regisseurin Seda Muradyan mit Jugendlichen aus Armenien, Aserbaidschan, Georgien, Litauen und Österreich.
Sprache: Englisch

Freitag, 11. Dezember 2009
18.00 Uhr
UNTERWEGS. South Caucasus and Europe – Young Perspectives: Ausstellungseröffnung
unter Teilnahme von ProjektteilnehmerInnen: Jugendlichen aus Armenien, Georgien, Aserbaidschan, Litauen und Österreich

Im Rahmen des Projekts South Caucasus – A Part of Europe recherchierten Jugendliche aus Armenien, Aserbaidschan, Georgien, Litauen und Österreich zu Themen, die sie beschäftigen. Dabei entstanden zuweilen informative, zuweilen experimentelle Arbeiten in den Sparten Text, Sound, Video und Fotografie. Eine Archivinstallation präsentiert die Ergebnisse und zeigt internationale jugendliche Perspektiven auf ihren Alltag, ihre (Um)Wege und Zukunftsträume.
Zur Eröffnung der Ausstellung werden junge Menschen – AutorInnen der Beiträge – aus den beteiligten Ländern eingeladen und das Projekt und ihre Arbeit präsentieren.
Sprache: Deutsch/Englisch
Nach der Veranstaltung sind Sie zum Empfang und zur Besichtigung der Ausstellung herzlich eingeladen.

Samstag, 12. Dezember 2009
16.00 Uhr
Education Cooperation across the Caucasus: Projektpräsentation und Kontaktforum unter Teilnahme von Projektpartnern aus Armenien, Georgien und Aserbaidschan
Sprache: Englisch

Im Rahmen des Projekts "Education Cooperation across the Caucasus" / "Bildungskooperationen im Kaukasus" arbeitet eine Gruppe von PädagogInnen und BildungsarbeiterInnen aus dem gesamten Kaukasus zusammen, um unter nationalen und internationalen EntscheidungsträgerInnen das Bewusstsein über jene politischen Herausforderungen zu schärfen, welchen gefährdete Kinder und Jugendliche hinsichtlich der Bildungs- und Sozialpolitik in dieser Region ausgesetzt sind.
Die eingeladenen Gäste – ProjektpartnerInnen aus Armenien, Aserbaidschan und Georgien – präsentieren ihre Arbeit im Rahmen des Projekts und laden österreichische KollegInnen zum Erfahrungsaustausch ein.

TeilnehmerInnen:
· Natella Mammadova, Open Society Institute – Assistance Foundation, Baku, Aserbaidschan
· Zaruhi Batoyan, Armik Sahakyan, "Bridge of Hope" NGO, Yerevan, Armenien "Bridge of Hope" arbeitet zum Schutze der Rechte von Kindern und jungen Menschen mit besonderen Bedürfnissen. Die Organisation unterstützt Lehrende in 31 Schulen in ganz Armenien dabei, Kinder mit speziellen Bildungsbedürfnissen durch verbesserte Klassenpraktiken und Engagement in der Gemeinschaft, basierend auf einem sozialen Modell von Behinderung, einzubinden.
· Rasim Aghayev, Elnur Akhundov, "Educational Center for Youth", Baku, Aserbaidschan
Das "Educational Center for Youth" konzentriert sich auf die Stärkung des Interesses von SchülerInnen an Bildung durch Erhöhung ihrer Beteiligung an Schulaktivitäten und richtet sich
mit dem unterstützten Projekt besonders an von Binnenvertreibung betroffene Schulkinder.
· Giorgi Darchiashvili, Irakli Nadiradze, "Beryllus" NGO, Tbilisi, Georgien
"Beryllus" bietet für 80 benachteiligte Jugendliche außerhalb des Schulstundenplans Möglichkeiten, sich mit Fähigkeiten und Wissen, welche für die erfolgreiche Arbeitssuche nötig sind, auszustatten.
Das Projekt wurde initiiert und wird finanziert vom Education Support Program (ESP) des
Open Society Institute (OSI).
Sprache: Englisch

Sonntag, 13. Dezember 2009
14.00 Uhr
Offenes Vermittlungsprogramm – Ausstellungsführung

Montag, 14. Dezember 2009
19.00 Uhr
UNTERWEGS – zu den Menschen. Mitten in den Bergen. Armenienforum.
Gemeinsam mit Caritas Auslandshilfe und Welthaus Innsbruck

"Unterwegs" ist immer mehr Hilfe der Caritas Tirol nach Armenien. Auch die Caritas Tirol ist unterwegs in Armenien, unterstützt Projekte.
"Unterwegs" sein braucht Zeit zum Energie tanken, Gefährten finden und Routen planen, daher ist Vernetzung zusätzlich zu den Projekten ein weiteres Anliegen der Caritas Auslandhilfe.
Die Caritas Tirol lädt daher alle, die sich für Armenien engagieren, die mehr über Land und Leute erfahren wollen, Armenien-Reisende, aus Armenien Stammende und jene, die sich mit den Menschen verbunden fühlen, ein zu erzählen, was erlebt wurde, welche Projekte und Erfahrungen gemacht wurden, wo es Hindernisse gab und welche Lichtblicke geschaffen wurden.
Nach dem Besuch der Ausstellung „Unterwegs“ werden die aktuellen Projekte vorgestellt und es gibt Zeit und Raum, eigene Erfahrungen mit Armenien zu präsentieren und sich auszutauschen.
Referent: Mag. Andrä Stigger, Caritas Welthaus, Innsbruck
Gemeinsam mit Caritas Auslandshilfe und Caritas Welthaus Innsbruck.

Dienstag, 15. Dezember 2009
19.00 Uhr
UNTERWEGS. Südkaukasus zwischen der Europäischen Union und Russland
Vortrag und Diskussion mit Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Gerhard MANGOTT, Universität Innsbruck

Trotz des wirtschaftlichen Aufwärtstrends der letzten Jahre scheint die Entwicklung des Südkaukasus angesichts einer Vielzahl politischer Konflikte weiterhin bedroht. Der Krieg zwischen Georgien und Russland hat dies vor kurzem erst der Weltöffentlichkeit mehr als deutlich vor Augen geführt. Die "eingefrorenen Konflikte" um Südossetien, Abchasien, aber auch Nagorno-Karabach bleiben ungelöst. Die Region spiegelt die widerstreitenden Interessen der Großmächte, doch innenpolitische Konflikte bleiben virulent. Welche Zukunftsperspektiven ergeben sich für die Länder im Südkaukasus? Können sie ihren Platz zwischen der Europäischen Union und Russland finden?
Referent: Ao. Univ.- Prof. Dr. Gerhard Mangott, Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Universität Innsbruck

Mittwoch, 16. Dezember 2009
16.00 Uhr
Offenes Vermittlungsprogramm – Ausstellungsführung

Das Vermittlungsprogramm für BesucherInnen der Ausstellung "UNTERWEGS" lädt dazu ein, Perspektiven zu wechseln. Während die jugendlichen AutorInnen der Ausstellung unterwegs waren, um Alltag zu dokumentieren und Geschichten in Text, Ton und Bildern zu erzählen, machen sich die AusstellungsbesucherInnen auf den Weg nach ihrem eigenen Blick, bestimmen, was sie sehen und worüber sie sprechen wollen.
Was wissen die BesucherInnen über Armenien, Aserbaidschan, Litauen und Georgien? Welche Bilder vermitteln die Medien? Nach der Einstimmung bahnen sich die BesucherInnen ihren eigenen Weg durch die Ausstellung, deren Material je nach Interesse betrachtet und zusammengeführt werden kann. Anschließend besteht die Möglichkeit einer Abschlussdiskussion.
Sprache: Deutsch. Die Ausstellung ist multilingual konzipiert. Englischkenntnisse sind von Vorteil.

Freitag, 18. Dezember 2009
19.00 Uhr
UNTERWEGS. Von Baku bis Batumi, vom Kazbeg bis zum Berg Ararat. Eine Reise durch Aserbaidschan, Georgien und Armenien
Diashow und Vortrag von Mag. Siegfried WÖBER, Medienanalyst, Vorsitzender der Österreichisch-Kaukasischen Gesellschaft, Fotograf, Kaukasus-Reisender

Über Jahrhunderte hat die Region des Südkaukasus Abenteurer aus aller Welt angezogen und sie gleichsam mit ihrer einzigartigen Kultur und Landschaft fasziniert. Die aktuelle Geschichte von Armenien, Aserbaidschan und Georgien ist nicht nur durch militärische Konflikte und eine gesellschaftliche Transformation gekennzeichnet, sondern auch durch eine Annäherung an Europa und vermehrten Kontakt zwischen unseren Gesellschaften geprägt. Mit Bildern, Musik und persönlichen Geschichten sollen Eindrücke über die spannende Region hinter den höchsten Bergen Europas vermittelt werden.
Referent: Mag. Siegfried Wöber, Medienanalyst bei einer internationalen Organisation, Vorsitzender der Österreichisch-Kaukasischen Gesellschaft, Fotograf, regelmäßiger Kaukasus-Reisender

INTERNET: Developing the Georgian blogosphere (georgiamediacentre.com)

Internet access in Georgia is limited - perhaps 2% of the population have regular access to a connection. But it is growing and, in Tbilisi in particular, offers huge potential to bypass the state directed media and also to increase public accountability by cutting through some of the more credulous reportage of events in the country.That's why the new media forum held this week in Tbilisi could turn out to be an important event not just in the history of the internet in Georgia, but maybe even for the country itself. more here >>>

Georgia: New Media Forum
Following last year's Caucasus Bar Camp in Tbilisi, Georgia, came this week's New Media Forum supported by the Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF) and the Mtatsminda Park. With the Georgian blogosphere arguably the least developed in the region, the two-day event sought to evangelize the potential of new and social media to a specialist audience. more here >>>

JOB: Technical Manager: Central Eurasia Project - EurasiaNet (soros.org)

Antwortadresse: humanresources@sorosny.org

Von: Cornelius Graubner
Datum: Thu, 9 Jul 2009 15:18:14 -0400

Maybe the job posting pasted below is of interest? Solid Russian language skills and a US work permit are necessary requirements.

http://www.soros.org/about/offices/newyork/techmgr_20090701

Best, Cornelius
________________________________

POSIITON AVAILABLE
Technical Manager
Central Eurasia Project - EurasiaNet
July 2009

The Open Society Institute works to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. Open societies are characterized by the rule of law; respect for human rights, minorities, and a diversity of opinions; democratically elected governments; market economies in which business and government are separate; and a civil society that helps keep government power in check.
To achieve its mission, OSI seeks to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. On a local level, OSI implements a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, OSI builds alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. OSI places high priority on protecting and improving the lives of marginalized people and communities.
Investor and philanthropist George Soros in 1993 created OSI as a private operating and grant-making foundation to support his foundations in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Those foundations were established, starting in 1984, to help countries make the transition from communism. OSI has expanded the activities of the Soros foundations network to encompass the United States and more than 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Each national foundation relies on the expertise of boards composed of eminent citizens who determine individual agendas based on local priorities.
OSI's Central Eurasia Project (CEP) acts as a policy advocacy center, grant-making program, and OSI liaison for Soros foundations and programs in the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Mongolia, Turkey and Afghanistan. EurasiaNet is a daily news web site that operates under the CEP's auspices. EurasiaNet provides information and analysis about political, economic, environmental and social developments in the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as in Russia, Afghanistan and Turkey. The Technical Manager reports directly to web site's editor;

For more information visit http://www.eurasianet.org

The Technical Manager works full time for the CEP's website EurasiaNet, an online magazine that posts original stories concerning political, economic and social developments in the Caucasus and
Central Asia. The Technical Manager oversees all technical aspects of the site's operation, including both the English and Russian language sections, in particular the formatting of stories and photographs for uploading on to EurasiaNet's servers, and promoting stories via web-based social networking platforms. Other responsibilities include;

Responsibilities
* Oversees all technical aspects of the site's operation, including both the English and Russian language sections, in particular the formatting of stories and photographs for uploading on to EurasiaNet's servers;
* Promotes the distribution of stories via web-based social networking platforms.
* Organization of EurasiaNet's photo archive;
* Primary point of contact between EurasiaNet, and the website's contributing editor for photography.
* Responsible for adapting the site to accommodate multi-media packages, comprising text, images and audio.
* Maintains the website as an information resource, searching for new outlets to which EurasiaNet can link, while deleting outdated links,
* Communication with partner organizations to ensure that EurasiaNet material is properly distributed according to existing arrangements.
* The Technical Manager may, on occasion, work on developing and maintaining the website of partners projects within OSI.
* Coordinating the posting of audio/visual projects.
* Proofreading.
* Maintaining the website as an information resource via links to other websites.
* Handling administrative tasks, including generating consultancy agreements for EurasiaNet contributors and processing payments. (Approximately 10 hours per week).

Qualifications
* B.A. degree.
* Solid journalism skills;
* Familiar with the Drupal content management system, as well as have thorough knowledge of HTML, XML, Photoshop, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office;
* Familiarity with Coldfusion and at least some web design skills are a plus.
* Ability to manage Microsoft Excel spreadsheets is essential.
* Experience with various social networking platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.
* knowledge of the Russian-language a plus;
* Basic familiarity with political, economic and social developments in the Caucasus and Central Asia is a plus.
* Solid proof-reading skills

To Apply
Please email resume and cover letter with salary requirements before August 10, 2009 to: humanresources@sorosny.org
Include job code in subject line: TechMgrCEP

FOUNDATION: "Azerbaijan Gender Information Center" - AGIC (gender-az.org)

"Azerbaijan Gender Information Center" AGIC is the first informational and analytical, bibliographical and documental center of women movement on the territory of the South Caucasus.

In the beginning of 2002 year under the support of Fund "Open Society - Azerbaijan" started the project "Azerbaijan Gender Information Center" (AGIC).

The project of AGIC establishment was carried out by the coalition of republic women organizations ...

more >>>

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

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 языке

Thank you in advance Sincerely
Laura Gevorgyan
Arts and Culture Program coordinator

Source: www.soros.org

ESSAY: Crisis Of Governance In Georgia

Georgia: politics after revolution, Alexander Rondeli

A series of events in Georgia in October-November 2007 - political infighting, mass demonstrations, the declaration of a state of emergency, and the announcement of presidential elections on 5 January 2008 (a year in advance of schedule) - has convulsed the country and earned it the kind of global media attention most of its citizens regret. Is this crisis part of the pain of a still-evolving democratic transition, or evidence of something more serious? An outline of the main contours of this...

more »

Alexander Rondeli is president of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS)
Also by Alexander Rondeli openDemocracy:"Georgia: a rough road from the rose revolution" (4 December 2003

Among openDemocracy's many articles on Georgian politics:
Neal Ascherson, "Tbilisi, Georgia: the rose revolution's rocky road" (15 July 2005)
Donald Rayfield, "Georgia and Russia: with you, without you" (3 October 2006)
Robert Parsons, "Russia and Georgia: a lover's revenge" (6 October 2006)
George Hewitt, "Abkhazia: land in limbo" (10 October 2006)
Vicken Cheterian, "Georgia's arms race" (4 July 2007)
Donald Rayfield, "Russia and Georgia: a war of perceptions" (24 August 2007)

Ronald Suny, The Making of the Georgian Nation (Indiana University Press, 1994)

caucasus: regional fractures

NEWS:

EurasiaNet Weekly Update

THE FOLLOWING STORIES APPEARED ON EURASIANET OVER THE PAST WEEK:

GEORGIA-RUSSIA ROW HEATS UP OVER FRESH MYSTERY AIRCRAFT
Paul Rimple
Now you see it, now you don't. Only days after a second international team of investigators submitted their findings about an alleged violation of Georgian airspace by Russian aircraft, tensions between the two countries are intensifying over conflicting reports of an aircraft violating Georgian airspace and crashing somewhere in a strip of Georgian-controlled territory in the breakaway region of Abkhazia. The remains of the aircraft have yet to be found, leaving more questions than answers.
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav083007.shtml

ARMENIAN EX-PRESIDENT MULLS DRAMATIC COMEBACK
Emil Danielyan
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav083007a.shtml

ANALYSTS: CHANCES SLIM FOR US-RUSSIAN RADAR STATION
Rovshan Ismayilov
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav082907.shtml

IRAN-AZERBAIJAN SUMMIT: "BROTHERLY" FEELINGS, WITHOUT RESULTS
Rovshan Ismayilov
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav082407.shtml

IS SCO UNITY AN ILLUSION?
A EurasiaNet Commentary by Igor Rotar
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav082207.shtml

PROPERTY RIGHTS CONTROVERSY DOGS GEORGIA'S PRIVATIZATION CAMPAIGN
Paul Rimple
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav082207a.shtml

******************************************************************
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OPEN FORUM SPEAKER SERIES
If you live in the New York City or Washington, DC area, join OpenSociety Institute for its Open Forum speaker series.
The Open Forum speaker series aims to enhance policy debate on key issues facing Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the Middle East, and to raise public awareness of important developments in these regions.
Bi-monthly Open Forum events are held in New York and Washington, DC, and are attended by leading policymakers, scholars, NGO staff, and journalists. The series is sponsored by OSI's Central Eurasia Project
(www.soros.org/initiatives/cep) and Middle East and North Africa Initiative. All events are free and open to the public. To receive Open Forum announcements, please email to cepopenforum@sorosny.org.
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EurasiaNet (http://www.eurasianet.org) is a leading Internet News service, covering the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as Afghanistan, Turkey, the Middle East and Mongolia.
A comprehensive resource, the website provides exclusive analysis, emphasizing in-depth coverage of political economic and social issues largely unaddressed by other information sources. It provides an outlet
for opinions that challenge conventional wisdom. Contributors are based both in the West and in the region.
EurasiaNet is also a consolidator of news and information from outside sources, including the British Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty and Interfax. Its database of links and resources
concerning the Caucasus and Central Asia is perhaps the most comprehensive found anywhere on the World Wide Web.
------------------------------------------------------------------
-- EurasiaNet also distributes these messages in Russian. If you would prefer to receive the Russian edition, please reply to this email with the word "Russify" in the subject line.
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NEWS:

EurasiaNet Weekly Update

THE FOLLOWING STORIES APPEARED ON EURASIANET OVER THE PAST WEEK:

PROPERTY RIGHTS CONTROVERSY DOGS GEORGIAÆS PRIVATIZATION CAMPAIGN
Paul Rimple
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav082207a.shtml

******************************************************************
ANNOUNCEMENTS
OPEN FORUM SPEAKER SERIES
If you live in the New York City or Washington, DC area, join OpenSociety Institute for its Open Forum speaker series.
The Open Forum speaker series aims to enhance policy debate on key issues facing Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the Middle East, and to raise public awareness of important developments in these regions.
Bi-monthly Open Forum events are held in New York and Washington, DC, and are attended by leading policymakers, scholars, NGO staff, and journalists. The series is sponsored by OSI's Central Eurasia Project
(www.soros.org/initiatives/cep) and Middle East and North Africa Initiative. All events are free and open to the public. To receive Open Forum announcements, please email to cepopenforum@sorosny.org.
******************************************************************
-----------------------------------------------------------------
EurasiaNet (http://www.eurasianet.org) is a leading Internet News service, covering the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as Afghanistan, Turkey, the Middle East and Mongolia.
A comprehensive resource, the website provides exclusive analysis, emphasizing in-depth coverage of political economic and social issues largely unaddressed by other information sources. It provides an outlet
for opinions that challenge conventional wisdom. Contributors are based both in the West and in the region.
EurasiaNet is also a consolidator of news and information from outside sources, including the British Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty and Interfax. Its database of links and resources
concerning the Caucasus and Central Asia is perhaps the most comprehensive found anywhere on the World Wide Web.
------------------------------------------------------------------
-- EurasiaNet also distributes these messages in Russian. If you would prefer to receive the Russian edition, please reply to this email with the word "Russify" in the subject line.
-- Using technology from AvantGo, EurasiaNet is available for your Palm OS or Windows CE device. To receive our news and analysis, formatted specifically for your handheld computer, click here:
http://www.eurasianet.org/palm.shtml

NEWS:

EurasiaNet Weekly Update

THE FOLLOWING STORIES APPEARED ON EURASIANET OVER THE PAST WEEK:


AZERBAIJAN: BAKU BOOM HAS YET TO HIT REGIONS
Rovshan Ismayilov
Photos by Rena Effendi
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav081307.shtml

IRANIAN PIPELINE MEANS GAS, NOT GEOPOLITICS TO ARMENIAN TOWN
Joshua Kucera
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav081007.shtml

GEORGIAN ROCKET ATTACK RAISES QUESTIONS
Paul Rimple
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav080907.shtml

FURTHER QUESTIONS DOG GEORGIAN MISSILE ATTACK
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav080907f.shtml

******************************************************************
ANNOUNCEMENTS
OPEN FORUM SPEAKER SERIES
If you live in the New York City or Washington, DC area, join OpenSociety Institute for its Open Forum speaker series.
The Open Forum speaker series aims to enhance policy debate on key issues facing Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the Middle East, and to raise public awareness of important developments in these regions.
Bi-monthly Open Forum events are held in New York and Washington, DC, and are attended by leading policymakers, scholars, NGO staff, and journalists. The series is sponsored by OSI's Central Eurasia Project
(www.soros.org/initiatives/cep) and Middle East and North Africa Initiative. All events are free and open to the public. To receive Open Forum announcements, please email to cepopenforum@sorosny.org.
******************************************************************
-----------------------------------------------------------------
EurasiaNet (http://www.eurasianet.org) is a leading Internet News service, covering the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as Afghanistan, Turkey, the Middle East and Mongolia.
A comprehensive resource, the website provides exclusive analysis, emphasizing in-depth coverage of political economic and social issues largely unaddressed by other information sources. It provides an outlet
for opinions that challenge conventional wisdom. Contributors are based both in the West and in the region.
EurasiaNet is also a consolidator of news and information from outside sources, including the British Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty and Interfax. Its database of links and resources
concerning the Caucasus and Central Asia is perhaps the most comprehensive found anywhere on the World Wide Web.
------------------------------------------------------------------
-- EurasiaNet also distributes these messages in Russian. If you would prefer to receive the Russian edition, please reply to this email with the word "Russify" in the subject line.
-- Using technology from AvantGo, EurasiaNet is available for your Palm OS or Windows CE device. To receive our news and analysis, formatted specifically for your handheld computer, click here:
http://www.eurasianet.org/palm.shtml

EurasiaNet Weekly Update

JOB OPPORTUNITY AT OSI

The Open Society Institute seeks a Deputy Regional Director for its Caucasus and Central Asia program. Working under the supervision of the Regional Director for the Caucasus and Central Asia National Foundations (NF) of the Open Society Institute, the Deputy Director will assist in managing the work of the foundations and coordinating their efforts with OSI's thematic divisions. For details please visit our website at
http://www.eurasianet.org/grants_employment/deputy_regional_director2007.shtml

THE FOLLOWING STORIES APPEARED ON EURASIANET OVER THE PAST WEEK:

AZERBAIJANIS PRESS FOR PEACE BETWEEN IRAN, US
Rovshan Ismayilov
While Iran's April 4 decision to release 15 captured British soldiers made headlines worldwide, in Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic's northern neighbor, news consumers had a more immediate concern: the need to preserve their country's neutrality in the face of ongoing hostility between Tehran and the West.
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav040407a.shtml

ARMENIA: DEMANDS FOR VOTER PASSPORTS SPARK ELECTION CONTROVERSY
Gayane Abrahamyan
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav040407.shtml

ARMENIA: ATTACK ON MAYOR RAISES POLITICAL TENSIONS
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav040307b.shtml

GEORGIA BURIES A PRESIDENT, BUT NOT THE PAST
A EurasiaNet Photo Story: Text by Paul Rimple. Photos by Sophia Mizante
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav040207.shtml

RUSSIA MOVES TO REPAIR TIES WITH AZERBAIJAN
Sergei Blagov
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav040207a.shtml

ARMENIA: PM'S DEATH HAS MINIMAL IMPACT ON PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION CAMPAIGN
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav033007.shtml

CHURCH REOPENING IN TURKEY DOES LITTLE TO REASSURE ARMENIANS
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav033007a.shtml

ARMENIA BURIES PRIME MINISTER
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav032807a.shtml