Right now not only Caucasian but all the post-soviet countries are undergoing hard political time, especially, Caucasian region with questions about territorial integrity issues. The democratic development of all our countries is a complex process. I’m very sorry that the relationships between Russia and one of the Caucasian states are complicated. I think that the President of Georgia, Mikhail Saakashvili complicated the relationship between Georgia and Russia that were already difficult after the collapse of Soviet Union.
Mamuka Jgenti, 36, is Ambassador of Georgia to the Council of Europe. Graduated from law, married, two kids, he plays tennis and listens to classical music when he is not seating at the Council of Europe. He talks about its daily work, Russian-Georgian relations and European integration.
By Sopo Mgaloblishvili and Mariam Jachvadze
It’s already one year you are representative of Georgia in Council of Europe, what is your main achievement while working here?
Step by step we are improving our relations and the position of Georgia within the Council of Europe. I can mention different positive achievements which we went through during this year, but I can’t really identify any concrete achievement, because doing that might somehow downgrade something else. At this stage, I think that Georgia’s voice is heard and taken into consideration.
What are your main goals and objectives while working in Council of Europe?
It’s very unfortunate, but the reality is that we have to concentrate on issues which we would prefer to be solved. For example, the restoration of Georgian territorial integrity. We are also trying to be actively involved in all the processes related to Georgia. My main objective is to move from the kind of benefiting country to a status where we are not only donating, but also sharing our experience and our culture to other countries. We are a European country, have an European culture, so we also have a lot to share with our European partners.
What obstacles do you face while working in Council of Europe?
The main obstacle is that Georgia is a member of the Council of Europe, as well as Russia. You know how Russian diplomacy is working; it’s called “Bulldozer Diplomacy” -aggressive diplomacy-. On a daily basis, I feel Russia’s presence with the same statute, rights and obligations as Georgia within Council of Europe. This makes my professional work much more difficult. It’s much easier for me to work in international organizations where Russia is not a member state.
We know that the conflict between the Russia can’t be solved over night. The Council of Europe fully supports Georgia sovereignty, but it is not an institution that has to deal or solve security or military issues. Council of Europe is mostly oriented on human rights and humanitarian issues. The Assembly is regularly following the developments in order to evaluate the consequences of Russian invasion and ongoing occupation of Georgia.
Council of Europe was the first international organization that managed to make the action plan effective, in relation to occupied Abkhazian region of Georgia for example. Nowadays, other international organizations are able to follow this good example, so it was very important for us that the Council managed to be a pioneer in this cooperation.
Joining and improving relations with European institutions are one of the main objectives of the Georgian Government, what are the chances of Georgia in becoming member of European Union?
The same questions was asked in 1993-1994, whether Georgia would be able to join or not the Council of Europe. It took some years but in 1999, we have joined the Council of Europe. European Union is not only values; the process of integration is much more complicated, even countries declared as candidate countries took years to prepare themselves for becoming members. It is not only about human rights or democracy, but also about economical, financial criteria, which all countries have to comply.
We are working hard on European integration in order to join the European Union. It is very difficult to say an exact date, but we are moving very fast. Currently, we are mostly dealing with comprehensive and deep free trade agreement, at one stage we might also get the visa free agreement, but you also should consider what is going on at the moment within the European Union -financial crisis-. EU should also be ready to accept new members. I cannot predict, but it will take some years.
After Georgia-Russia war in 2008, thousands of children suffer from stress. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a result of strong emotions they experienced during the war.
By Sopo Mgaloblishvili and Mariam Jachvadze
“If you had a magic stick what would you wish?”
This question was asked to IDP children from Eredvi by Tina Norakidze and other psychologists who held trainings for children in 2009.
Most of them named big house surrounded by huge fence and lots of bodyguards. Fear of future and feeling of insecurity also appeared in other exercises. For instance they had to describe the feelings of swan swimming in the lake. All children had question – “Where is it going? How it will be there? Maybe somethreatis waiting for it”.
“These examples show that these children need secure environment and stability in the future” – says Tina Norakidze, psychologist
„I only see my house in my dreams, exactly the same as I left it. I don’t want to believe that there is nothing there”;“Most I remember is my mother’s voice crying – “Everyone hide in the basement”; “I strongly miss every single thing what I left in my village.”
These are the memories of schoolchildren from the war 2008. What they saw and what they heard had strong influence on their behavior. Far from their villages they started new life with new relations. Parents are also stressed after war, but the children are the ones who are mostly in the center of attention. Government, non-governmental organizations as well as society care about them, trying them not to think deeply about the war results.
“After Georgian-Russian war, IDP children were taken to the seaside. You can’t imagine how aggressive they were. Everything was broken and damaged in the hotel”– remembers Merab Oniani, art therapist who together with psychologists accompanied team of children at the seaside, Ureki (West part of Georgia).
Aggression, nightmares, myth plays, no willing to learn, drawings in dark colors, repetitive play are main symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children coming from the war, natural disasters, serious accidents or injuries.
According to Merab Oniani’s observation on IDP children the way they were playing was most recognizable for him. In playing children repeat the same situations what they had seen before –
“Often we saw, how children were burying each other in the sand, playing with guns, shouting and fighting with each other.”
Ana Jgenti, psychologist of children together with her friend was working with IDP children as well. She tells us what kinds of methods are used to help children who suffer from PTSD. One of them is reframing nightmares.
“We used to meet them every day and on each day we asked them to tell their dreams. Mostly dreams were connected to the war so the task was to draw these dreams in a way that the ending would be happy. I can say that this method really works”.
Anna says that IDPs have different emotional experience; some of them worry about losing close people, some about their houses, but children she met mostly worried about pets they lost during the war.
In psychology these symptoms have its explanation: “For children house is a part of their identity. Pets help them to give and get warm, that’s why children have such emotions about losing them” – says Manana Gabashvili psychologist.
Sopo Tabatadze 15 years old believes to be good diplomat in near future. She thinks that, she already knows the value of war and peace and will do her best for peace – “I don’t wish other children to feel the same I experienced”.
Practice show that after some years past post traumatic symptoms decrease, people try to overcome the stress and step by step they adapt to new social environment.
On the 23rd of October, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hits near Van in southeastern Turkey. Some buildings have collapsed and killed more than 400 people and trapped an unknown number under rubble.
After harvest, it’s music time in Kakheti, a region located in the Eastern part of Georgia. Telavi re-opens its International Music Festival from 16th to 23rd October.
By Nino Gelashvili
Famous Georgian musicians as well as international guests, like Russian cellist Natalia Gutman, Swiss clarinetist Eduard Brunner, and Bulgarian violin player Mincho Minchev are attending Telavi, performing classical, folk and ethnic music, as well as opera pieces.
Telavi International Music Festival saw its rebirth in 2010, after being dormant for almost 20 years. It is in the eighties famous Georgian musician Eliso Virsaladze founded ‘Telavi music festival’ – then known as “Keba Vazisa” (Praise of Vine).
Governor of Kakheti, George Gviniashvili, said the festival aims at promoting Kakheti’s region. “The revival of this great tradition is especially important for Kakheti and the whole of Georgia, since it serves the high-art population, but also underscores the value of Telavi as one of the cultural centers of Georgia. It will also help to promote the centuries-old unique culture of our country”.
Police’s reform was one of the most important consequence of the Rose Revolution, in 2003. In every district of Tbilisi, as well as in regions, police stations have been completely renovated and are transparent.
By Mariam Jachvadze & Sopio Mgaloblishvili
Georgian police was long reputated as one of the most corrupted police in South Caucasus. After the reform in 2003, half of the police effectives were fired or putted into jail. Georgia now has 30 000 policemen after Rose Revolution.
The architecture is very symbolic : buildings are transparents, opened, with large windows. Completely made of glass, those buildings are supposed to prove that the democratical process in Georgia is open and transparent for everybody. Decreased percentage of corruption and crime are the main achievements Georgian government is proud of.
Compared with 2006, the confidence of local population in the police has increased to 70%. According to official statistics, over the last two years, the percentage of robbery in Georgia decreased with 43%, and murder with 17%.
Are Georgians familiar to the European Union, would they like to live there and where and how Europe could protect the country from Russia? Vox pop through the streets of Tbilisi.
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