JAVAKHETI CITIZEN’S FORUM FOUNDED WITH ECMI

The Messenger, Georgia
Aug 30 2005

Under the auspices of the European Center for Minority Issues (ECMI),
local leaders of the largely ethic-Armenian region of Javakheti created
a Javakheti Citizen’s Forum on August 23. “The establishment of the
Javakheti Citizen’s Forum is a major step forward for advancing civil
society in Javakheti,” ECMI’s Regional Representative for the Caucasus
based in Tbilisi Tom Trier said in a press release. “The Forum
will play a major role in enhancing the links between the region’s
population and the authorities.” ECMI is one of Europe’s leading expert
institutions in the field of interethnic relations. With a conflict
prevention focus, ECMI aims to defuse inter-ethnic tension and promote
regional integration of the isolated Javakheti region (Akhalkalaki and
Ninotsminda rayons) On August 23, the Javakheti Citizen’s Forum held
its inaugural meeting with the participation of over 150 people from
the region and elected an organizational committee. The next day, the
committee elected 17 board members and established six working groups
on gender, youth issues, human and minority rights, economic issues,
language, education and culture, and territorial reform. According to
ECMI all of Javakheti’s ethnic groups-Armenians, Georgian, Greeks,
Russian Dukhobors-and different religious confessions-Apostolic
and Catholic Armenians-were present at the inaugural meeting.
“Javakheti remains an isolated region of Georgia,” Tom Trier said,
“but the Forum will provide new opportunities for enhancing a process
of consultation between government and civil society in the region.
It is important that concerns of Javakheti’s population are heard and
taken into account when the government devises new policies affecting
the region.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress