Georgian-Abkhazian Dialogue

The goal of this project is to enable Georgian and Abkhazian decision-makers and other influential persons to discuss all aspects of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict - in particular, its root causes and dynamics - in a confidential and structured, but informal and "off-the-record" setting that uses an interactive group process.

Specifically, the dialogue process consists of a series of one-week workshops (held outside the region) attended by a group of 12 to 14 people, with equal representation from both sides of the conflict. Although the composition of each workshop group is tailored to the particular topic of discussion, nonetheless a core group of participants from previous workshops is retained. This both ensures continuity, while simultaneously permitting the sphere of influence to expand and involve an ever-wider network of participants who are interested in promoting peace in the region. Participants are supported by a team of facilitators (pdf) whose main task is twofold: 1) to elicit new ideas that can contribute to constructive conflict management; and 2) to encourage the development of new concepts that can address the long-standing political challenges in the region. Now coordinated by the Berghof Foundation for Peace Support (BFPS), this project was a joint undertaking organised in cooperation with Conciliation Resources, London, UK from 1997 to 2005.

Widely known in the region as the "Schlaining Process" (where the first meeting was held in Austria), 16 workshops have been held to date. In order to better facilitate intensive interaction among the participants, the workshops take the form of both small-group and plenary-style discussions. In addition to information exchange, some of the other issues raised at these workshops include, for example: the analysis of selected topics (e.g. needs and fears of the parties, possible models of confidence-building), as well as the development of mid- to long-term (speculative) scenarios. Cost-benefit analyses - of the status quo, and various alternatives should different political constellations emerge - likewise form part of the programme. To effectively stimulate discussion, ethnopolitical conflicts from different parts of the world also are used as "prisms" through which to examine the Georgia-Abkhazian conflict. To this end, politicians and experts from Northern Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, Sri Lanka and South Africa have made workshop presentations. Importantly, both participants and facilitators are aware that the ideas generated through the course of the workshops should be shared, upon their return home, with the political and social reference groups to which the participants belong, whilst at the same time preserving the value of confidentiality that underpins the workshop ethos.

Contact:
International Partners: Conciliation Resources, UK (workshops 1-14; 16) and Berghof Foundation for Peace Support (since 2005)
Partners in the Region: Manana Gurgulia (Suchum/i) and Paata Zakareishvili (Tblisi)
Funding: Various organisations have provided funding for this project throughout the years: United Nations Volunteers (UNV), the Church Development Service (Evangelische Zentralstelle für Entwicklungshilfe, EZE, and Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst, EED), the German Foreign Ministry, Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen Projekt zivik, the Austrian Foreign Ministry, the Swiss Foreign Ministry (EDA), Department for International Development (DfID) UK, Berghof Foundation for Conflict Research, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), Global Conflict Prevention Pool UK, European Commission Rapid Reaction Mechanism.
Duration: January 1997 - on-going

Publications

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Oliver Wolleh:
A Difficult Encounter. The informal Georgian-Abkhaz Dialogueprocess. (pdf)
Berghof Report No. 12. Berlin 2006.

Oliver Wolleh:
Schwierige Begegnung - Der informelle georgisch-abchasische Dialogprozess. (pdf)
Berlin 2006 - German translation of Berghof Report 12 -

Norbert Ropers:
Der georgisch-abchasische Konflikt. Vom Krieg zur feindlichen oder friedli­chen Koexistenz?, in: ASPR et al. (Eds.): Friedens­bericht 1998. Theorie und Praxis ziviler Konflikt­bearbeitung in Osteuropa, 279-302.

Antje Bühler et al.:
Discussion Pack on the Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict (pdf) (Russian language only), published in partnership with Conciliation Resources (CR).


Workshops ("Schlaining Process") and Press Releases
Workshop 0, January 1997, Stadtschlaining, Austria
Workshop 1, February 2000, Stadtschlaining, Austria
Workshop 2, June 2000, Stadtschlaining, Austria
Workshop 3, November 2000, Bad Schwalbach, Germany
Workshop 4, March 2001, Potsdam, Germany
Workshop 5 (pdf), July 2001, Berlin, Germany
Workshop 6 (pdf), December 2001, Berlin, Germany
Workshop 7 (pdf), April 2002, Stadtschlaining, Austria
Workshop 8 (pdf), July 2002, Herrsching, Germany
Workshop 9 (pdf), November 2002, Berlin, Germany
Workshop 10 (pdf), April 2003, Hamburg, Germany
Workshop 11 (pdf), July 2003, Berlin, Germany
Workshop 12 (pdf), December 2003, , Stadtschlaining, Austria
Workshop 13 (pdf), May 2004, Berlin, Germany
Workshop 14 (pdf), April 2005, Oxford, UK
Workshop 15, July/August 2005, Vienna, Austria (Conciliation Resources)
Workshop 16 (pdf), November 2005, Berlin, Germany