History

The project of establishing an independent conflict resolution center in the Caucasus region was first proposed by Dr George Khutsishvili in 1989 but existed only as an informal group of scholars till late 1992, when the Center for Conflict Research opened as part of the newly established State Committee for Human Rights and Ethnic Relations of Georgia.

The Center participated in the international project "Ethnicity and European Security" coordinated by the Centre for International Studies at Queen's University, Kingston, Ont. In 1993/94 Dr Khutsishvili was awarded an IREX/Carnegie fellowship in the "International Security Studies Program" at the Center for International Security and Arms Control (now renamed the Center for International Security and Cooperation) at Stanford University.

The fellowship at CISAC was extended to a full academic year thanks to a generous private donation from Mr David Packard. In the same period, Dr S. Neil Macfarlane of Queen's University, Dr David Holloway of CISAC, and Dr Raymond Shonholtz of Partners for Democratic Change encouraged Dr Khutsishvili to apply to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for the establishment of an independent NGO in Georgia.

In spring 1994 the decision was made by the MacArthur Foundation to support the establishment of the International Center on Conflict and Negotiation in Georgia. The Founding Assembly was held in Tbilisi on August 8, 1994, which unanimously (63 signatures altogether) supported the establishment of ICCN. Dr Khutsishvili was granted the status of ICCN's founder. On November 3, 1994 the Ministry of Justice of Georgia registered ICCN as non-profit NGO (certificate #1755). ICCN was given the status of international organization according to the Georgian legislation because CISAC of Stanford University served in the first year after ICCN's establishment as an implementing partner of the project.

Since then ICCN has been an independent contractor. The activities of ICCN extend to the Caucasus region, with special emphasis on the situation in Georgia but participation also in wider networks and international projects. ICCN has been a co-founder of international societies and centers, e.g. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, based in Tbilisi, Georgia; The Caucasus NGO Forum for Peace and Non-violence in the Caucasus; the Caucasus Women's Research and Consulting Network (CWN) etc.

Since 1996 ICCN has been part of the Steering Committee for the CIS Conference on Forced Migration (so-called CISCONF or 'Geneva Process') sponsored by UNHCR, IOM and OSCE.

Since 1998 ICCN is member of IANSA (International Action Network on Small Arms) and United for Intercultural Action (the Netherlands).

Since 2000 the organization is a member of Transcend: A Peace and Development Network (Dr mult Johan Galtung, Director) and of the European Platform for Conflict Prevention and Transformation (the Netherlands). In 2001 ICCN co-founded the Georgian Coalition Against Violence.

In February 2003, ICCN's Director initiated the Movement Against Religious Intolerance in Georgia.

On October 20, 2003, International Center on Conflict and Negotiation initiated discussion about the need of establishing a national coalition in support of International Criminal Court. Later, after almost one-year preparatory work, the action plan was elaborated by representatives of the civil society of Georgia and in June 2004, by seven Georgian NGOs, a national coalition was created under the title: “Georgian Coalition for International Criminal Court”.

Georgian Coalition for International Criminal Court (GCICC) - learn more.

During the period of 2009-2012, the work of ICCN was geared towards one major aim: to support society in transforming Georgia gradually into a more liberal and non-violent country that respects diversity.

In 2013-2019 many programmes were implemented by ICCN contributing conflict resolution by peaceful means and peacebuilding in Georgia and the South Caucasus region.

კონფლიქტებისა და მოლაპარაკების საერთაშორისო კვლევითი ცენტრი

International Center on Conflict and Negotiation

Международный Центр по Конфликтам и Переговорам

1994

"Peace is Handmade"