About us

International Center on Conflict and Negotiation (ICCN) is an independent, peace-making, research and training institution that was founded in 1994 thanks to financial support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and organizational support from the Center for International Security and Arms Control of Stanford University. ICCN was established with the aim of building peace and accord in the divided post-totalitarian society, placing its main emphasis on conflict prevention and resolution in the Caucasus region with special focus on Georgia. In the following years it became clear that reaching these objectives was not possible without empowering civil society, advocating human rights, and tightly cooperating with other important actors. All these have since become ICCN programmatic goals. In recent years ICCN has diversified its activities and partnership in order to achieve a stronger impact through interaction with selected target groups.

The main long-term aims are:

  • Strengthening democracy and civil society building
  • Positive peace building and conflict prevention/management in a divided society
  • Human rights, tolerance and gender equity

ICCN has professional experience in research and analysis, including regional security studies, sociological surveys and public opinion polling, human rights focusing on gender equity, minority rights and IDP/refugee/migration studies, peace education including training in a number of fields, public diplomacy (track-two) efforts across conflict zones, cross-border activities and peace campaigning, media and publishing activities, international expertise and networking. ICCN plays an active role in peace building and civil society building in Georgia and the Caucasus region.

ICCN activities also include advocacy and lobbying, working through opinion multipliers, networking and NGO coalitions, public campaigning, third-party intervention: consultation, facilitation, mediation. The numerous outputs include research - including sociological research: opinion polls, content analysis, monitoring and expert assessments; nation and region-wide security studies (with resulting publications), conferences, problem-solving workshops and trainings, seminars and round tables for target groups, with follow-up publications, including in periodicals.