The Civil Platform for Peace

Declaration of Civil Society Organizations on establishing the "Civil Platform for Peace"

12/12/2023 Tbilisi, Georgia

We, the civil society organizations and experts working in peacebuilding, firmly and unwaveringly support the resolution of conflicts in Georgia solely by peaceful means, as well as supporting the integration of Georgia into the European and Euro-Atlantic structures.

In the peace process, it is especially important to promote the positive transformation of conflicts by further strengthening the dialogue, sectoral cooperation, and confidence building between the divided societies and by spreading, reinforcing, and actualizing the idea of peaceful resolution of conflicts within public discourse.

Our particular concern is the lack of dynamics and progress in the peace talks at the political level. Unfortunately, the public, media, and international interest in the conflicts have also decreased. The issues of conflict resolution and peacebuilding require more attention and concrete steps from civil society, mass media, the state, and other actors.

We believe that it is essential to revitalize Georgia's peace policy. This will significantly improve the negotiation climate and conflict-affected populations' humanitarian and legal situation, including unhindered access to livelihoods, quality education, health care, freedom of movement, and other fundamental rights aspects.

Having considered all of the above, we have created the "Civil Platform for Peace," which aims to promote the implementation of Georgia's peace policy to increase the involvement and influence of civil society in the transformation of conflicts and the peace process.

The objectives of the Platform are to promote the idea of peace in the public domain, which is the basis of a safe, just, equal, and democratic society; to strengthen democratic and inclusive approaches in the peace process and raise public awareness about it; to deepen dialogue and cooperation and to build confidence with Abkhazian and South Ossetian societies; to improve the humanitarian and legal situation of all groups affected by the conflicts, including IDPs, the population living near the administrative boundary line, as well as the populations of Gali and Akhalgori districts; to respond to annexation threats coming from Russia; to prioritize the issue of conflict transformation in the process of European integration and enable access to the benefits obtained in this process to the people living in conflict-affected regions.

The Platform will help to mobilize the efforts of civil society with regard to the peace process, including by planning and implementing joint initiatives, ensuring appropriate responses in situations that are important and/or critical for the society, as well as implementing monitoring and advocacy practices both on local and international level.

The Platform will actively cooperate with state institutions, the European Union, and other international partners essential in peaceful conflict resolution, including the confidence-building process.

Signatories of the declaration:

  1. Association “Imedi”
  2. Association of Tea Producers of Georgia
  3. Caucasian Mosaic
  4. Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development (CIPDD)
  5. Center for Cultural Relations – Caucasian House
  6. Center for Peace and Civic Development (CPCD)
  7. Charity Humanitarian Centre "Abkhazeti" (CHCA)
  8. Coalition “For the rights of IDPs”
  9. Democracy Research Institute (DRI)
  10. Fund for Women Entrepreneurs
  11. Georgian Committee of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly
  12. Georgian Strategic Analysis Center (GSAC)
  13. Georgia's Reforms Associates (GRASS)
  14. Go Group Media
  15. Human Rights’ Center
  16. IDP Women Association “Consent”
  17. Institute for the Study of Nationalism and Conflicts (ISNC)
  18. International Center on Conflict and Negotiation (ICCN)
  19. Levan Mikeladze Foundation
  20. Marina Pagava, “Caucasian Dialogue”
  21. Movement “For Abkhazia”
  22. Natia Chankvetadze
  23. Paata Zakareishvili
  24. Peace Development Center
  25. Peace Institute for Progress (PIP)
  26. Peaceful and Business Caucasus
  27. Research-Intellectual Club “Dialogue of Generations” (RICDOG)
  28. Rusudan Marshania
  29. Social Justice Center (SJC)
  30. “Start now”
  31. Studio “Re”
  32. Union of teachers "Education and the world"
  33. Women Fund "Sukhumi"
  34. Women’s Information Center (WIC)
  35. Youth peace network - “16th Element”

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