The EU and Civil Society in the Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict
This paper deals with the role of the EU in supporting civil society in the case of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. It analyses the patterns of development of civil society actors that played a direct or indirect role in the development of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. In the case of Georgia the paper focuses on NGOs representing the interests of internally displaced persons and civil society players involved in promoting dialogue with the Abkhaz. In the case of Abkhazia, the paper focuses on the development of Abkhaz civil society, the relative strength of which is a mini-phenomenon in itself, as well as the Abkhaz approaches to dialogue with Georgia. The paper then outlines the main EU activities vis-a-vis the civil society actors on both sides of the conflict. The paper concludes that in the absence of strong EU political engagement in conflict-resolution, EU assistance to civil society could not prevent the re-escalation of the conflict and the radicalisation of the Abkhaz and Georgian societies. However EU assistance to civil society contributed to the (parallel and separate) strengthening of civil society on both sides of the conflict lines, which can be considered an achievement in itself, however modest.
The evolution of gendered migration trajectories from Moldova & Georgia
AbstractThis paper is the first of its kind to comparatively examine the evolution of feminized migration flows from Moldova and Georgia in the post-Soviet period. Despite some similarities between the two countries, unique migration patterns have emerged from each as the result of the complex interplay among social, political, and economic transitions. Changing labour market needs in receiving countries coupled with evolving political relationships with neighbouring countries have moulded gendered migration processes in each country. Using household survey data collected between 2011-2012 in Moldova and Georgia, this paper adds to the sparse data availability on the subject and finds that women have not only begun entering international migration at relatively high rates, but their dispersion across a larger number of destination countries and employment sectors than men suggests greater diversification among female migrants. Such evolving dynamics are important to understand for both Moldova and Georgia, which have experienced the loss of 25 per cent of their populations to migration over the past two decades.
 JEL codes: F22, F66, J61, J16.
Civil Society and Peacebuilding
Civil society organisations are present at all levels of contemporary peacebuilding. The international community has devoted substantial efforts towards building and strengthening the capacities of civil society actors, and harnessing their potential as peace actors. However, little systematic evidence-based research exists to provide policy-makers and practitioners with better knowledge about whether, how, when, and under what circumstances civil society can fulfil a peace-supporting role. This article is structured around three main questions: Who makes up civil society? What can civil society actors contribute to peacebuilding? And how best can civil society be involved in peacebuilding?