The Deputy Chair of the Education, Science and Culture Committee, Guguli Magradze participated in the consideration of the Outcomes of the Research Project “Facilitation Conflict Transformation” fulfilled by Levan Mikeladze Foundation.

The consideration was as well attended by the local and international NGOs for conflict issues, representatives of the foundations, experts, and the individuals and organizations from the conflict zones.

The CEO of the Foundation, Archil Gegeshidze opened the event stating that the conflict transformation is more and more recognized for establishment of the comparatively constructive situation in the conflict regions excluding the violence. The Doctoral student for conflict resolution and analysis at the US George Mason University, the author of the research Natia Chankvetadze introduced the research outcomes held with participation of Abkhazian, Ossetian and Georgian experts.

The Ossetian respondents could not be involved in the research, though the Ossetian expert has sent the comprehensive material about the poll questions. “The research considers the Cyprus and Transdnepria cases as the real examples of the conflict transformation. It provides the situation with no violence elements. The region is open for the mutual contact. Despite the absence of the communication regarding the political status, the commitment still exists for the compromise and the trust between the conflict parties is higher”, - she noted.

G. Magradze in her remarks gave the high evaluation to the research stating that it considers the current tendency of conflict studies, according to which conflict transformation is considered as a perspective mechanism for conflict resolution.

“The conflict transformation for the conflict-split societies is a comparatively pragmatic mechanism for peace. It requires the hard work by the conflict parties and the political elite to achieve the recognition for conflict transformation”, - she noted.

The official Georgian structures have actually expressed their commitment for conflict transformation by the Governmental program “Step to Better Future”.

“We need better coordination in the efforts directed to conflict transformation. Just recently, the TSU Conflict Studies Master’s Program has held the research “Role of Direct Communication between the Georgian and Abkhazian Youth to Overcome the Icon of the Enemy”, revealing that the youth constitutes the greatest resource for conflict transformation, as they are less burdened with the past negative. Hence, the higher attention shall be attached to the youth on the both sides of conflict. The new generation prefers the pragmatic aspects for improvement of the situation that can be achieved by conflict transformation”, - she added.

The Director of the Democratic Institute from Gali, Guram Shonia dwelt on the process of the research.

The parties introduced the recommendations for Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-Ossetian conflict transformation.