The Deputy Chair of the Education, Science and Culture Committee, Guguli Maghradze met with the Berghof Foundation Director in Berlin, Dr. Oliver Wolleh to discuss the projects implemented by the Foundation on the transformation of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict.

O. Wolleh introduced the Conflict Analysis and Management Programme Director at Tbilisi State University, G. Maghradze with the results of the projects, which are carried out by the Berghof Foundation in Georgia and Abkhazia since 2012 with the aim to hear and analyze each other's stories and shed more light on the past and present of the current conflict, thus providing openings for future relations between the conflicting parties.

What makes the research peculiar is the narrative of the Abkhaz and Georgian informants, led by a separate German scholar, on the beginning of the conflict.

Then, a group of Georgian veterans and IDPs involved in the conflict, as well as young people who have not witnessed the conflict, discuss one or more stories selected as the most acceptable and neutral by the research leadership team.

The same approach is applied for Abkhazians. The authors of the stories are anonymous and confidential.

To date, the number of participants in these meetings has been impressive and exceeds 2,000. Listening to such stories draws people closer and lets them perceive each other as human beings who may have similar feelings and stories. Some of these stories are covered by “Radio Tavisupleba” (Liberty).

Guguli Maghradze suggested that such stories could be heard by a wider audience, but that it requires the involvement of very sensitive journalists and researchers to make the broadcasts reach their goal: to foster an atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust between the conflicting parties, especially the youth.

For his part, Oliver Wolleh was interested in Ms. Guguli’s interview with the Daily Newspaper Resonance about the transformation of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict.

The participants expressed their commitment for contingent cooperation.