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FROM THE FIELD

Youth Peace celebration in Abkhazia bridges divides
19 Sep 2008 08:46:14 GMT
 Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe office (MEERO)
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The concert showcased dances, songs, and skits representative of the countries they chose to study and represent in the model UN session. Photocredit Dwayne Mamo
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The concert showcased dances, songs, and skits representative of the countries they chose to study and represent in the model UN session. Photocredit Dwayne Mamo
World Vision MEERO, http://meero.worldvision.org

Background

•  Georgia, Abkhazia, S. Ossetia

•  Children

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Youth from peaceclubs all over Abkhazia gathered in Sukhumi, the de facto, Georgian breakaway republic's capital city, in a celebration to mark months of peacebuilding activities and the achievements at a World Vision summer peace camp.

In the northern mountains of Abkhazia, 120 youth, aged 14 to 18, representing the various ethnicities that dot the eight regions of the area, spent 10 days in July learning how to live in the wilderness together and how the United Nations (UN) works by participating in a model UN session to draft a resolution concerning Pakistan.

On September 12, seventy-four of the camp-goers flooded the halls of the Sukhumi Youth House (SYH), the local implementing partner, to rehearse for the big Sunday concert to be held in the town centre's Russian theatre.

The concert showcased dances, songs, and skits representative of the countries they chose to study and represent in the model UN session. Every two of the eight regions chose a country to study for eight months to get ready for the camp and the concert, for a total of four countries – Great Britain, Iran, France, and Ethiopia.

'We found a solution for Pakistan in five hours,' Elena, a 14-year-old girl from Novi Afom, a predominantly ethnic Abkhaz town west of Sukhumi, said. 'Governments cannot find a solution, but somehow we could manage, but we had lots of debates and we even forgot to take a break for lunch.'

Apart from learning about the UN through the model session and having guest speakers from UN mission workers in the area, children gained skills and an understanding of peace-building and conflict resolution strategies. A timely initiative considering the recent conflict in Georgia and S.Ossetia and political changes afoot in Abkhazia.

Perhaps the first step toward a more peaceful future these children learned, as they become the future leaders of their communities, is the importance of understanding their diverse culture and building connections that stretch the length of the eight regions. In fact, the biggest takeaway the children repeated they gained was the new friendships with people their age all over Abkhazia.

'In my town, Ochamichira, there are not a lot of people my age, and even then we are all very spread out since my town is very agricultural,' Merab, a 16-year-old boy, said. 'In the camp it was the first time I was able to gain so many friends my age, and now we keep in touch and visit each other. I even went to Tkvarachala and Gulripsh to see my friends.'

Yulia, a 16-year-old girl from Gali, an ethnic Georgian city bordering Georgia, who became very good friends with Merab at this year's camp, agreed with him.

'No matter where you go now, you will find people you know,' she said. 'We did not have that before. We know now that we will not be lost.'

This feeling of camaraderie, regardless of ethnicity, could be seen throughout rehearsals and on the concert stage.

'Look at these children,' Taia Alania, the SYH organizer, said. 'There are Georgians dancing with Abkhaz; they are having so much fun.'

These relationships of course began through joint activities at the eight peace clubs in each region as well as the summer camp.

'In the beginning, at the camp, the children were very nervous; for many this was the first time they were not only in the mountains living in tents, but also the first time they were around so many children from different backgrounds,' Rita Basaria, World Vision Peacebuilding Program Coordinator, said. 'But by the second day, they were all friends and acted like a big family. In fact, toward the end of the camp, all of them begged us to stay longer and even made posters to persuade us to change our minds.'

After the concert, amidst the tearful goodbyes, the children promised to visit each other and exchanged mobile numbers as they headed back home. Many of them will continue to be active in their communities and in the peace clubs, understanding how important these experiences have been and how important it is for these projects to continue.

'This camp is important for all youth, everywhere. Of course, we gained new knowledge, skills, experiences, and friends; but we also gained more freedom and self-confidence,' Khamida, a 17-year-old girl from Gudauta, a predominantly ethnic Abkhaz town west of Sukhumi, said. 'While we live with our families we do not believe in our own power – that we can do things on our own. Once in this environment [the camp] we discovered we could do things on our own and this gave us a big boost to our confidence.'

Radmilla has felt the same changes happening to her as she has been involved with the peace club in her town for the last three years and took part in the summer camp and concert.

'I can feel how it [the club and camps] has changed my personality. It has made a huge impact in my discussions and debates,' she said. 'Before, I had a problem speaking in front of people and with strangers; but now I learned how to express myself and talk to strangers.'

Not only have her activities helped her confidence, but they have also helped her understand how important such activities can continue to be for others. This is her last year in high school and she already has her mind made up that when she enters university next year she will dedicate time to helping the peace club.

World Vision Georgia's Abkhazia program began in 2004. Since 2005 it has conducted these peace camps with varying concentrations revolving around peace building. All four camps were implemented with the help of the SYH, a local NGO set up in 1998 with the main goal of providing psychological and emotional support to children and teenagers traumatised by the Georgian-Abkhaz war of 1992-1993. This year's camp was also helped through funding from the Eagle Down Foundation.


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Background information

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Georgia, Abkhazia, S. Ossetia - [Who works where]

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Children
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