It has been over five years since the military conflict in Abhazia, Georgia. What started as a political conflict in 1992 quicly led to the division of Abhazian society along ethnic lines, and to the exile of more than a quaretr of a milion people, mostly Georgians, from Abhazia to Georgia. Since the 1992-1993 war between Abhazians and Georgians, there has been little analysis of, or resources for possible reconciliation, and few attempts to realize peaceful conflict transormation in Abhazia. Why?

Many Georgians opposed the military conflict in Abhazia from the very beginning, but they did not express their opposition because after rapid military escalation by both sides, it was too late. Anti-war protests after the massive killings were seend as a betrayal of the dead. Such feelings made it diffcicult to create a clear anti-war position.

A peace agreement , signed a few months after the military conflict, was not fully implemented. Russian peacekeepers were authorised to control part of Georgian territory, the so-called "security zone", which included territories from Abhazia's and Georgia's border regions. The agreemEtn's provisions on the return of internally displaces people (IDP) in Abhazia were not realized, as there were no security guarantees for returnees. Some of the over 300 people who voluntarily returned to Abhazia were killed.

This failure of official negotiationa led to the increasing importance of public diplomacy. Traditionally, women are seen as the most appropriate actors in a reconciliation process. However, in 1995 the women's movement in Georgia was not strong enough to undertake this role. Regardless of many Georgians' and Abhazianns' pro-peace attitude, public opinion demanded a quick solution for the return of IDPs.

The official demand was that all IDPs should return simultaneously, immediately and withour any preconditions. Resources were directed only towards return, with little talk about the process of repatriation. Women, burdened with caring for families in this new situation, were the first to realize this demand was unrealistic. Adapting to new conditions in the local Georgian community was not easy for IDPs, and women's activities were strongly limited.

Afetr  sloving the most urgent economic and social problems, women decided to take responsibility for building dialogue between both parties in the conflict. Only 100,000 people remainded in Abhazia -- the majority had fled, and now Abhazians represent 17 persent of the population in Goergia. While Georgian society was organized, with their won priorities, the IDP community (like the community inside Abhazia) was less organized, and easily manipulated.

Women peace activists were isolated in different communal IDP centers, with no access to decision-making processes or mechanisms, either in their own community or the larger society. Peace ideas were not supported inside the community, because they were new, dangerous and not in accordance with the official doctrine of immediate return. While there was freedom of speech and it was possible, even fashionable to criticize the Georgian President, the doctrine of return was beyond criticism. At the same time, inside the IDP community there was a growing understanding that the return of IDPs will be a long and difficult process, involving serious preparation. A turing point was reached in public opinion when President Shevardnadze gave a speech in which he emphasized the importance of public diplomacy in solving this problem, but inside the IDP community the situation was not changed significantly.

The IDP Women Association decided that one priority would be helping IDP women who are informal leaders to develop their leadership skills, to understand the current situation, and to learn conflict resolution and reconciliation skills. A very important task was to help IDP women articulate their independent opinion, which can be different from official opinion, and to create an environment where this opinion could be discussed with good will.

Together with the German-based Berghof Center for Constructive Conflict Management and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programme in Georgia, the Association organized trainings for IDP informal leaders in reconciliation and trauma healing, first held in the capital Tbilisi and later elsewhere. After theoretical presentations, participants analyzed the roots of conflict escalation in Abhazia and possible alternative ways to reach solutions. While the Association protected participants' confidentiality during the first conflict resolution seminars, in later seminars participants themselves insisted on sharing their perspectives with Abhazian NGOs.

In the beginning participants voiced feelings like "The conflict is not our (Georgian and Abhazian) fault," or "Third parties created the conflict." Later they started to reflect on how both sides contributed to the conflict's escalation. At the end of the seminars the participants prepared a long list of causes of the conflict. Such seminars were a revelation for participants, who had never been involved in such an exercise before.

The facilitators discovered that writing each participant's perspective on a chart was a very important rehabilitation issue, as this was often the first time many of the IDPs had ever been able to express their opinions and describe their traumatic experiences. It was a healing process which increased their self-esteem. Our concept of reconciliation includes healing from trauma, learning about conflict resolution and prevention, discussions on international experiences of reconciliation and the return  of refugees/IDPs, and security questions.

There were also unexpected results, as when one Georgian official announced, during a simulation game on negotiation, that now he will always try to keep in mind the possible interests of Abhazians,  of which he had never thought about before. Participants frequently want to take part in a real bilateral meetings or netiations with Abhazians after the seminars. However, citizens' negotiations need just as much preparation as official negitiations. Beginners may experience failures and difficulties, lose trust and confidence, and decline in urther activities.

Mobilizing Youth
In the current political situation, successful bilateral meetings can be organized with very motivated people like children and youth. Youth are often the most open-minded part of the population, with more abilities for communication and cooperation.

During the last three years the IDP Women Association, in cooperation with the Center for Humanitarian Programmes (Sukhumi, Abhazia) and the Palace of Children's Art (Tskhinvali, South Ossetia) and help from the Open Education Center (Bulgaria) and the UNV Programme in Georgia, has organized multicultural summer camps in Bulgaria. Despite organizational difficulties, in 1996 the first group of Georgian, Abhazian and Ossetian children spent 20 days together. Teenagers received very intensive training in reconciliation, multicultural dialogue and environmental protection, combined with a program of psychological rehabilitation. Peace activists from all sides now cooperate in this project. This year, despite the increase of violence in Abhazia's border region of Gall district, the peace camp took place and was joined by children from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Bulgaria. Because children’s activities are not seen as political, the camp is welcomed and can be advertised. It is an important way to change the perception of the “enemy” and create a positive attitude towards reconciliation.

This article relates only one organization's activities, and only a few of the problems of the women's peace movement in Georgia. The recent escalation of violence in the Gall district means society must look at more kinds of common actions. Many women peace activists in Georgia signed a joint appeal to the Georgian and Abhazian governments, demanding to stop the violence. It was a serious exercise in civic responsibility, but it was not enough a stop to the violence. We need to learn how to respond more effectively, and in more different ways, to these new challenges to peace.

Julia Kharashvili is chair of the IDP Women Association in Georgia.