Estonia Empowers Georgian Civil Society and Refugees

To fulfill that goal, the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) began a collaboration with the Estonian Refugee Council, aiming to empower internally displaced persons in Georgia as well as Ukrainian refugees living there, and to improve their representation and inclusion in Georgian society.

Over the past 30 years, Georgia has seen two major armed conflicts that have led to internal refugee crises (in 1991-1992, and again in 2008). The first of these conflicts arose in Abkhazia and South Ossetia following the collapse of the USSR; at this time, roughly 250,000 people from Abkhazia and 60,000 people from South Ossetia were forced to flee their homes. In 2008, armed conflict broke out again between Georgia and Russia in the region of South Ossetia, forcing nearly 192,000 people into internal exile. While a large number of those who fled have been able to return home, today about 251,000 retain the status of IDPs, with meagre prospects for a change in their situation or, indeed, a return to their homes.

Ukrainian War Refugees in Georgia

In addition to the situation regarding internal refugees, a new crisis arose in 2022, caused by Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine. Through the course of the war, Russia has occupied a considerable part of eastern Ukraine, and many of these areas’ inhabitants were forced to flee through hostile territories to the nearest safe country: Georgia. Since the outbreak of full-scale war, over 160,000 Ukrainians have crossed the border into Georgia, and, according to current information, approximately 28,000 have remained there. Some of these refugees live in larger cities, close together, while others live scattered across the country.

The Georgian response to the reception of Ukrainian refugees has been complex and often uncoordinated, especially between state authorities and civil society. At the same time, local governments where Ukrainian refugees live have neither an overview of the asylum seekers living in their territory nor their needs, and the refugee communities themselves have no channels through which to systematically address their concerns.

“Nothing About Me Without Me”

Internally displaced people and refugees living in Georgia present a number of practical and systemic challenges that need to be addressed at both the state and local levels. “Often, internally displaced persons and refugees themselves are not included in these discussions, mainly due to a lack of expertise. Our principle is, ‘Nothing About Me Without Me’”, commented Eero Janson, Director of the Estonian Refugee Council.

“With the help of community councils, we try to amplify the voices of internally displaced persons and refugees, so that they resonate in issues that directly concern them,” added Janson.

In order to address these challenges, the Estonian Refugee Council, together with its partner the Mtskheta-Mtianeti Regional Hub, helps to involve these target groups in processes and decisions that concern them.

In order to promote the representation of people belonging to vulnerable groups and address systemic concerns, two community councils will be launched as a part of this project: The Council of Georgian IDPs and the Council of Ukrainian Refugees Living in Georgia. The tasks of these councils are to represent and give voice to their communities, discuss common concerns, and help find solutions in cooperation with local governments and the state.

25 community representatives will be elected to each council. All council members will undergo a three-day training course on the working principles of their council, the fundamentals of democracy, active citizenship, and the development of advocacy and debate skills.

Estonia’s Experience in the Inclusion of Minorities in Society

“Estonia has quite a lot of experience in empowering communities and organising debates that develop democracy – people’s and climate assemblies, opinion festivals, and other such forums help develop a culture of democracy and argumentative debate, as well as the ability to listen to other opinions,” explained Janson.

Motivated by Estonia’s experiences, a systematic mapping of the needs of Georgian IDPs and Ukrainian refugees will be carried out within the framework of the project. These maps will inform the discussions and proposals of the councils. Different methods will be used to assess needs: online questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. An estimated 300 representatives of the target groups will participate in the mapping.

In addition, the project will improve the representation of vulnerable groups by way of sensitisation training for local journalists and media channels. During these trainings, the following will be introduced and discussed: the situation of the refugees, success stories and areas of concern, council members and community advocates, correct vocabulary and representation, and the contributions of IDPs and refugees to local life and the economy.

Nearing the end of the project, a conference will be held in Georgia, at which the activities of the community councils, the results of needs mapping, and ongoing successes and concerns will be reviewed.

The budget for this project is 138,600 EUR, and the project will end on 31.12.2023.

Estonia has been a vital partner to Georgia since 2000, and Georgia has been a priority country for Estonian bilateral development cooperation since 2006. Estonia’s development assistance to Georgia began in 2000. Over the course of this partnership, Estonia has provided €14 million euros in assistance and implemented 419 projects in the name of Georgian development.