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LINKS Programme Priorities for Georgia 2004 - 2007

LINKS attaches great importance to its work in Georgia. The people of Georgia must make the richness of their culture, traditions, diversity, religion and language work for the reality of their modern day challenges in order to provide for themselves and future generations a better quality of life in a peaceful, tolerant and prosperous environment.

Over the last decade LINKS has worked with a broad range of Georgia political forces in support of the evolution of Georgian politics. Central to this has been the aspiration of the people of Georgia and the political forces representing them for closer integration with Europe. This has also been a central theme of successive Georgian governments. Whilst a strong army is not a prerequisite to achieving this a strong democracy is! Georgia's European aspirations and democratic state-building must therefore go hand in hand.

National Minorities

A key to Georgia 's success as a modern, democratic European state depends on its ability to come to terms with the fact that it is a multi cultural, multi ethnic country. LINKS will continue with its work with different communities in Georgia in order to make all communities aware of each others concerns and aspirations.

  • LINKS will work to increase awareness of these issues in the wider community and particularly with the younger generations in schools.
  • LINKS will give particular attention with work the Azerbaijani speaking community of Southern Georgia , a community that faces many social and political challenges and is underrepresented in the country's decision making processes. LINKS will work to empower this community and make it more aware of its role in a modern Georgian state.
  • LINKS will continue with its effort to persuade the Georgian Government to ratify as soon as possible the European framework convention on National Minoirities.

Tolerance is the key to the Resolution of Ethnic Conflicts

LINKS supports the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia within a framework that would allow the people of these territories the ability to fulfill their full potential within the existing international order. This will only be possible in a society were democracy and human rights are widely practiced and respected and were tolerance is embedded within daily life.

  • In a situation where there are already a number of international governmental and non governmental actors active LINKS will concentrate its engagement with the Abkhaz and South Ossetian issues to areas where it can add value to existing work through its area of expertise, experience of work on similar problems elsewhere and previous engagement with the territories. This is likely to involve confidence building measures and community awareness programmes in the conflict regions.
  • We remain concerned with the human rights situation in the Gali District and will continue to focus on this problem.

A Georgia free from Military bases

LINKS supports the aspiration of the Georgian government and people to rid themselves of Soviet era military bases that continue to remain a source of instability in the country. Georgia must not turn into a new fault line in East-West relations.

  • In 2006 LINKS will organise a series of workshops between Georgian, Russian and European Union politicians and academics to help develop new thinking on security in the South Caucasus .

Consolidating Democracy

Georgian democracy remains fragile. The Georgian people in November 2003 demonstrated for free and fair elections setting an example to other people in the post Soviet space. Their gains must not be squandered and the building of a democratic state based on respect for human rights and the rule of law must remain a priority both for the Georgian government as well as for those organizations who like LINKS engage with the country.

  • LINKS will give particular attention with work with political parties. As in other post soviet states Georgian political parties remain weak and vehicles for personalities rather than ideas. LINKS will work to help develop strong political parties with accountable and democratically elected leadership, coherent policies and transparent funding and decision making.
  • LINKS will join forces with other western civilian society organisations to support the emergence of a new generation of civil society organizations in Georgia , particularly amongst youth and students.

Parliament

In Georgia the Parliament remains an extremely important institution for the future political evolution of the country. LINKS has a long tradition of co-operation with the Georgian Parliament on many issues.

  • LINKS will continue to give priority to its work with the Georgian parliament, assisting in its reform and with its ability to act effectively to hold the executive to account.

SCPI

LINKS was the initiator of the South Caucasus parliamentary Initiative and remains a facilitator of the process. We assisted the Georgian parliament during its first presidency of SCPI (January-June 2004).

  • We will work with the Georgian Parliament to develop the work of the South Caucasus Parliamentary Initiative as it evolves into a fully fledged Parliamentary Assembly of the South Caucasus

Our partners

Despite its many problems Georgia is a country with a huge potential. LINKS will work with all those forces in Georgia who seek to contribute for a free, peaceful democratic and successful Georgia , and for the benefit of all its people. Our strategic partners will be

  • The Georgian Parliament
  • Georgian Political parties
  • Organizations representing and working with national minorities.

We will continue working closely with Caucasus Links, our close partner in the region for the last decade.

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