Ethnicity and citizenship figure as two key factors within the process of the
nation building of the newly independent states following the dissolution of
the old Soviet Empire. Within the former republics, the legacy of Soviet
nationality policies, which still define the behavioral patterns of the
constituent ethnic groups living therein, is in many cases becoming the basis
for an increasingly unsettled relationship between the majority and minority
populations. Georgia, as one of the successor states of the former Soyuz, has
fully experienced the effects of these policies, which?further aggravated by
the rhetoric of inexperienced politicians and the intervention by the region’s
larger neighbor in the early 1990s?have resulted in acquiring the two breakaway
regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and undefined relations with its
ethnic minority communities.
The issues of minority communities in Georgia involve complex points and
counterpoints which form the core of the debate even in Western
democracies whose paths to democracy were trod long ago. The relationship
between individual and group rights, power sharing versus state integrity,
and ethnic or civic nationalisms are questions which are still waiting to be
answered.
As Georgia seeks to join the ranks of all free and democratic countries, the
state building process must be accompanied simultaneously by the building
of a national identity that is rooted in citizenship and unified by common
civic ideals. Without fortifying these bases that underpin the Western-type
of nation-state model, Georgia will continue to falter as it seeks to strengthen
and develop its state. Moreover, the lack of a shared vision for Georgia’s future amongst the country’s diverse ethnic communities deprives all
segments of the population of a valuable opportunity for democratic and
economic progress. National unity, unfortunately, has not yet been achieved
and the minority community representatives in Georgia still do not feel
themselves as a part of the Georgian state, nor do they share or understand
the approaches promoted by the government, but feel, rather, alienated,
marginalized, and unintegrated in the mainstream of society as well as from
its developments.
This study, The Georgian State and Minority Integration: Progress Made and
Progress Still to Come, seeks to contribute to the existing debate about the
relationship between the Georgian state and its ethnic enclaves and to
identify and propose activities for further action. Despite the significant
efforts and steps forward which have been taken by the country towards a
greater integration of its minority citizenry and an overall stronger national
unity, a challenge within remains given the absence of mechanisms on all
levels able to promote and implement the integration of ethnic minorities.
The background and conclusions of this study are formed from the work
conducted by the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International
Studies (GFSIS) over a four-year period on the topic of national minority
issues in Georgia, a review of the Georgian Government’s legislative basis as
regards minorities in Georgia and data and information taken from selected
analytical papers. Throughout its involvement, the GFSIS has been working
closely with the ethnic Armenian, Azeri, and Greek minority communities
within the framework of Foundation-based projects, programs, training
sessions, and interactive workshops on topics of key governmental focus and
national concern and further regional activities designed to identify and
prioritize the challenges faced by Georgia’s minority citizenry.