Georgia

Arguing that the popular uprisings of the past year reflect the global appeal of American values of freedom, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who led his own country’s 2003 “Rose Revolution,” told an audience at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) on February 1 that the success of such revolutions requires sweeping reforms that aim for a complete “social transformation,” commence quickly and “never stop.”

Since 1989, tensions have flared repeatedly and at times violently between the Republic of Georgia and the territory of South Ossetia.  The most recent episode of conflict came to a head in August 2008, when a Georgian military offensive into South Ossetia prompted an immediate response by Russia, resulting in a week of severe clashes until a ceasefire agreement was brokered by international actors.  The subsequent peace, however, remains fragile, with many issues still contentious and unresolved.  The Georgian government and the South Ossetian authorities meet infrequently, and rarely address broader issues relating to the conflict.  In this context, key members of Georgian and South Ossetian civil society, with backing from select officials on both sides, have embraced opportunities for Track II diplomacy.