Zones of Peace in the South Caucasus ICAR Hosts Symposium at Point of View
The long-term consequences of the five-day war over South Ossetia in August 2008 are difficult to evaluate. The contested status of South Ossetia, recriminatory blame and civilian devastation contribute to an unstable situation in the region with a deepening divide between the South Ossetian and Georgian societies. Given the fact that a number of frozen conflicts remain unresolved in the broader South Caucasus region, the situation in South Ossetia gives urgency to finding peaceful, comprehensible and sustainable ways to resolve conflicts in the South Caucasus. Working with grant funding from Mason's Center for Global Studies, Susan Allen Nan convened the “Zones of Peace in the South Caucasus” symposium in May 2009. The symposium brought together topical and regional experts to discuss the concept and its relevancy and applicability to this volatile region. According to Susan Allen Nan’s opening presentation, the concept “Zones of Peace” is understood as an attempt to establish norms which limit the destructive effects of violent conflict within a particular area, during a particular time period, or with regard to a particular category of people.
Zones of Peace can assume various forms, including demilitarized buffer zones, or villages that are open to all non-military personnel, or market places that all can access without fear for their security. On a larger scale, a zone of peace can come in the form of an entire country or region with limited military forces. Experts from ICAR and the broader Conflict Resolution community, including Dr. Susan Allen Nan, Dr. Christopher Mitchell, Dr. Wallace Warfield, Ambassador John McDonald, Dr. Landon Hancock, Dr. Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana, Irakli Kakabadze, Valeriy Dzutsev, Alex van Oss, Ekaterina Romanova, Natalia Fadlalla and Adriana Salcedo shared their first hand experience and knowledge of examples of zones of peace. Representatives of NGOs working in the region and members of civil society also attended the symposium.
The models discussed included urban areas in New York and Washington, D.C.; villages in Colombia and the Philippines, territories along the border of Ecuador and Peru; and El Salvador and Costa Rica. Participants discussed whether Zones of Peace are viable ways to help build a peaceful Caucasus, considering, what steps can be taken to advance this solution. The range in size and scope of Zones of Peace, the various ways they are formed and interact with existing socio political structures, as well as their shifting dynamics offer multiple possibilities. Zones of Peace do not necessarily require physical space. They can be collaborative virtual spaces centered on scientific, cultural and academic exchange, the work of doctors and medical personnel in conflict-ridden territories, or even internet-based social networks. As an example, symposium participants suggested restoring libraries or setting up a library consortium and interlibrary loan program as a way of preserving and advancing diversity of the languages and culture of the Caucasus. The model employed by “Doctors without borders” could help provide necessary medical care and address the lack of hospitals and qualified medical personnel.
Given the cultural and religious diversity of the region and the presence of numerous historical and religious sites, Zones of Peace could also be formed as corridors to spaces of worship. Symposium participants, for example, considered what it would take to build a peace corridor that would allow Armenians to visit Mount Ararat.
Demilitarized buffer zones along the conflict areas can encourage the return of civilians to their homes and exchange in local markets. Cross-border cooperation fosters economic development, intergroup relationships, and grassroots cooperation.
Participants agreed that the concept of Zones of Peace provides diverse means of achieving a peaceful Caucasus, however, one must learn from the challenges of other regions and examples of Zones of Peace. The highly successful example of the development of the European Union only fifty years after WWII provides hope that one day there will be peace in the Caucasus.
Voice of America – Armenia interviewed Dr Susan Allen Nan and aired a program on the symposium in Armenian, which can be viewed at: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwlMsjOsu0).