This second edition of the South Caucasus ‘Literary Almanac’ presents a new selection of prose, poetry and essays from the five literatures of the South Caucasus published in one volume in Russian language. This second volume also presents new, previously unpublished writers, and new pieces of work commissioned especially for this edition. Also featured are contemporary photographs from across the region. Along the theme of urban life, this edition offers a new insight into the authors’ cities , sharing emotions across the region and further showing how literature can be used as a tool in building understanding between different peoples.

Второе издание Литературного Альманаха Южного Кавказа представляет собой новое собрание абхазской, армянской, азербайджанской, грузинской и осетинской прозы, поэзии и сочинений, опубликованных в одном сборнике на русском языке. Во втором сборнике также представлены произведения новых, ранее не публиковавшихся авторов, также как и произведения, заказанные специально для этого издания. Также представлены работы современных фотографов со всего региона. Наряду с темой городской жизни, это издание предлагает новый взгляд на города авторов, делясь эмоциями со всего региона и демонстрируя, как литература может быть использована для построения взаимопонимания между различными людьми.

This publication contains a collection of articles produced by Abkhaz and Georgian experts on the subject of the political and economic dividends – or losses – that could be brought about by regulating economic relations across the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict divide. It is an outcome of an action research process that began in 2009 and evolved more generally from International Alert’s Economy and Conflict work in the South Caucasus on engaging economic actors in peacebuilding. The aim of this publication is to stimulate discussion on the potential political and economic impact of transparent and predictable cross-Ingur/i economic relations. While it does not at this point put forward any concrete models or proposals for regulating cross-Ingur/i economic relations, it attempts to lay the groundwork for further specialised research and policy recommendations.

The need for greater ‘engagement’ with Abkhazia has been widely acknowledged by the international community and is now even enshrined in official European and Georgian policies. Nevertheless, as ‘meaningful’ engagement is slow to materialise, the trend on the ground is of increasing alienation rather than rapprochement. In order to understand this, Georgian and Abkhaz researchers examined the original rationale and motivation behind isolationist policies, after which they compare and contrast the relatively recent European and Georgian ‘engagement’ strategies. Both Georgian & Abkhaz authors conclude that despite the similarities between the two strategies, they actually have quite contrasting aims at their heart which reflect the ‘isolation/de-isolation’ debate. The Abkhaz paper goes on to reflect on the internal discourse on ‘de-isolation’, offering some insight into why political struggles that manipulate the dichotomy of Russia versus the West gain so much traction.

In this study, Georgian and Abkhaz researchers examine one of the fundamental polarising issues of the conflict – the political status of Abkhazia. While Russia formally recognised Abkhazia as an independent state in August 2008, the ‘non-recognition’ of Abkhazia remains the cornerstone of Georgian and international policy. Georgian researchers explore how sustainable the policy of non-recognition is, under what conditions the policy might fail and what Georgia would do in those circumstances. The Abkhaz researchers examine what opportunities and limitations their current status of ‘partial’ recognition affords them, and what concessions Abkhazia might be willing to make in order to get recognition. A survey of respondents reveals some surprisingly ambivalent attitudes towards the question of recognition, though the reader should avoid drawing the wrong conclusions from this.

On 29th November 2010, International  Alert hosted a roundtable ‘EU-Caucasus Dialogue on Georgian-Abkhaz Relations’ which was framed as a conversation between diplomats engaged in official dialogue processes and experts from the region on what different actors can contribute to conflict resolution.  The participation of experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, allowed a wide range of perspectives to be taken into account and as each side voiced their priorities and analysed the situation on the ground, a broad picture of the conflict dynamic emerged. This report includes the papers presented at the roundtable and a summary of the debate that arose.

This paper presents the separate analyses of both Georgian and Abkhaz civil society experts on the need for security guarantees, the reasons why the sides have been unable to agree on them as well as barriers and opportunities for future agreements. In itself, the document reflects the achievement of Alert’s long-term engagement as a facilitator of dialogue between Georgian and Abkhaz civil society leaders. It reflects an advance in the dialogue process while contributing to the debate around security guarantees. This publication is an attempt to present a new analytical framework for dialogue to stimulate communication and debate across the conflict divide. It should be of equal interest to Georgian and Abkhaz societies, hopefully bringing the perspective of the other side into internal debates, while helping international actors with an interest in peaceful resolution of the conflict to understand Georgian & Abkhaz perspectives better.

Although Central Asia has remained relatively peaceful in the years since the break-up of the Soviet Union, there is still a considerable potential for conflict in the region. The Strategic Framework for Peacebuilding provides an in-depth analysis of conflict potential in Central Asia, from which it derives a peacebuilding strategy. The report focuses its attention on three states: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The regional context (Afghanistan) and the influence and interest of major powers (USA, Russia, China) in the region are also taken into account, as are common regional factors like strict border regimes cutting through communities, the complex ethnic situation in the Ferghana valley, the drug trade and the threat of islamism. The headline conclusion is that the central threat to stability lies not, as has long been thought, in ethnic rivalries or competition over resources, but rather in the relationship between the citizens and the state.

Este reporte describe los puntos claves del aprendizaje comparativo recogido como resultado del Proyecto MISAC del Programa de Seguridad y Construcción de Paz de International Alert. El proyecto examinó el proceso de implementación de medidas regionales e internacionales de control SALW en Eurasia, América Latina y África Occidental. Este reporte sin embargo está diseñado para dar al lector una visión global y comparativa tanto de los impedimentos claves en la ejecución de los acuerdos de control SALW como de un entendimiento comparativo de los diferentes requerimientos que enfrentan los funcionarios que están implementando estas medidas. Este documento también está disponible en Inglés y Francés. Vea ‘Implementing International Small Arms Controls: Some Lessons from Eurasia, Latin America and West Africa' o 'La mise en oeuvre des contrôles internationaux sur les armes légères: enseignements issus d’Eurasie, d’Amérique Latine et d’Afrique de l’Ouest'.

This report analyses the interaction between the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and its political context in the South Caucasus, with particular reference to the frozen conflict over Nagorno Karabakh. It examines a range of conflict actors and assesses the dual potential of the pipeline for conflict reduction or escalation, as well as the possible impact of the changing political status quo on the pipeline itself.

This is the product of an 18-month period of research and analysis that aimed to explore how a better understanding of the region’s current economic dynamics might contribute to the resolution of its conflicts. It is the first book to examine this topic from the perspectives of those living in the region - the authors are members of the Economy and Conflict Research Group; a pool of experts from throughout the South Caucasus, covering Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and including Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia. This publication also is available in English. Please see: From War Economies to Peace Economies in the South Caucasus.

Это результат восемнадцати месяцев исследований и анализа, направленных на изучение того, как более полное понимание существующей экономической ситуации в регионе может способствовать решению региональных конфликтов. Это также первая книга, в которой данный вопрос изучается с точки зрения людей, живущих в регионе - авторы являются членами Исследовательской Группы по Экономике и Конфликтам; команда экспертов собранана со всего Южного Кавказа, включая Армению, Азербайджан, Грузию, Турцию, а также Абхазию, Нагорный Карабах и Южную Осетию. Данная публикация также доступна на английском языке. См. From War Economies to Peace Economies in the South Caucasus.

The key issues addressed in this broad overview are the relevant treaties and international instruments relating to SALW; which of them have been adopted by the countries under study and what are the achievements and areas of concern for these countries in implementing these international instruments.