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Bilten - Kroz pristupanje ka pravdi 12

Author(s): Mario Mažić / Language(s): Serbian

The new issue of the newsletter through ACCESS to JUSTICE brings the author's texts of the deputy prosecutor for war crimes of the Republic of Serbia, Bruno Vekarić, and the program director of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Croatia, Mario Mažić.In his author's text, Bruno Vekarić writes about the importance of a strategic framework for the prosecution of war crimes and the preparation of the strategy of the Prosecutor's Office, the aim of which will be the investigation and prosecution of all those responsible for the crimes committed during the armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. Mario Mažić writes about the relationship between Croatian institutions and the EU according to the need for Croatia, as a post-conflict country, to implement reforms that will include the implementation of transitional justice mechanisms before joining the community of European states. The News column provides an overview of current events in the field of transitional justice and European integration of Serbia, while the War Crimes Trials column offers an overview of trials held and verdicts passed in the previous period. The new issue of the newsletter through ACCESS to JUSTICE brings the author's texts of the deputy prosecutor for war crimes of the Republic of Serbia, Bruno Vekarić, and the program director of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Croatia, Mario Mažić. In his author's text, Bruno Vekarić writes about the importance of a strategic framework for the prosecution of war crimes and the preparation of the strategy of the Prosecutor's Office, the aim of which will be the investigation and prosecution of all those responsible for the crimes committed during the armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. Mario Mažić writes about the relationship between Croatian institutions and the EU according to the need for Croatia, as a post-conflict country, to implement reforms that will include the implementation of transitional justice mechanisms before joining the community of European states. The News column provides an overview of current events in the field of transitional justice and European integration of Serbia, while the War Crimes Trials column offers an overview of trials held and verdicts passed in the previous period.

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Bilten - Kroz pristupanje ka pravdi 11

Author(s): Dragan Popović / Language(s): Serbian

The new issue of the newsletter through ACCESS to JUSTICE features an interview with the Swiss ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro, Mr. Jean-Daniel Ruh, and an author's text by the director of the Center for Practical Politics, Dragan Popović. With Ambassador Ruh, we discussed the establishment of regional stability and reconciliation in the Western Balkans, the priorities of Serbia's chairmanship of the OSCE, Serbia's achievements in dealing with the past and the potential of European integration for improving this area, and the contribution of the Hague Tribunal to establishing the facts about the crimes committed and reconciliation between different communities in the region. Dragan Popović presented the importance of including topics from the field of transitional justice in the process of normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo. He says that the Brussels negotiations must necessarily include establishing the truth about war crimes, prosecuting those responsible, implementing institutional reforms, a wide range of reparative measures and determining the fate of missing persons. The News column provides an overview of current events in the field of transitional justice and European integration of Serbia, while the War Crimes Trials column offers an overview of trials held and verdicts passed in the previous period.

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Bilten - Kroz pristupanje ka pravdi 10

Author(s): Goran Miletić / Language(s): Serbian

The tenth issue of the newsletter features an interview with Dr. Vladimir Orlić, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Stabilization and Association of the EU-Serbia and a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. He answers questions about whether Serbia has recognized the importance of solving the difficult legacy of the past, how the committee he heads approaches this topic, and what the contribution of the national parliament can be to the reconciliation process in the Western Balkans region. The program director for the Western Balkans in the organization Civil Rights Defenders, Goran Miletić, analyzes whether and to what extent Serbia has fulfilled the political criteria for membership in the European Union. The News column provides an overview of current events in the field of transitional justice and European integration of Serbia, while the War Crimes Trials column offers an overview of trials held and verdicts passed in the previous period.

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Bilten - Kroz pristupanje ka pravdi 9

Author(s): Katarina Ristić / Language(s): Serbian

The ninth issue of the newsletter conveys a conversation with the rapporteur of the European Parliament for Serbia, David McAllister, about the necessity of resolving the legacy of armed conflicts for a country that aspires to become a member of the EU, and the efforts so far to establish and apply mechanisms of transitional justice in Serbia. A researcher at the University of Magdeburg, Katarina Ristic, analyzes the consequences of the policy of conditioning Serbia to cooperate with the Hague Tribunal, which was applied by the EU for years, and its contribution to the sincere acceptance and acknowledgment of responsibility for crimes committed during armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. The News column provides an overview of developments in the field of transitional justice and European integration of Serbia in the period from January to April 2015.

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Bilten - Kroz pristupanje ka pravdi 8

Author(s): Jelena Krstić / Language(s): Serbian

The head of the EU Delegation in Serbia, Mr. Michael Davenport, talks about transitional justice as an integral part of the negotiations on Serbia's accession to the European Union. He presents the position of the European Union regarding the resolution of the legacy of armed conflicts and systematic violations of human rights during the armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and the importance of the negotiation process for determining and accepting responsibility for the crimes committed. Jelena Krstić, outreach manager of the Fund for Humanitarian Law, offers a view of the negotiations on Serbia's accession to the EU as a potential for the development and comprehensive application of adequate mechanisms of transitional justice. The News column provides an overview of developments in the field of transitional justice and European integration of Serbia in the period from November 2014 to January 2015.

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Bilten - Kroz pristupanje ka pravdi 7

Author(s): Kristian Turkalj,Semiha Kačar / Language(s): Serbian

The seventh issue of the newsletter conveys the experiences of Croatia, which directed part of its efforts during the negotiations on accession to the European Union to the improvement of prosecution for war crimes. The request to include these issues in reform processes in the area of ​​the rule of law came to Croatia from the European Union, as standards that must be met before joining the community of European states. This is written by Kristian Turkalj, negotiator for Chapters 23 and 24 of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Croatia. The President of the Sandžak Committee for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms, Semiha Kačar, writes about the need for Serbia to recognize responsibility for the crimes committed against the population of Sandžak during the armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, prosecute those responsible for these crimes, and remove from the institutions individuals who were involved in them, and to recognize the status of civilian victims of war to the victims and family members of the victims. The news section provides an overview of the latest developments in the field of transitional justice and European integration of Serbia. Due to the suspension of the Bar Associations of Serbia and Belgrade, trials for war crimes have not been held since September 10.

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Bilten - Kroz pristupanje ka pravdi 6

Author(s): Sian Jones,Ivan Jovanović / Language(s): Serbian

The sixth consecutive issue of the newsletter focuses on the discussion of rare indictments for war crimes against high-ranking members of the military and police, and the possibility of applying the institute of command responsibility and prosecution for crimes against humanity. Amnesty International researcher Sian Jones asks why in Serbia, despite numerous announcements, there are still no adequate investigations of suspects for planning, inciting, ordering and concealing war crimes. Ivan Jovanović, a consultant for international criminal and humanitarian law, argues whether and why command responsibility and crimes against humanity can be prosecuted in Serbia. The news section provides an overview of the latest developments in the field of transitional justice and European integration of Serbia.

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Bilten - Kroz pristupanje ka pravdi 5

Author(s): Maja Mićić,Željko Stanetić / Language(s): Serbian

The fifth issue initiates a discussion on the significance of the establishment of the Regional Commission for the establishment of facts on war crimes and other serious violations of human rights in the territory of the former SFRY (RECOM), and recalls a forgotten issue - the rights of the victims of forced mobilizations that took place in Serbia during the armed conflicts in Croatia and BiH. Permanent columns offer an overview of events and trials for war crimes in the period from June 15, 2014. Through ACCESS TO JUSTICE, the bulletin indicates the importance of starting the process of dealing with the past for a country that aspires to join the community of European states, but also for the European Union itself. History has shown that unresolved issues from the past are always present and hinder the functioning of the political system, whether it is a state or a community of states. Therefore, both the Republic of Serbia and the member states of the European Union have an obligation to their citizens to provide them with a stable political and legal order, in which there is a rule of law and which provides protection and ensures respect for human rights of its citizens.

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Bilten - Kroz pristupanje ka pravdi 4

Author(s): Erik Gordi,Marijana Toma / Language(s): Serbian

The fourth issue of the newsletter through ACCESS TO JUSTICE was published. Eric Gordy, a professor at University College London, writes about the importance of knowing and understanding events from the past. In his opinion, these processes are important both for the democratization of society and for the European perspective of the countries aspiring for EU membership. He also states that the sluggishness of the education system contributed greatly to the fact that the majority still do not know what really happened in the wars in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Education is a topic that Marijana Toma, deputy executive director of HLC, also writes about in another article. She states that education is an important component of the process of dealing with the past and building a stable democratic state. Permanent columns offer an overview of events and trials for war crimes in the period from May 1, 2014. Through ACCESS TO JUSTICE, the bulletin indicates the importance of starting the process of dealing with the past for a country that aspires to join the community of European states, but also for the European Union itself. History has shown that unresolved issues from the past are always present and hinder the functioning of the political system, whether it is a state or a community of states. Therefore, both the Republic of Serbia and the member states of the European Union have an obligation to their citizens to provide them with a stable political and legal order, in which there is a rule of law and which provides protection and ensures respect for human rights of its citizens.

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Educational Needs Assessment of Khoni Municipality Labor Market

Author(s): Lela Javakhishvili,Tornike Korkotashvili / Language(s): English

The Objective of the current study was to identify the most demanded expertise on the Khoni labor market. For this purpose, qualitative research method, namely in-depth interviews were utilized. Total of 11 interviews with the local employers from governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations and private businesses were carried out. Overall, according to the employers, there is a high demand on high as well as low skilled labor force in the municipality. Computer literacy, clerical work and foreign language knowledge was equally underlined as essential by all employers. As for the non-formal education, only those employers whose organization depends on high skilled labor force (production, local municipality administration and healthcare sector, NGOs) allocate certain funds for training their personnel. Taking into account the general market demands on the local labor market, respondents named computer literacy, financial literacy, and foreign languages as the most desirable educational programs for raising the skills of the existing/potential employees.

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Educational Needs Assessment of Khoni Municipality Population

Author(s): Lela Javakhishvili,Tornike Korkotashvili / Language(s): English

The current study aims to identify the educational needs of the Koni Municipality population. For this purpose, qualitative research, namely focus group discussions were conducted in the region. Total of 6 focus groups were conducted in the town of Koni and village of Nakhakhulevi. Respondents were divided into focus groups according to their age and place of residence, rural or urban settlements within Khoni municipality. The research showed that poverty and unemployment are one of the most pressing economic issues in the municipality. Majority of the currently employed individuals in the municipality work in agricultural, retail trade and furniture production sectors. Due to lack of educational centers in the municipality and limited financial resources, the majority of the local population does not have access to post-secondary formal or informal education. Namely, among most demanded skills and knowledge were foreign language proficiency, computer literacy and craftsmanship. Thus, these are the spheres the population would be willing to have training courses locally.

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Education Return, Labour Market and Job Satisfaction in Georgia

Author(s): Mariam Amashukeli,Diana Lezhava,Nino Gugusvhili / Language(s): English

The present research conducted by the Center for Social Sciences (CSS) touches upon the ties between education and employment in Georgia and covers three main dimensions: individual return of education (financial benefits), compatibility of education with the labour market, and job satisfaction. Data analysis presented in this paper is based on the nationwide representative quantitative survey carried out by CSS in summer 2016 as a part International Social Survey Program (2015 Work Orientation IV Survey); we also used the World Bank 2013 statistical database. The data was analysed using the SPSS statistical program. The publication consists of three interconnected chapters. The structure consecutively follows the abovementioned topics that are actively studied by the economics of education in the contemporary world. Since our main objective was to show the real picture of the relations between education and employment in Georgia, we believe that the research findings will largely contribute to the better understanding and development of the state education policy. Each chapter consists of three parts: context, i.e. literature review; overview of the main findings, i.e. in-depth analysis of the obtained data; and summary discussion containing all the major conclusions and findings of the research. At the end of the publication, certain recommendations are provided for the state agencies and educational institutions. The publication ends with annexes containing tables and diagrams and the respective bibliography.

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The Western Imaginary and the Imagined Strategies against it in the New European Countries and the Margins of Eastern Europe

Author(s): Lia Tsuladze / Language(s): English

The following paper discusses how the Western imaginary or the way “the West looks East” reinforces the construction of “unstable” or ambivalent identities in the new European countries, as well as the margins of Eastern Europe. Particularly, it deals with the Western discourses that locate Eastern Europe and its margins in the ambivalent state of spatiotemporal transitionality, and explores the possible defense strategies of the latter. The abovementioned Western discourses are roughly divided by the author in the stigmatizing and enlightening ones though both imply a certain type of stigmatization. The “othering” (Todorova 1997) and “asymmetrical” (Melegh 2006) discourses are considered as the examples of the stigmatizing discourse, while “civilizational” discourse (Elias 1994), which is translated into the “elitist” discourse within the local settings, is considered as an example of the enlightening discourse. Furthermore, two extreme ways of “symbolic escape” by the new European countries (the cases of Poland and Romania) and the margins of Eastern Europe (the case of Georgia) are discussed: “a radical emigration... [alongside] cultural amnesia” and a “passionate nationalism and hyperbolic pride” (Kiossev 2002). Finally, the question is posed whether these strategies can help avoid stigmatization. Based on both the researches by other scholars and the recent cross-cultural research conducted among the youth in Romania, Poland and Georgia by the author of this paper, it is illustrated that such means of “symbolic escape” can cause further stigmatization and be largely responsible for a kind of “failure discourse” characteristic to the representatives of the abovementioned new European countries and the margins of Eastern Europe.

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The new welfare agenda – missing the most vulnerable once again?

Author(s): Dimitri Gugushvili / Language(s): English

Shortly after winning elections the new government of Georgia has announced a number of important measures aimed at strengthening the social protection system. These include increasing pensions, doubling the levels of means-tested social assistance, introduction of tax allowances for low earners, strengthening labour regulations and provision of universal basic health insurance. In this paper we project the possible impact of increased social transfers on poverty by using data from the Integrated Household Survey, carried out by Geostat. We argue that while increased transfers will considerably reduce poverty, a third of poor families will see no improvement as at present they are excluded from the social protection system. To fill this gap we propose alternative means-testing criteria, whereby households’ eligibility is defined by their income-generating capacity and actual needs rather than by hypothetical welfare scores primarily defined by possession of durable items.

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General Comparison of ethnic Georgians’ attitudes towards Armenians and Azerbaijanis

Author(s): Irine Osepashvili,Lia Tsuladze / Language(s): English

Based on the data gained from 16 focus-groups (8 in Tbilisi, 4 in Marneuli da 4 in Akhaltsikhe) we can identify certain differences between Georgians’ perception towards Azerbaijanis and Armenians. Despite the topic is Azerbaijanis for half of the focus groups and Armenians - for another, each includes additional part of discussion over another significant minority, Armenians in Azerbaijani-themed focus-groups and Azerbaijanis in Armenian-themed focus groups. Therefore this additional part also serves as some kind of brief examination of the data that was gained in same-themed focus groups. General observation of everyday situations shows that Armenians are perceived far more negatively than Azerbaijanis. Media, which on one hand feeds the opinions of the society and on the other hand is fed by those opinions, covers Armenians more frequently compared to other ethnic minorities and often uses term ‘Armenian’ as a swear word.

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Gender, Violence, and Politics

Author(s): Elizabeth Frazer / Language(s): English

In this contribution I want to consider how social science research intersects and interacts with political thinking and action. The significance of violence against women, as such, needs no emphasis in this forum. It determines how boys and girls develop, it regulates our conduct as sexed beings - as men, as women - and it interacts with unequal distributions of benefits and burdens between the two sexes. It needs no emphasis here, but that is not to say that it needs no emphasis in universities and research centres in general, in social and political institutions like law and medicine, and in the agencies of government at state, city, and global levels. The last few decades have seen widespread acceptance of the insights that rape as a weapon of war, first really is a weapon of war, and second is not just any 'ordinary' weapon. There has also been wide acceptance, throughout societies, and states, that sexual harassment at work is serious. First, because of its pervasive psychological and emotional effects on recipients and on perpetrators; second because the joke or the flirtation is underpinned by and is liable to turn into aggression or assault. It is recognised, by scientists, by lawyers, by policy makers, governors and managers, that domestic violence is a public health issue. All of these impact on understanding of the complexities of rape and sexual assault as criminal. All of these underline how sex and gender, and the enforcement of particular standards of sexual conduct, are matters of the first political and legal, as well as cultural and social, importance.

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Material Deprivation and the Outcomes of Elections

Author(s): Alexi Gugushvili / Language(s): English

This study shows that the district level outcomes in the 2012 parliamentary elections in Georgia are significantly associated with the mean household deprivation levels. This effect is statistically significant after controlling for the regional dummies, urbanisation level, current district’s population size, the proportion of orthodox population, local ideological preferences, and the rate of turnout on the election day. The OLS models of the share of received votes in the proportional system and the logit models of the odds of victory of a party candidate in the majoritarian contest both reveal that the districts with the lowest and highest material deprivation levels were more likely to vote for the oppositional coalition. The results are robust even after excluding from the analysis two fraud-prone regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli.

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The Mechanism of Internal Controls and Management Style in Public Schools, Georgia

Author(s): Tamar Mosiashvili / Language(s): English

The rapid change of education system reform vector in Georgia increased the General Education centralization process. During the last two years the changes were passed in the law on General education. The changes reinforced the role of Ministry of Education and Science was in the school management process. The Minister issued decrees, Teachers Professional Code of Ethics, Students Code of Ethics, Standard of School Principle were adopted and enforced in 2010. Based on the new regulations Georgian Public Schools developed and renewed Public School Bylaws. // The School Bylaws reflected the changes entered in force. The General Education system management changed and as a whole it contributed strengthening the zero tolerance tendencies. The school discipline management procedures are strengthened. The School Bylaws determined the inflexible punishable measures connected with the discipline abolishment, though the exact description of the discipline abolishment in the prepared Bylaws is not noticed. The Bylaws define the school management style and control mechanisms. In this article the Georgian Public Schools’ Bylaws are studied and identified the needs of systematic changes of Education Policy, in particular, discipline management.

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Prospect of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) – Is there a European Way for Georgia?

Author(s): Tamar Khuntsaria / Language(s): English

This paper offers analysis of the possible impediments to concluding a DCFTA with Georgia. My arguments are based on three major factors hindering the process: First and foremost, Georgia’s long term economic development model is uncertain. The country’s ruling elite, dominated by an influential libertarian group, maintains the government’s ambivalent attitude towards the two fundamentally different ‘European’ and ‘Singaporean’ models of country’s development. It is argued here that becoming a second Singapore is an obscure prospect for Georgia and that the best possible alternative for the country’s long-term sustainable development is to follow the European path. Second, the Government of Georgia is unenthusiastic about implementing the EU preconditioned ‘deep and comprehensive’ regulatory reforms due to high convergence costs. Instead of targeting long-term sustainable economic growth, official Tbilisi proceeds with marginal reforms and uses the possibility of the EU approximation as a political tool to sustain the EU’s political support and aid. Third, the EU’s ‘enlargement-lite’ and technocratic policy along with its limited conditionality towards unfulfilled reforms in Georgia further encourages the government’s “selective convergence” and hesitance to decide firmly and ultimately on the European way.

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Georgian State Border – Past and Present

Author(s): Nikoloz Samkharadze / Language(s): English

This paper provides historical background to the formation of Georgia’s current borders in the course of 20th century and analyzes the stance of Georgian state on border delimitation after independence. In the first part of the article, the period of 1918-1921 when most border changes took place in the South Caucasus is examined. Then the Soviet period is discussed. The article moves on to examine the period of 1991-93, during which the successor states of the USSR reconfirmed the internal republican borders of the USSR. The second part of the article describes the process of Georgia’s negotiations with neighbouring states on border delimitation after the restoration of independence. Delimitation of the border cannot be achieved unilaterally. It is a bilateral process and the failure to reach the consensus should be attributed to both negotiating parties. The aim of this article is not the identification of the guilty party, but rather identification of the actual reasons for lack of progress in negotiations. It reflects a Georgian perspective of the past and present state of play, since it is mostly based on documentary analysis and interviews conducted in Georgia. This research argues that the lack of political will from all negotiating parties has been the main reason for protraction of the process of border delimitation. It is a first attempt to bridge the existing gap in research on the border delimitation issue in interstate relations. Unfortunately, border delimitation is a field which has not been extensively researched either by Georgian or by international scholars, which makes this article even more timely and relevant.

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