Peace Camp 2006 - Abkhazia

Youth from Chechnya and Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia participated in a ten-day ‘Young Citizens for the Future’ Peacebuilding and Ecological Summer Camp in July 2006.

Youth from all ethnic groups living in these areas were actively engaged in the camp, conducted in the surroundings of mountainous Auadhara, in Abkhazia, some 1,700 metres above the sea level.

“These children are being raised in very similar conditions,” said Teresa Benito, World Vision Abkhazia Programme Manager. “They live in a post-war environment, which has them encounter the same difficulties and they struggle over the same problems; be it economical, psychosocial or health problems. It is for these children that the camp was intended and specifically designed for.”

Each participant attended classes focusing on tolerance, human rights, democracy, civic participation, gender equality, and the basics of journalism. They also undertook activities on how to live in nature while respecting it.

“Placed in this beautiful environment, children relax and even the most sensitive and vulnerable of them become more open towards each other,” said Taisia Alania, Sukhumi Youth House ethnography teacher.

Nino, a 15-year-old girl had some apprehensions before arriving to the camp and meeting youth from other ethnic groups but “We saw how they communicate, how friendly they are and soon we started to call each other brothers and sisters,” she said.

“I had never traveled outside of Chechnya and it was always very interesting for me to see how people lived in other places,” said Taisa, a 15-year-old girl from Urus-Martan. “Now I can see that in spite of perhaps some minor cultural differences, generally we are all the same: we all value the same things like honesty and being genuine.”

The 15 candidates from Chechnya were selected from among the youth, who within the last year actively participated in the activities of the Community Mobilization Centre (CMC) operated by Word Vision Russian Federation in Urus-Martan. Each child also had to write an essay on the topic of peacebuilding, as part of the selection process.

“I was so excited when I realised I was going to Abkhazia,” said Rasam, 16. “This trip was definitely the biggest adventure that I have had in my life so far.”

Previous experience has proven that a well organised summer Peace Camp can be one of the most effective means of bringing together young people with different ethnical, cultural or religious backgrounds, and making a long lasting positive impact on their lives through various reconciliation activities that encourages them to become active actors for peace.

The summer camp was possible due to sponsorship from The Eagle Down Foundation, a Canadian charitable organisation, and World Vision Switzerland.

Magomed Havtsukov and Teresa Benito - World Vision Russian Federation and World Vision Abkhazia Program

This project was funded by The Eagle Down Foundation in partnership with World Vision Switzerland (www.worldvision.ch).