Summer Peace Camp in Abkhazia: Debating for Peace

By World Vision Georgia

Abkhazia Peace Camp - youth participants and staff

A Peace Building Summer Camp organized by World Vision in partnership with the local Non-Governmental Organization “Sukhumi Youth House” brought together 35 youths from across Abkhazia and representing four ethnic groups to discuss different topics related to their communities’ civic concerns.

This generation of youth has grown up in 15 years of tension since the 1992-1993 armed conflict between Abkhazia and Georgia. The youth in Abkhazia have been raised in a place where the unresolved conflict is still the central topic of their everyday lives, and an uncertain future looms over their personal hopes and dreams.

The ethnic Georgian population that fled during the conflict has been slowly returning to the eastern parts of Abkhazia, but they live in isolation from the Abkhaz population. Physical separation between the two ethnic groups coupled with a low standard of living results in increased mistrust, negative stereotypes and perceptions between them.

World Vision Georgia looks at the post-conflict generation as the critical force of change towards positive relationships between the ethnic groups. This is the generation that is open to changing their perceptions and stereotypes and the generation that will subsequently have a positive impact on their peers.   

By promoting values of dialogue, tolerance and nonviolent conflict resolution, the camp has had a significant impact on creating long-lasting bonds between all the youth participants in Abkhazia.  The bonds will help overcome prejudices and stereotypes and become a foundation for peace in the region.

The bonds that were created during the ten days of joint life in the tent camp were especially evident on the last day of their joint adventure when tears, hugs and kisses between camp participants were a clear indication that lives were changed and that new friendships will likely last beyond the camp itself.

During the 10 days, the youth were taught debating skills by an experienced instructor from “Sukhumi Youth House”, World Vision’s local partner. Seventeen-year-old Rustam Anshba from Gudauta enjoyed the debates because, according to him, he felt it was important to listen to the positions of others as well as to express his own.

When asked about the best outcome of the camp, all 35 youths responded with one voice: “New friendships!” They enjoyed lessons, games, hiking trips to peaks of mountains as well as cozy evenings around the campfire, but their new friends are what they value the most.

Physical distance and fear of traveling to ‘the other side’ have always been a challenge for these youths.  Most of the Gali youth had never traveled to western parts of the region and ware concerned about their trip to the camp. Dzina from Gali said that upon arriving to the camp it was difficult to establish contact with Abkhaz participants simply because they have never had any communications with them before. However, they quickly realized that the Abkhaz were warm and friendly people and communication barriers soon dissolved.

“We became stronger, more tolerant after the camp”, proudly stated Tamara Durova, from Gudauta, at the final camp debriefing day organized on August 24th in “Sukhumi Youth House”.

Sixteen-year-old Nizfa Nanba, from Gudauta, was excited when talking about the significance of peace building summer camps. She attended a summer camp with Georgian children in Turkey last year and feels that the camps are important for her as well as for other Abkhaz youth, because “having made new Georgian friends, they can no longer be my enemies.”

Many of the youth participants expressed a desire to become active members of their communities when they returned to their homes as they hoped to use the skills and knowledge gained during the camp.

This Peace Camp was sponsored by the Canadian charitable organization The Eagle Down Foundation and World Vision Switzerland (www.worldvision.ch).