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Armenia-Azerbaijan Opening Remarks
I’ve been covering the Karabakh problem since first visiting in 1994 and I remember being told by one academic back then that it would take 20 years to find a lasting solution to the conflict. Sadly, as way of a reality check, it’s now been 27 years since that 1994 ceasefire.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: The Risks for Georgia
Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso has published my latest update on how the 2020 Karabakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan might affect Georgia’s two largest ethnic minorities. In 2016, OpenDemocracy published a similar piece of mine following the 4-day war. Local ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani civil society activists warn that radicalisation among some individuals in the two communities continues, but that the situation still nonetheless remains relatively calm. This is an issue that does need to be monitored, however.
Post-Soviet Suicidal Black Metal album review
I’ll be quite honest. Five years ago, in 2015, when I was told that Psychonaut 4 would be performing in Tbilisi, I really wasn’t interested in going to see them live. I hadn’t heard of the band until then and I really had no idea where they were coming from musically.
Gaming and Extremism – Why Pop Culture needs to be embraced by the P/CVE and conflict resolution community
As Trump and others blame computer games for the gun violence in society, while ignoring their own contribution to the hatred and xenophobia in play, it’s worth remembering that this narrative has been used by successive governments and conservative groups against gamers for decades and has been persistently debunked.
Moreover, games can arguably be a useful tool in preventing and countering violent extremism and other sensitive issues. Discussing mental health issues, for example, was encouraged by the recent independent AAA game, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, which consulted mental health professionals at all stages of its development.
Anti-Government, Anti-Russia Protests Rage On in Tbilisi, Georgia
Georgian protesters in Tbilisi have entered their fourth week of demonstrations in response to an official visit by Russian legislator Sergei Gavrilov to Georgia on June 20. While attending an inter-parliamentary meeting on Orthodoxy, Gavrilov angered many Georgians by addressing the Georgian Parliament in Russian from the parliamentary speaker’s chair.
Counterterrorism Operation in Georgia Brings Home an Uncomfortable Truth
Georgia is no stranger to the specter of international terrorism. But never has the threat struck so close to home as it did toward the end of last month. Panic, fear and anger quickly spread among the population when counterterrorism forces conducted an operation in the capital, Tbilisi, targeting a small group of militants believed to have links to the Islamic State. Drawing from the scant information available about the operation, it’s difficult to figure out precisely what happened.
The Curious Case of Afgan Mukhtarli
Stratfor has published my piece on the mysterious disappearance from Tbilisi of Afgan Mukhtarli. Many believe that the dissident Azerbaijani journalist was abducted because of his writing and other activities.
Tbilisi: Ultranationalist Demonstrations and a Counterprotest
A meeting yesterday with a visiting US researcher looking at far-right movements in Europe reminded me that I hadn’t posted any of the photos I’ve taken at various ultranationalist marches and counter protests that have happened in Tbilisi. I had used one in my recent piece for Stratfor on radicalization in Georgia, but haven’t had much time this past year to do anything other than post them on Facebook.
Another Year, Another One Caucasus
After covering last year’s One Caucasus Festival for Meydan TV there was no way I was going to miss this year’s. That was just as well as there was definitely more international media interest in the event that brings Armenians, Azerbaijanis, and Georgians together in a small, somewhat isolated village located about two hours away from Tbilisi.