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Results for "NAGORNO KARABAKH"
Developing an Effective Counter-Narrative Framework for Countering Violent Extremism

Developing an Effective Counter-Narrative Framework for Countering Violent Extremism

Sep 18, 2014 | ,

After being contacted by the US Government’s Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC) and the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) to present on my work using social media to cross divides in conflict zones at an intergovernmental seminar recently in Abu Dhabi, it was a pleasure to return to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in June, this time to take part in a small expert working group convened by the International Center for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT-The Hague) and the Hedayah Center to discuss elaborating and implementing effective frameworks for countering violent extremist narratives. 

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Crisis Net: Ushahidi Goes Social

Crisis Net: Ushahidi Goes Social

Aug 27, 2014 | ,

“Wouldn’t it be great if we had an algorithm that was smart enough to read the world news and anticipate conflict before it happens,” says Jonathan Morgan, Co-Founder and Technical Director for Crisis.Net, a new Application Program Interface (API) developed by...

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UK Advanced Command and Staff Course in Georgia

UK Advanced Command and Staff Course in Georgia

Jan 16, 2014 | , , ,

My first presentation of 2014 and as with the year just gone it was to be for an audience as unexpected as my first presentation then. In February 2013 it was to be at an intergovernmental seminar for the U.S. Government’s Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC) and Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF). This year it was to be for 50 students from the U.K. military’s tri-service Advanced Command and Staff Course.

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CFI 4M Journalism and Social Media Forum in the South Caucasus

CFI 4M Journalism and Social Media Forum in the South Caucasus

Nov 20, 2013 | , , , ,

Last week, the 4M Journalism and Social Media Forum came to the South Caucasus. Organised by Canal France International (CFI), previous 4M’s have been held in Nairobi, Cairo, Abidjan, Belgrade, and Tunis. Earlier this year, I had also been invited to speak at their 3rd annual meeting in Montpellier, France, although an air traffic controller strike meant I arrived a day late and couldn’t.

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Yezidis in Armenia

Yezidis in Armenia

Aug 28, 2013 | , ,

Recently EurasiaNet reported that Yezidis in Armenia have requested the authorities in Yerevan assist their counterparts in Iraqi Kurdistan who are experiencing violent attacks from Kurds for selling alcohol. Despite non-Muslims apparently being allowed to do so, militias are reportedly attacking shops owned by Christians and Yezidis.

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Beyond Waiting: Stories from the Turkey-Armenia border – A Multimedia Exhibition

Beyond Waiting: Stories from the Turkey-Armenia border – A Multimedia Exhibition

Aug 27, 2012 | , , , ,

Having already been shown at the Galata Fotoğrafhanesi Fotoğraf Akademisi in Istanbul last year, the Beyond Waiting: Stories from the Turkey-Armenia Border multimedia exhibition finally hits Yerevan today and will run from 27 August to 7 September at the ACCEA/NPAK Armenian Center for Contemporary and Experimental Art. Without a doubt it’s one of the best cross-border media projects I’ve seen in the region and especially as it presents Armenia-Turkey relations and the closed border in a new and very compelling way.

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Georgi Vanyan: The Tekali Process Continues

Georgi Vanyan: The Tekali Process Continues

Jul 24, 2012 | , , , ,

Recent clashes on the Line of Contact (LOC) separating Armenian and Azerbaijani forces have again raised concerns over the fragility of the 1994 ceasefire agreement. That should have put fighting over the disputed territory of Karabakh on hold, but with a final peace deal still elusive, thousands have been killed in cross-border skirmishes in the eighteen years since. At least three Armenian and five Azerbaijani soldiers died in the latest major skirmishes on the LOC, which reportedly included incursions into Armenia proper, while both sides blamed the other for the violence.

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Turkey’s South Caucasus Agenda

Turkey’s South Caucasus Agenda

Jul 17, 2012 | , , , , , ,

Strategically situated as a major conduit for vital energy resources, the South Caucasus has long been an area for competing regional and geopolitical interests. But while competition between Russia and the United States has preoccupied many analysts since 1991 when the three countries making up the region declared their independence from the former Soviet Union, some consider that Turkey could also play an important role in the Caucasus. Despite its well-known problems with Armenia, this is particularly true since tensions between Russia and Georgia culminated in the August 2008 war.

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LATEST BLOG POSTS

A Summer School in Georgia shows the value of people to people contacts

A Summer School in Georgia shows the value of people to people contacts

Sep 4, 2023

Georgia has long been an obvious choice for hosting most Track II initiatives that bring Armenians and Azerbaijanis together on neutral ground. Despite this, however, it rarely gets the credit it deserves for doing so. Bordering both Armenia and Azerbaijan, not only is it perfectly situated geographically, keeping travel and accommodation costs lower, but it also keeps such initiatives in the region.

Gardabani’s Ashiqs: Guardians of an Ancient Musical Tradition

Gardabani’s Ashiqs: Guardians of an Ancient Musical Tradition

Sep 1, 2023

Nestled within the lush green landscapes of Georgia’s Kvemo Kartli region, the municipality of Gardabani is home to many from the country’s largest ethnic minority: Azerbaijanis. Here, despite concerns of dwindling numbers, the age-old Turkic tradition of wandering minstrels has continued. Known as ashiqs, these troubadours are skilled in the art of performing poetry over music, usually performed on the saz, a stringed instrument resembling a long-necked lute.

Yerevan Prepares for Municipal Elections Amidst Karabakh Policy Debate

Yerevan Prepares for Municipal Elections Amidst Karabakh Policy Debate

Aug 29, 2023

To little fanfare, campaigning last week kicked off for municipal elections to be held in Yerevan next month. Despite the inauspicious start, however, the vote could prove eventful with local matters such as public transportation and garbage collection playing second fiddle to much larger issues facing the country – Karabakh and the future of the Armenian prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, in particular.