Imagine Center for Conflict Transformation

Projects

RECENT PROJECTS NEUTRAL ZONE One of the outcomes of 2010 retreat was launch of a new online platform in November 2010-a blog- allowing Imagine alumni and wider online community of alternative voices to address widely spread misinformation, negative attitudes, deeply embedded stereotypes and contribute to a positive transformation of mutual perceptions. Following the Imagine Dialogue Retreat in 2011, the program's alumni decided to re- design this platform into an independent blog with more diverse material, ranging from multimedia, personal accounts of people once touched by war, to parallel stories and humor. FOLLOW- UP PLANNING MEETING in Tbilisi, Georgia Suggested initially by one of the 2008 dialogue participants, in 2011 too, the Imagine team together with its alumni met in Tbilisi in October, to build on the work of the group during the retreat. This year, the alumni arrived with already prepared ideas for cross- border cooperation and with already agreed partners from the other side and focused on coordinating their joint next steps. DIALOGUE FOR ACTION: Azerbaijan- Armenian Retreat in Bakuriani, Georgia In July 2011, the Imagine Center brought together 18 participants from Armenia and Azerbaijan for its annual dialogue retreat in Bakuriani, Georgia. During the dialogue program, participants were engaged in a number of several components of the dialogue with an overall aim of stepping out of traditional ways of thinking and open up for understanding the other side's perspective and analyzing the conflict as a common problem in need of a joint solution. Throughout the retreat, participants were engaged in outdoor team-building activities and trainings in social media. The dialogue focused on analysis of history and present day relations and follow up project planning and joint living in a remote area. CAUCASUS EDITION: Journal of Conflict Transformation In April of 2010, Imagine Center, launched its first online platform at www.caucasusedition.net. The website offers a unique opportunity for exchange of ideas and information as well as constructive dialogue online- something that is missing today in most of the online communication that exists between the two countries and that is often fueled with hatred, propaganda, stereotypes and hostile attitudes. In November 2010, the Center launched the Russian version at www.caucasusedition.net/ru BREAKING THE IMPASS SERIES: Assesing the Dealock in Nagorno-Karabakh Peace Process: Challanges and Opportunities On October 15-17, 2011, the Imagine Center in cooperation with the George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (S-CAR) hosted Azerbaijani and Armenian discussions focused on reassessing the deadlock in Track 1 negotiations and how to engage Track 2 in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution process. These unofficial discussions focused on the need for continuing dialogue and coordination, concentrating on Track 2 initiatives in the peace process. FLETCHER SYMPOSIUM: Reassessing the Nagorno Karabakh Conflict in the Aftermath of Russia-Georgia War On September 26, 2009 the Imagine Center, in Partnership with the Fletcher School of Law in Diplomacy in the US, organized a symposium titled “Reassessing the Nagorno Karabakh Conflict in the Aftermath of Russia-Georgia War.” The goal of the symposium was to provide a forum for Armenian and Azerbaijani scholars and diplomats to reassess the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in light of the changing situation in the region following the Russian-Georgian war and discuss approaches to its resolution. 16 panelists from Azerbaijan and Armenia. participated in the symposium. The opening panel featured the Consul General of Azerbaijanin Los Angeles Elin Suleymanov and the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Armenia in Washington, DC Varuzhan Nersessian, Both Mr. Suleymanov and Mr. Nersisyan attended the Symposium in their personal capacity as alumni of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Other panelists from Armenia included Gayane Novikova from the Center for Strategic Analysis in Yerevan, Rouben Shugaryan, professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia among other experts. Panelists from Azerbaijan included Fariz Ismayilzadeh from the Azerbaijani Diplomatic Academy, Gulshan Pashayeva from the Center for Strategic Studies in Baku and others. The co-directors of the Imagine Center Jale Sultanli and Phil Gamaghelyan participated in a panel discussing the role of history education in the conflict. During the symposium, four panels convened discussing such topics as the challenges and prospects for peace and cooperation in the South Caucasus region in the aftermath of Russia-Georgia war; developments and difficulties in the Nagorno Karabakh peace process, the role of history, identity and ethnicity in the conflict and mechanisms for addressing those elements, as well as various approaches to the resolution of the conflict.

LIST OF IMAGINE PROJECTS

Breaking the Impass Series. Symposium: Assesing the Deadlock in Nagorno-Karabakh Peace Process. Washington, DC, October 2011.

Follow Up Activities Planning Workshop, Tbilisi, Georgia, October 2011: 12 participants

Dialogue For Action, Azerbaijan- Armenian Retreat, Bakuriani, Georgia, July 2011: 18 participants

Dialogue For Action, Azerbaijan- Armenian Retreat, Gudauri, Georgia, July 2010: 14 participants

Follow Up Activities Planning Workshop, Tbilisi, Georgia, October 2010: 10 participants

Breaking the Impass Series. Symposium: Re-Assesing the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict in the aftermath of Russia-Georgia War. Boston. September 2009.

Dialogue For Action, Azerbaijani-Armenian Retreat, Tbilisi, Georgia, August 2009: 16 participants

Conflict Resolution Trainings in Yerevan and Baku, June 2009: 30 participants

Imagine Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue and Retreat, West Virginia, USA May, 2009: 14 participants

Follow Up Activities Planning Workshop, Catskills, NY: 8 participants

Imagine Azerbaijani-Armenian Dialogue and Retreat, North Carolina, USA, May, 2008: 14 participants

Imagine, Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue and Retreat, Maine, USA, May 2007: 12 participants

In conflict resolution four intervention strategies can be distinguished: conflict prevention, conflict management, conflict resolution and conflict transformation. Conflict prevention is focused on addressing the problems before the conflict escalates and turns violent. Conflict management usually refers to crisis intervention and mitigating an already violent conflict. Conflict resolution addresses the deep-rooted causes of the conflict and hostility. Conflict transformation is a long-term measure and implies a deep transformation in the societies and their relationship to one another and to the conflict. It lays a foundation for a lasting peace and co-existence after the conflict is resolved. The Imagine programs are an integral part of a long-term conflict transformation effort called to positively transform the relationship between the Azerbaijani and the Armenian societies.

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