Team Publications

By Forker, Diana and Natia Botkoveli

"Resilience through language? A case study of three minority communities in Georgia."  International Journal of Multilingualism.

Permanent link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14790718.2024.2328140External link

The concept of resilience has been employed as an analytical tool in a wide range of scientific disciplines and fields from the natural sciences to social sciences and humanities, but within linguistics it is a relatively new and so far, rarely applied concept. This paper is intended as a contribution to fill this gap through a sociolinguistic study of three minority language communities in Georgia - Armenians, Azerbaijanis and Chechens. The sociolinguistic conditions of the three communities in Georgia partially overlap, but also show interesting differences. In order to observe the impact that minority languages possibly have on forming resilient communities, we have interviewed members of these three minority groups using semi-structured questionnaires. We concentrate on two important domains of use, namely education and work, and also explore language attitudes and ideologies. The results of our study are mixed: minority language speakers occasionally benefit from their language knowledge, and their positive attitudes towards their own languages strengthen their linguistic and sociocultural identity. Nevertheless, linguistic discrimination is also part of their every-day experience in a majority society that highly values the national language Georgian.

By Krawatzek, Félix / Pfeilschifter, Veronika

Krawatzek, Félix/Pfeilschifter, Veronika. 2023. “Bringing the lyrical to the political: The socio-political landscape in the South Caucasus through the lens of young people”, Europe-Asia-Studies (under review).

By Williams, Tiffany G.

Williams, Tiffany G. 2023, in press. “Regional Transformation as Reterritorialisation: Examining the distorted image of EU-ropeanisation.” In Disrupting European Studies?, edited by M. David, M. Garcia, T. Haastrup,  and F. Mattheis. Journal of Contemporary European Research 20(2).

By Lebanidze, Bidzina, and Kornely Kakachia

Permanent Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09662839.2023.2166404?journalCode=feus20External link

Lebanidze, Bidzina, and Kornely Kakachia. 2023. “Bandwagoning by Stealth? Explaining Georgia’s Appeasement Policy on Russia.” European Security, 1–20.

By Lebanidze, Bidzina and Shota Kakabadze.

Permanent Link: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/2/272External link 

Lebanidze, Bidzina, and Shota Kakabadze. 2023. “Spoiler or Facilitator? Radicalization of the Georgian Orthodox Church and Its Impact on Societal Resilience in Georgia.” Religions 14 (2): 272.

By Veronika Pfeilschifter

Published by: Caucasus Analytical Digest (CAD); Volume 127

Permanent link: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000554652External link 

This article explores the European Union’s (EU) resilience approach by focusing on post-authoritarian transitional justice (TJ) and examining the situation in Armenia from 2018 to 2022. After elaborating on the relationship between TJ and societal resilience, it draws on four aspects. It examines first the Armenian government’s implemented TJ measures and its modest increase of societal resilience; second, the EU’s ‘halfhearted’ TJ role; and third, the EU’s resilience agenda in Armenia since 2021, and its decreased discursive devotion to TJ. Finally, it gives recommendations to the Armenian government and the EU on how to revitalise TJ implementation in order to enhance societal resilience in Armenia.

By Diana Forker and Natia Botkoveli  

Published by: Caucasus Analytical Digest (CAD); Volume 127

Permanent link: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000554652External link  

This paper is intended as a contribution to discussions of the concept of resilience in linguistics, with a focus on minority language speakers in Georgia. For our study, representatives of three of Georgia’s largest minority groups—Armenians, Azerbaijanis and Chechens—have been interviewed. The sociolinguistic situations of the respective speech communities in Georgia only partially overlap, but all three ethnolinguistic communities maintain a strong cultural identity and they rarely engage in ethnically mixed relationships. The goal of the study is to give insights into the current language situation seen from the native speakers’ viewpoint and to testify as to whether language attitude and knowledge can benefit the resilience of minorities in the majority community.

By Bidzina Lebanidze, Ashot Aleksanyan, and Irena Gonashvili 

Published by: Caucasus Analytical Digest (CAD); Volume 127

Permanent link: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000554652  

This article seeks to explore whether and to what extent the ‘resilience turn’ in the European Union’s (EU) foreign policy-making affected the EU’s (lack of) actorness in the South Caucasus region in security-related areas such as conflict and crisis management and geopolitical rivalries. While Brussels has intensified its policies in most policy sectors, the EU and its member states continue turning a blind eye to geopolitical dynamics in the region. Yet, recent empirical evidence from Armenia and Georgia shows that decoupling of
sectoral cooperation from security-related issues is not sustainable in the long term since, if left unchecked, geopolitical risks can easily thwart the progress achieved in sectoral policy areas and lead to a lower degree of state and societal resilience. Therefore, the key question remains whether the EU and its member states can sustainably promote state and societal resilience if they continue ignoring geopolitical risks and other security-related issues.

By Tiffany G. Williams

Published by: Caucasus Analytical Digest (CAD); Volume 127

Permanent link: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000554652External link  

The Eastern Partnership and closer integration with European Union (EU) Member States has had an undeniable impact on democratization and economic progress for Georgia. Brussels has demonstrated its commitment to support Georgia’s security and territorial integrity through the EU’s third-party mediation role during the 2008 Russia–Georgia war and its ongoing unarmed civilian border monitoring mission. However, the EU contends with disparities between and contestations from its Member States regarding collective defence and security decisions. Therefore, support from other actors is also critical for establishing resilient defence capacity in Georgia. Georgia’s participation with NATO and bilateral agreement with the United States offer valuable means through which Georgia can meet its security and defence objectives. This article discusses these partnerships in order to show that they provide a unique contribution that is necessary for establishing resilience in Georgia’s security and defence capacity alongside the democratic, political,
and economic objectives of the EU–Georgia partnership.

By Williams, Tiffany G.

Williams, Tiffany G. 2022. “Legitimacy, Conditionality, and Norm Compliance: Lessons from the EU’s Normative Power Approach.” In The Politics of Legitimation in the European Union: Legitimacy Recovered?, edited by Christopher Lord, Dirk De Bièvre, Jarle Trondal, Ramses Wessel, and Peter Bursens, 238-262. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

By Williams, Tiffany G.

Williams, Tiffany G. 2021. “Interests over norms? The European Union’s varying Black Sea region approach.” In Experiencing Europeanization in the Black Sea and South Caucasus, European Studies in the Caucasus,Vol. 2, edited by Gaga Gabrichidze, Oliver Reisner, and Selin Türkeş-Kılıç, 47-74. Stuttgart: ibidem Press. 

By Williams, Tiffany G.

Permanent Link: https://www.plato.uio.no/publications/policy-papers/plato-policy-briefs/plato-policy-brief-05-williams.pdfExternal link

Policy Brief: Williams, Tiffany G. 2021. “Make the Eastern Partnership Great Again? Planning Brussels’ response to the ‘Trio Plus Strategy 2030’ resolution.” PLATO Policy Brief Series, no.5, June 2021.https://www.plato.uio.no/publications/policy-papers/plato-policy-briefs/plato-policy-brief-05-williams.pdfExternal link.

By Kakachia, Kornely, Bidzina Lebanidze, and Salome; Kandelaki.

Published by: Georgian Institute of Politics; Policy Paper 33.

Permanent Link: https://gip.ge/publication-post/national-resilience-strategy-for-georgia-lessons-from-nato-eu-and-beyond/External link 

Kakachia, Kornely, Bidzina Lebanidze, and Salome; Kandelaki. 2022. “National Resilience Strategy For Georgia: Lessons From NATO, EU and Beyond.” Policy Paper 33. Tbilisi: Georgian Institute of Politics. https://gip.ge/publication-post/national-resilience-strategy-for-georgia-lessons-from-nato-eu-and-beyond/.

By Kakachia, Kornely, Anar Valiyev, Hanna Shelest, Bidzina Lebanidze, Maksym Khylko, Ahmad Alili, and Salome Kandelaki.

Published by: Georgian Institute of Politics. Policy Paper 33.

Permanent Link: https://gip.ge/publication-post/black-sea-security-after-the-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-views-from-ukraine-georgia-and-azerbaijan/External link 

Kakachia, Kornely, Anar Valiyev, Hanna Shelest, Bidzina Lebanidze, Maksym Khylko, Ahmad Alili, and Salome Kandelaki. 2022. “The Black Sea Security after Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Views from Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.” Policy Paper. Tbilisi: Georgian Institute of Politics.

By Pfeilschifter, Veronika.

Pfeilschifter, Veronika. 2022. “Discussing the contemporary left in Georgia: a conversation with Bakar Berekashvili”. New Eastern Europe, Issue 5.

By Pfeilschifter, Veronika.

Permanent Link: https://www.zois-berlin.de/publikationen/zois-spotlight/die-vielfalt-der-postsowjetischen-linken-in-georgienExternal link.

Pfeilschifter, Veronika. 2022. “Die Vielfalt der postsowjetischen Linken in Georgien“. ZOiS Spotlight 31/2022. https://www.zois-berlin.de/publikationen/zois-spotlight/die-vielfalt-der-postsowjetischen-linken-in-georgienExternal link.

By Pfeilschifter, Veronika, Lebanidze Bidzina, and Irena Gonashvili

Permanent Link: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2022/04/25/russias-war-in-ukraine-perspectives-from-the-south-caucasus/External link 

Pfeilschifter, Veronika, Lebanidze Bidzina, and Irena Gonashvili. 2022. “Russia’s War in Ukraine: Perspectives from the South Caucasus.” New Eastern Europe, April 25, 2022. https://neweasterneurope.eu/2022/04/25/russias-war-in-ukraine-perspectives-from-the-south-caucasus/

By: Khilko, Maksym, Hanna Shelest, Armen Grigoryan, Anar Valiyev, Ahmad Alili, Fidan Namazova, Bidzina Lebanidze, and Salome Kandelaki.

Published by: Caucasus Analytical Digest (CAD) 130.

Permanent Link: https://www.research-collection.ethz.ch/handle/20.500.11850/579582External link 

Khilko, Maksym, Hanna Shelest, Armen Grigoryan, Anar Valiyev, Ahmad Alili, Fidan Namazova, Bidzina Lebanidze, and Salome Kandelaki. 2022. “Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War
on Black Sea Geopolitics.” Caucasus Analytical Digest (CAD) 130.

By: Shota Kakabadze and Bidzina Lebanidze

Published by: D.RaD

Permanent Link: https://dradproject.com/?publications=stakeholders-of-de-radicalisation-in-georgiaExternal link 

The following document, a report on radicalisation and de-radicalisation, was produced for the D.Rad project with the objectives of exposing main trends of radicalisation in Georgia; identifying the actors/individuals behind these processes; and describing the programmes and concrete events addressing the issues through de-radicalisation.