Federal Lezghi
National and Cultural Autonomy

Russian-Georgian Media Forum: dialogue to be continued

The fourth media forum organized by the political scientific center "Sever-Yug” ended within the framework of the noncommercial project "Caucasian Cooperation.” Causing huge interest among journalists and the expert community of Georgia, the forum proved its resiliency and the lack of options for a broad social dialogue for discussion of Russian-Georgian relations and international problems and the role of the mass media in the context of crises.

Social networking

Thursday morning in Tbilisi's Ambassadori hotel, where the forum took place, the training "Social Networks and Civic Journalism” was held with participation of the dean of the Journalism Department of MGIMO, Yaroslav Skvortsov.

"What is the difference between a blogger and a journalist?” The most acceptable answer is: "A blogger not only tells about a fact, but interprets it.” Skvortsov agreed that a reader is "overfed by facts” and predicted: "By 2020 daily business newspapers will disappear, then, all weekly newspapers, and finally tabloids.” However, according to him, at the moment society is influenced by "the printed word” most of all. Even the most sensational article doesn’t cause a social response if it is published only on the internet, not on paper.

"No axe can cut out what a pen has written”, it seems the proverb is still acute, despite all the new technologies.

Yaroslav Skvortsov didn’t impose his view and provided the audience with an opportunity for discussions.

The Tbilisi round table is about peace in the world

After a break, Dmitry Suslov, the deputy director of the Center for Complex European and International Studies of the HSE, spoke to the audience. His report "Media in the Context of the Crisis” turned into a discussion of major geopolitical problems which touched on the Caucasus region. The main problem which leads to regional crises is thought to be "mismatch of evaluations and different interpretations of the roles of major players in their interest areas” by Suslov.

There is a geopolitical fight between the U.S. and China for influence in Southeastern Asia, and between the U.S. and Russia for the post-Soviet space. Fortunately, there is no nuclear confrontation; they are fighting for minds and hearts in the sphere of media.

Dmitry Suslov thinks that the main challenge for the Caucasus countries, including Georgia, is searching for their places in the global confrontation, so that they could remain subjects of politics, rather than objects. He made an example of Southeastern Asian countries which managed to stay subjects of politics in the context of confrontation between the two superpowers.

Georgian participants in the discussion – Malkhaz Gulashvili, editor of the Georgian Times, Peter Mamradze, the former head of the Stationary Office, Nana Devdariani, the head of the Center for Global Studies – agreed with most of ideas of the speaker. Malkhaz Gulashvili warned that Washington "plans to start a big Caucasus war,” and Georgia should act carefully.

In 2015, when the crisis could reach its peak, the world will mark the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki Treaty and the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. But humanity will celebrate the anniversaries on the wreckage of "the Yalta-Potsdam world”, when the former system of global security is destroyed, while a new one hasn’t been built.

According to Maxim Shevchenko, the editor-in-chief of "Caucasian Politics,” "the American centrist model of the world doesn’t exist anymore, but China and Russia cannot offer an alternative model yet.”

According to Peter Mamradze, under the conditions the majority of  Georgians stand for cooperation with the RF. "There are no anti-Russian attitudes in Georgia. There is a small group of engaged state-mongers who are not able to realize the reality and needs of society,” Mamradze stated, calling the chairman of the parliament David Usupashvili and the Defense Minister Irakly Alasania members of the "group”, as they stand for anti-Russian and purely Western positions.

The Caucasus without borders

Maxim Shevchenko’s training was appreciated by the participants. One could disagree with him, but he is always original and professionally stands for his opinion. This time Maxim paid attention to the elimination of any barriers and borders in the Caucasus region, but not through rejection of national independence of the South Caucasus countries, but through integration and providing free movement of people, commodities, and services. "Anyway, we should preserve the ethnic uniqueness of the Caucasus,” Shevchenko noted.

In the Caucasus there have never been full-scale international borders. "The Caucasus is a united body, an inseparable civilization, and it cannot be an object of colonization or expansion. Russia should stop watching the Caucasus as a zone of its influence,” Shevchenko said.

"If We are Brothers…”

A presentation of the Russian-Georgian project – several TV-shows called "If We are Brothers…” – confirmed that a breakthrough in intergovernmental relations could be reach only through culture, creation of "friendly images”, promotion of people and phenomena that symbolize peacemaking and cooperation.

The presentation was a nice accord of the end of the forum which was held in a friendly and positive atmosphere. All participants spoke about athe necessity to continue the dialogue and organization of new meetings twice  a year – in winter in the mountain resort of Gudauri and in summer – in the Black Sear pearl, Kobuleti.

Initiators of the forum awarded certificates to participants of the media forum. Obviously, the certificate is not just a paper, but a document which enables journalists to participate with serious Russian resources. It is a ticket to the major media and expert space for young journalists, where they can implement their talents.

A dinner was organized at night in one of the best Tbilisi restaurants for guests and participants of the forum by the International Cultural Educational Union "The Russian Club.”

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Vestnik Kavkaza

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