Georgia: trapped in a spiral of escalation Analysis The neoliberal political elite are uninterested in the needs of a society stricken by a pandemic. Their egotism favours informal structures leading to a creeping "Russification" of the country. By Dr. Stefan Meister
War and Peace: Armenian Elections 2017 On April 2, 2017 Parliamentary elections took place in Armenia. These were the first national elections after the Constitutional Referendum of 2015 which transformed the country from a Presidential into a Parliamentary Republic. An analysis. By Olya Azatyan
Quo vadis Armenia: North or West? Just one month after Wladimir Putin's official visit to Azerbaijan, where the chance for signing a binding trade agreement between Baku and Moscow was squandered, the Russian president welcomed his Armenian counterpart in Moscow. It's the latter who made headlines on September 3rd by surprisingly announcing that Armenia would join the Russian-led Customs Union. By Nino Lejava and Konstanty Kuzma
Dossier: Situation of LGBTI people in South Caucasus 2012 was a special year in terms of publicity of LGBTI community and LGBTI movement in all three South Caucasian countries. Several important steps have been made towards raising acute issues about sexual identity, differences/diversity and social constructs. Our dossier reports about the situation in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.
Georgia: Between Modernity and the Middle Ages In the history of the fight for LBGTI rights in the South Caucasus, 17 May 2012 is a milestone. On this internationally recognized day, a group of activists took to the streets in the center of the capital Tbilisi for the first time to demonstrate for the rights of sexual minorities. By Silvia Stöber
LGBTI Rights in the South Caucasus Those who advocate for the rights of sexual minorities in all three countries are confronted with staunchly conservative stereotypes and deep-seated resentment towards all those who challenge or could be seen to break up the traditional social and family structures. The weakly developed understanding of democratic values and minority rights is not just inherited from the Soviet Union. By Silvia Stöber
The situation of the LGBTI community in the South Caucasus 2012 was a special year in terms of publicity of LGBTI community and LGBTI movement in all three South Caucasian countries. Several important steps have been made towards raising acute issues about sexual identity, differences/diversity and social constructs in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. By Nino Lejava
Between Appearance and Reality in Baku: LGBTI Rights in Azerbaijan In May 2012, when the Euro Vision Song Contest took place in Baku, Azerbaijan's capital presented itself as open and liberal. But there is also a second reality: The Azerbaijani society is deeply conservative. In many families it is still a shame when sons or daughters come out as homosexual. Some of them are faced with violence from their own families. By Silvia Stöber
Armenia: A Closed Society The topic of sexual orientation is still a taboo in the Armenian society. Anyone who differs from the traditional beliefs must deal with social ostracism and violence. The gay singer Armine Oganezova, also known as Tsomak, fled from Armenia this summer, because she had to be afraid for her life. By Silvia Stöber
The EU and the Conflicts in the Eastern Neighborhood: The Case of Abkhazia With intense financial support from Moscow and deepening economic ties with the Russian market, Abkhazia has a chance to be reborn after the devastating war with Georgia in 1992/1993. By Irakli Khintba