Archive
 

SSRC,

Social Science Research Council, N.Y.

CSS,

 Center for Strategic Studies, Abkhazia
 

 CA,

Circassianacademia
 

CBDN,
Caucasus Business  and Development Network (Turkey-Abkhazia)
 

 

Towards a New Generation of Scholarship on the Caucasus

Sukhum - Abkhazia, October 30-31, 2007

AGENDA
 

Day 1: Tuesday, 30th  October 2007

 

08.30 -09.00    Visiting the Memorials

 

09.10-10.00 – Opening Remarks

  • Mr. Oleg N. Damenia (Greeting of Participants of the Conference,CSS)

  • Zeynel Abidin Besleney (Representing Circassianacademia,CA)

  • Ergün  Özgür (Conference Organizer, CA, SSRC, CBDN)

10.00-10.15 - Coffee Break

10.15-12.30 - Session I - Economy and Regionalisms

  • Chair person- Sergei M. Shamba- (Minister of Foreign Affairs, RA)

  • Erol Taymaz (METU, Ankara and Cyprus)
    “Economics of Small States and Globalization: Lessons for the Caucasus”

  • Shalashaa Z. I. (ASU, Abkhazia)
    “Economic Potential of Abkhazia at Present Stage of its Development”

  • Baratelia B. V (ASU, Abkhazia)
    “Formation Model of Economic Development of Abkhazia”

  • Tania I. Leila (Director of Fund, Sivil Initiative and Men of Future)
    “Prospects of Abkhazia & Stabilization in the Black Sea-Caucasian Region”

          Discussion

 12.30-13.30  -  Lunch Break

 

AGENDA
 

13.30-15.30 - Session II  / Part I - History, Nationalism and Politics

  • Chair person- Oleg N. Damenia (Director, CSS)

  • Sergei M. Shamba (Minister of Foreign Affairs, RA)
      “Abkhazia in the Context of Regional Security and Development”

  • Burcu Gültekin Punsman (METU, Ankara)
    “Cross-border Cooperation Between Turkey and South Caucasus”

  • Cahit Aslan (Cukurova University, Adana)
     “Existences of the Circassians in Turkey: Sampling Eastern Mediterranean”

  •  Eiji Miyazava (Sophia University, Tokyo)
    “Transformation of Local Knowledge Among Circassians in Turkey:  Impacts of the Reencounter with the     Homeland”

Discussion

15.30-16.00   Coffee Break 

16.00-18.0    Session II  / Part II - History, Nationalism and Politics

  • Chair person- Sevda Alankuþ (Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus)

  • Setenay Nil Doðan (Sabanci University, Ýstanbul)
    “Diaspora Nationalism as a Gendered Discourse: Constructions of Femininity and Masculinity in the Nationalist Discourse of Circassians in Turkey

  • Zeynel Abidin Besleney (SSEE, London)
    “Diaspora Nationalism in the Age of Globalisation: Circassian Diaspora Politics and Diasporic Organsations in Turkey”

  • Berat Yýldýz (Bilkent University, Ankara)
    Emigration from the Caucasus

       Discussion

19.30 - Dinner


  

AGENDA
 

Day 2: Wednesday, 31th October

 

09.00-11.00 - Session III- Policy and Citizenship

  • Chair person: Chirikba V. A. (Head of Geopolitics Department, CSS)

  • Chen Bram (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
    “Multi-Ethnic Networks as a way of life: the case of Caucasian Jews” 

  • Sigâh Þahin (Tilburg University, The Netherlands)
    “Legal Position, Political and Civil Rights of the  Circassians in Turkey from an EU Point of View”

  •  Cansu Denef Oktay (Galatasaray University) “The Circassian Diaspora in Europe”

Discussion 

11.00-11.15- Coffee Break 

11.15-12.30- Session IV- /  State and Society in Post Soviet Era

  • Chair person: Erol Taymaz (METU, Ankara and Cyprus)

  •   Sevda Alankuþ (Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus)
      “A Short Comparison of Cyprus and Abkhazia”

  •  Chirikba V. A. (Head of Geopolitics Department, CSS)
      “Current state of Abkhaz-Adyge Languages in the Caucasus and in  Diaspora, Conservation Measures.”

  • Roman S. Dbar (Ecologist)
     “Problem of Local Response of Abkhazia to Global Environmental Challenges.    ”  

Discussion

12.30-13.30 - Lunch Break

           

AGENDA
 

13.30-15.30 - Session IV.- State and Society in Post Soviet Era

  • Chair person: Cahit Aslan (Cukurova University, Adana)

  • Ergün Özgür (Marmara University, Istanbul)
    “NGOs in  Abkhazia and their Contribution to Democratization”

  • Sh. A. Hashba (ABNI)
    “Current demographic state of Abkhazia.”

  • Cemre Erciyes- (METU, Ankara)
    “The Life Standards in the Post Soviet Context: The Case of the Republic of Adygeya”

15.30-16.00 - Coffee Break 

16.00-18.00 - Round Table

  • Viacheslav Chirikba - Overview of the Academia in Abkhazia
     (CSS, ABNI, ASU, Science Academy)

  • Erol Taymaz, Sevda Alankuþ, Cahit Aslan, Ergün Özgür

  • 4 senior scholars from Abkhazia

         Closing Remarks 

         Dinner

 

QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED IN THE ROUND TABLE
 

We want all participants should think about below mentioned questions that should be discussed in the roundtable at the end of the second day. A report should be prepared for future organizations. 

1.   Comments and evaluations of the conference (How it was, how it can be, how we may organize it in the future)?

2.   Can we arrange this conference yearly starting from 2008?

3.   Where the conference should be held in the next year?

4.   What are the possible resources and funds to be reached for the continuation of the conferences in the future?

5.   Who should be invited from where?

6.   How we can reach to our aim “Establishing a network among master and Ph.D. students” other then conferences? What are the other activities for this aim?

7.   Can we organize an exchange program for young scholars?

8.   What are the subjects studied by master and Ph.D. students in Abkhazia and the Caucasus?

9.   How can we increase joint researches?

10. Other questions in minds?

 

Special thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, RA

 

 Caucasus Business and Development Network - CBDN Turkey-Abkhazia
 

Center for Strategic Studies CSS - Abkhazia
 

 

Perspectives for Further Cooperation:

Role of Diasporas and Untapped Potential of Regional Cooperation

  Co-Organized by Caucasus Business & Development Network (Turkey-Abkhazia) and the Centre for Strategic Studies of Abkhazia

 

1 November, 2007

Sukhum

 1/ Abkhazia in the last decade: economic achievements and challenges ahead  

  • Economic achievements of the last decade: presentations by experts from the Center for Strategic Studies and the Business Women Organization of Abkhazia.
     
  • Challenges ahead : overview and perceptions from Turkey and South Russia, by Prof. Erol Taymaz (Ankara) and Dr. Nikolay Traps (Rostov Na Donu).
     
  • Perspectives for economic cooperation in the South Caucasus and facilitation of economic cooperation in the context of protracted conflicts: insights from South Ossetia: Alan Parasteyev (CBDN-South Ossetia). 

 2/ Potential contribution of the Diaspora to the development of external economic relations and foreign direct investments 

Open discussion based on short introductions by:

  • Developing relations with South Russia : Potential for Regional Development between South Russia and South Caucasus and the role of Abkhazia: Dr. Sergey Markedonov (Moscow),  Dr Nikolay Traps (Rostov Na Donu).
     
  • Developing relations with Turkey: Turkish Circassian Diaspora as an Economic Actor between in the region: Dr Burcu Gültekin Punsmann (CBDN Turkey), Ergün Özgür (CBDN Turkey).
     

3/ The cost of closed borders and its regional implications: Potential for Regional Cooperation

 Open discussion based on short introductions by:

  • Evaluating the costs of the maritime blockade and of closure of the air corridor: presentations by experts from the Center for Strategic Studies and the Business Women Organization of Abkhazia.
     
  • Assessing the cost of the closed physical infrastructures: perspectives from Armenia, Russia and Turkey: CBDN Turkey & CBDN Armenia, Nikolay Traps (Rostov Na Donu), Sergey Markedonov (Moscow).
     
  • Looking at way for integration with the Caucasus and Black Sea Region.

 
 

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