USAID SURVEY REVEALS POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD NATIONAL

UNCLAS TBILISI 002074

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM GG
SUBJECT: USAID SURVEY REVEALS POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD NATIONAL
INTEGRATION IN GEORGIA



1. Summary: On July 19, the USAID-funded National Integration and
Tolerance in Georgia (NITG) program implemented by the UN
Association of Georgia (UNAG) (http://www.una.ge/eng/) presented the
results of a survey of national minorities in Georgia. The survey
revealed that the overwhelming majority of ethnic Azeri and Armenian
minorities consider Georgia their homeland sharing a strong sense of
identification with Georgia among ethnic minorities. However, a lack
of Georgian language skills among ethnic minorities was identified
as an ongoing challenge to integration. End summary.


2. The survey was based on interviews with 2,400 people throughout
the country, monthly media monitoring, desk research, and focus
group meetings. The purpose of the survey was to inform the
Government of Georgia (GoG) as it prepares to draft a strategy and
action plan for national integration and tolerance in Georgia. The
research will also constitute a baseline for measuring the impact of
the NITG program and the government's integration policies. The
research results highlighted attitudes on ethnic diversity and
integration issues among minority groups in Samtskhe-Javakheti and
Kvemo Kartli, as well across the Georgian population nationwide.
Freedom House - Europe assisted UNAG to develop the research
methodology and contributed to the survey report.


3. National Minorities View Georgia as Homeland: The NITG survey
results revealed that the overwhelming majority of national or
ethnic minorities in southern Georgia consider the country to be
their homeland. In the predominantly ethnic Azeri region of Kvemo
Kartli, 98% of non-ethnic Georgian respondents considered Georgia to
be their homeland. In the predominantly ethnic Armenian region of
Samtskhe-Javakheti, 80% of non-ethnic Georgian respondents
considered Georgia to be their homeland. Given the long history of
political, economic, and social isolation of these regions from the
rest of Georgia, the results show a reassuringly strong sense of
identification with Georgia among ethnic minorities.


4. The survey also explored voter participation in the October 2006
Local Government Elections and revealed that ethnic minority
respondents registered high levels of voter participation in the
elections. In Kvemo Kartli, 76% of respondents said they voted in
the elections. In Samtskhe-Javakheti, 81% of respondents said they
voted in the elections. These figures imply a high level of
confidence in democratic processes in these regions. Attitudes
toward ethnic minorities among Georgian citizens in general were
also shown to be positive. When asked whether minority rights
should be protected in Georgia, 91% of respondents nationwide
responded positively.


5. Considerable Challenges Remain: While clarifying positive
attitudes, the survey data also revealed numerous ongoing challenges
facing ethnic minorities in Georgia, including geographic isolation,
low levels of Georgian language proficiency, limited language
accessible media availability, and poor levels of political
representation by minorities. The USG and GOG are actively working
to eliminate the physical isolation of ethnic Azeri and Armenian
communities. The Millennium Challenge Corporation program in
Georgia includes a project to construct a road from Tbilisi to a
major city in the minority ethnic Armenian region of
Samtskhe-Javakheti, and the GOG is investing considerable sums in
road infrastructure improvement projects in both the ethnically
Azeri Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti regions.


6. The low levels of Georgian language skills among ethnic
minorities were highlighted in the survey results. Among
non-Georgian residents in Kvemo Kartli, 83% of respondents did not
speak Georgian. Among non-Georgian residents in Samtskhe-Javakheti,
75% of respondents did not speak Georgian. As Georgian is the
official language, the low level of proficiency in Georgian among
ethnic minorities is a clear challenge to integration into Georgian
society which acts as a disincentive to travel and commerce.


7. The survey also revealed numerous other challenges, including
access to local media, with over 40% of respondents in both Kvemo
Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti viewing Azeri and Armenian TV;
unemployment; and low levels of political representation of
minorities' communities in Tbilisi. (Note: Recently passed
legislation requires politicians to be able to speak Georgian to
hold office. End note.)


8. Conclusion: The NITG survey shows that Georgia is making
progress toward greater integration of its ethnic minorities.
Ethnic Azeris and Armenians, two of Georgia's traditionally most
isolated ethnic minority groups, overwhelmingly identify with
Georgia as their homeland. Furthermore, the USG and GOG are taking
dramatic steps to advance the physical integration of these regions
through large scale road infrastructure projects. That said, the
survey results also show that challenges remain, including low
levels of Georgian language skills, poor access to local media,
unemployment, and under-representation in the government.
PERRY