NISPAcee 15th Annual Conference,
Kiev, Ukraine
CASE STUDY: FIRST EXAMPLE OF INCLUSION THE MANAGEMENT OF INTERETHNIC RELATIONS COURSE AT PA SCHOOL, GEORGIA
Author: Dea Chkhaidze[1],
Foundation for Development of Human Resources,
Georgia
2007
Table of content
Abstract 3
Introduction 3
High education institutions and diversity inclusion 5
Ethnic diversity management course at ZSPA 5
Further Implications 8
Abstract
The research conducted by the author for the 14th NISPAcee conference demonstrated the lack of inclusion of the diversity management dimension and subjects into curricula of Public Administration pedagogical institutions in Georgia. The theme has been developed during last three months with the initiative and special effort of the Foundation for Development of Human Resources (FDHR) and OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (OSCE/HCNM). This paper demonstrates the case of how can governmental sector and precisely public administration education system prosper in cooperation with the civic sector and its experience sharing.
The case describes the development of the cooperation between the FDHR and the Z. Zhvania School of Public Administration (ZSPA) which was established by the Ministry of Education of Georgia in 2005 and serves to the target group – ethnic minorities and high mountainous regions representatives. The result of this cooperation became the inclusion of the Management of interethnic relations course (MIER) into the curricula of the school, which is the first example of teaching such subject in Georgian high education and specialized institutions.
The case includes the description of the curricula of the course and its methodology. The main themes covered by the curricula are: theories of the nationality formation and state structure/design in the ethnic-citizenship approach, culture and its aspects, identity formation, ethnic perceptions, ethnic stereotypes and discrimination and coping with negative thinking, international documents regulating the interethnic relations and protection of the minority rights.
As this is the first example, the result is not observable yet and it cannot be properly evaluated before the time passes and furthermore, the evaluation criteria/indicators have not been exercised yet as the school has only began its work in January 2006. We have not seen the school graduates in practice and have not observed the implementation of their knowledge on their job places, but the case demonstrates the positive feedback of participant-public servants and declares the need for broadening the target institutions list and giving the bigger space to the intercultural and interethnic relations learning in the Public Administration institutions.
The further implication proceeds from the practice: the curriculum has to be proposed to other PA schools and institutions in Georgia. There are only two Schools and few cathedras in the universities occupied the field of PA teaching. We assume that the administrators and organizers of these institutions will take the new concept and develop the curricula of diversity management at their cathedras. The case also demonstrates the effort of FDHR team to propose the created curricula of Management of interethnic relation to the cathedra of Public Servant at Tbilisi Technical University.
Introduction
This paper represents the mutual work of NGO and PA School for rising awareness of public servants on ethnic diversity issues. This work began in 2006 in frame of the Foundation for Development of Human Resources (FDHR)[2] project “Management of Interethnic Relations in Samtskhe-Javakheti Region, Georgia”. The project was initiated and supported by OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (OSCE/HCNM) office in Georgia and was included into the Ethnic Integration program of High Commissioner, which is under its way for several years in Samtskhe-Javakheti region and from 2006 in Kvemo Kartli region as well.
There are several high educational institutions in Georgia, who gives the opportunity of preparing and re-training of public officials[3]. All of them are situated in Tbilisi. As a result of interviewing in these institutions it became obvious that none of them have ethnic minority students. And none of them include cultural or diversity component in their curricula. This is especially pessimistic if we consider the ethnic composition of Georgian State, where about 17 per cent of population consist ethnic minorities. Ethnic minorities inhabit in Tbilisi, and they are densely populated in two regions of Georgia – Samtskhe-Javakheti (by Armenian citizens of Georgia) and Kvemo Kartli (By Azeri citizens of Georgia). Ethnic minorities are inhabited in other regions as well, e.g. Kakheti, but there they compose only slam percentage of population.
The main problem that faces Georgia in terms of its ethnic diversity are: isolation of minority-populated regions psychologically, economically and politically. Isolation leads towards creation of conflicting environment in these two regions, separatist attitudes and lack of knowledge of State Language – Georgian. All these goes in parallel with two ethno-political conflicts on Georgian territory – in Abkhazia and Ossetia.
In 2004 after Rose Revolution ethnic integration set on the agenda of the young state of Saakashvli and the program of Civic Integration was elaborated which the aim of inclusion of ethnic minorities in State political, economical, cultural life; inclusion of ethnic minority citizens into the decision-making process. Z. Zhvania School of Public Administration is one of the most important steps in frame of this program.
In 2006 Z. Zhvania School of Public Administration was opened in Kutaisi, aiming to train public servants - ethnic minority and ethnic Georgians from mountainous regions. In January 2006 FDHR and OSCE/HCNM began negotiations with newly established school. The final goal of negotiations was to include the interethnic management course into the curricula of the PA school.
As a result of negotiations the following agenda was created: FDHR should conduct the pilot two-day workshop for the students of the school in Interethnic Relations Management and if the workshop evaluation results would be positive, the school administration includes the course into their agenda.
FDHR conducted two training-seminars for school students in the beginning of 2006 with two flows of students in total about 100 undergo the activity. Among them were Armenians, Azeri, Greek, Ossetian and Georgian students. The training seminars were evaluated by students as extremely interesting and useful for their daily work as public officials in regions. The school decided to include the course into the curricula after that and the third flow of the students went through the lections on Ethnic Diversity Management.
What is the specificity of the school: the school was established by the Ministry of Education and Sciences of Georgia by the decree of the president M. Saakashvili and serves as a re-training organization for public officials from different regions, mainly ethnic minorities. The school gives two programs: Georgian language and public administration. Only after successful completion of Georgian course ethnic minority students can take administrative one. The students are tested for the administrative course.
High education institutions and diversity inclusion
In mid 90s of XX century after the collapse of Soviet Union, after two ethno-political conflicts and Civic War in Georgia a very big amount of private high education institutions were established. It seemed that education would be the way towards re-building of the State and its development. In edition the high schools served as the creation of job places and gaining income into the poor families after war. This was the example of false satisfier of the need for education, safety and acknowledgment among Georgian population.
Almost all high school had the faculty of public administration that time. But it was obvious that almost all of them delivered very low quality of education and practice. High per cent of these institutions couldn’t survive after 10 years. At the moment in Georgia there are several State Universities and private institutions that prepare public officials. These are: Tbilisi State Technical University, G.Robakidze University “Alma Mater” (private) and several re-training bodies, for instance Georgian Institute of Public Administration (“GIPA” in Tbilisi) and Z. Zhvania School of public Administration (“ZSPA” in Kutaisi).
None of the above mentioned institutions, except of the last, have ethnic minority students or ethnic diversity education issue on their agenda.
Ethnic diversity management course at ZSPA
The aim of the course is to raise awareness of student public officials on ethnic diversity issues and interethnic relations management.
Methodology of the course was elaborated by me and my colleagues from the NGO Foundation for Development of Human Resources based on the two-year experience of training public officials in “Management of interethnic relations” and the course of LGI/OSI “Diversity management in Multiethnic Communities”. Lectures are constructed on a highly interactive manner, which leads to more inclusion of all students in class. Open questions and proposed discussions on specific topics are ended by the slideshow of different materials and statistics which sum up the discussion results. Every theme and topic is discussed from the point of view of public official and in the end of discussions the implications on using this new concept in their every day work is analyzed.
Based on the school specificity the course is taken on the Georgian language. The course lasts for 5 days. In sum it includes 10 hours – two hours a day. This time is not enough for covering all issues and go deep in analyses and problem solving. Stemming from this the course includes only key issues and is delivered on a basic level, but still it is very essential for School students as they argue themselves. The course finishes with the post-test.
Composition of the course:
The course is divided into several themes.
Theme 1: Why is managing ethnic diversity important?
Discussion covers Georgian and broader context, the situation after Second World War is discussed in Balkans, Africa, USA, USSR and other countries, which lead international organizations to put ethnic concept of their agenda. The peaceful conflict transformation paradigm is presented according to which diversity by itself doesn’t lead to conflict, but violation of basic human needs by state systems is the mean of conflict escalation. Particular question for students is - why it is important to manage diversity in their regions, as they work in multiethnic societies.
Theme 2: Main features of interethnic relations.
Students answer and discus three questions: 1. whether nationality is inherited or it is developed in the lifetime; 2. citizenship is more important for modern man or ethnicity; 3. delivering ethnic minorities with “special rights” versus constitution which provides with equal rights every citizen of the country.
Discussion is continued with working on key terms: “ethnic minority”, “ethnic majority” and their sociological and political aspects; “nation-state” and “ethnic-state”; “ethnic group” and its aspects; what is difference between nationality, nation and ethnicity; specificity of these terms in Georgian (or Caucasian) mentality and language. Discussion also covers the difference between “interethnic relations” and international relations”.
Theme 3: Ethnic theories and state
This theme is mostly dedicated to theoretical concepts of Primordial (Essential) theory, Constructivism, Instrumentalism and Multiculturalism. These theories are delivered to students step by step according to their development; students seek arguments for assisting and contravention the theories. They try to find links of their attitude towards each theory. This is rather painful process as many things are realized and re-framed during discussions.
Ethnic theories discussion is continued with the different state approaches, which are based and strengthened on ethnic theories: ethnic approaches and civic approaches. In the end of discussion the radical theoretical thinking is leaded towards medium and the concept of multicultural democracy is merged. The examples of different States are discussed and argued during working on subject.
The important part of the theme is linkage of theories and state practices to Georgian example. Students think about the direction of our State politics at this moment and about the most appropriate way for Georgia to manage its ethnic diversity.
Theme 4: Integration and assimilation
It is discussed the Georgian State policy towards integration, the terms are clarified and main features of both approaches are merged. Students discuss main features and strategies of Georgian Civic Integration policy and define what they themselves can do to ensure integration process on their work place.
Theme 5: What is culture?
Lection begins with the brainstorming about cultural features, which is ended by delivering some scientific definitions.
According to my observation the most important part of this theme is just talking about each others cultural features, such as tradition, dress code, religious concepts and etc. Together with students I give word to one representative of ethnicities which attend the class and they choose to speak about one most important tradition or ritual for their ethnic group. Story-telling is continued with many questions. It is obvious, that different ethnicities living in Georgia are not quite aware of each others traditional features and rituals, in spite of living together for many hundred years. Students analyze the meaning of rituals and find a lot of overlaps between each others culture.
In second part of the theme as a tool of awareness rising is used “Cultural Iceberg”, where students identify primary and secondary features of their culture. As a result they come to the decision that all cultures are valuable and there are no “bad” pr “good” cultures. Human being is brought up in cultural environment and it cannot be otherwise. As a result of analyses they come to the point, that culture is something that preserves their identity, security and give opportunity to replicate identity to heritage.
Theme 6: Identity and stereotyping
The theme begins with the discussion bout what is identity and how many of it can human being carry. As a tool the “Diversity wheel” is used with its inherited - primary and secondary features, which are more controllable during the life-time. Students work on their own identities, then the group together creates one hypothetic person which sums many different identities of students. The main message of the activity becomes clear when I begin the job interview of the hypothetic person, choose some features of its identity that I have stereotyped and regret to take on the job based on discriminating it on chosen features.
This becomes powerful tool for realizing stereotyping on a very basic level, which they meet every time on age, gender, ethnic, religious and other bases. The activity is continued with discussion of stereotypes and discrimination and how to overcome them.
Theme 7: dynamic of identity formation