Caucasus Edition new Issue is up

Caucasus Edition, Journal of Conflict Transformation launches its new issue. To read more analysis on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict by scholars, journalists, diplomats, experts and bloggers, visit the website.

Social Media in the Caucasus (presentation at Sabanci University/Istanbul with Phil Gamaghelyan)

Yesterday, together with Phil Gamaghelyan co- founder and co- director of the Imagine Center for Conflict Transformation and the managing editor of Journal for Conflict Transformation Caucasus Edition we gave a presentation at the Sabanci University in Istanbul on the use of social media in conflict areas with focus on the situation in Nagorno Karabakh.

Phil spoke of the peace process, highlighting general debate, while I focused on social media based initiatives and what they have brought to the peace talks.

Below is my part of the presentation uploaded on SlideShare.com

Social Media and Conflict (Nagorno Karabakh)

View more presentations from Arzu.

"Passenger"

This is the title of a short movie/ project, prepared by two young journalists from Armenia and Azerbaijan. The idea is very creative I have to say. Two taxi drivers- Armenian and Azerbaijani- drive around their cities- Yerevan and Baku- listening to Azerbaijani and Armenian (respectively) music and asking their passengers what do they think of the other. 

My first impressions: it made me feel sad, because watching it, whether you want it or not, the reality hits you. While, many young people from both sides are engaged in joint projects, conversations, meetings and initiatives- working together to break the walls of long- lasting mistrust- still, many if not majority on both sides, think of the other as "an enemy". 

The movie also shows, how little the two sides know of each other, something thats been generated as a result of long and thus as a result deeply embedded stereotypes. 

Though, overall, I found the initiative engaging, the lack of passengers talking from the Azerbaijani side, makes the movie rather weak especially in terms of understanding both sides' thinking (if thats what this project aims at, and I believe thats what it is). I would say, thats the biggest minus of this movie. 

Пассажир from eurasiaam on Vimeo.