Meetings and Discussions

   

The Visit of U.S. Congressional Delegation

On August 16, 2005 the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies welcomed the U.S. Congressional delegation.  The visit was organized by American NGO – The Potomac Foundation. The delegation included staff members from the Republican and Democratic parties of the House of Representatives and members of the U.S. Helsinki Commission. During the meeting, the discussion was moderated by Dr. Alex Rondeli and the head of the American delegation, Dr. Philip Petersen, Senior Fellow at The Potomac Foundation.  The aim of the U.S. delegation’s visit was to meet with the leading members of Georgia’s NGO community and civil society, including the Liberty Institute, Partnership for Social Initiatives, Tbilisi State University, Open-Society Georgia, Young Lawyers Association, and Civil Development Institute. 

The visit provided Capitol Hill staff members with a clearer picture of the democratic reform processes in Georgia.  This ongoing project is an essential component of Congressional oversight and maintenance of democracy programs in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. 

The lack of sustained media attention on the Caucasus means that much of American views on the region are formed by media outlets in Moscow.  The Potomac Foundation emphasized the need to let American policymakers see the reforms, or lack of thereof, taking place inside Georgia.  The participation of Congressional staff members is a vital link to U.S. democracy-promotion strategies, as they draft the legislation that eventually funds administration priorities and programs. 

The members of the Georgian NGO community expressed their views on a wide variety of topics, highlighting different problems and issues that Georgia faces now. Unfortunately, many of the problems existing prior to the Rose Revolution persist to this day, as Georgian civil society continues to be weak and the newly established democratic leaders have had a tendency to abuse their power.