As peacebuilders working in the South Caucasus in an independent, non-governmental capacity, we have sought to support people affected by conflict in the region to overcome violent legacies, and develop peaceful, more constructive relations with each other, based on mutual understanding and respect. 

Our collective experience demonstrates that, however protracted the conflicts can seem, progress can be made thanks to the efforts of officials and civil society representatives who engage in dialogue to promote peace and security and to improve the lives and economic wellbeing of people affected by conflict. 

However, our experience also shows that language, names and symbols often lie at the heart of these conflicts, and that actions, particularly when taken unilaterally, can have unintended consequences that set back relations. Fragile trust is easily broken.

War memorials are of great significance: they remind us of the terrible cost of war and demand of us every effort to avoid violence in the future.  Whilst the legacy of wars is inherently political, politicising war memorials does nothing to address the causes of violent conflict or to further the cause of reconciliation. 

We are saddened that a memorial to people who lost their lives in Abkhazia has apparently been removed without prior consultation with all those who have an historical and emotional connection to it.  We understand that no decision has been taken by East Ayrshire Council and call upon all concerned to reinstate it so that dialogue can then take place to find mutually-acceptable and appropriate ways to respect the memory of all victims of the violence of the early 1990s.

We urge all sides to respect the war dead, find constructive ways to address the legacies of the past, and work towards lasting peace in the region.

Andrew Nethercott - Conciliation Resources

Bruno Coppieters – Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Craig Oliphant – Peaceful Change Initiative

Doireann Cooney - Conciliation Resources

Elena Cook 

Jonathan Cohen - Conciliation Resources

Maurizia Jenkins

Mira Sovakar – Conciliation Resources

Rachel Clogg – Conciliation Resources

Sabine Fischer – Stiftung für Wissenschaft und Politik

Sophia Pugsley – International Alert

Susan Allen – George Mason University

Thomas de Waal – Carnegie Europe

Walter Kaufmann