The Situation in Geogia

Sorry to have delayed so long in updating about such a sad, sad situation. As you have undoubtedly heard by now, the Georgia/South Ossetia conflict escalated to proportions that I (and many others) did not fathom possible. The escalation of the conflict into normal Georgian territory has brought countless harms to Georgia's infrastructure, economy, and - most imoportantly - people. I have a shred of good news, though. I have finally gotten in touch with my friends and old host family near Gori, which was the center of the Russian occupation, and they are all unharmed and have moved back into their houses. Contrary to news reports that I had read, they told me that Russian troops did not enter the village of Sveneti, where they live.

They also said that many of the news reports about pillaging and revenge crimes were true. They did not know exactly who was perpetrating them, although news reports have blamed Russians, Ossetians, and hired mercenaries from Chechnya and other regions. I have thought about this post for some time but still cannot find the words to express my disappointment and sadness regarding this development.

And, as I am now a private citizen and no longer a Peace Corps Volunteer (unfortunately, the program in Georgia has been shut down due to the conflict, shortly after I finished my service...) I can express my anger towards Russia in this medium. The child-like nature of Russia's actions have caused substantial, tangible harms to real lives - they are not the abstractions that Russia portrays them to be in the international diplomacy forum. In addition, bombing Georgia's railways, airports, seaports, roadways, and national parks (!) has pushed Georgia back countless years in terms of development. It is despicable that Russia sees the strangulation of Georgia as in its national interest.

But where to go from here? The West can and must take a stronger role in defending Georgia. Georgia's development is worth defending. The economic growth and democratic progress are, as it stands now, completely beholden to Russia's whim, and it has been made obvious what Russia's intentions are. The tragedy and fallout are still unfolding as the wounds Georgia has suffered are slowly emerging.

If you want to help Georgia's rebuilding effort, there are multiple ways to do so. Perhaps the easiest is by going here. This was created by several Georgia Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and provides information on many different agencies that are involved in the humanitarian effort that is underway in Georgia.