On December 9th, 2021, a closed-door seminar was held in Tbilisi, Georgia, for targeted Georgian representatives of the expert, civil society and political fields. The event acted as a follow-up to the previous seminar organized in Tbilisi on October 26th, 2021.

During the day, participants were able to listen to presentations and exchange with speakers from Northern Ireland who had been directly involved in the peace process. Invited experts shared their insights and experiences of the interaction between political actors and civil society in Northern Ireland’s post-Good Friday agreement. Guided by an expert from the Causeway Institute for Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution (CIPCR), participants were invited to look closer at the historical period that led to the signing of the Good Friday agreement and the establishment of power-sharing in Northern Ireland. Participants were then exposed to the main principles and mechanisms of Northern Ireland’s power sharing system by an official representative of the Northern Ireland Executive. During the second half of the day, participants benefited from the views of speakers – politicians from various parties, as well as women activists, sometimes formerly involved in politics – all involved in the negotiations and the implementation of the Good Friday agreement. This represented a unique opportunity for participants and speakers to discuss and reflect on the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from the Northern Ireland peace process. The event was concluded by a session dedicated to a joint group reflection on the experience of Northern Ireland, both when it comes to best practices and lessons learned.

The seminar was jointly organized by the International Centre for Geopolitical Studies (ICGS), Georgia, and CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, Finland, as part of a new initiative launched in the Autumn 2021 entitled “Expert Exchange on Conflict Resolution Efforts - Lessons Learnt from International Practices”. This initiative consists in a series of closed-door seminars and is meant as an opportunity for selected experts, civil society representatives and political actors to benefit from first-hand experience from international experts and peers, as well from a safe space for discussions on various topics related to peace process and negotiations.

To ensure maximal safety for participants and speakers, the workshop was held in a blended format and in line with the COVID-19 regulations put in place by the Government of Georgia.