SOUTH CAUCASUS: PEACE AT A CROSSROADS
The South Caucasus remains a region haunted by conflict. Decades of wars and displacement continue to shape the lives of Armenians, Azerbaijanis, and Georgians, leaving scars that are passed from one generation to the next. In August, a significant step toward reconciliation was taken when Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a peace agreement at the White House. Their handshake was hailed as a potentially historic moment, opening the door to a new era. Yet for peace to become reality, the path ahead is long and fraught with challenges.
Civil society remains largely absent from peace and security policy in the region. Peacebuilding efforts often lack sustainability and inclusiveness, failing to bring in diverse voices and perspectives. Without deeper reflection on the traumas of past wars, experts warn, it will be difficult to build a shared vision of reconciliation.
During visits to Armenia and Azerbaijan earlier this year, I met with local experts and civil society representatives who underscored this point. Stories of loss, displacement, and destruction are strikingly similar across all three countries. These memories – if left unacknowledged – risk becoming entrenched as intergenerational trauma.
Each country now faces a critical juncture: Armenia, still reeling from the Second Karabakh War and the exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), is seeking to redefine its national identity through the “Real Armenia Project.” The initiative, led by Prime Minister Pashinyan, emphasizes state-building, economic growth, and peace oriented policies.
Azerbaijan, victorious in regaining its ter- r i t o r i e s , celebrates President Aliyev as a national hero. Yet the plight of some 700,000 internally displaced persons from the First Karabakh War remains unresolved. Reconstruction and resettlement dominate the national agenda, while issues such as democracy, free speech, and human rights receive scant attention.
Georgia, once considered closest to the European Union, has drifted into democratic backsliding. Restrictive laws on civil society and the media have eroded Western trust. With Russia still entrenched in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and regional instability heightened by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, Georgia’s democratic regression risks widening Moscow’s influence.
Given these dynamics, the role of civil society across the region is more urgent than ever. Scholars, experts, and community organizations in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia can help move peacebuilding forward by reflecting on past experiences, developing shared narratives, and pressing for inclusive strategies that address root causes of conflict. p.Ultimately, the South Caucasus cannot achieve “positive peace” a peace grounded in justice, equality, and well-being—without democracy. Healing requires more than treaties; it demands open dialogue, recognition of trauma, and grassroots efforts to build trust across communities. Only then can the region begin to move toward a stable and prosperous future.
