The Jamestown Foundation and Ilia State University Announce International Conference

Age: 14 years

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Contact: Glen Howard
President
202-483-8888

WASHINGTON, DC (4/22/10) — The Jamestown Foundation and Ilia State University proudly announce the international conference: “Hidden Nations, Enduring Crimes: The Circassians & the Peoples of the North Caucasus Between Past and Future” to be held in Tbilisi, Georgia from March 20-21. The conference is the largest gathering of experts on the North Caucasus ever to take place in the Caucasus. Jamestown President Glen Howard declared that “Georgia has long been recognized as the capital of the Caucasus and is a natural bridge to the peoples of the North Caucasus. The downward spiral of events in the North Caucasus requires closer attention in the West and The Jamestown Foundation and its local host Ilia State University are delighted to play a role in putting together such an event that has brought together some of the world’s leading experts and specialists on the North Caucasus.  Over seventy persons from fifteen countries are participating in this conference."  The aim of the conference is to address the widening arc of instability in the North Caucasus and the dangers it poses for regional security and stability.  Participants in the conference will address current developments, as well as historical issues related to the region offering a wide scope of information on the sufferings of the peoples of the North Caucasus.  Moreover, new information from the State Historical Archives of Georgia on the ethnic cleansing of over 1 million Circassians from the North Caucasus will be presented at the conference in a major revelation of the horrible mass sufferings experienced by the Circassians in the organized mass deportations of the 19th century.

Founded in 1984, The Jamestown Foundation is an independent, non-partisan research institution dedicated to providing timely information concerning critical political and strategic developments in China, Russia, and Eurasia. Jamestown’s research and analysis is available to the public free-of-charge via Jamestown’s website, www.jamestown.org.