Patriot camps
Encyclopedia
The Patriot camps are state-sponsored summer camp
s for the teenagers of Georgia
.
The Patriot camps were initiated by the president of Georgia
Mikhail Saakashvili in 2005. Each year tens of thousands of young Georgians attend summer camps for ten days, with expenses paid by the Georgian government. Participation is voluntary. In 2007 seven patriot camps will operate.
The declared aim of the project is to raise national pride in young Georgians and to counter social problems of the country. The participants are from poor backgrounds aged 15 to 20. Activities in the camps focus on sporting and cultural events. President Saakashvili, the initiator of the program, himself a former pioneer, rebutted any parallels to Soviet Young Pioneer camp
s, saying that this is as different as it can get.
The patriot camps have been criticized for featuring informal military training (e.g., firing AK-47
rifles). Georgia's opposition has also criticized the camps for Saakashvili through them trying to gain political scores among the young people. Each year upon closing of the camps a large meeting is organized in the Palace of Sports, with Saakashvili addressing the Patriots.
close to the cease-fire line with breakaway Abkhazia
with the declared purpose of bringing Georgian and Abkhaz
teenagers together.
In July 2007 the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon
, expressed concern that Georgia's decision to open a Patriot camp at Ganmukhuri could fuel tensions along the Abkhaz-Georgian ceasefire line, with Georgian officials in response accusing Ban Ki-moon of seeking appeasing of Russia
. Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili
and newly appointed Conflict Resolution Minister Davit Bakradze responded that the UN should concentrate on "major issues," such as the repatriation of Georgian displaced persons referring to the victims of the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia
.
A potentially dangerous incident took place at Ganmukhuri on October 30, 2007 when the patrol of Russian peacekeepers consisting of military personnel and hardware entered Georgian territory and approached the camp, detaining five Georgian policemen who refused the Russians entry. Russian peacekeepers claimed that the officers had been antagonizing and threatening to shoot them. Georgia's Interior Ministry said the detained policemen were severely beaten, and had its forces in the area put on alert. Abkhazia dispatched additional forces to the border posts and put its troops "on high alert". President Saakashvili personally arrived in the village and lashed out at Russian peacekeepers for provoking the incident and declared that Sergey Chaban, commander of Russia's peacekeeping forces in the area, is persona non grata
in Georgia. The latter denied that beating took place and said that he is subordinate to the Council of the defence ministers of CIS and that he is not going to leave the country without an order. Soon, the Georgian policemen were released and the Russian troops left the area.
In spite of the documental video presented by the Georgian side, an official Russian version has it that the Russian peacekeepers detained five Georgian policemen only after they attempted to hinder peacekeeper's unit to monitor the area. The Russians claim they were also ready to hand over detained Georgian policemen, but the local Georgian officials refused the deal after receiving instructions from their bosses to wait for President Saakashvili’s arrival. A statement issued later by the ministry said that the incident was a provocation by the Georgian authorities aimed at internal consumption amid wave of anti-governmental protest rallies
.
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
s for the teenagers of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
.
The Patriot camps were initiated by the president of Georgia
President of Georgia
The President of Georgia is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Government of Georgia. Executive power is split between the President and the Prime Minister, who is the head of government...
Mikhail Saakashvili in 2005. Each year tens of thousands of young Georgians attend summer camps for ten days, with expenses paid by the Georgian government. Participation is voluntary. In 2007 seven patriot camps will operate.
The declared aim of the project is to raise national pride in young Georgians and to counter social problems of the country. The participants are from poor backgrounds aged 15 to 20. Activities in the camps focus on sporting and cultural events. President Saakashvili, the initiator of the program, himself a former pioneer, rebutted any parallels to Soviet Young Pioneer camp
Young Pioneer camp
Young Pioneer camp was the name for the vacation or summer camp of Young Pioneers. In the 20th century these camps existed in many socialist countries, particularly in the Soviet Union....
s, saying that this is as different as it can get.
The patriot camps have been criticized for featuring informal military training (e.g., firing AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
rifles). Georgia's opposition has also criticized the camps for Saakashvili through them trying to gain political scores among the young people. Each year upon closing of the camps a large meeting is organized in the Palace of Sports, with Saakashvili addressing the Patriots.
Ganmukhuri camp
One of the Patriot camps was opened in 2007 at the village of GanmukhuriGanmukhuri
Ganarjiis Mukhuri is village in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, western Georgia. It is situated near the border with Abkhazia and the city of Zugdidi. In 2006, a patriot camp in Ganmukhuri was opened. On August 18, 2008, after the Russian-Georgian War, the village was occupied by Abkhazian...
close to the cease-fire line with breakaway Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
with the declared purpose of bringing Georgian and Abkhaz
Abkhaz people
The Abkhaz or Abkhazians are a Caucasian ethnic group, mainly living in Abkhazia, a disputed region on the Black Sea coast. A large Abkhazian diaspora population resides in Turkey, the origins of which lie in the emigration from the Caucasus in the late 19th century known as Muhajirism...
teenagers together.
In July 2007 the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
, expressed concern that Georgia's decision to open a Patriot camp at Ganmukhuri could fuel tensions along the Abkhaz-Georgian ceasefire line, with Georgian officials in response accusing Ban Ki-moon of seeking appeasing of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili
Gela Bezhuashvili
Gela Bezhuashvili is a Georgian politician and the current head of the Georgian Intelligence Service since February 1, 2008...
and newly appointed Conflict Resolution Minister Davit Bakradze responded that the UN should concentrate on "major issues," such as the repatriation of Georgian displaced persons referring to the victims of the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia
Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia
The Ethnic Cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia, also known as the Massacres of Georgians in Abkhazia and Genocide of Georgians in Abkhazia — refers to ethnic cleansing, massacres and forced mass expulsion of thousands of ethnic Georgians living in Abkhazia during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict...
.
A potentially dangerous incident took place at Ganmukhuri on October 30, 2007 when the patrol of Russian peacekeepers consisting of military personnel and hardware entered Georgian territory and approached the camp, detaining five Georgian policemen who refused the Russians entry. Russian peacekeepers claimed that the officers had been antagonizing and threatening to shoot them. Georgia's Interior Ministry said the detained policemen were severely beaten, and had its forces in the area put on alert. Abkhazia dispatched additional forces to the border posts and put its troops "on high alert". President Saakashvili personally arrived in the village and lashed out at Russian peacekeepers for provoking the incident and declared that Sergey Chaban, commander of Russia's peacekeeping forces in the area, is persona non grata
Persona non grata
Persona non grata , literally meaning "an unwelcome person", is a legal term used in diplomacy that indicates a proscription against a person entering the country...
in Georgia. The latter denied that beating took place and said that he is subordinate to the Council of the defence ministers of CIS and that he is not going to leave the country without an order. Soon, the Georgian policemen were released and the Russian troops left the area.
In spite of the documental video presented by the Georgian side, an official Russian version has it that the Russian peacekeepers detained five Georgian policemen only after they attempted to hinder peacekeeper's unit to monitor the area. The Russians claim they were also ready to hand over detained Georgian policemen, but the local Georgian officials refused the deal after receiving instructions from their bosses to wait for President Saakashvili’s arrival. A statement issued later by the ministry said that the incident was a provocation by the Georgian authorities aimed at internal consumption amid wave of anti-governmental protest rallies
2007 Georgian demonstrations
The 2007 Georgian demonstrations were a series of anti-government protests in Georgia. The demonstrations peaked on November 2, 2007, when 50,000-100,000 rallied in downtown Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. People protested against the allegedly corrupt government of president Mikheil Saakashvili...
.