The New Dimension of Responsibility

On the 13th of June 2008 was held an international conference “Responsibility, Traditional Values, Sustainable Development” at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University .The Conference was organized by the University in collaboration with the Institute of Philosophy. It was financed by the Foundation Charles Leopold Mayer for Human Progress. _ The organizing committee of the conference were Marina Avaliani, Tinatin Bochorishvili Tsissana Chipashvili, Maka Stamatelli, Levan Silagadze, Anastasia Zakariadze.The working languages of the conference were English and Georgian.

The Georgian translation of the new version of the Charter was given to all participants. The conference was opened by a speaker of TSU Representative Council, Professor Kakha Loria. Participants were invited to appreciate an artwork exposition prepared by students dedicated to the main issues of the conference. The theme of the conference concerned essential issues of the day. For Georgian scientific sphere academic approach towards the problems of traditional values and responsibility in this dimension are not alien. As to the issues of sustainable development, these problems are familiar for only the particular speciality scientists. So the theme of the conference, the revealing of inner essence and concrete meaning of the notions “responsibility”, “traditional values” and “sustainable development” , their interrelation and correlation turned out in the focus of attention of young researchers as well as well tried scientiests.

One group of speakers talked about the risks of non sustainable development in Georgia and presented ideas how to find ways to face the new challenges, among them several young scientists from the so-called green movement. Elene Shatberashvili (public affairs officer) from the Biological Farming Association “Elkana” presented examples of sustainable development in Georgian agriculture, Mariam Dzagnidze.and Irma Chitaladze, scientific collaborators from the Institute of Politology spoke about the role of Local Government in the field of water management, stressing the ecological aspects of the problem. Guram Kutelia, one of the rare scientists who had concrete experience as an expert of renewable energies in Georgia discussed the issue of clean energy as one of the components of sustainable development.

The second group of reports was about historical-ethnological and cultural-anthropological questions. Young doctoral students, Tea Kamushadze and Elene Gogiashvili, talked about obligation and responsibility, Human being and Environment in Georgian folklore, the traditional system of up-bringing and its pecualarities in the Georgian mountains.Professor K. Khutsishvili spoke about traditional mechanisms of social control in Georgia. Nino Gambashidze discussed ecological aspects of worship of trees in Georgia.

Very interesting reflection were presented by Ina Ranson and Cyria Emilianoff who work on sustainable development in France. Ina Ranson gave exemples of the necessary evolution of life-styles and values in Western Culture. Cyria Emelianoff, a specialist of the ecological approach of town-planning showed a series of pictures taken in “sustainable model districts.” Both shared with the Georgian audience the Western experience of problems linked to the dangers of non-sustainable development and showed possible ways of changing.

The third group focused on political-philosophical issues. D. Jalagonia, V. Ramishvili and I. Brachuli – all professors of philosophy at the Ivane Javakhishvili University - discussed issues as traditions and transformation of political culture, cultural tradition, responsibility and freedom, globalization, ecosystem and responsibility. They emphasized the destructive potential of self-aimed technical progress which got out of control for the whole society.

Professor A. Zakariadze presented the Charter for Human responsibilities and described the activities of the group engaged in its diffusion, in communication and discussion about its principles in as many circles as possible. The results of this conference would be used for the continuing work on the Georgian version of the Charter. And she hoped that the most interesting result would be the prolongation of the debate in scientific circles.