The Caucasus Mosaic has been functioning as an initiative group since 1990 and since then has conducted a number of humanitarian, social, cultural and educational projects. The initiative group was officially established as a non-governmental organisation in 2009. The aims of the organisation are: protection of the rights of ethnic minorities in Georgia and outside its territories, cultural integration of ethnical minorities, assisting the process of their civic integration, peaceful solution of conflicts, popularizing the culture of ethnic minorities and peoples of the Caucasus, building trust, protecting of people’s rights, gender equality, protecting the rights of refugee women.
Building trust and peace is a major component of The Caucasas Mosaic's work. The members of the organisation have profound experiences in Georgian-Ossetian relationships, although the members collaborate with other ethnic groups in the Caucasus. Since its establishment the Caucaus Mosaic has conducted the following activities:-
Ossetian Sunday School
At Tbilisi Public school 11 the Ossetian language had been taught since 1921, and in 1924 an Ossetain sector was established which had been functioning in the school until the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in 1990. In 1990 the sector was abolished and the same happened with the teaching of Ossetian language elsewhere in Georgia. In 2007-2008 in the Public school 11 with the funding of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ossetian Sunday school was opened. It enables young people, and anybody interested in it, to learn Ossetian language, the history of their people, traditions, culture and folklore. The teachers of the Ossetian Sunday school are the members and founders of The Caucasus Mosaic.
Restoration of Kosta Khetagurov Monument
The monument to the Ossatian writer and public figure, Kosta Khetagurov, was erected in 1959 in the village Areshperan, Lagodekhi, in the Kakheti region, in the yard of the school which is named after Kosta Khetagurov. The monument was severely damaged in the early 1990s. In 2004, The Caucasus Mosaic in cooperation with the group of local journalists prepared the project “Reconstructing the monument of Kosta Khetagurov”, which was realized with the partnership and support of the Open Society-Georgia foundation. The restored monument was erected in 2005.
Ossetian Folklore
In 2005, with the support of the foundation Open Society Georgia, the organisation published a volume of Ossetian Folklore in Georgian and Ossatian languages.
The Anthology of Georgian and Ossetian Literatures
In 2007, with the financial support of Open Society Georgia, the organisation published the anthology of Georgian literature in Ossetian and the Anthology of Ossetian Literature in Georgian in two volumes.
Collection of the Poems of Temirbolat Mamsurov
In 2008, with the financial support of the foundation HORIZON, the organisation published a collection of poems of the first Ossetian writer Temirbolat Mamsurov-“Ossetian songs”- in the Georgian and Ossetian languages.
Ossetain Tales
In 2009 with the support of Open Society Georgia, the organisation published a book of Ossetian tales in Georgian and Ossetian languages. The book contained, legends, tales and traditions, which were collected during the field expeditions.
Films on Georgian-Ossetian Relations
In 2006 and 2008, The Caucasus Mosaic filmed two documentaries, “Georgian-Ossetian Mosaic” and “On the verge of war and peace”, with the support of the Open Society Georgia.
Georgian-Ossetian Dictionary
In 2014 with the support of European Union, in the frames of the UNDP development project “COBERM”, Georgian-Ossetian and Ossetian-Georgian dictionaries were published. Georgian-Ossetian and Ossetian-Georgian dictionaries contain more than 25000 words in each language. It includes a review of Ossetian grammar and a review of Georgian grammar. The dictionary is accompanied with the rules of usage in Ossetian and Georgian languages, and also shortened forms, explanations and etc. The dictionary is available at: http://www.coberm.net/uploads/other/0/160.pdf.
