A couple of days ago, one of my recurring dreams came true: the National Academy of Sciences of Georgia has created a workgroup titled “Georgia in the History (System) of the World Civilizations”, consisting of 27 members, including the author of these words. The aim of the group, as I understand it, is to define the place and importance of Georgia—its merited niche among the nations of the world—letting the world know that we are also around and we deserve to be known and appreciated. The members of this extremely significant ad hoc group are well-known figures of our society, including academicians of the country’s Academy of Sciences, among them President Roin Metreveli and Vice President Ramaz Khurodze, as well as members like Vladimir Papava, Elizbar Javelidze, Elguja Khintibidze, Giorgi Gabunia, Valeri Asatiani, Avtandil Arabuli, Davit Lordkipanidze, Ramaz Shengelia, Zaza Skhirtladze, Zurab Abashidze, and others.
This brilliant idea belongs to Bakur Kiguradze, the honorary citizen of Tbilisi, architect and scientist, whose initiative is based on the consideration that Georgia is not only a junction of cultures but a genuine cradle of one of the oldest civilizations, where man first reached the realm of God, so to speak, grasped the magic of mother nature, and achieved the cherished equilibrium among the minds, which eventually determined the formation of the outstandingly unique system of Georgian values—values that happen to be a treasure belonging to the world, and care and attention towards that treasure is not only the commitment of the Georgian people. It is the concern of the entire world, so that we render ourselves capable of adorning future humans with the pearls of our system of values. Unless we do this, we might find ourselves faced with the possibility of forfeiting our Georgian marvel and singularity.
It should probably be noted here that I have written several articles for Georgia Today on this vitally imperative topic. The presumption is that the Georgian national culture—its language and its unique alphabet, its polyphonic singing manner, its literature and poesy, its intellectual achievements and its truly amazing successes in the world’s sporting life, its style of interpersonal relations and the way it executes friendships and maintains family values—all this deserves the attention of the entire world. Georgia and the human phenomenon represented by its wonderfully talented people should never be annihilated from the surface of the Earth. The Georgian phenomenon, unfairly known to the world in the most restricted way, must make its way into human hearts and minds around the globe.
This is what Bakur Kiguradze is trying to perpetuate with his truly astonishing initiative, which the Georgian National Academy of Sciences has embraced forthwith and put out for public discussion. Enthusiastic discussions, proposals, relevant analyses, newspaper articles, radio and television programs, and documentaries will follow. And finally—last but not least—financial support has to be provided if we really mean to inculcate what the already functioning workgroup intends to bring to fruition. I am not sure how ready our people are to seriously and wholeheartedly consider ideas like this one, but if we don’t, we’d better be ready for inevitable disappearance. And if this happens indeed, the world is not going to be a winner. The world will lose a huge treasure and will never be aware of what happened to either—Sakartvelo and the world.
Blog by Nugzar B. Ruhadze
