Inter-Religious Conference III

Nugzar Papuashvili (Writer and Theologian)

Defrocked Priest Basili Kobakhidze (Orthodox)
Father Petre
Officer Eka Tikaradze (Salvation Army)
Zurab Tsertsvadze (Lutheran)

Inter-Religious Conference II

Ajaran Mufti

Paata Zakareishvili
Tengo Dalalishvili (Orthodox) and Monk Akaki Chelidze (Catholic)
Nodar Ladaria
Gaga Nizharadze (ICCN)

Inter-Religious Conference

The Regional Inter-Religious Conference (April 26-27, 2007), titled "Religion and Civil Society," was organized by ICCN and the Inter-Religious Women's Group. Orthodox Priests, Muslims, Baptists, Catholics, Baptists, Armenian Apostolics, Salvation Army, Georgian Intellectuals, Agnostics, Authors and Speakers, Professors, Members of Parliament attended the Conference to discuss the Religion and Civil Society in Batumi.

Here are some photos...

Father Zaza Tevzadze (Orthodox) and Bishop Malkhaz Songulashvili (Baptist)

Nugzar Bardavelidze (Catholic)
Father Zaza Tevzadze
Lela Qartvelishvili
Nato Abalishvili

Stories

The stories are coming soon. On Thursday I spent the day in Batumi, Ajara at an Inter-Religious Conference. I am off on another hike, though, and have no time to post pictures.

Coming soon (Monday)...

Muslim Presentation 2

Public Defender Sozar Subari

Lela Qartvelishvili (Event Coordinator)
Lela Jejelava (Coordinator of the Religious Council for the Patriarch)
Informal Conversations
Mullah/Sheikh Vagif speaking to Manana Kutateladze and Bekah Mindiashvili(Public Defender's Office)

Muslim Presentation

The Mullah/Sheikh, Dr George Khutishvili, and the Akhoond

Akhoond Ali Aliev
Mullah/Sheikh Vagif Akperov
(L-R)Lela Qartvelishvili, Bishop Malkhaz Songulashvili, and Lela Jejelava
Otar Nadiradze (Representative of Ajarian Mufti)
Giorgi Lobdjanidze (Translated the Qur'an in to Georgian)

The Ghost Writer: The Village Victory

A village called Victory is just down the way. Take the President George W Bush road and you get to the village called Victory. There, off the road, to the right lies an empty village. It’s Victory.

Victory has friendly people, ugly roads, and a dead center Square.

Off the main road lies the House of Sewing. The house is a typical one. Made of wood, a triangular-square roof, two floors, big windows, and a little garden in front. It looks nice. It’s Victory.

The people greet me warmly. They come from the garden. Their eyes open wide and show that they are pleased to have guests. It’s Victory.

Inside four women work hard and an older man with a beard, sunglasses, and a cane sits on the couch by the woodstove. When he talks, he does not look at you. The women are sewing. The man with sunglasses sits by the fire, holding a young child in his lap. The old woman with a mustache, a big nose, blank eyes, and black clothes sits on a stool staring into space. It’s Victory.

Among the four women stands a young one. Maybe fifteen. She’s got a face of a child, a smile of innocence, and the responsibility of a mother. It’s Victory.

The men want coffee. The four women stop sewing and prepare the coffee, and bring a chocolate bar. The men talk. About highland mountain life, the good old days, and the wrongs of today. It’s Victory.

Then man with sunglasses takes the money. The fifteen-year-old counts it to make sure it is all there. A shake of hands. Our time is finished. It’s Victory.

We drive away. As we do so, the smiling innocent child waves goodbye, holding the young one in her arms. “Who is she?” I asked. “That’s his wife, and she’s holding her son.” It’s Victory.

This is the village Victory

Word of the Day

No problem: ბაზარი არაა bazari araa

Armenia

I went to Armenia for a few days and saw a 13th* Century fortress and church. I used the timer on my camera to take pictures of myself. There was an absence (but by no means a lack of) pictures of me. Pictures now, stories later.

This is the view near the motel I stayed at.

Timer #1
Timer #2
Timer #3
Tony took this picture
13th Century Armenian Church
Inside the Church

The Church is falling apart

Not sure what I'm doing really. I had to run to that position before the camera took the picture and I didn't come up with anything more creative.

Then, I settled with this.

Salaam mahlekum

Irene, me, and the Sheikh

Today I met with the Sheikh of Georgia to discuss the Muslims' involvement in the emerging Press Committee designed to create greater awareness and appreciation of the religious diversity in Georgia and among Georgians. He can speak pretty much every language in the world except the ones I speak, so by our next meeting I shall have learned Arabic (or Georgian, since he speaks Georgian too).

Bishop Vazgen

Today I met with Bishop Vazgen, the Armenian Apostolic Church Bishop. He is a really neat guy. Here are some pics.

Suzie, Levan, Bishop Vazgen, Lela

Suzie, me, Bishop Vazgen, Lela

After Armenia...

...I went to a Svan Supra (I wasn't allowed into Armenia). I don't have pictures of the Supra, only pictures after the Supra, when they were trying to convince me to stay the night. During the Supra, however, I was adopted by the Svan fellow with sunglasses.





Here are some pics.

We got a flat tire before leaving Tbilisi.

Svan Tower Replica, in a village near the Armenian border.

The Svan who adopted me (left), another Svan, and the Toastmaster (right)Father, adopted son (me), and real son (who kidnapped his current wife)

Easter Morning

On Saturday we had a Church Service at the Cathedral Baptist Church. We stayed up all night. There were Baptisms (as you can see in the posts below), dancing, music, and drama. At about 6:30AM we headed to a mountain that overlooks Tbilisi. We had a time of prayer there, praying for the whole world. There were flags in the ground circumventing the crowd. These flags indicated a specifical conflict in the world. We prayed for peace and reconciliation in those places.

The Sunrise

Praying
Praying for Israel/Palestine
Eat, Drink and Be Merry
Warming up by the fire
Nino and Zura
Eka and Shako
Dr Corbitt