Georgian transplant asks: Who's next?
Northwestern College senior far from home as Russia-Georgia clash
By Duane Beeson, Journal correspondent| Posted: Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Northwestern College senior Irakli Naridze, a student from Georgia, holds his country’s flag in his dormitory room in Heemstra Hall in Orange City, Iowa. He says the situation remains tense in Georgia and he worries about being able to pay his tuition because of financial turmoil in the country. (Photo by Duane Beeson, Journal correspondent)
ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- Northwestern College senior Irakli Naridze spent two months this summer in his home country of Georgia and returned to campus on Aug. 5.
Two days later, his life changed.
Russia invaded the former Soviet republic on Aug. 7 in response to an ongoing conflict about the pro-Russian separatist Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Many of Naridze's friends have been called up from the reserves to serve in the Georgian army. His grandmother, a Moscow resident who had been visiting the family in Tblisi, hasn't been able to return to Russia because there are no flights and major highways are blocked.
Naridze's father, an archaeologist, is back at work, but the situation is tense throughout Georgia. More than 3,000 civilians were killed by Russian bombs, according to Naridze, and U.N. officials estimate more than 150,000 people have been displaced. The Northwestern student says Russia launched a cyber attack on Georgian government Web sites and banks closed because of fear that their data would be compromised.
As a result of the ensuing panic and the inability of goods to reach Georgia due to Russian port blockades, prices have gone up. Naridze relies on Georgian donors to pay part of his college expenses. He hasn't heard from them since the invasion.
"Even if they can still pay, there are no banks to wire the money," says Naridze. "The business office has given me a grace period. If I don't pay, I lose my visa status."
A cease-fire was declared Aug.15, but despite Russian pledges to pull back its forces, the Associated Press reported that Russia was building up its troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia and still had a presence in other Georgian locations. On Tuesday, the Russian government announced it would recognize the independence of the two regions despite opposition from the west.
"Russian tanks are still there," says Naridze, who keeps in touch with friends and talks with his parents for about an hour daily through Skype, a software program that allows users to make calls from their computer. "Villages are getting robbed. Russian soldiers are stealing food and laundry detergent, taking shoes off of dead Georgian soldiers. I saw video of them taking Georgian military uniforms."
Naridze, a business administration/management major who interned with the United Nations three years ago while studying at a Georgian university, says he is frustrated about the lack of international sanctions against Russia.
"Russia needs to know they can't do whatever they feel like," he said. "Such a barbarian attitude in the21st century is unacceptable."
Georgia had seen economic growth of 7 to 8 percent annually the last few years under the leadership of its pro-Western president, Mikheil Saakashvili, and was hoping to become a member of NATO. But without international involvement in the conflict, Naridze isn't optimistic about the future of his country.
"Russia came in once, why won't they come again? What will happen to Russia if the world doesn't take any sanctions? Who's next? Maybe Ukraine?" he asks.
As the fall semester begins, Naridze says he realizes he needs to focus on his role as a resident assistant in Northwestern's Heemstra Hall, the 17 hours of credits he's taking this semester and the Graduate Management Admission Test he intends to take in November.
"My thinking about it doesn't really help it. My family is safe. I have commitments here."
But Naridze looks for opportunities to tell his country's story to whomever will listen.
"I've had a lot of people ask me about it. I want to make people aware. I'm more useful here, bringing awareness, than if I was there, because I'm not military-trained."
Two days later, his life changed.
Russia invaded the former Soviet republic on Aug. 7 in response to an ongoing conflict about the pro-Russian separatist Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Many of Naridze's friends have been called up from the reserves to serve in the Georgian army. His grandmother, a Moscow resident who had been visiting the family in Tblisi, hasn't been able to return to Russia because there are no flights and major highways are blocked.
Naridze's father, an archaeologist, is back at work, but the situation is tense throughout Georgia. More than 3,000 civilians were killed by Russian bombs, according to Naridze, and U.N. officials estimate more than 150,000 people have been displaced. The Northwestern student says Russia launched a cyber attack on Georgian government Web sites and banks closed because of fear that their data would be compromised.
As a result of the ensuing panic and the inability of goods to reach Georgia due to Russian port blockades, prices have gone up. Naridze relies on Georgian donors to pay part of his college expenses. He hasn't heard from them since the invasion.
"Even if they can still pay, there are no banks to wire the money," says Naridze. "The business office has given me a grace period. If I don't pay, I lose my visa status."
A cease-fire was declared Aug.15, but despite Russian pledges to pull back its forces, the Associated Press reported that Russia was building up its troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia and still had a presence in other Georgian locations. On Tuesday, the Russian government announced it would recognize the independence of the two regions despite opposition from the west.
"Russian tanks are still there," says Naridze, who keeps in touch with friends and talks with his parents for about an hour daily through Skype, a software program that allows users to make calls from their computer. "Villages are getting robbed. Russian soldiers are stealing food and laundry detergent, taking shoes off of dead Georgian soldiers. I saw video of them taking Georgian military uniforms."
Naridze, a business administration/management major who interned with the United Nations three years ago while studying at a Georgian university, says he is frustrated about the lack of international sanctions against Russia.
"Russia needs to know they can't do whatever they feel like," he said. "Such a barbarian attitude in the21st century is unacceptable."
Georgia had seen economic growth of 7 to 8 percent annually the last few years under the leadership of its pro-Western president, Mikheil Saakashvili, and was hoping to become a member of NATO. But without international involvement in the conflict, Naridze isn't optimistic about the future of his country.
"Russia came in once, why won't they come again? What will happen to Russia if the world doesn't take any sanctions? Who's next? Maybe Ukraine?" he asks.
As the fall semester begins, Naridze says he realizes he needs to focus on his role as a resident assistant in Northwestern's Heemstra Hall, the 17 hours of credits he's taking this semester and the Graduate Management Admission Test he intends to take in November.
"My thinking about it doesn't really help it. My family is safe. I have commitments here."
But Naridze looks for opportunities to tell his country's story to whomever will listen.
"I've had a lot of people ask me about it. I want to make people aware. I'm more useful here, bringing awareness, than if I was there, because I'm not military-trained."
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IowaBoy wrote on Aug 27, 2008 11:23 AM: