**Seven Organizations Leave Council of Ethnic Minorities**
On February 1, seven organizations broke away from the Council of Ethnic Minorities in Georgia. The split came after months of internal conflict and disagreements over issues like the Foreign Agents Law.
**Background to the Split**
The Council of Ethnic Minorities was established in 2005 to promote integration and support ethnic minorities. However, over the years, it has become clear that some members were not aligned with the values of the organization.
**Disagreements Over the Foreign Agents Law**
In 2024, the ruling party reintroduced the Foreign Agents Law, which sparked heated debates among Council members. Thirteen members issued a joint statement criticizing the law and urging authorities to reconsider it. However, the Council’s coordinator responded by saying they did not speak on behalf of all members.
**Critics Excluded from Meetings**
On January 23, a select group of Council members met with the Public Defender, while others were excluded. This led to further tensions within the organization.
**New Platform Established**
The seven organizations that left the Council have established a new platform called the Council for Ethnic Diversity. They aim to promote integration and support ethnic minorities in line with their values.
**Limited Hope of Success**
The founders of the new platform express little hope of solving the problems facing ethnic minorities due to Georgia’s slide into authoritarianism.
**Society Presented with Two Contrasting Images**
Ethnic minorities are just another area where society is presented with two contrasting images, alongside other issues like contested government and polarized media.