ABSTRACT
The Tbilisi Initiative was a cooperative effort by Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan to develop a common textbook addressing the history of the South Caucasus region. The aim of this book was to present the history of the region in a more positive light and to encourage future generations in these states to learn how to live together as peaceful neighbors. This unique project started in 1997 and went through several different stages, including preliminary discussions, meetings with experts, and actual writing of the sections on national histories. Publication of the textbook was scheduled for 2006, but political circumstances in the region spoiled plans for official publication. The aim of this chapter is to analyze the process of multilateral textbook development in the South Caucasus and highlight some lessons learned from this initiative and its failure. It will introduce the framework of the project, describe its stages and achievements, discuss challenges and problems in its realization, and present some assessments of the project by its participants.
