Zaza Sikharulidze

Zaza Sikharulidze is a leader of the National Liberation Movement and civil society. The founder of the non-governmental movement of people with disabilities in Georgia. State and public figure. Poet, publicist, scientist. PHD

Biography

Zaza Sikharulidze was born on 18 April 1960 in Batumi, in the family of the prominent historian, Academician Iuri Sikharulidze. At present he lives in Tbilisi. Zaza Sikharulidze is Georgian, Orthodox Christian, with the specialty of Philologist-Orientalist and Lawyer. He has been granted the scientific academic degree of Doctor of Philology, has been elected as the member (academician) of the Medical and Social Academy of Georgia, the Academy of Technologic Sciences of Georgia and the Pazisi Academy of Science. Zaza Sikharulidze is a founder rector and professor of the Tbilisi International University of Business and Law, an author of four books and up to 800 publications (works of theoretical and conceptual character, literary and critical letters, poetry, and translations). Zaza Sikharulidze began working in 1976 in one of the specialized enterprises.

He involved in the National-Liberating Movement of the Georgian People in 1978 and participated in the demonstrations of 1980 in Mtskheta and 1983 in Tbilisi, of November 1988 and April 1989. He was one of the initiators of so-called the “Rose Revolution”, leader of the September–November demonstration of the invalids, veterans and refugees held with the demand that Shevardnadze’s regime should step down.

Zaza Sikharulidze was a member of the Georgian Parliament of the 1992-1995 convocation and the chairman of the Commission on Social Issues, a member of the State Constitution Commission.

Since 1989 he has been the founder of "Gvtisshvilta Kavshiri" (Union of God-Children), the Chairman of "Sakartvelos Gvtisshvilta Kavshiri" (Union of God-Children of Georgia) (the political party) established by his initiative, and the President of "Sruliad Sakartvelos Gvtisshvilta Kavshiri" (Union of God-Children of All Georgia) (Association of the Disabled), since 1991 – the founder and editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Gvtisshvili” (God-Child).

In 1990 Zaza Sikharulidze was elected as a member of the National Forum and National Congress of Georgia, the Chairman of the Commission on Social Issues of the National Congress of Georgia, a member of the National Olimpic Committee, in 1999 – as an Executive Secretary of the Congress of the Georgian NGOs founded by his own initiative, and the Chairman of the Board of the Development fund “Congress” of the Georgian NGOs, in 2000 he became the Chairman of the Council of the Invalids, Veterans and Refugees NGOs of All Georgia, in 2001 – the Speaker of the Georgian National Forum of the Second Convocation, in 2002 – the Executive Coordinator of the Assembly of the Invalids, Veterans and Refugees NGOs of Georgia, in 2003 – the Chairman of the Main Committee of National Disobedience of Georgia (National Salvation, called since 15 June 2008), in 2004 – a founder member and Chairman of the Organizational Committee of the National Front of Salvation of Georgia, in 2006 – the Chairman of the Board of the Coalition “Providing Equal opportunities for the Georgian Invalids”, in 2012 - leader of the "Coalition for social reform".

Zaza Sikharulidze was and is still a member of state and government commissions and boards.

Under his leadership the international or foreign donors, including the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund, an American organization, Save the Children, German ,,Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, and the Georgian state funded 20 - more than a project. He, on 29 November 2003, the National Committee for disobeying the decision of the chief, was named a presidential candidate of Georgia. His wife – Mrs. Nona Kenchuashvili, speaker of the Union of God Children Georgia, co-president of the Whole Georgia (Disabled Persons Association), was elected member of the Georgian State Committee and the Georgian Parliament. He has a son, George.

References

Primary Sources and Internet resources. 1. Who is who in Georgia 2009. Tbilisi Georgian biographical center, 2009. 2. Georgian Parliament. Tbilisi, 2011 year. 3. http://www.nplg.gov.ge/bios/ka/00001335/