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Development as Democracy: Civil Society Organizations Under Pressure in Post-2023 Georgia

Gulbiani, Aleksandre LU (2026) MIDM19 20261
Department of Human Geography
LUMID International Master programme in applied International Development and Management
Abstract
Accelerating democratic backsliding in Georgia has been a topic of scholarly interest in recent years. Nevertheless, little work has been done to link this process with development. To establish precisely such a connection, this thesis explores the impact of de-democratization on Georgian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and its subsequent effects on development. By relying on Amartya Sen’s “Development as Freedom” approach, the research conceptualizes CSOs as both indicators and facilitators of development. Ultimately, a logical chain is established which links democratic backsliding with the fracturing of civil society and subsequently with the curtailment of development. Finally, this thesis argues that the democratic decline in... (More)
Accelerating democratic backsliding in Georgia has been a topic of scholarly interest in recent years. Nevertheless, little work has been done to link this process with development. To establish precisely such a connection, this thesis explores the impact of de-democratization on Georgian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and its subsequent effects on development. By relying on Amartya Sen’s “Development as Freedom” approach, the research conceptualizes CSOs as both indicators and facilitators of development. Ultimately, a logical chain is established which links democratic backsliding with the fracturing of civil society and subsequently with the curtailment of development. Finally, this thesis argues that the democratic decline in Georgia has limited development in at least three ways. These include (1) fragmentation of collective agency, (2) the imposition of unfreedoms on CSOs, and (3) limitation of CSOs as facilitators of Sen’s instrumental freedoms. Notably, the scope of the research is constrained to the events following the introduction of the “Foreign Agents Law” in 2023, which marks the point of accelerated CSO restrictions. Through its qualitative approach, the study collects first-hand perspectives from the leaders of Georgian CSOs and provides a timely insight into a rapidly developing context. (Less)
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author
Gulbiani, Aleksandre LU
supervisor
organization
course
MIDM19 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Democratic Backsliding, Foreign Agents Law, Georgia, Civil Society Organizations, Shrinking Civic Space, Institutional Constraints, Development as Freedom
language
English
id
9225688
date added to LUP
2026-06-30 15:14:06
date last changed
2026-06-30 15:14:06
@misc{9225688,
  abstract     = {{Accelerating democratic backsliding in Georgia has been a topic of scholarly interest in recent years. Nevertheless, little work has been done to link this process with development. To establish precisely such a connection, this thesis explores the impact of de-democratization on Georgian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and its subsequent effects on development. By relying on Amartya Sen’s “Development as Freedom” approach, the research conceptualizes CSOs as both indicators and facilitators of development. Ultimately, a logical chain is established which links democratic backsliding with the fracturing of civil society and subsequently with the curtailment of development. Finally, this thesis argues that the democratic decline in Georgia has limited development in at least three ways. These include (1) fragmentation of collective agency, (2) the imposition of unfreedoms on CSOs, and (3) limitation of CSOs as facilitators of Sen’s instrumental freedoms. Notably, the scope of the research is constrained to the events following the introduction of the “Foreign Agents Law” in 2023, which marks the point of accelerated CSO restrictions. Through its qualitative approach, the study collects first-hand perspectives from the leaders of Georgian CSOs and provides a timely insight into a rapidly developing context.}},
  author       = {{Gulbiani, Aleksandre}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Development as Democracy: Civil Society Organizations Under Pressure in Post-2023 Georgia}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}