My dream is to see happy faces of people, living in their native lands, using their real human rights, guaranteed them by the state laws.

Tsisana Rapava, born in 1940, is an economist and a remarkable public figure of Georgia. She works on the problems of refugees from Abkhazia (Autonomous Republic of Georgia), South Ossetia (Shida Kartli region of Georgia), and the Chechen Republic. She herself is a refugee from Abkhazia. A well-known public person, Tsisana actively participated in the movement for the restoration of the independence of the state of Georgia. She was a cofounder of the International Association "Caucasus: Ethnic Relations, Human Rights, Geopolitics."

Tsisana Rapava is an active defender of the human rights of refugees, like herself, from Abkhazia. As chairperson of the Association for Protection of the Rights of the Refugees from Abkhazia (APRRA), she is active in many humanitarian activities. She is also well known as a defender of vulnerable families, particularly those who had to leave their homes as a result of the geopolitical crisis. Since early 1994, Tsisana has been actively engaged in the political arena. Tsisana has supported the rights of the detained political prisoners who were supporters of the human rights leader and first president of independent Georgia, Zviad K. Gamsakhurdia, who was arrested after the illegal military coup d’etat in December/January of 1991/92. Tsisana actively fought against mass violation of human rights and basic freedoms under the Shevardnadze regime. Because of her opposition, she was repeatedly detained and subjected to persecution. From 1987 to 1997, Tsisana was a member of the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR-SGFM) and a member of the governing board of its Georgian national branch. Despite all the difficulties and obstacles, Tsisana never gave up her political views and principles. She is fighting for the people's liberties and freedom, for their freedom of choice of their own way of life. Since the end of 1998, Tsisana has participated actively in the International Association "Caucasus: Ethnic Relations, Human Rights, Geopolitics," where she is a member of the governing board. She has participated in a number of international conferences and congresses on the protection of human rights all over the world. She actively supported the International Georgian Rose Revolution that ended Shevardnadze’s dictatorial regime.

Association for Protection of the Rights of the Refugees from Abkhazia (APRRA)