The Role of Civil Society in Strengthening National Preparedness for Modern Security Threats

Authors

  • Ivan OKROMTCHEDLISHVILI Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University, Tbilisi, Georgia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53477/2284-9378-25-22

Keywords:

civil society, national security, threat preparedness, resilience building, crisis response, societal resilience, hybrid threats, cybersecurity.

Abstract

In the contemporary world, the evolving nature of warfare extends beyond traditional battlefields to include cyberattacks, information warfare, and other hybrid strategies. Within this complex security landscape, civil society has emerged as an important—yet often under-explored—component of national defense. This paper examines the potential of civil society to enhance national preparedness for modern threats, focusing on case studies from the Baltic States—Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—and Georgia. By analyzing legal frameworks, institutional roles, and the integration of civil society into state defense systems, the study identifies legal, administrative, and operational challenges and evaluates the effectiveness of civil society in countering emerging threats. Through comparative analysis, the research highlights best practices in civil-military cooperation and provides policy  recommendations to strengthen national resilience. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of civil society’s transformative role in contemporary security strategies, emphasizing the growing importance of inclusive, whole-of-society approaches in an era of multifaceted warfare.

Author Biography

Ivan OKROMTCHEDLISHVILI, Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University, Tbilisi, Georgia

Ivan Okromtchedlishvili is an Associate Professor at Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University, Tbilisi, Georgia, where he serves as Head of the master's program Eastern European Foreign Policy and Security. He also works at the Ministry of Defense of Georgia as a Senior Officer (in the rank of lieutenant colonel) in the Reform Coordination and Defense Sustainment Department.

He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the International Black Sea University, where he defended his dissertation on Performance-Based Budgeting in the Defense Sector: The Case of Georgia. He also earned a Command and Staff Program diploma from the National Defense Academy of Georgia and a Master’s degree with honors from Gori State Economic Institute.

Lt. Col. Okromtchedlishvili has more than two decades of military service experience, holding key positions in financial and strategic planning units of the Georgian Defense Forces. In parallel, he has extensive academic and teaching experience in higher and professional military education institutions.

He currently teaches and supervises students at the master's level at Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University and Ilia State University, focusing on national security and defense policy and management, public administration, and Eastern European foreign and security policy. He has also been engaged as an Associate Lecturer and Instructor at the National Defense Academy of Georgia—Command and Staff College and Staff Officer Development Training Program—delivering courses in defense management, defense and security policy, and financial management in the public sector.

His teaching activities integrate theoretical frameworks with practical defense sector experience, preparing students and mid-level professionals for careers in national security, civil service, and defense administration.

His recent publications address issues such as NATO-Georgia relations, capability-based planning, performance-based budgeting, defense infrastructure organizational model, defense acquisition, and economic defense. His articles appear in international peer-reviewed journals, including Journal of Defense Resources Management and Carol I National Defence University Bulletin.

 

For a complete list of publications, see: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ivan-Okromtchedlishvili

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Published

2025-06-30

How to Cite

OKROMTCHEDLISHVILI, I. (2025). The Role of Civil Society in Strengthening National Preparedness for Modern Security Threats. BULLETIN OF "CAROL I" NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITY, 14(2), 167–199. https://doi.org/10.53477/2284-9378-25-22

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Articles

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The published articles are subject to copyright law. All rights are reserved to the “Carol I” National Defense University, regardless of whether all or part of the material are considered, especially the rights to translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, quotations, broadcasting through the media, reproduction on microfilms or any other way and storage in data banks. Any replicas without the associated fees are authorized provided the source is acknowledged.