The South Ossetia war (also known as the Russia-Georgia war) in 2008 renewed the worlds attention in the little understood conflict involving the secessionist movement of the Abkhaz minority - backed by the Russian Federation, Ossetia and Abkhazia - against Georgia. During August, Georgia engaged in armed conflict with Russia and separatist groups from South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In the aftermath, Russia recognised the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states an action that has only been recognised by Nicaragua, the Hamas government in Gaza Strip and Transnistria. On 28 August 2008, the Georgian parliament passed a resolution declaring Abkhazia and South Ossetia Russian-occupied territories.

During the conflict, all parties committed serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, resulting in 1,400 deaths - mainly of civilians. In addition, ethnic cleansing of the Georgian population from Abkhazia resulted in a refugee population that is still to return home. This ethnic cleansing has continued since the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict of 1992-1993 and in 1998 at the hands of Abkhaz separatists. During these episodes, targeted killings, rapes and the establishment of concentration camps left up to a quarter of a million people displaced.

The legacy of ethnic cleansing in Abkhazia has been devastating for Georgian society. Refugees have flooded into Tbilisi and elsewhere, living in hundreds of hotels, dormitories and abandoned Soviet military barracks. Many of the refugees resist assimilating into Georgia while the authorities have been reluctant to assist in their settlement, over fears they will lose hegemony over Abkhazia.

During the International Childrens Day on 1 June 2009, Abkhazian and Georgian refugee children living in Georgia were brought together by Irakli Gogia, artistic director of Zugdidi Shalva Dadiani State Drama Theatre in Tbilisi, to perform on the Abkhazian-Georgian border near Enguri Bridge. Enguri Bridge is a neutral area which marks the ceasefire line after Abkhazia declared itself independent from Georgia in 1992. It is observed by the UNO Mission. Around the area, armed incidents take place nearly every day at the Kodori Gorge between both armies and the guerrilla fighters.

Peace Podium involved the children stepping in paint and leaving their colourful footprints on a canvas called the Catwalk of Peace. The canvas was then paraded towards Enguri Bridge in a bid to communicate with people on the other side of the river. The children also sent messages of peace and warm wishes to the children living in the neighbouring occupied territory by attaching them to pigeons and releasing them near the border. The risks for the participants were quite high, as they performed the piece metres from the fully-armed Russian troops where they control a symbolic border between Georgian and Abkhazian population.

The purpose of the project was to promote the reconciliation and consolidation of the Georgian and Abkhazian people. This regional theatre company exists to encourage and stimulate peaceful coexistence and to give artistic support to young people in the development of an open civil society. The event was featured on all the regional radio and television stations.