Pathways was formed in 2014 in response to the desires of a group of international linguists and development workers to engage with peoples throughout the Caucasus to preserve and develop their languages, cultures, and communities. Based in Tbilisi, Georgia, we seek to provide training, technical skills and consultation to community members in order to promote locally owned and directed projects, with the goal of encouraging the conservation and development of indigenous culture and language. These goals are advanced through the use of media, publications, and training workshops, embracing the numerous contexts in which language and culture are central to the life of a community. We seek to connect these communities to the wider academic world as well, promoting and providing documentation and archiving of linguistic and cultural materials.
Kathleen Sackett is the founder of Pathways, Research and Development. She received her Master of Arts in Descriptive Linguistics from the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics and has been active in the academic community both locally and internationally, publishing, speaking at conferences, and providing consultation in a variety of contexts. She had been actively involved in work throughout the Caucasus and wider region for several years prior to the establishment of Pathways, making use of her strong background in translation, editing, and design.