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The Finnish-Russian Civic Forum strives to promote cooperation between the peoples of Finland and Russia by supporting civic initiatives for democracy, human rights, and freedom of speech.
Seminar: Russia in Asian-European Context
Russia is geographically, culturally, and politically situated in-between Europe and Asia — sometimes being included in Europe, sometimes counted as part of Asia. What challenges does this bring for Russia’s participation in civil society activities within the Asia-Europe context? What is the space in Russia for civil society movements and their participation in international NGO work?
Stop Persecution of Civil Society in Russia!
The Steering Committee of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum has issued a statement protesting the growing persecution of independent civil society organisations in Russia as a result of repressive legislation on “foreign agents.” The Forum cites the convictions meted out on two of its member organisations, the GOLOS Association and its regional partner, as well as the Kostroma Support Center for Civic Initiatives. The fourth NGO convicted as a “foreign agent” is the St Petersburg LGBT film festival, Side by Side. In all, the authorities have taken action against more than 40 NGOs, many of them members of the Forum.
Face of Russian Civic Activism
The Arkadia International Bookshop in Helsinki will host a discussion with the Russian environmental and opposition activist, Yevgenia Chirikova, on Tuesday, 28 May 2013, at 3pm.
Appeal for Solidarity with Levada Center
Academic freedom is under attack in Russia. Authorities have now targeted the independent research institute, Levada Center. On 15 May 2013, the prosecutor’s office of Moscow’s Savelovskaya District issued a warning to the institute, citing violations of Russia’s draconian new law on non-profit organisations.
Indigenous Peoples Organisation Shuttered
Russia’s Ministry of Justice has ordered the closure of the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia, and Far East (RAIPON), BarentsObserver reported. The ministry announced that RAIPON’s statutes were not in line with federal law. The association has twice gone to court to dispute the ministry decision, but without avail. RAIPON is now reaching out to its international partners for help. The organisation plays a central role in international cooperation among indigenous peoples and other Arctic states. The Norwegian Barents Secretariat has signed an official cooperation agreement with RAIPON.
EU-Russia Civil Society Forum in St Petersburg
Kremlin Tightening The Screws
The Kremlin plans to change the rules of its puppet parliament by granting the Duma presidium and ethics commission the right to recall the mandates of deputies without a court order. According to a draft bill being prepared by deputies of the ruling United Russia party, grounds for kicking out deputies would include: repeated no-shows at Duma sessions or committee meetings, “public statements that discredit the parliament or that are of anti-state nature,” refusal to declare one’s income, and abuse of one’s diplomatic passport for private trips abroad.
Committee Against Torture Wins Prize
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has awarded its 2011 Human Rights Prize to Russia’s Committee Against Torture in recognition of the organisation’s role in assisting victims of serious human rights abuses. The prize honours “outstanding civil society action in the defence of human rights in Europe.”
A panel, which included leading figures from the world of human rights, recommended the Committee Against Torture from among ten individuals and organisations nominated for the prize, praising its “effective independent investigations” alongside official state investigations, especially in Russia’s war-torn Chechnya.
EU-Russia Civil Society Forum Established
Representatives of the civil societies of Russia and the EU established the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum (CSF) at a conference in the Czech capital, Prague, on 28-29 March 2011. The conference brought together 57 representatives of Russian and 18 representatives of EU-based civil society organisations as well as several observers.
EU-Russia Civil Society Forum in Prague
On 28-29 March 2011, civil society actors from across Europe and Russia will gather in the Czech capital, Prague, for a meeting of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum. The forum will serve as a venue to facilitate interactions between civil society institutions in the EU and Russia and could be used as a platform to develop a joint agenda and to support networking, exchanges, and implementation of joint initiatives and projects. The forum is not conceived as a formal institution; instead, it should be regarded as a framework for enhanced cooperation, an informal “meeting place” for joint action.
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