North Caucasus regional Peacebuilding program  of civil organizations
based on
Sub-regional Peacebuilding Action Agenda of North Caucasus NGO’s

Prepared by Nonviolence International, in cooperation with the Caucasus regional sub-network of the CIS NGO Working Group on Conflict Management and Prevention and the NGO Union "Women of the Don Region" Within the framework of the North Caucasus sub-regional process of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict

Moscow, 2005

	Discussing and formulating the North Caucasus sub-regional consolidated action plan of North Caucasus NGOs (Nalchik, Russia, February 2005)
	Members of the Caucasus regional network of the CIS NGO Working Group on Conflict Management and Prevention are discussing the strategy of their participation in the Caucasus regional preparatory process of GPPAC (Ukraine, March 2005)
	Caucasus meeting of participants of the GPPAC regional preparatory process (Tbilisi, Georgia, March 2005)

1. Overview.

A first meeting of civil society institutions within the framework of the GPPAC regional preparatory process in the Caucasus was held in Likani, Georgia, in February 2004. Its participants  decided to set up a subregional working group to develop further constructive ideas regarding the GPPAC process implementation in the Caucasus. The working group’s suggestions should become henceforward an integral part of the all-Caucasian action plan which, in its turn, will be used to develop an international action plan to be presented and discussed at the international conference at the UN.

As part of the implementation of the Caucasian regional preparatory process, the civil society institutions of the eight Southern Russian constituents have developed the North Caucasian Subregional Peacebuilding Action Agenda of Nongovernmental Organizations. A key role in setting up this action agenda was played by the Caucasus Subnetwork of the Working Group on Conflict Management and Prevention (WG)[1].

Therefore, the implementation of the subregional preparatory process has allowed the WG to generalize the peacebuilding experiences developed by civil society institutions in the South of Russia, assess the experiences of interaction between local NGOs and international organizations in the field of peacebuilding, develop specific proposals for improving such interaction as well as to develop a consolidated peacebuilding action agenda of the North Caucasus NGOs.

2. North Caucasus: Brief Context

The North Caucasus is part of the Southern Federal District of the Russian Federation and includes  the following ten Southern Russian constituents:

-              Rostov Oblast;

-              Krasnodar Krai;

-              Republic of Adygeia;

-              Stavropol Krai;

-              Karachai-Cherkess Republic;

-              Kabardino-Balkar Republic;

-              Republic of North Ossetia-Alania;

-              Republic of Ingushetia;

-              Chechen Republic;

-              Republic of Dagestan.

The North Caucasus occupies 335,000 square kilometers (~2 percent of the territory of the Russian Federation). According to the latest estimates of the Russian State Committee on Statistics, based on the 2002 census for the Russian Federation, the permanent population of the North Caucasian regions is 18919.19 thousand.

The North Caucasus is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in the Russian Federation. It is populated--mainly its ethnoterritorial entities--by some 40 ethnic communities. These ethnic groups have preserved their distinctive identities, languages, and cultures.

Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Gregorianism, Catholicism, Judaism, and Buddhism are traditional and predominant faiths in the region. While the majority of North Caucasian peoples are Sunni Muslims (the Hanafi and Shafi’i mazhabs), but the Azeris and some Lezgins are Shia Muslim. The other main religious group is Christian. The Sufi orders or Tariqats dominate in the east of the North Caucasus (Ingushetia, Chechnya, and Dagestan).

Taking into account general trends of social and political developments in the Russian Federation, such complex cultural, religious and ethnic mosaic of the region forms the multidimensional specifics of the North Caucasus. These specifics are determined by the historical and political background of the region, its ethnopolitical and ethnocultural features. The common Russian social and economic problems in this region are especially acute and have been aggravated by a set of particular regional problems associated with:

                The historical experience of ethnic and ethnopolitical contradictions and conflicts;

                The repeated changes in the administrative and territorial divisions of the North Caucasian constituents in the 20th century;

                The historical legacy of repression and deportations of some peoples and the Cossacks;

                The ineffectiveness of the present-day system of  regional and municipal administration as well as wide-spread corruption;

                The ethnic tensions and territorial claims of the North Caucasian peoples;

                The intensified migration flows and dramatic changes in ethnic composition of the population;

                The out-migration of the Russian and “Russian-speaking” population from the region, and in particular, from the national republics;

                The large amount of arms in the hands of the population;

                The consequences of former armed conflicts and the on-going instability in the Chechen Republic;

                Increased activity of armed terrorist groups and illegal paramilitary units and so on.

When focusing on the conflict factors, which undermine the stability in specific regions of Southern Russia, it is important to note the following:

Stavropol Krai:

Local Specifics: the cultural, religious and ethnic mosaic of the Stavropol Krai is determined by the fact that it borders all the entities of the North Caucasus, excluding Adygeia and Ingushetia.

Key Factors of Conflict: The Stavropol Krai has seen all the potential and realized conflict factors which are common for the neighboring subregions of the North Caucasus. Many of them are determined by protracted tensions in the neighboring territories, which destabilize the situation in the Stavropol Krai and increase the potential for violence. The situation in the Caucasus Mineral Waters area and in the eastern part of the Stavropol Krai can be considered the most conflict-prone. The most important are the following conflict factors: interethnic and inter-faith tensions among various communities; intra-faith contradictions among the followers of traditional Islam as well as between them and the followers of radical Islamic schools; dramatic changes in ethnic composition of the population in some areas of the Stavropol Krai; outmigration of the Russians and “Russian-speaking” population; activity of terrorist groups.

Karachai-Cherkessia:

Local Specifics: five titular ethnic groups with two of them (the Karachai and Circassians) having an experience of ethnic confrontation.

Key Factors of Conflict: the power struggle between the major ethnic groups and the use of ethnic tensions as a source of ethnic mobilization in this struggle; dramatic changes in ethnic composition of the population that has an impact on the ethno-social status and comfort of the peoples inhabiting the country.

Besides that, the situation in Karachai-Cherkessia contributes to the instability in the neighboring territories, including Kabardino-Balkaria, Adygeia, and the Caucasian Mineral Waters in the Stavropol Krai. It can be explained by the fact that many representatives of the same ethnic groups inhabit these and other sub-regions of the Russian South.

Kabardino-Balkaria:

Local Specifics: a relatively low level of ethnic tensions.

Key Factors of Conflict: increasing confrontation between the authorities and followers of traditional Islam, on the one hand, and radical Wahabbi fundamentalists, on the other hand.

North Ossetia-Alania:

Local Specifics: Unsettled consequences of the 1992 conflict in the Prigorodny district[2] and close ethnic, cultural, political, and economic ties with South Ossetia.

Key Factors of Conflict: remaining tensions in the area that suffered most during the Ossetian-Ingush conflict; consequences of the terrorist seizure of a school in the town of Beslan; remaining tensions in South Ossetia.

Ingushetia:

Local Specifics: relative monoethnicity, the unsettled consequences of the Ossetian-Ingush conflict in the Prigorodny Rayon of North Ossetia.

Key Factors of Conflict: the power struggle between major clans; the on-going violent conflict in Chechnya and its negative impact, a large number of IDP’s from Chechnya and the Prigorodny Rayon of North Ossetia, increasing confrontation within the Vaynakh community (between the Ingush and Chechens), the on-going tensions in the Prigorodny Rayon of North Ossetia; the rise of radical Islamist ideology and its organized followers.

Chechnya:

Local Specifics: the violent conflict, which has been going on for more than a decade.

Key Factors of Conflict: massive violations of human rights and freedoms by all conflicting parties; destruction of economic and social infrastructure, increasing confrontation within the Chechen community; radicalization of a considerable part of the population; wide-spread corruption; terrorist activities and their external support; the rise of radical Islamic fundamentalism.

Dagestan:

Local Specifics: polytechnic composition with over 40 ethnic groups identified.

Key Factors of Conflict: the struggle for power and resource allocation among different ethnic groups; the consequences of the terrorist raids from Chechnya in 1999; internal migration of the mountain population to the lowlands; the aggravating relations between different faith communities: the ideological split within the Sufi brotherhoods which are divided into two contesting Tariqats - the Naqshbandiya and the Qadiriya as well as the growing tension between the Sufi and Wahabbi Muslims; the increase in the activity of terrorist groups and human rights violations on the part of police and other pro-government forces.

3. UN System Agencies in the North Caucasus

Ethnocultural and ethnopolitical problems in the North Caucasus draw much attention of Russian and international governmental and nongovernmental agencies and organizations.

The agencies of the UN system and their aid programs aimed at assisting those in need, displaced persons and other groups of population who suffered in violent conflicts are extremely important. It should be noted that the UN system agencies and other international organizations significantly help ameliorate the current humanitarian situation in such fields as nutrition, healthcare, education, psychological rehabilitation, water supply, etc. However, although these aid programs focus on solving the current humanitarian problems and help ameliorate   the situation,  it is generally recognized that they have not done as much in addressing the root causes of instability in the region.

The agencies of the UN system focus their activities primarily on the Chechen Republic and the Republic of Ingushetia as these two entities have the most urgent humanitarian needs to be addressed. However, this selectivity leaves other conflict-prone regions of the South of Russia largely beyond the reach of conflict prevention, peacebuilding and post-conflict rehabilitation programs.

Recognizing the particular importance of the agencies of the UN system, we should admit, nevertheless, that their activities toward human security priorities need to be considerably revised and redirected in the North Caucasus. It is necessary to develop new ways of working in conflict where elimination of conflict causes and post-conflict reconstruction should be better addressed along with the mitigation of the aftermath of conflicts.

4. Activities of civil organizations in the North Caucasus:

Conflict prevention and management in the North Caucasus developed first as an integral part of humanitarian and human rights programs implemented in the region. These programs, which included activities aimed at preventing and managing conflicts, mitigating ethnic tensions and so on, allowed civil society organizations to accumulate significant working experience in conflict zones.

Since the beginning of the 1990s peacebuilding has been considered as an activity of its own worth and became one of the most important elements in reducing tensions in the region. Regional NGOs involved in these activities have gone a long way in their development over quite a short period of time and without any considerable support—or with minimal sponsorship—from international or federal agencies. They have managed the following:

• Acquiring important experiences in developing and implementing effective peacebuilding projects;
• Ensuring a continuous process of their own institutional development;
• Establishing contacts with Russian and international NGO’s and networks, experts, foundations and international organizations;
• Accumulating useful experience of cooperation with local, regional and federal actors;
• Developing and improving evaluation criteria for studying the efficiency and effectiveness of civil peacebuilding activities;
• Setting up NGO networks involved in peace activities in various conflict regions of the post-Soviet space, etc.

It should be noted that the acuteness and international impact of problems in the North Caucasus attract a considerable amount of international relief efforts and humanitarian assistance to the region. Although this assistance helps to ameliorate the most acute immediate humanitarian and human rights situations, it is generally recognized that the aid has done very little to stimulate local peace initiatives aimed at conflict prevention and management and specifically post-conflict reconstruction.

One of the problems hampering the creative of peacebuilding activities is the lack of a clear understanding of what “peacebuilding” is in practical terms and how its effectiveness should be assessed. Attempts to reduce peacebuilding to specific activities, such as, for instance, the mediation and facilitation of  negotiations between conflicting parties or ”good offices” could be quite unproductive as they reduce the scope of potential possibilities. At the same time the broadening this term to any constructive activity in conflict regions could make it even more vague and make it difficult to properly focus efforts and resources

The peacebuilding experience acquired in the North Caucasus allows us to deal with this issue in the following way:

The approach of North Caucasus civil society institutions is to define peacebuilding not through specific actions themselves, but through the assessment of the objectives achieved as the result of these actions. A key issue here is not what specific actions are carried out, but their time and place and their context. Therefore, peacebuilding activities can be defined as:

”Any humanitarian, human rights, cultural, sports, analytical, educational and/or other activity implemented then and there, when and where it can practically influence a situation in the direction of preventing violence, mitigating tensions and managing conflicts between self-identified groups of population.”

North Caucasus NGOs have developed a very interesting experiences, based on this understanding of what peacebuilding is. Such civil society organizations, such as Nonviolence International, Peacekeeping Mission of General Lebed, Union of Women of the Don, Centre for Peacemaking and Community Development and a number of other regional NGOs, which have worked for more than 10 years in the North Caucasus, successfully applied these principles of peacebuilding.

In particular, it is worth-while to mention so called integrated peacebuilding programs which were implemented along the administrative border of neighboring districts of Chechnya and Dagestan[3] during several years on a permanent basis as well as in the Prigordnyi district of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, the Caucasian Mineral Waters area of the Stavropol Krai, in the Karachai-Cherkess Republic. These programs were implemented taking into account typical local problems and ethnocultural features. However, all of them had common features, which included inter alia:

• Focusing efforts on specific “key problems”;
• Bringing together different groups to take part in a common activity (young people, the elders and clergy, local elites, etc.);
• Using wide spectrum of methods to mitigate tensions and establish mutual understanding (communal meetings, cultural events and sports competitions, joint labor activities, publications and media reports, educational programs, etc);
• Engaging various civil society institutions into several well coordinated initiatives within a common context;
• Ensuring a phase by phase development of  the activities carried out.

One of the most complicated issues of peacebuilding process is the question related to the effectiveness of undertaken efforts. Effectiveness in this field, as a rule, does not lead to visibility, especially when it comes to the prevention of a conflict or de-escalation of confrontational situation. The presence of multivectoral factors influencing the situation in conflict regions very often makes it practically impossible to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts in short term.

Analysis of conflict causes shows, as a rule, various and complex historical, political, socioeconomic and demographic problems behind them. These factors can hardly be controlled in their entirety directly by civil society institutions. However, many factors that define conflict dynamics and the process of post-conflict reconstruction under existing conditions in today’s Russia can be influenced directly.

Therefore, major priorities of NGO efforts in peacebuilding are directed towards transforming exsisting conflicts by initiating and supporting constructive dialogue and interaction. “Removing” or “resolving” a conflict altogether is not  a viable option, taking into account the actual capacities of civil society institutions.

With this understanding of a civil society’s role, an analysis of the results of NGO peacemaking activities in the North Caucasus makes it possible to reveal a set of indicators which can be used to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of their efforts. They can be roughly divided into the following four categories:

1. Quantitative indicators include actual numerical data of the implemented activities (demonstrating how many activities were realized, what categories of population were engaged, the number of their participants, geographic scope, etc). An advantage of this category of indicators is that they are objective enough and can be quantified. However, their downside is that such indicators do not always help the understanding of complex, dynamic, and multidimensional nature of the problem. In other words, it does not always reveal the in-depth effect of these activities on the situation, the quality of changes.

2. Qualitative indicators are narrative data which are characterized by an emphasis on understanding complex phenomena, on studying, in particular, the relationships, patterns and evolution of goals and objectives of peacebuilding projects which are implemented in a particular region and within a particular period. In other words, qualitative indicators answer questions like: “is it possible to implement particular peace activities in a particular region today, which could not be realized yesterday?” and: “will it be possible to implement particular  activities tomorrow that cannot be realized today?” When the answer is positive, the activities have reason to be assessed as effective; otherwise, they should be critically re-assessed.[4]

Such dynamics of a shift of goals and objectives may be demonstrated by the example of peace activities, which have been implemented in neighboring districts of Dagestan and Chechnya from the late 1990s and up to the present. This illustrates how the conceptual framework of this integrated peacebuilding program evolved:

3. Indirect indicators include an outside and independent assessment of the effectiveness of peacebuilding activities in relation to identified priorities. They cover the individual and collective evaluations on the part of beneficiaries through opinion polls and questionnaires, expert evaluations, publications and media response.

4. Case studies. Examples of targeted actions which were realized in particular conflict-prone situations and proved to be effective in mitigating tensions and managing conflict. These indicators can be referred to as “casual” or “conditional” because it is very hard to identify all the possible developments and triggers beforehand, although a forecast of general conflict scenarios must come prior to any practical activity. Peacebuilding activities very often have to be implemented as a response to immediate threats and such examples, when they are succesfull, add serious arguments in favor of the efforts undertaken.

It is important to note the important effects, which were achieved due to the implementation of peacebuilding initiatives in the North Caucasus, e.g.:

• New checkpoints between neighboring districts of Chechnya and Dagestan were opened for public crossing. This resulted in the creation of new jobs in trading[5];
• Cooperation among journalists of various sub-regions of the North Caucasus in the form of regular joint publications and radio and TV programs was established. It resulted in a wider coverage of the situation in neighboring districts and is a step toward the creation of a single information space in the North Caucasus;
• Remains of many people killed in combat were found, identified and re-buried. This is a very important step towards overcoming a psychological aftermath of armed conflicts, in particular, in the light of traditional culture and beliefs of the people living in the North Caucasus.

Taking into account the scope and complexity of tasks posed, effective peacebuilding  is more complex to implement as compared to the humanitarian, human rights or other relief programs which are carried out in the region.  Therefore it is of extreme importance to attract legal, political and administrative resources of local and regional authorities into the peacebuilding process.

In the North Caucasus, for instance, a number of innovative peacebuilding methods and technologies applied by NGOs in their activities have been included as follow-ups in the action plans of local and regional authorities. Besides that, many heads of local administrations asked leaders of peacebuilding NGOs to initiate mechanisms of reconciliation in conflict-prone situations in order to prevent their escalation into violent confrontations.

The generalized experience of peacebuilding activities in Southern Russia demonstrates that civil society institutions are able to realize the complex tasks of strengthening stability through constructive action, establishing and developing contacts between divided communities, improving psychological climate in conflict regions, and assisting the transformation of negative stereotypes and prejudices. The activities of North Caucasus NGOs proved to change the attitudes of people affected by conflicts and create the grounds for their reconciliation.

The participants involved in the development of the consolidated peacebuilding agenda of North Caucasus NGOs consider it extremely important to expand peace activities of civil society organizations in the region. The capacity of the UN system agencies engaged in supporting North Caucasus regional peacebuilding initiatives and programs makes them well suited for a key role in this process.

5. Prospects for cooperation between local NGOs and agencies of the United Nations system in the field of peacebuilding:

The maintenance of peace and security in our interdependent world requires wider approaches and should be more inclusive. It cannot be reduced to the powers of the UN Security Council and governments. This process should engage other actors in the field of peacebuilding, and first of all, nongovernmental organizations.

Nongovernmental organizations are efficient players in preventive diplomacy. They possess important resources of early warning and are able to draw attention of governments and international organizations to conflicts. The mobilization of the attention of the public at large,  governments and international organizations to the acute challenges of our time by NGOs is a well-established element of contemporary international and domestic political relations.

The ability of civil society institutions to find new and constructive ways to mitigate the consequences of ethnic, inter-faith and territorial conflicts and stabilize situations is highly valued by many actors involved in ethnopolitical processes. This contribution to the development of an integral system for managing social relations, where ethnocultural and ethnopolitical components have significant roles, is especially important today. And the constructive interaction of government bodies with civil society institutions assumes ever-greater importance in this respect.

The analysis of peacebuilding experiences in the North Caucasus demonstrates that the UN system agencies operating in the region should assist in developing an effective system for regulating and stabilizing ethnopolitical and ethnocultural tensions and for rapid response to the aggravation of the interethnic relations. This system should provide for:

•                The development of sustainable and efficient ways of interaction among actors involved in peacebuilding initiatives;
•                The monitoring of the situation in conflict regions in order to define priorities for action;
•                The identification of organizations and individuals who could take part in the development and implementation of peacebuilding projects;
•                The development and implementation of targeted activities aimed at strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation, mitigating tensions, preventing violent conflicts and overcoming their consequences;
•                The development of social partnership among local NGOs and activists involved in peacebuilding activities and local and regional authorities, research centers, individual researchers, Russian and international NGOs;
•                The engagement of international and donor organizations in the development of peacebuilding policies and in implementing peacebuilding programs in the region;
•                The assessment of the results of peacebuilding initiatives, which are implemented in the region, and the development of constructive follow-up work.

When defining and developing priorities for action in the North Caucasus, the agencies of the UN system should hold regular consultations with actors involved in ethnopolitical processes in the South of Russia, including local NGOs which are engaged in conflict prevention, management and peacebuilding activities.

6. Action priorities:

Taking into account the available resources and experience of ethnopolitical actors in the South of Russia, the situation there and the complexity of existing problems, legislation in force and other factors, the participants involved in the development of the consolidated peacebuilding agenda believe that efficient cooperation between NGOs and the UN system agencies in the North Caucasus should focus on the following thematic and regional priorities.

Thematic Priorities:

Monitoring, early warning and early response

There are numerous applied research centers and networks working in the Russian Federation. However, their activities suffer from poor coordination.  The findings of their monitoring activities are usually based on expert opinions and lack systemic and in-depth factual and sociological studies that could lead to an impartial assessment of the situation in the region. Besides, many monitors are biased themselves. The biggest problem is that the monitors can identify the existing challenges, but rarely suggest specific steps to address them.

Things to change/practical recommendations:

•                Hold regular (twice a year at least) consultations with representatives of nongovernmental organizations, which work in conflict regions in order to improve monitoring activities in conflict and conflict-prone regions;
•                Actively use and support NGOs and NGO networks in monitoring activities, sponsor joint missions of civil activists to conflict regions;
•                Enlist the services of specialists in facilitation in order to assist the expert community in developing common assessments and proposals;
•                Organize and conduct round tables, consultations, etc. aimed toward developing specific mechanisms to implement recommendations rather than toward simply making general recommendations themselves;
•                Set up rapid response machinery based on the findings of monitors and provide efficient and quick assistance to civil society institutions involved in tension reduction activities, reconciliation, and development of interethnic dialogue in conflict-prone regions;
•                Expand the distribution of developed recommendations to reach authorities and civil society institutions at every level;
•                Hold mutual consultations of the regional authorities, expert community and civil society organizations under the auspices of UN agencies.

Developing tolerance, improving interethnic relations through education, culture, sports.

The existing system of pre-school, school and additional education does not utilize or promote with due attention the elements of ethnic and cultural convergence which are extremely important for the North Caucasus regions. This problem is bound up not only with the present crisis in public education, but to a greater extent with the prevailing underestimation by teachers of their possibilities for the positive education of young people and insufficient professional level of teachers as peacemakers. A large number of young people who do not have secondary education are a “nutrient medium” for both criminal groups and extremist demagogues. The practice of ethnically segregated schools in the areas of compact settlement of different ethnic groups, increasing influence of radical doctrines and engagement of young people in various extremist groups, limited access to interethnic cultural heritage of the region contributes to intolerance, aggression and ethnic tensions in the region.

Things to change/practical recommendations:

• Support the development of educational programs for schoolteachers aimed at acquiring the principles and skills of peacebuilding, tolerance and traditions of ethnopedagogics as well as their further introduction into the curricula of pedagogical educational institutions and training courses for teachers;
• Support the work of teacher trainers and school psychologists who promote ideas of peace and tolerance;
• Organize correction classes and develop special secondary school programs for children and young people who were unable to finish school because of the conflicts in the region;
• Develop and sponsor the work of interethnic cultural centers;
• Support programs of interethnic and intercultural cooperation of the peoples of the North Caucasus and engage NGOs, national and cultural organizations, and authorities in their preparation;
• Engage NGOs and authorities in consolidated projects that address the issues of youth policy;
• Sponsor programs of social and psychological rehabilitation for the population who suffered from conflicts, terrorist attacks and ethnic confrontation;
• Implement sports, cultural and other initiatives aimed at mitigating tensions between IDP’s, refugees, re-settlers and the receiving communities.

Developing inter- and intra-faith dialogue, tolerance and mutual respect among various religious groups and preventing extremism in this field

The development of inter- and intra-faith dialogue has an important role to play in achieving regional stability. The traditionally active influence of the Islamic clergy on secular authorities, in particular, at the local and regional levels, misuse of authority for personal gain by many clergymen and officials, increasing tensions within Muslim communities where the ethnic factor is important, contradictions and conflicts among different trends in Islam, increasing marginalization and loss of identity among the population—all these factors create a breeding ground for various extremist ideologies and doctrines in the North Caucasus region.

Things to change/practical recommendations:

• Clearly separate powers of secular and spiritual authorities and establish a principle of mutual non-interference;
• Strengthen the rule of law and accountability of government bodies;
• Improve living standards of the population, restore the integrated socioeconomic and cultural space of the North Caucasus;
• Support programs aimed at creating new jobs, developing educational and cultural activities and organize sports and cultural competitions at the local, regional and interregional levels;
• De-politicize the contradictions between different religious movements and reduce them to theological debates and discussions;
• Sponsor programs, which are implemented by local NGOs and are aimed at establishing inter- and intra-faith dialogue in order to fill the present spiritual vacuum with positive religious, cultural and ideological values; support traditional culture and ethics;
• Strengthen inter-sector cooperation between NGOs and authorities as a major resource for administrative reform and prevention of corruption;
• Support and sponsor initiatives aimed at studying and applying the international experience in inter- and intra-faith conflict resolution; provide training for members of local and regional NGOs in this field.

Developing civil society in the conflict regions

For the past 10-15 years, civil society organizations in the region have gone a long way to what they have become today. They were institutionalized and developed in a very complex social and political environment. Taking shape in the dramatic period of transition and being both the object and subject of transitional processes, the civil society institutions reflect in full measure the predominant trends in ethnopolitical and ethocultural development of society in the North Caucasus. Therefore, it is possible to present the following typology of the civil society institutions operating in the North Caucasian region:

-              “Classical” (Western-type) civil society institutions which were set up by grassroots initiatives to consider a subject of public importance;

-              Quasi-civil society institutions which were set up by the initiative of the ruling elite and encouraged to pursue its interests;

-              “Ethnic” civil society institutions which were set up by grassroots initiatives, but pursuing interests of a particular ethnic group.

Things to change/practical recommendations:

                Assist efforts aimed at developing NGO cooperation through the unifying associations/congresses/centers; support networking;

                Prevent the transformation of self-identities of ethnic groups into nationalistic claims;

                Sponsor applied research of folk traditions, culture and traditional elements of social relations, which can be used for the development of civil society;

                Develop a framework for interaction between ethnic associations and other civil society organizations;

                Sponsor programs aimed at improving interaction between NGOs and authorities.

Developing cooperation of international organizations and local NGOs

The analysis of programs of international organizations in the North Caucasus has shown that they are mainly engaged in humanitarian and relief activities. As a rule, they operate in the regions, which suffered or still suffer from conflict and are given much prominence by the media. The regions of potential conflicts are, in many cases, outside of their scope of attention. International organizations operating in the North Caucasian region seem to engage only a fairly narrow circle of NGOs in their programs and very often they ignore the potential cooperation from many local NGOs which have long experience of constructive work at the grassroots level. Limited access to information about the international organizations operating in the region (their programs and reports of their activities, etc), extremely specialized issues of their cooperation with local NGOs, the lack of flexibility and practical assistance to independent and young NGOs makes it difficult for international organizations to adequately assess the actual needs of the region.

Things to change/practical recommendations:

• Set up an early warning and early response system to monitor the situation in every sub-region of the North Caucasus;
• Set up local information networks which could be easily accessed by local NGOs and which should share information of the realized and planned events, programs and projects that are implemented in the region;
• More actively engage local NGO employees and volunteers in volunteer activities, education and internships in the region;
• Provide for feedback while working with the local NGOs so that international organizations may better assess the needs of the region;
• Develop programs of small grants and other programs and projects aimed at sponsoring and developing new NGOs.

Resolving the problems of the repressed peoples who were subject to the Stalin’s deportations in the 1940s

One of the most urgent but complicated legal and ethical challenges is to restore the historical justice with respect to the “punished” peoples. There is a Federal Law and many local acts to address this issue, a number of bodies have been established and large amounts of money were allotted to implement the provisions of these acts. However, the local acts and the Federal Law remain largely declarations because the implementation of some of their provisions can aggravate interethnic relations in many subregions of the Russian South. A stumbling block of the Law is the provision that stipulates the return of land and territories to the peoples who were deported en masse to Central Asia by Stalin in the 1940s.  The problem is that their lands had been occupied by other ethnic groups and/or incorporated into other administrative and territorial entities. The situation is stalemated as the implementation of the Law can sharply destabilize the situation in many subregions of the North Caucasus while the status quo leads to friction between  those who returned and those who remained. The most difficult situation in this regard is observed in the Prigorodny district (North Ossetia-Alania) and the Novolakskiy district in Dagestan.[6]

Things to change/practical recommendations:

• Support special programs aimed at studying and finding nonviolent solutions to the problems of the “punished” peoples and those communities, which had been involved in these problems;
• Include the issue of the “punished” peoples who were subject to mass deportations under Stalin in the UN agenda;
• Support the implementation of the resolution on this issue adopted by the Third Congress of the Peoples of Dagestan and launch a comprehensive research of the process and ways to implement this resolution.

Sub-regional Priorities:

Karachai-Cherkess Republic:

Support for the in-depth monitoring of the situation in the Republic in order to make specific recommendations and develop practical ways to reduce interethnic tensions. Special measures are needed to develop systemic cooperation among ethnic public associations (“ethnic movements”) in the Republic and between them and local and regional authorities. This cooperation should ensure the engagement of civil society organizations, cultural and educational institutions as well as various ethnic communities from every administrative and territorial unit of the Republic.

Kabardino-Balkar Republic:

Development of initiatives aimed at: actively engaging young people in social and political life in the Republic; promoting ideas of tolerance and nonviolence among young people; creating new opportunities for young people in education and employment. Such initiatives are crucial in order to decrease the influence of radical religious cults and extremist ideologies on the Kabardino-Balkar youth.

The Caucasian Mineral Waters (CMW) Area in the Stavropol Krai:

Support for initiatives aimed at: promoting and developing positive experience of interethnic cooperation; reducing tensions between the receiving community and migrants (based on the programs of sociopolitical and socioeconomic integration of the migrants in the Stavropol Krai); and using resources of civil society institutions in the CMW as a basis for the promotion and replication of the positive experience in interethnic cooperation in the neighboring territories, including Karachai-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria.

Prigorodny Rayon (North Ossetia):

Support for peacebuilding programs aimed at eventual integration (in a number of years) of ethnically segregated education, when Ossetian and Ingush children have to go to different schools; develop cooperation among journalists, the media and educational institutions of North Ossetia and Ingushetia.

Chechen Republic:

Of key importance for regional stability are programs, aimed to prevent human rights violations, to help overcome not only physical, but psychological consequences of violence, assisting reconciliation and reintegration of the local population into mainstream society.

One important practical issue is the development of cooperation among governmental and nongovernmental organizations, various professional, ethnic, social and age groups operating on the both sides of the administrative border of Chechnya and other Russian federal constituents (including Ingushetia, North Ossetia, the Stavropol Krai, and Dagestan). The development of grassroots social and economic ties among the neighboring subregions of the Russian South as an important component of the post-conflict reconstruction in the Chechen Republic.

Also important for enhancing stability in Chechnya is the development of direct cooperation of primary and secondary schools and other educational institutions in the Chechen Republic with corresponding institutions in other regions of the Russian Federation.  

Republic of Dagestan:

The most important action priority in the Republic of Dagestan is the development of civil initiatives aimed at:

-              Developing interethnic cooperation. It is particularly important that the these initiatives use both the innovative and traditional (“people’s diplomacy”) methods and are aimed at regulating traditional problematic aspects of ethnic relations within Dagestan as well as the relations between the migrant communities from the highlands and Chechen IDP’s and the receiving communities in the lowlands;

-              Reducing intra-faith tensions within the local Sufism as well as between the Sufi and Wahabbi Muslims;

-              Developing cooperation among various ethnic, territorial, professional and age groups from the Republic of Dagestan and the Chechen Republic along the administrative border of the two entities.

7. Overall Recommendations:

To Local and Regional Authorities

It is essential to support the development of nongovernmental organizations in the North Caucasus, which focus their activities on conflict prevention and management.

Effective peacebuilding methods developed by the nongovernmental organizations should be incorporated into the regional and local programs and action plans by relevant authorities.

Special measures may be needed to develop and strengthen civil control over the regional and local authorities as one of the ways to fight back-door policies and corruption.

To the Agencies of the UN System

It is important to begin developing a specialized UN agency dealing with conflict prevention and management on a regional and local level, which will interact directly with local communities and civil society institutions in conflict regions.

The various agencies comprising the UN system in the North Caucasus should introduce into practice consolidated appeals to donor states and organizations to support joint actions by nongovernmental organizations and international institutions aimed at mitigating tensions in the regions of ongoing and potential violent conflicts (following the examples of consolidated inter-agency humanitarian appeals).

Greater priority needs to be given to peacebuilding activities, mitigation of ethnic tensions and reintegration of marginalized groups within the consolidated humanitarian appeals.

It is particularly important to hold regular consultations with key stakeholders to discuss the ethnopolitical processes in the Russian South and to include local NGOs involved in conflict prevention, management and peacebuilding activities into such consultations.

It is valuable to assist the establishment of closer working relations among NGOs from conflict regions of the post-Soviet area as well as to improve their engagement with activities of relevant international organizations.

It is equally important to support the work of peacebuilding networks of nongovernmental organizations, their joint monitoring missions aimed at identifying conflict factors and ways to mitigate ethnic tensions effectively.

International organizations may support forums and other events that would improve interaction between civil society organizations and local and regional authorities.

PROJECTS AND PROPOSALS OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS OF THE NORTH CAUCASUS IN THE FIELD OF PEACEBUILDING, REDUCING TENSIONS AND STRENGTHENING REGIONAL STABILITY

Since 2000 the North Caucasus was one of the areas addressed through the Consolidated Appeal process (CAP), which helped address the humanitarian consequences of violent conflicts and natural disasters. In 2005 the Russian government announced that there is no more need for such a CAP for 2006. However, we hope that the region could become a pilot area for developing a UN–coordinated appeal for the supporting programs focused on the issues of social cohesion, tension reduction, assisting long-term recovery and strengthening regional stability. This would generate valuable experience of developing integrated conflict management and preventive strategies, based on local initiatives, and will allow testing such new approaches to the problems of conflict regions. Local CSO’s are prepared to play a key role in the development of such a document.  In view of these developments this publication, prepared within the framework of the Global Partnership program, is meant to present strategies and priorities of peacebuilding activities of civil organizations in the North Caucasus as well as to share the existing experiences in this field.

This section offers a list of civil initiatives aimed at reducing the tensions and strengthening regional stability, developed by North Caucasus NGOs. Certainly, the list of projects and project ideas cannot cover the whole range of initiatives developed and implemented by North Caucasus peace activists. Nevertheless, they can become a basis for a special appeal to donors in order to initiate an important shift in the nature of present-day activities—from existing programs of humanitarian aid to longer-term efforts, focused on strengthening regional stability and sustainable development.

The initiatives described in this document are presented in the form similar to that of Consolidated Humanitarian Appeals (CAPs). They differ in their nature and specific objectives, required funding and levels of their elaboration as well as specific regions of their implementation. However, they are united by a common goal—to prevent and/or manage violent conflicts and assist in establishing peace and stability in the region. The parameters of these projects and project ideas are subject to further adjustments in consultation with interested donors.

We believe that this publication, prepared within the framework of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict, will draw attention to the various civil society initiatives in such a complex field as prevention and management of violent conflicts on the territory of the North Caucasus. We also cherish hopes that this publication will help at least some of the presented projects and ideas find support and sponsorship, what will allow continuing and developing peacebuilding efforts in this most troublesome region of the Russian Federation.

Part I.

Integrated / Overarching programs

1.      Youth integration and reconciliation as a barrier for radicalism and nationalism in the North Caucasus

Summary:

Problem concerned:

Over a decade of conflicts, inter-ethnic tensions and stressful life in the North Caucasus has resulted in a situation where people feel alienated from each-other, think in terms of “us” and “them” based on ethnic, religious or territorial groupings and thus may be easily manipulated by different nationalist and extremist organizations. This is especially true for the young generation, which has to find its place in an environment of limited economic opportunities, faces serious social problems and is affected by different competing views and beliefs, which filled the “ideological vacuum” after the fall of the communist system. It is no surprise, that in such an environment young people in economically deprived areas of the North Caucasus become easily co-opted into radical, criminal and even terrorist groups.

Unfortunately, so far official institutions on the regional and federal level have had little success in dealing with these problems, both because of the lack of necessary experience and knowledge and because of the high level of corruption within these institutions. In fact, disillusion with the official authorities is one of the driving forces that persuades young people to seek radical solutions.

To help address this problem Nonviolence International is operating with and supporting a number of local NGOs, working on youth reintegration and reconciliation issues with conflict-affected communities.

This approach was tested in 2001 – 2004 within the framework of “Integrated Peacebuilding Programs” carried out in a number of regions of the North Caucasus. The core element of this approach was the development of “on-ground” activities in the region, which directly influence the situation there, not just by addressing the humanitarian or human rights consequences of the conflict, but by working with the conflict itself, issue by issue, place by place and step by step. Programs that were carried out:

·         Maintained a high level of the goals pursued (activities that not only to assist victims, but lead to real and constructive changes of the situation in the areas where they are carried out);

·         Involved in various practical activities different age, gender and social groups of the communities concerned, not just a with small group of local activists;

·         Were carried out directly in the conflict regions, on ground;

·         Were carried out in a systematic manner, uniting efforts of different groups and institutions, and providing for a gradual raise in the level of the objectives pursued in specific projects;

·         Narrowly concentrated efforts on certain key problems and in key areas, where their effect could be maximized.

The new approaches, developed by NI in this field, cooperation with many civic organizations as well as with local and federal authorities already resulted in a number of practical results (opening up new job opportunities for the local population; a growth in numbers of school graduates in Chechnya, continuing their education in higher educational institutions in neighboring regions; re-establishing contacts between young people from various ethnic communities, developing their cooperation, etc.) These results show, that such reintegration / reconciliation programs are practical and measurable, real tools of change that have a visible and constructive influence on the situation.

Goals, objectives and sub-regional details:

The proposed program will allow to achieve a number of interconnected goals:

It will have a direct and visible impact in integrating young people from a number of conflict-affected communities in the North Caucasus into mainstream society, in supporting a reconciliation process between representatives of various ethnic, religious and territorial groups.

It will create a network of civil activists with a feeling of joint ownership and a shared role in developing constructive civil activities in the North Caucasus.

The program will create a set of models for such integration / reconciliation activities, which may be applied in wider geographical areas and it will ensure a continuous and focused dialogue between a team of civil activists and official authorities on different levels, focused at developing joint long-term action plans on the issues concerned.

It is important to note, that while the basic problems, faced by young people in the North Caucasus are quite similar, there are important differences in the way that these problems and contradictions effect the lives of young people in different areas of the North Caucasus. Some regions have to deal with the aftermath of open violent conflict, which claimed countless lives and damaged or destroyed local infrastructure. In other regions, serious inter-community tensions and contradictions did not result in massive violence (however, surprisingly, young people in such areas may actually be more susceptive to “leaders” advocating for violence and war as a mean to solve their problems).

It is also important to differ between ethnic nationalism and religious-based extremism. While both are serious threats to regional stability and leaders of both types try to recruit young people into their camps, these ideologies differ significantly. In fact, proponents of radical Islam often portray themselves almost as “peacemakers” calling for unity between representatives of different ethnic communities under their ideological banner.

Thus, in order to be effective, local activities in the target areas will take into account the specific situation and problems of every such region, some of which have been highlighted in the North Caucasus sub-regional Action Agenda.

For example, in areas where religious-based extremism is rapidly gaining ground, it is important to develop cooperation with traditional religious leaders. Organizing grass-roots programs, which benefit the general public and especially the youth, together with these local leaders will strengthen their position in their own communities, and will help them neutralize the efforts of proponents of extremist views.

And in areas, where inter-ethnic tensions still dominate, it is important to bring representatives of different ethnic communities and, when possible – new leaders (official and unofficial) together, in the format of various constructive activities. A significant part of active civil society organizations in the North Caucasus have formed based on ethnic identity (such as different ethnic youth unions).  Such groups may play either a constructive or a destructive role in society, as they easily become manipulated by different political leaders. It is important to help such groups develop in the direction of traditional civil society institutions, and assist their constructive interaction and cooperation, in the format of different multi-ethnic events.

Applied techniques:

Local direct impact projects

In its work in the North Caucasus, Nonviolence International has experience of successfully interacting with civil society groups, official institutions on different levels, representatives of many different social and professional groups. We understand peacebuilding, reconciliation and reintegration not as unique, separate types of activity, but as an effect & result of different kinds of activities, which are carried out in a certain context

Thus, we combine in our work different types humanitarian, cultural, educational, analytical, human rights, educational and other activity, carried out then and there, when and where it can contribute to the easing of tensions, prevention and management of conflicts in a certain region between various self-identified groups of the population.

Thus, specific activities within the proposed program will be selected based on timing and environment – where, when, with what groups of the population they are being implemented.

However, a wide range of local activities will be used in the program including:

1)       Organizing different sports, cultural events, aimed to unite people of different ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs;

2)       Supporting local activists, who work with young people on a day-to-day basis;

3)       Developing contacts pen-pal relationships between schools, other educational institutions and young people from different locations and regions;

4)       Holding different traditional reconciliation events using traditional “peoples diplomacy” techniques, common in the Caucasus (meetings of elders, “Mavlid”, modern forms of “Kunak”, “Atalyk” relations, etc.);

5)       Carrying out vocational orientation programs for teen-agers and informing them about existing opportunities for continuing their education;

6)       Developing model programs for school “drop-outs”;

7)       Organizing meetings and developing cooperation programs between representatives of certain professional groups from different (often – bordering) areas in the North Caucasus;

8)       Working with the media, supporting joint activities of journalists from different regions of the North Caucasus and other types of activities.

Cross-regional activities

While the proposed program will take into account the local realities in each target region and the grass-roots activities will be its core element, it is not seen as a simple combination of separate local programs in different parts of the North Caucasus. Our goal is to develop an effective network of civil organizations and activists, dealing jointly with the issue of post conflict reconciliation, youth integration and preventing the spread of extreme nationalism and religious radicalism. Only such a network could become an effective civil counterpart for both official Russian authorities and international institutions in dealing with these problems.

In order to create such a network of civil organizations and activists a series of meetings and experience exchange sessions will take place where all specific project plans, as well as their results will be discussed and analyzed. However, simultaneously a continuous practice of interaction, mutual support and cooperation of local activists directly throughout the implementation of specific activities in the target areas will be organized. A unique feature of the proposed Program is that one or more representatives of organizations involved in the program from another region will participate as observers and consultants on most key events, carried out on a local level in the different target areas. This will serve a number of purposes:

1)       This will ensure a thorough monitoring of all key project activities on a much more regular basis, then it would be possible if such a task is limited only to some selected specialists;

2)       This will create conditions for the effective exchange of experience immediately during the process of implementing on-ground peace-building activities and allow local activists to learn from each other;

3)       Most importantly – this will create a sense of unity and joint ownership of the program (not of just of a small portion of it) by the main local partners, thus enabling them to work more as a team, united by a joint purpose and role in society.

Developing cooperation with authorities around tested models for youth integration / reconciliation

Over the past years a number of local and international organizations have carried out research projects, held conferences and round-tables with official Russian authorities on different levels, provided them with policy recommendations regarding the situation in the North Caucasus. Unfortunately though, despite the serious effort put in these tasks by such organizations as FEWER[8] and others, trying to work on peacebuilding issues related to the North Caucasus, these approaches usually have little if any effect on the grim realities of that region.

Nonviolence International together with other project partners will disseminate information about lessons learned during the implementation of the program, present to other stakeholders the opportunities for reconciliation and youth integration activities in the North Caucasus. For this purpose a number of small-scale round tables will be organized to discuss the implementation techniques for specific policy recommendations – models of work developed within the framework of the proposed program. The discussions on these round-tables will focus not on the development of new general recommendations about dealing with the conflict situation in the North Caucasus, rather they will focus on the opportunities of translating these general recommendations into practice, and the possibilities to use the experience of local actors in this regard. Thus, the discussions will focus not on “what” needs to be done to stabilize the situation, but on “how”, via what practical measures may these policies be implemented.

The discussion will allow bringing together people with different experiences and different areas of competence. The goals of the discussions will be to produce not just new recommendations, but when possible – to reach agreement on future practical steps for the realization of new and constructive policies in certain thematic areas.

Special effort will be made to ensure the involvement in such “how to do round tables” of specific lines of stakeholders, working in the same area but on different levels of authority (local, regional, federal) thus creating the conditions for “transforming discussion into action”.

We believe, that a set of such issue-focused discussions, “how to do round tables” will gradually lead to the development of a joint civil society – government program addressing the key issue of integrating youth from the North Caucasus into mainstream Russian society.

Implementation schedule:

A brief outline of such a program would include the following phases:

1)       Situation assessment / Project development phase (months 1 – 3).

During this phase NI will carry out a number of situation assessment field trips and organize a set of consultations with its main partners and together develop specific action plans in each target area. At the same time it will discuss the program details with various authorities on the federal, regional and local levels. During the third month of the program implementation a round-table with all key project partners will be held, where a final action plan will be adopted and the implementation of program activities in the selected target areas will be formally launched.

2)       First project implementation phase (months 4 – 11)

During this phase most of the work will be focused on the implementation of the various local impact projects in selected target areas. At the same time continuous monitoring / experience sharing visits between representatives will begin, leading to the formation of a strong and active, mutually supportive network. As the local projects are implemented, members of Nonviolence International will be responsible for summarising (in cooperation with local partners) the results achieved and for preparing, in proper format, descriptions of developed techniques as models for possible policy recommendations.

3)       Analyses / project reassessment phase (months 12 – 13)

This phase will be focused on finalising the results of the first set of local activities, implemented within the framework of the program. At least two round-tables will be organized involving key project participants, in order to discuss results achieved and finalise plans for the next phase of the program. At the same time a plan for holding “how to do” round tables with local authorities will be prepared. Relevant meetings with official authorities on different levels will also be held during this phase.

4)       Second project implementation / joint strategy development phase (months 14 – 22)

The activities during this phase of the program will in many ways be similar to the activities during its 2^nd phase. However, besides local activities in the target regions, this phase will include a set of “how to do” round tables and other activities, aimed to develop joint long-term strategies together with official authorities and institutions. It is also expected, that the level of cooperation among key actors in the program will be much higher, than during its first year, and that by the end of the program there will a core team of local actors, which will further develop and expand their network.

5)       Concluding phase (months 23 – 24)

During this phase the final results of the program will be assessed and published. It is expected that a number of follow-up programs will be developed based on the results of the work implemented and that they will be developed jointly by civil actors and relevant official institutions, as well as interested international organizations. A large conference and some related media events will be organized, highlighting the results of the program.

What is the basis for estimating the program’s budget

As mentioned, Nonviolence International has over 12 years of experience of peacebuilding and conflict management activities in the CIS , and nearly as much – in the North Caucasus. Our budget estimate is based primarily on the experience of carrying out a set of “Integrated Peacebuilding Programs” in a number of regions of the North Caucasus in 2001 – 2003, when NI managed a program of comparative dimensions for the Moscow based Open Society Institute (Soros foundation).

We expect the cost of the program to be approx. $350,000 over the first year of its implementation and approx. $400,000 during its second year. The expected increase in the cost of the program over its second year is related to the expected additional activities related to the developing cooperation with relevant official institutions (holding “how to do” round tables, etc.).

2. Consolidation of government and nongovernment institutions of the South of Russia in securing regional stability

Summary:

This initiative is a follow-up of the peacebuilding activities in neighboring subregions of Chechnya and Dagestan, which were launched in 1998 and gradually took their present shape as interregional and interdistrict cooperation programs[9]. The implementation of the initiative is expected to create conditions for developing constructive cooperation in the field of security, human rights, economic programs, education and health care, intercultural activities, etc between regional and local authorities and various ethnic communities in these regions.

Objectives:

·         to continue developing cooperation with different professional groups and authorities in 11 neighboring districts of Dagestan, Chechnya, North Osssetia-Alania and the Stavropol Krai;

·         to summarize and expand the experience and methods of interethnic and intersectoral cooperation acquired in  the regions of Project implementation;

·         to present the acquired knowledge and methods of constructive and systematic approaches to managing ethnopolitical processes, which are used by authorities in neighboring districts of the Stavropol Krai, North Ossetia-Alania and Dagestan, to government bodies and local self-government agencies of the Chechen Republic;

·         to develop social partnership among civil society institutions, local authorities and municipal self-government agencies and law enforcement agencies in the Chechen Republic;

·         to inform government bodies in Dagestan and Chechnya as well as federal agencies of current situation in developing this cooperation on a permanent basis.

Expected Effect:

The implementation of the peacebuilding program along the administrative border between the Chechen Republic and the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, the Stavropol Krai and the Republic of Dagestan will allow civil society organizations, institutions of culture and education, local authorities and other government bodies of 11 neighboring districts of these four entities of the South of Russia to develop and make joint efforts aimed at reducing tensions and strengthening regional stability. It is expected that the Project implementation will contribute to the introduction of new structural departments within local self-government agencies in Chechnya and the development of innovative technologies to improve horizontal/grassroots contacts between the regions. This, in its turn, will improve the quality of life of the residents of these territories.

3. Women’s Leadership for Peaceful Development in the Conflicted North Caucasus

Contact:  Valentina Cherevatenko

title – chair-coordinator

organization – Union “Women of the Don Region”

address: ul. Kalinina, 88, Novocherkassk, Rostov region, Russia, 346404

telephone: +7(86352)3-19-36, mobile: 8-928-986-84-33

fax: +7(86352)3-21-25

e-mail: donwomen@novoch.ru; rrc@novoch.ru

Problem statement:

a)       Inadequate civil society participation, particularly by women in the conflicted North Caucasus Region results in government actions adversely affecting lives and communities, with insufficient citizen mobilization to support implementation of regional peace accords;

b)       Russian federal data shows increased poverty, post-conflict trauma, and vulnerability to violence for ethnic and gender groups across North Caucasus regions and republics;

c)       Neither conflict-resolution nor gender strategies are mainstreamed into official programs or   policies in order to secure peaceful development in North Caucasus Region;

d)       With children now targeted as victims, more women are prepared to contribute actively to peaceful solutions.

e)       Since ’95 Leadership Council of “Women for Life Without War and Violence” has functioned across all regions (including Chechnya) under Women of Don (WoD) coordination, but without resources for sustained operations, strategy building, or Region-wide projects.

Project summary:

Since 1995 many “Women of the Don Region” partnership projects across the North Caucasus Region have demonstrated the importance of ethnic and gender sensitivity for successful conflict resolution strategies. Our frequent inter-regional contacts, conferences, and projects show us the several Regional conflicts are interlinked, with conflicting sides isolated from each other and resistant to peace building. From all sides, however, those most committed to rebuilding peaceful communities across the Region are women who know and trust the Women of the Don. . Our substantive work in the Caucasus work shows that mainstreaming a Regional perspective is critical.  Building a stronger Regional identity among populations similarly afflicted by poverty, discrimination and conflict, this project promotes development and peace.

Since 1995 WoD’s sustained and innovative approach has effectively connected civic leaders and professionals of all backgrounds, including regional officials. While efforts focused on any single group can exacerbate North Caucasus tensions, our methodology – balanced and conflict-sensitive advocacy across Regional divides –has shown solid results in nine years of collaborative work. It is the foundation for this project.

The project is designed:

-          To develop an operational coalition of women leaders from different ethnic and minority groups representing North Caucasus civil society leadership.

-          To engage them (and their local groups) more fully in local, federal and international decision-making processes through constructive dialogue, participation in shaping governmental policies and programs that affect them and their communities.

-          To build the capacities of 25 selected women leaders in a systematic process to strengthen the core of an operational coalition; to facilitate confidence and trust building between multi-ethnic communities; to create dialogue opportunities with policy-makers and media.

Activities will include:

Capacity building seminars; applied strategic planning and resource building at a series of working and planning meetings; round-tables and outreach with local communities, policy-makers and media; strategic discussions with federal and global leaders; expanded application of conflict-sensitive dialogue techniques (using Canadian-development manual and NGO consultant); addressing regional needs through participant-designed projects, advocacy, expert policy research, public information and evaluation; and a Fourth International Forum gathering working professionals, NGOs, and officials to plan strategic application for  approaches that address North Caucasus post-conflict needs.

Nine years of research and project work addressing needs of multi-ethnic, impoverished, and conflict-affected groups in the North Caucasus were applied to develop this initiative utilizing critical evaluation of pilot activities. The final project was built through wide consultations with implementing partners, participants and beneficiaries.  Its design promotes public participation in planning and implementing government programs, ensuring that these focus on critical needs. It addresses enhanced transparency, effectiveness and accountability of state institutions and development of effective, coherent social policy. In particular the project promotes in particular peace building with and within Chechnya.  Focusing upon reduction of poverty and regional differentiation via confidence building is a methodological innovation in the North Caucasus.

 Women of the Don Region have successfully engaged the co-operation of North Caucasus minorities and majorities on sensitive issues -- those divided politically by conflict and ethnicity, and also of both governments and NGOs. Used to confrontation in problem solving, these sectors need to build the practice of respectful and cooperative methods to advance conflict resolution alternatives across the Region.

Risks: Three major risks are associated with any international effort in the North Caucasus: 1) Federal Administration refuses entry of international partners (but Women of the Don, its work and partners are accepted by regional ministries and South Federal District officials); 2) Safety of participants and partners (but WoD has safely carried out peace building work in Rostov area and regions for 8 years; 3) Participation by recognized leaders across Region cannot be assured (but WoD has sustained a rare asset – trust – from years of cross-ethnic working relationships throughout Caucasus regions).

Coordination: National Peace Foundation [USA] will provide consultative staff; and staffing, policy and research expertise.

Organization: NGO Union “Women of the Don Region”

1) Legal status: Registered by the Justice Department of Rostov Region Administration 31 March 1994 (registration certificate # 580).

The Union’ is a regional independent, self governed, human right, peacebuilding, public organisation, which is established on the basis of membership, uniting on voluntary basis legal entities, public organisations and persons.

2) Location of headquarters: Novocherkassk, Rostov region, Russian Federation

3) Main areas of activity (geographic and sectoral): Rostov and other North Caucasus regions, Russian Federation

• Human rights: public education, protection and defence
• Realisation and protection of civil, political, economic and social rights of women
• Contribution to the development of women’s leadership and self-sufficiency
• Training and participation of women for public and governmental affairs
• Promoting strong family entities, with support for work and benefits of parenthood, women’s household work, defence for children’s rights
• Facilitating civic consensus and peace building efforts between ethnic groups and nationalities, combating all forms of nationalism and chauvinism
• Supporting mental and physical health for children and youth
• Training youth as participants and future leaders in public life

4 Reasons why the organization is well placed to carry out this project.

Particularly in post-Beslan era, the Caucasus is a challenging area in which to work. Women of the Don have built collaborative expertise and a record of successful cooperation on behalf of conflict transformation in the North Caucasus, with culturally effective, innovative and conflict-sensitive approaches. The skills of our trained staff and professional experts have proven essential to address underlying Regional problems. Our emphasis on local capacity building assures that by project conclusion the necessary skills and ability to sustain activities will have been transferred to Regional target groups, with their communities the key beneficiaries. 

4. Together – We are the Future

(Set of Chechen youth initiatives)

Since December 2003, the Union “Women of the Don Region” with the support of United States Institute of Peace, Royal Netherlands Embassy (Matra-Kap programme) has been doing “Postconflict Peacebuilding” project. The purpose of the project is searching for ways to manage the situation in Chechnya through enhancing the role of social efforts. Personal contacts between Chechen NGO leaders and higher school youth from Grozny proved to be very useful. They resulted in a number of civil initiatives designed by Chechnya and Rostov-based NGOs and aimed at bringing peace to the Chechen republic. The initiatives were presented at the conference “Civil Initiatives in the Process of Achieving Peace in the Postconflict Chechen republic” which took place 16 September 2003 in Rostov-on-Don. Representatives of RF authorities, donor organizations, Rostov region - based NGOs, and researchers took part in the conference.

Contact:  Valentina Cherevatenko

title – chair-coordinator

organization – Union “Women of the Don Region”

address: ul. Kalinina, 88, Novocherkassk, Rostov region, Russia, 346404

telephone: +7(86352)3-19-36, mobile: 8-928-986-84-33

fax: +7(86352)3-21-25

e-mail: donwomen@novoch.ru; rrc@novoch.ru

List of project ideas:

1.                   Project “Teaching Trades”

Proposed  by NGO “Lamanan Shovda”  (Mountain Spring) (Chechen republic)

Purpose: to create conditions for social adaptation and professional training of children disabled, orphaned, and from poor families.

Objective: to train children to make special furniture for children with locomotor-system disabilities.

Project cost: $ 18,000

2.                   Project “Single Mother’s Center”

Proposed by NGO “Youth’s Initiatives” (Chechen republic)

Purpose: to improve social conditions of single mothers through professional training.

Objective: professional training and psychological rehabilitation of single mothers.

Project cost: $ 16,000

3.                   Project Children’s Playground “Traffic Lights”

Proposed by NGO “The Youth of Chechnya” (Chechen republic)

Purpose: to reduce incidence of traumatism and deaths of children in road accidents.

Objective: to teach Chechen children road rules.

Project cost: $ 11,000

PEACEBUILDING IN PROGRESS (demonstrated by examples of interethnic and interregional cooperation in the North Caucasus)

	The use of traditional forms of citizen diplomacy allows reestablishing and strengthening destroyed ties between different ethnic and territorial communities.
	Reestablished ties and communications allow to develop interaction and cooperation between different profeccional groups and institutions (medical workers and police, educational and cultural institutions, youth and students, religious leaders and civil activists, etc.)
	Cooperation between professional communities and institutions allows to define common problems and find ways to overcome them, thus leading to tangible improvements in the lives of the local population

	IDP children from the Prigorodny District of North Ossetia. This photograph was made in 1993. Since then a significant part of IDP’s still has not returned to their homes. The tragic events in the North Ossetian town of Beslan in September 2004 further aggravated the situation in the region and the perspective for a lasting resolution of the problems of the Prigorodny district became vague.
	“One’s choice” Drawing of Gaisurkaev Abdulkerim, 15 years old, Chechen Republic
	Intercultural Festival “Caucasus – our common home” involved 16 youth groups from 6 regions of the North Caucasus. Leaders of the Christian Orthodox and Moslem Community take part in the opening ceremony, in the town of Kislovodsk.

4.                   Project “Peace Puppets”

Proposed by NGO “Help Children (Novocherkassk, Rostov region) and NGO “Merciful People” (Chechen republic)

Purpose: to restore friendly ties between Russian and Chechen children, to cultivate tolerance.

Objectives:

• to set up a puppet-theater in the Chechen republic, involving war-affected disabled  children in the process;
• organize a joint entertainment presented by both Chechen and Russian children’s puppet theaters;
• to organize a PR-campaign aimed at raising public awareness of children’s problems;
• Project cost: $ 11,000

5.                   Project  “Cultivating Tolerance”

Proposed by NGO “Anima” (Novocherkassk, Rostov region)

Purpose: to build friendly relations and cooperation between Chechen and Rostov-region young people.

Objective: to organize and conduct a joint contest-show “Kindness is the most effective weapon”.

Project cost: $ 8,500

6.                   Project “Combating Illiteracy”

Proposed by NGO “Art-Serlo”  (Chechen republic)

Purpose: to create conditions for irradicating illiteracy and developing communicative skills of children, displaced from mountainous areas of Chechnya.

Objective: to set up an educational course for 12 to 18 year-olds “Intensive course of basic education”.

Project cost: $ 8,500

7.                   Project   “Children of Chechnya are Agents of Peace”

Proposed by NGO “Sozidanie” (Creation) (Chechen republic)

Purposes:

• to destroy the typical negative perceptions by the military and young people in the South of Russia of the Chechen people;
• to help the Federal military and young people in the South of Russia not lump together a terrorist and an innocent civilian of Chechnya;
• Objectives:
• to organize a shared event for Chechen children and Rostov region-based military;
• to organize shared events for Chechen children and their peers in Rostov region.
• Project cost: $ 11,000

8.                   Project “Together We are a Power”

Proposed by youth NGOs of Grozny and Novocherkassk

Purposes:

• to bring together polyethnic higher school students of North Caucasus institutions;
• to destroy negative stereotypes existing in the perceptions of Chechen and Russian youth.

Objectives: to build friendly contacts between the youth of North Caucasus republics.

To organize a PR-campaign to make building cooperation of the youth in the North Caucasus a public issue.

Project cost: $ 77,000

Contact:  Valentina Cherevatenko

title – chair-coordinator

organization – Union “Women of the Don Region”

address: ul. Kalinina, 88, Novocherkassk, Rostov region, Russia, 346404

telephone: +7(86352)3-19-36, mobile: 8-928-986-84-33

fax: +7(86352)3-21-25

e-mail: donwomen@novoch.ru; rrc@novoch.ru

Part II.

Specific projects

Summary:

The project is aimed at developing interethnic cooperation in the Karachai-Cherkess Republic through a competition “My Language Is My Soul And My World!” The Project is based on the experience of a previously conducted mother tongue competition at schools of the Republic where the Circassian language is taught. The Project implementers will develop the program, methodological materials and will conduct  a seminar on the technological issues of the competition realization. The Abazin, Nogai, Russian, Karachai and Circassian national and cultural associations of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic will take part in the seminar. The seminar will result in the development, by each national and cultural association, of a separate program and time table to conduct the competition in the administrative and territorial entities of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic where their ethnic group is dominant.  realization will be developed. These programs and time tables will be agreed with the Ministry of Education, Ministries of Culture and Nationalities. Then a Republican conference of teachers, educators and representatives of national and cultural associations will be held in the town of Cherkessk. The final stage will be the language competition  of schoolchildren “My Language Is My Soul And My World!” to be conducted at schools in the Russian, Circassian, Adyg, Nogai and Karachai languages.

Objectives:

-     to support the development of interethnic cooperation among various professional, territorial, ethnic and age groups;

-     to apply the available potential of ethic values and ethnic pedagogy of the peoples of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic for the education of young people in the spirit of culture of peace and tolerance;

-     to fill in the gaps in the organization and management of educational work in schools;

-     to render assistance in the promotion of new language teaching technologies to educational institutions;

-     to develop and submit proposals on how to improve preschool and school education to the Ministry of Education and the Republican legislative bodies  based on the results of the language competition.

Expected Effect:

The Project realization by national and cultural associations in partnership with government bodies and schools is an integral part of the process aimed at developing a fully fledged civil society in the Karachai-Cherkess Republic. The project will allow local national and cultural associations to develop a system of mutual cooperation between them and local and regional authorities in solving actual problems of the preservation and revival of ethic values of the peoples of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic.  This system will contribute to the interethnic cooperation in the Republic by developing the spirit of goodwill, tolerance, and empathy in the society.

Summary:

The implementation of the Project in the Karachai-Cherkess Republic envisages a Republican pedagogical “relay” competition on the knowledge of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child to be conducted in secondary schools and preschool institutions in the Karachai-Cherkess Republic. The Project realization includes inter alia:

-              the organization of a training workshop and a round table for teachers and educators in order to develop a thematic and calendar plan of the  “relay” competition;

-              the organization of the “relay” competition in preschool institutions and secondary  schools in the administrative and territorial entities of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic;

-              the organization of a round table on TV to review the results of the Republican pedagogical “relay” competition.

Objectives:

-     to promote the common values of peace and human rights at home and in educational institutions;

-     to question educators, parents and children of their knowledge of the major provisions of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child in order to analyze the situation in the field of human rights education and make further recommendations to improve it;

-     to contribute to the preservation of traditional values and customs of the peoples of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic and their introduction in public education;

-     to help educational institutions of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic develop methodological recommendations in the field of human rights education—with the emphasis on the rights of the child (including curriculum development, extracurricular activities, etc)—for educators and parents.

Expected Effect:

The Project realization will help set up an expert group of clergymen, intellectuals, leaders of national and cultural associations, educators and teachers from different ethnic groups in order to effectively develop children’s respect to their  national heritage, common values and human rights. Besides that, mechanisms of systematic training for educators in the field of human rights and peace culture education  will be developed for their further application during the professional refresher courses. The Project will also contribute to the introduction of the course on the Rights of the Child in school curricula as well as the development of pilot projects on legal education for educators and parents in preschool institutions of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic.

Summary:

A comparative conflict analysis of the regional ethnic and confessional situation in the Stavropol Krai and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic will be conducted and a set of recommendations will be developed to minimize the conflict and destructive potential of the ethnic and interfaith relations in the Stavropol Krai and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic.

Objectives:

-              to analyze current interfaith situation in the Stavropol Krai and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic in the context of its social functions and dysfunctions, to define a level of religiousness of the population and its confessional distribution;

-              to define a place and role of religion in ethnocultural identification of the population of the Stavropol Krai and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic, to understand causes of the interfaith tensions in the subregion and identify their perpetrators;

-              to find out causes of the confessional shift in the subregion when people change their traditional faiths, elicit negative stereotypes and prejudices in the religious sphere and find out how they are formed;

-              to develop criteria for the identification of socially destructive religious practices in the Stavropol Krai and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic and formulate a conceptual and methodological basis for the analysis of religious conflict-proneness and destructiveness taking into account local specifics;

-              to study the level and nature of conflict-proneness in the interfaith relations in the Stavropol Krai and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic, to define, describe and analyze basic models of  religious destructiveness;

-              to develop recommendations on how to minimize conflict and destructive potential in the religious sphere in the subregion.

Expected Effect:

A new knowledge of current processes in ethnic and confessional situation in the South of Russia will be acquired, including that of how interfaith relations have been politicized at the regional and local level and how complex conflicts evolve. The findings of the research will be presented to government bodies as analytical reports and published articles and brochures.

Summary:

It is expected to carry out a field study of the traditional cultural heritage (including folk songs, verses, humorous songs, rituals and games, etc) of the five major ethnic groups (Abazins, Nogais, Russians, Karachais and Circassians) living in the Karachai-Cherkess Republic by a team of scholars from the Republican Institute of the Humanities. Their findings will be further analyzed and adopted and published—in partnership with specialists of the Republican Institute of Retraining and Professional Development for Educators—as methodological and educational materials to be used in preschool institutions of the country. Besides that, workshops for educators, social workers and psychologists will be organized in preschool institutions of the Republic in order to promote the use of traditional elements in children’s education and respect to the cultures and traditions of neighboring peoples. This initiative will end in the final educational conference of representatives of government bodies, public associations, departments of culture and education of Kabardino-Balkaria, the Stavropol and Krasnodar Krais, Adygeia in order to disseminate and replicate this positive experience of interethnic cooperation in the multiethnic region of the North Caucasus.

Objectives:

-              to identify traditional ways of promoting peace and accord in such elements of ethnic pedagogy as folk songs, verses, proverbs and sayings, humorous songs, rituals and games;

-              to reveal the common character of  historical experience, traditions and customs of the peoples inhabiting the territory of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic and to use this factor to achieve regional stability;

-              to promote elements of popular culture among children as an effective mechanism of interethnic and interfaith interaction and cooperation.

Expected Effect:

The Project is aimed at establishing a team of researchers, who represent different ethnic groups, to promote the existing cultural heritage of interethnic cooperation as a major element of reaching stability in the Karachai-Cherkess Republic. Besides that, important results will be achieved in the field of education: horizontal/grassroots contacts and ties among preschool institutions of the Republic will be developed; “people’s diplomacy” materials for further application in preschool and school institutions will be published, etc. This experience will be replicated in the neighboring regions of Adygeia, the Krasnodar and Stavropol Krais, Kabardino-Balkaria, where ethnically related peoples live.

Summary:

The initiative is aimed at developing effective communication skills of young people, transforming negative ethnic stereotypes and prejudices of schoolchildren and students, engaging young people in volunteer organizations and projects. A number of workshops will be conducted for senior pupils of different ethnic groups in many places, with special emphasis on the rural schools. The initiative also envisages the creation of a volunteer club of senior pupils and college/university students to contribute to the solution of actual social problems.

Objectives:

To engage young people of different ethnic groups, with the help of a wide range of methods, in the common activities aimed at addressing actual social issues of the region, including:

-              delivering aid and assistance to the elder people, the disabled, children from problem  families;

-              carrying out environmental actions;

-              organizing and realizing youth exchanges;

-              conducting meetings with young people of the same age as well as with famous people;

-              visiting the Nadezhda (Hope) children’s rehabilitation center, organizing and carrying out various cultural and entertainment and training programs based on internal resources and services of outside specialists and arts ensembles and groups;

-              organizing useful and healthy leisure-time.

Expected Effect:

The implementation of the initiative envisages the following:

-              over 30 training workshops on nonviolence, tolerance and peace culture will be conducted in 30 schools of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic (3 schools in each administrative and territorial entity of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic);

-              close and sustainable ties will be developed among schools and colleges of the Republic both at the formal and informal levels (among students and teaching staffs);

-              a volunteer club of young people to unite the efforts of young activists from every administrative and territorial entity of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic will be set up in the town of Cherkessk;

-              over 20 simultaneous actions of young people to address specific regional problems will be conducted all over the Republic.

Summary:

The North Caucasian Festival “The Caucasus Is Our Common Home” is a traditional annual event which has organized in the city of Kislovodsk since 2000 (in Cherkessk in 2003). The festival attracts a large number of arts ensembles and groups and a big audience from the whole North Caucasus and usually is met with generous response in the Caucasian Mineral Waters area. In addition to a big gala concert and an intense program of informal communication among the members of the arts ensembles and groups, the Fourth North Caucasian Festival is expected to include:

-              the organization of master classes by leaders of children’s arts ensembles in order to exchange creative methods and approaches;

-              the organization of lectures on peace and tolerance by leaders of national and cultural organizations of the city of Kislovodsk.

Objectives:

This initiative will address the following three objectives:

-              developing interethnic cooperation among the young people from various subregions of the North Caucasus;

-              developing cultural exchange of children’s arts ensembles and groups which will visit areas of other ethnic groups’ compact settlement;

-              developing cooperation among North Caucasian children’s national arts ensembles and groups.

Expected Effect:

Over 200 children from 11 national arts ensembles and groups as well as over 800 spectators will take part in the Fourth North Caucasian Festival “The Caucasus Is Our Common Home”. The Festival will be held during three days. The Project itself will have the following effect on its participants and the audience:

-              it will prevent the children of various ethnic groups from developing negative psychological disorders, such as aggression, irritability, anxiety which are associated with the conflict-prone regions they live in;

-              it will bring up children to tolerate and respect other cultures;

-              it will contribute to the preservation and strengthening of traditions and customs of different peoples living in the North Caucasus;

-              it will contribute to the development of sustainable constructive relations among agencies responsible for preservation and maintenance of traditions and  customs of the peoples from six subregions of the North Caucasus;

-              it will transform negative ethnic stereotypes and sentiments of children concerning each other;

-              it will contribute to the development of systematic interaction between civil society institutions and government bodies and local authorities in the Caucasian Mineral Waters area of the Stavropol Krai.

Summary:

The Project is expected to engage 150 schoolchildren of different ethnic groups from the Karachai-Cherkess Republic and the Stavropol Krai into a joint program, including:

-              the organization of workshops and seminars on conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and NGO experiences in this field;

-              the creation of practical opportunities in schools where students can apply the acquired knowledge and skills in conflict resolution and realize their project ideas;

-              the organization of drawings (lower forms) and essays competitions on the topics of My Friend, Of What Nationality?, The World As I See It, The Caucasus Is Our Common Home among secondary school students;

-              the organization of the Ties of Time And People traveling exhibition of the best drawings of schoolchildren.

Objectives:

-              to educate schoolchildren of different ethnic groups in the spirit of civic virtues;

-              to introduce ideas of peace, goodwill and tolerance into the public school curriculum;

-              to promote culture of peace and nonviolence among schoolchildren;

-              to mitigate interethnic tensions.

Expected Effect:

-  The Project implementation will allow young people of the Caucasian Mineral Waters area of the Stavropol Krai and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic—which have relatively high conflict experience and potential—to acquire important legal and practical skills and knowledge of peacebuilding methods and instruments. Therefore, it will be possible to form a “peace resource and reserve.” The Project will transform negative ethnic stereotypes and prejudices among the young people into a tolerant and respectful attitude towards other cultures.

Summary:

The development of a system of intra- and intercultural communication on the basis of social and public initiatives at the local and regional levels is becoming more and more actual at present. Such a system has been developed within the framework of the permanent Round Table on interethnic relations in the Caucasian Mineral Waters area for the last two years. The Project is expected to further develop the initiatives of Round Table’s participants (individual experts and organizations) in the following directions:

-              conducting ethnic and conflict monitoring and developing a new information and methodological product;

-              conducting an interactive information and training workshop on A Peacebuilding Cooperation Between the State and Society In the Multiethnic Region;

-              conducting a training workshop In Search of Effective Technologies To Achieve Social Accord And Compromise.

Objectives:

The Project on the Public Dialogue As A Tool for the Improvement of Interethnic Relations In the Multiethnic Entity of the North Caucasus is expected to realize the following three tasks:

-              to strengthen interethnic cooperation on the basis of common human and democratic values, culture of peace and tolerance;

-              to develop effective dialogue tools to ensure sustainable cooperation of local and regional authorities with public associations and national and cultural organizations;

-              to find new ways and forms of public initiatives in the fields of charity, peacebuilding and volunteerism.

Expected Effect:

-              reliable information on the ethnocultural and ethnoconfessional interests of the population of the Stavropol Krai will be collected;

-              tools for effective dialogue between government bodies and civil society institutions will be identified and developed;

-              positive PR-technologies in the field of interethnic cooperation will be developed;

-              interethnic contradictions and conflicts will be prevented and a wide social compromise in the field of interethnic relations will be achieved.

Summary:

Friendship soccer matches can be considered as a follow-up of the projects realized among children’s soccer teams from the Karachai-Cherkess Republic and the Caucasian Mineral Waters area in 2000 and 2001. It is planned to reveal informal youth leaders during the Project implementation and find ways of their engagement in the system of interregional ethnic cooperation. Special consideration will be given to the youth leaders from rural areas of the Stavropol Krai and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic.

Objectives:

It will be necessary to solve the following practical tasks during the preparation and organization of these series of soccer matches:

-              to prepare and conduct the matches themselves;

-              to reveal and identify informal youth leaders from the Caucasian Mineral Waters area of the Stavropol Krai and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic;

-              to organize a range of meetings and workshops on tolerance, nonviolence, and intersectoral cooperation for the youth leaders;

-              to engage youth leaders in the regional NGO projects and initiatives in the field of conflict prevention and management;

-              to organize programs of informal contacts and communication of young people.

Expected Effect:

Approximately 200 children from the local and regional soccer teams and over 100-person audience are expected to take part in the sports competitions. The Friendship soccer matches themselves will be conducted over a period of March to December while the work with the youth leaders will be carried out over the whole period of the Project implementation. The joint participation of young people in educational and sports activities will contribute to their unification, the formation of a team of like-minded people who will be able to address the common problems together. Besides that, the young people will be presented alternative ways of personal growth and self-realization.

Summary:

The realization of a thematic festival Who Is Happy To Live In The Caucasus of the Club of the Merry and the Quick-witted[10] will help the young people understand—with humor and light irony—who is responsible for the local and regional tensions. The competition will be organized between the combined student teams of the colleges and universities of the Karachai-Cherkess Republic and the Caucasian Mineral Waters area of the Stavropol Krai. The competing teams will receive a set of concepts to use during their performances. The Project team is going to attract a large number of students to realize this initiative which will contribute to the consolidation of the students from the Caucasian Mineral Waters area and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic and will counteract the destructive forces that make desperate attempts to involve young people in stirring up ethnic hatred.

Objectives:

-              to build contacts and develop cooperation among the students and colleges/universities of the Caucasian Mineral Waters of the Stavropol Krai and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic;

-              to establish an organizational committee to conduct a festival;

-              to develop the program of the festival in partnership with the Committees on the youth issues, representatives of student teams from colleges/universities of the Caucasian Mineral Waters of the Stavropol Krai and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic;

-              to conduct the festival Who Is Happy To Live In The Caucasus of the students’ Club of the Merry and the Quick-witted;

-              to develop informal communication and ties among the Project beneficiaries.

Expected Effect:

Over 200 students from colleges/universities and secondary schools of the region as well as over 100 spectators will take part in the initiative. This number will include representatives of more than 30 ethnic groups who live in the region. The Project will contribute to the promotion of the ideas of tolerance and friendship among the youth of the North Caucasus. It will also contribute to the mitigation of ethnopolitical tensions in the region and the engagement of young people in practical peacebuilding.  The Project designers are convinced that their plan of implementation is highly realistic and potentially successful because the most actual ethnocultural problems of the region are going to be discussed in a friendly and humorous way where the principle of “young people teach young people” is strictly followed.

Summary:

A number of cultural and educational meetings with arts workers, NGOs, national and cultural association and different government bodies of the Caucasian Mineral Waters area of the Stavropol Krai and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic will be organized within the framework of the Project implementation. These cultural and educational meetings will include inter alia:

-              the organization of the festival of national cultures (Russian, Karachai, Circassian, Nogai, and Abazin);

-              the organization of the round table The Lyre of Friendship.

Archival and library materials, photos of famous poets, artists and skilled craftsmen of the Caucasian Mineral Waters area and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic will be collected as part of the preparation to the festival of national cultures. These materials will be included in the book entitled The Faces of the Caucasus to be published and disseminated among cultural and educational institutions, public associations and government bodies of the Caucasian Mineral Waters area and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic. This will allow them to promote ideas of tolerance, nonviolence and peace culture as well as the positive experience of intercultural cooperation in a more effective way.

Objectives:

-              to organize a meeting of major actors of ethnopolitical processes in the Caucasian Mineral Waters area of the Stavropol Krai and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic in order to discuss the ways of their engagement in the Project implementation;

-              to organize a set of meetings with arts workers (poets, writers, artists, etc) and scholars in order to define the criteria for preparing the publication of The Faces of the Caucasus collection of materials;

-              to organize a set of meetings with representatives of national and cultural associations, national folk ensembles and groups, clergymen in order to prepare and conduct festivals of national cultures;

-              to develop a plan of the round table The Lyre of Friendship and prepare information materials for it;

-              to collect the material for The Faces of the Caucasus and its page planning;

-              to publish and disseminate the book.

Expected Effect:

-              Over 600 experts, including workers of culture and public education, government bodies, arts workers, NGOs and national and cultural organizations, clergymen of the Caucasian Mineral Waters area and the Karachai-Cherkess Republic, will be engaged in the Project implementation. The Project activities will allow them to establish not only interpersonal cooperation, but constructive cooperation among the communities and organizations they represent. This approach will contribute to the development of conditions necessary for the interaction and cooperation of major actors engaged in ethnopolitical processes in neighboring North Caucasian subregions in order to constructively stabilize the situation and reach interethnic and interfaith consent and accords. Besides that, the Project will contribute to the improvement of ethnosocial situation of ethnic minorities living in the region and their social aspirations. This, in its turn, will contribute to the stabilization of the local and regional situation and reduce tensions.

Summary:

This initiative is a follow-up of the peacebuilding activities in neighboring subregions of Chechnya and Dagestan, which were launched in 1998 and gradually took their present shape as interregional and interdistrict cooperation programs[11]. The implementation of the initiative is expected to create conditions for developing constructive cooperation in the field of security, human rights, economic programs, education and health care, intercultural activities, etc between regional and local authorities and various ethnic communities in these subregions.

Objectives:

-              to continue developing cooperation with different professional groups and authorities in 11 neighboring districts of Dagestan, Chechnya, North Osssetia-Alania and the Stavropol Krai;

-              to summarize and expand the experience and methods of interethnic and intersectoral cooperation acquired in  the regions of Project implementation;

-              to present the acquired knowledge and methods of constructive and systematic approaches to managing ethnopolitical processes, which are used by authorities in neighboring districts of the Stavropol Krai, North Ossetia-Alania and Dagestan, to government bodies and local self-government agencies of the Chechen Republic;

-              to develop social partnership among civil society institutions, local authorities and municipal self-government agencies and law enforcement agencies in the Chechen Republic;

-              to inform government bodies in Dagestan and Chechnya as well as federal agencies of current situation in developing this cooperation on a permanent basis.

Expected Effect:

The implementation of the peacebuilding program along the administrative border between the Chechen Republic and the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, the Stavropol Krai and the Republic of Dagestan will allow civil society organizations, institutions of culture and education, local authorities and other government bodies of 11 neighboring districts of these four entities of the South of Russia to develop and make joint efforts aimed at reducing tensions and strengthening regional stability. It is expected that the Project implementation will contribute to the introduction of new structural departments within local self-government agencies in Chechnya and the development of innovative technologies to improve horizontal/grassroots contacts between the regions. This, in its turn, will improve the quality of life of the residents of these territories.

Summary:

It is expected to take a range of measures aimed at developing cooperation among civil society institutions of Buynak district in the Republic of Dagestan within the framework of this initiative. They will contribute to the strengthening of regional dialogue and improving efforts to maintain peace between various ethnic groups there. The Project activities include inter alia:

-    the organization of medical consultation services to residents of the villages in the “Kodar zone” and dissemination of educational brochures on preventive measures against widespread diseases;

-    the cultural integration of senior pupils from the “Kodar zone” into wider cultural activities within the Republic and development of school cooperation among the schools of the “Kodar zone” and other schools of Buynak district;

-    the organization of  a series of workshops on psychology, tolerance and conflict resolution for school psychologists and social workers in Buynak district of Dagestan;

-    more active cooperation among different Sufi schools and traditions through the organization of a Al Q’uran reciter competition of students of Islamic educational institutions in Buynak district.

Objectives:

-    to contribute to the transformation of negative ethnic stereotypes and attitudes in the region;

-    to gradually develop interethnic trust, cooperation and interaction through a dialogue between different social, professional and age groups of the population in Buynak district;

-    to create conditions for the improvement of health, educational, legal and other services to the population of the “Kodar zone” as a precondition to the improvement of its ethnosocial status and its engagement in active social life of the region;

-    to create conditions for the establishment of a constructive dialogue between representatives of different Sufi schools and consolidating their efforts to prevent radical religious fundamentalism.

Expected Effect:

The realization of this initiative will allow to improve a professional level of 20 school psychologists from 12 schools in Buynak district, who will attend 10 workshops. It will also contribute to the development of formal and informal ties among schools in the region: approximately 600 schoolchildren are expected to make friends with children in other regions of the North Caucasus through direct contacts and correspondence. Eight visits of health care specialists to the villages of the “Kodar zone” will be organized. They will include free medical check-ups and basic consultations; those who need further treatment and consultations will be directed to district and regional clinics. Approximately 90 students of the Islamic Saifullah-kadi University, mosque schools and medreses of Buynak district in Dagestan will take part Al Q’uran reciter competition.

Summary:

-              The Project is aimed at developing cooperation among six institutions of culture and education in neighboring districts of three entities of the South of Russia (Dagestan, Chechnya and North Ossetia-Alania). The initiative will be realized through refresher courses for teachers of children’s arts institutions; a children’s drawing competition and four exhibitions of drawings of children from the neighboring districts of the entities of the South of Russia; open-air drawing sessions and setting up a Sunday club of art therapy rehabilitation where the Art Sintem methodology will be applied.

Target groups: schoolchildren, children from IDP families, teachers, artists, students of children’s arts schools.

Objectives:

-              to establish friendly relations among children and young people of different ethnic groups who live in neighboring districts of the four entities of the South of Russia, including North Ossetia-Alania, Dagestan, Chechnya and the Stavropol Krai;

-              to disseminate unique approaches of art therapy rehabilitation of children among specialists in the field of education and culture;

-              to build a system of cooperation among educational and cultural institutions from neughboring districts of Chechnya, Dagestan, North Ossetia-Alania and the Stavropol Krai;

-              to engage local and regional authorities of the four entities of the South of Russia in the Project implementation.

Expected Effect:

The implementation of the initiative will allow to develop systematic cooperation among six institutions of culture and education in the neighboring districts of the four entities of the South of Russia. Four interregional exhibitions and six traveling exhibitions of the winner drawings of the My Neighbors Are Peoples of the North Caucasus competition will be organized in these subregions. The exhibitions are expected to be attended by more than 6,000 people. Over 16 teachers will attend refresher courses and approximately 50 children will take part in open-air drawing sessions in the city of Makhachkala. Affiliates of the art therapy rehabilitation club, which applies a unique methods of Art Sinem in its work, will be set up at the six mentioned institutions of culture and education. This initiative will also contribute to the positive transformation of children’s negative ethnic stereotypes which still are typical for the region.

Summary:

The Project will contribute to the establishment of civil control over police and servicemen at the following check-points: Gerzel, Nuradilovskiy Turn, No 14, Ishcherskiy, and Kizlyarskiy. Local authorities and nongovernmental organizations, officers of law enforcement agencies of Chechnya, North Ossetia-Alania and Dagestan as well as their colleagues from other regions of Russia, who work in the North Caucasus, and the military are expected to take part in the Project implementation. The initiative envisages a wide range of activities including:

-              the development of cooperation among civil society institutions, law enforcement agencies and local authorities;

-              legal education of citizens who cross the administrative borders and police and servicemen at check-points. 

Objectives:

-              to install information billboards at check-points;

-              to publish and disseminate brochures on the rights and duties of the civil population and passengers who cross the border;

-              to publish brochures with legal information and information of local traditions and customs for police officers;

-              to take measures to ensure that representatives of NGO community are included in attestation  commissions for officers of law enforcement agencies;

-              to engage police officers in activities aimed at developing cooperation between law enforcement agencies and civil society institutions; to hold a round table where representatives of NGO community and police officers can define ways and methods of their cooperation.

Expected Effect:

The implementation of the initiative envisages the following:

-              Wider population and officers of law enforcement agencies will be better informed of their rights and duties;

-              the relations between the local population and police and servicemen at check-points will be improved;

-              psychological atmosphere at check-points will be improved and stress situations reduced.

Summary:

This initiative is aimed at developing cooperation among newspapers in neighboring districts of North Ossetia-Alania, Dagestan, Chechnya and the Stavropol Krai. It is expected to establish information exchange among the media in the Russian South and put the information under the permanent heading What Our Friends Do in local newspapers. A number of local newspapers will be engaged in the implementation of this initiative, including Terkyist, Terskaya Pravda, Terskaya Nov (Chechen Republic), Shoil Tavysy, Rassvet, Mozdokskiy Vestnik, Makhachkalinskie Izvestia, Novoe Delo and others. The Project envisages a series of meetings of journalists and editors-in-chief of local newspapers to discuss ways of presenting information, topics, amount, periodicity, to develop rules of cooperation, etc. A meeting of journalists, heads of local administrations and leaders of public associations of the four entities of the South of Russia will be held six months after the Project is launched.

 Objectives:

-     To establish and develop systematic interaction  and cooperation of the local media in four entities of the South of Russia;

-     To inform the population of problems in neighboring subregions and successful models of their settlement as well as of current cooperation between different agencies and institutions of neighboring districts as an important factor in securing regional stability, human rights, etc.

Expected Effect:

The Project realization will contribute considerably to the stabilization of the situation along the administrative border of the Chechen Republic with the Republic of Dagestan, the Stavropol Krai and the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. Taking into account the capacity and resources of the local media and their impact on shaping the public opinion, there is no doubt that the realization of this initiative will have a positive effect on the vast region in  terms of the improvement of the situation, the mitigation of tensions and the establishment of better psychological climate.

Practically, the whole population of the districts along the administrative border of lowland Chechnya and the six largest districts of neighboring entities of the South of Russia will be indirect beneficiaries of this initiative.

Overall objectives

Search for strategic partners to work for achieving stability, preventing and resolving conflicts, and enforcing human rights on a radically new level and on the basis of shared values rather than differing positions and interests.

Evaluation of future trends of development and expected efficiency of women’s contribution to human rights processes and the process of conflict prevention and resolution in North Caucasus (Ossetia – Ingushetia conflict).

Promoting exchange of information among human rights and peacemaking NGOs on the one hand, government officials and businesses on the other hand.

Production of a catalogue of locations (social mapping), needs and capacity of various ethnic groups in the republics of North Caucasus.

Strengthening trust between the action participants and beneficiaries through meetings and joint strategizing.

Discussing with them the alternatives to the strategy aimed at developing the relationship and the ways leading to bridging the credibility gap.

Making recommendations, based on the project results, relating to the ways of building stability in North Caucasus for:

government agencies

• leaders of human rights and peacemaking NGOs
• human rights commissions established in South Russia Federal Okrug and Ombudsman’s office
• the entire civil society
• international community

Expected results:

Getting target groups to find out more about each other and about principles, opportunities and outcomes of the interaction.

Getting the target groups acquainted with new methodologies and opportunities for the development of their activities using the proposed methodologies.

Getting the target groups to build joint strategies through creative games.

Getting them to accept dialogue as a way of discussing problems and developing more legitimate decisions.

Getting broader communities to improve their attitude to human rights issues.

Enhancing confidence and improving understanding between business, civil society and government actors.

Improving the attitude to the issues relating to North Caucasus.

The recommendations will be developed and in some cases put to action by stakeholders.

Areas

Research work (Questionnaire-based survey; Interviews conducted by experts; Focus-groups)

Information work (Press-conferences; publication in mass media; published in the brochure “From conflict resolution to human rights”; the special issues of the TV almanac “North Caucasus” of the Don TR; 4 issues of Don Women’s information bulletin)

Comprehensive innovative work (Brainstorming (problem-oriented discussions); Creative games)

Beneficiaries

The region’s government officials

Businessmen

Leaders and activists of human and peacemaking NGOs in the South Federal Okrug

Women

Youth

Summary

The initiative will include two key areas of activities:

• research into social and economical situation in the Republic of Dagestan and of priorities in the activities aimed at the formation and buildup of resources necessary to lift poverty.
• Practical-aimed at enhancing capacity and buildup of resources necessary to lift poverty in the Region, i.e. measures will be designed to improve the situation of certain social groups: women from mountain areas (Dagestan) will be given a training course “School of Life” (building skills in first aid to people in emergency situation, social adaptation of women) and a needlework course for girls-orphans from the Chechen Republic.

Objectives:

1. Study of the impact the armed conflict on the territory of Dagestan and outside makes on the level of poverty.
2. Study of the influence of traditions and the religion of mountain people in the Republic of Dagestan on the level of poverty.
3. Study of the situation of mountain women across the Republic and of the interrelation between the quality of their life and local traditions, culture and religion.
4. Determination of administrative barriers in social sphere preventing the citizenry from enjoying their right to the government-guaranteed social benefits.
5. Integration of the results of the research, preparation of an analytical report, and development of recommendations aimed at lifting poverty and improving the situation of mountain women, intended for the Dagestan government and local governance and non-governmental organizations.
6. Offering encouragement to mountain women with the purpose of providing examples of self-realization of women outside home.
7. Identification and buildup of resources to lift poverty.

Expected Results:

• Analytical report on the results of the research into the causes and forms of poverty in the Republic of Dagestan which will include a special section on the relevance of armed conflict to poverty and the link between the mentality of mountain peoples and the quality of life of mountain women.
• Recommendations to step up NGO activities aimed at lifting poverty and improving the situation of women.
• Recommendations intended for the Staff of the RF President’s Plenipotentiary in the Southern Okrug.
• Recommendations intended for the government of the Republic of Dagestan.
• Production of booklets to assist social welfare beneficiaries.
• 60 mountain girls trained in skills of before – doctor first aid.
• 20 girls – orphans taught needlework.

Summery

The project is designed to prepare and implement a peace conference and subsequently process, publish and disseminate its results. The conference is to be attended by 200 people: NGO representatives with experience in peacemaking, scholars with the knowledge of Caucasus, anthropologists and political scientists, and representatives of executive power and legislature.

• The work of the conference will be organized with the following thematic sections:
• Women of Caucasus: rules of conduct during war and conflict. Historical dimension.
• Global impact of armed conflict on women.
• Psychosocial background of terrorism. Regional trends.
• Role of women in achieving civil peace. Peacemaking activity.
• Dialogue of the government and the society in the context of unresolved conflict. Problems and future trends.
• Human rights and peacemaking: problems and outlook for collaboration.
• The conference is to result in an NGO Program for Action designed to prevent escalation of terrorism in the North Caucasus region. The follow-up will include dissemination of the conference materials, discussion with government functionaries (the Staff of the RF President’s Plenipotentiary in the Southern Federal Okrug, deputies of the RF State Duma) of the strategies to implement the adopted programs of integrated actions and rehabilitation programs for girls and women.

Objectives:

I. To initiate the discussion of the following issues:

• Rules of conduct of Caucasian women during war and conflict (historical dimension).
• Global impact of armed conflict on women.
• Psychosocial background of terrorism. Regional trends.
• Issues of poverty in the region. Economics and conflicts.
• Dialogue of the government and the society in the context of unresolved conflict.
• Human rights and peacemaking. Problems and outlook for cooperation.

II. To develop recommendations aiming  to integrate women in terrorism de-escalation activities in the region.

III. To develop recommendations aiming to prevent violence against women in armed conflict areas and protect their rights.

IV. To develop a strategic plan of action designed to step up women’s activity at decision-making levels in conflict resolving and peace processes.

V. To adopt an appeal to the national Presidents of the region.

Expected results:

• Program of NGOs’ action to prevent escalation of terrorism in the North Caucasus region.
• Analytical report of the rules of conduct of Caucasian women during war and conflict.
• Setting up a Center for gathering information on “women’s terrorism”, analysis of its causes and development of proposals to prevent terrorism.
• Development of proposals to integrate population in counteracting terrorism as part of informational strategy.
• Regular work of the Center.

Summary:

This initiative comes directly from teachers of the Prigorodny district of the Republic of North Ossetia – Alania at their request, the Union “Women of the Don Region” developed a 6-month educational program for a group of 18 people, including training workshops, case-study sessions, practical classes, focus-groups, dialogs and round-table sessions. The philosophy of the program implementation is education through experience.

Objectives:

Training of female teachers from Prigorodny district-based schools as volunteer parapsychologists

• Providing psychological aid
• Promotion of civil peace initiatives facilitating stabilization of the situation and improvement of the attitude to “the other”
• Gathering of unbiased information of the situation in the region

Expected results:

The initiative will contribute to the democratization of relations through preventing public consciousness from being concentrated on negative aspects of social and political life in the North Caucasus region, but the attitude of non-violent conflict resolution being assumed and the skills of positive withdrawal from conflict being formed.

Summary

The project participants – represent actives of youth organizations of the Chechen Republic and Rostov region – will build up teams, attend a training workshop “Planning for Change Together” (development of non-governmental organizations) produce together four issues of a newsletter, take part in a competition “Examples of Tolerance”, make presentations of the best essays, and issues a collection of the best essays.

The activities within the framework of the project will also include a study “Formation of active attitudes among the youth in the Chechen Republic”

Objectives:

• To implement the study “Formation of active attitudes among the youth in the Chechen republic
• To develop and implement a competition program with focus on tolerance training
• To publish a youth bulletin with the terms of the competition and its results and other materials devoted to youth events
• To provide practical and methodological assistance to youth NGOs

Expected results

• This initiative will allow young people to form self-awareness of his/her personality as a valuable member of an organization, develop skills of looking for most appropriate ways out of a difficult situation, learn to socialize in a productive way, become more adaptive
• Improved legal culture and enhanced tolerance of students of different ethnic backgrounds and faith
• Made feasible organization of active youth peace and human rights teams
• Report made on the results of the research “Formation of Active Attitudes among the Youth in the Chechen Republic”
• Developed strategy of action to integrate young people in the peace process
• Enhanced role of youth civil initiatives in peace process in the region

Nearly a decade of stressful life in a very unstable and insecure environment in Chechnya and some other areas of the North Caucasus has resulted in a situation where people feel alienated from each-other, think in terms of “us” and “them” based on ethnic, religious or territorial groupings and thus may be easily manipulated by different nationalist and extremist organisations. Relations between Chechnya and neighbouring regions have been severely damaged over the years, as a result today residents of Chechnya often feel alienated even from their nearby neighbours. Yet cross-border cooperation programs have the potential to become an important tool for stabilizing the situation in Chechnya proper and a step toward the re-integration of the Chechen population into mainstream Russian society.

To help address this issue Nonviolence International is operating with and supporting a number of local NGOs, working reintegration and reconciliation issues with conflict-affected communities. The new approaches, developed by NI in this field, cooperation with many civic organizations as well as with local and federal authorities already allowed to achieve a number of practical results (new crossing point opened along the Chechen – Dagestan administrative border, opening up new job opportunities for the local population, a growth in numbers of school graduates in Chechnya, continuing their education in higher educational institutions in neighbouring areas of Dagestan, etc.) These first results show, that such reintegration / reconciliation programs are practical and measurable, real tools of change that have a visible and constructive influence on the situation.

In 2004 NI will continue such activities, in cooperation with a network of local partners it will:

Continue work along the border between Chechnya and neighbouring regions with particular focus on developing a model of successful cross border cooperation involving the Gudermess district in Chechnya and the Hasavyurt district in Dagestan in order to utilize the enabling potential of such programs trough the development of various joint activities, involving different social and professional groups of people from the two republics:

• Help businessmen in getting to know each other and each-others capabilities, especially in the field of construction and food processing. This should assist the development of the private sector in the region, contributing to the creation of new jobs and decreasing social tensions.
• Support the development of local agricultural enterprises by developing direct contacts and cooperation between them, with focus on mutual assistance during the period of intensive work (mutual support with machinery, fuel, fertilizer; developing joint production and marketing strategies, etc.).
• Working with local authorities and police, developing joint approaches to issues of common concern. Providing police training on how to work in multi-ethnic communities.
• Organizing vocational orientation programs and other relevant extracurricular activities for Chechen youth, especially school graduates.
• Organizing a set of activities involving officials of the two republic, aimed to ease the conditions, which ordinary people face when traveling across the administrative border, thus increasing trade and create new job opportunities.
• Developing inter-sector collaboration in the framework of cross-border collaboration programs, such as developing dialogue between entrepreneurs, local administration and police officials, etc.
• Spreading experience of cross-border collaboration programs to new areas along the administrative borders of the Chechen republic

Measurable indicators include: quantifiable results (number of events held and their participants, number of schools and students involved in pen-pal relationships and exchanges, etc.); quality changes as a result of the programs held (new opportunities for cooperation, “what becomes possible today that was not possible before”, etc.); practical long-term improvements related to peoples well-being (new crossing points being opened up for the public due to cooperation programs, etc.); media reports and professional evaluations.

Nearly a decade of stressful life in a very unstable and insecure environment in Chechnya and some other areas of the North Caucasus has resulted in a situation where people feel alienated from each-other, think in terms of “us” and “them” based on ethnic, religious or territorial groupings and thus may be easily manipulated by different nationalist and extremist organisations. This is especially true for the younger generation, which has grown up in a society rich in violence, hatred, and intolerance. In such an environment, achieving progress toward a long-term resolution to the crisis requires not only addressing the most urgent humanitarian needs, but also working with peoples minds, bringing peacebuilding activities down from the conference tables into the field and integrating them into the different humanitarian and human rights programs. To move toward peace and long-term recovery in the North Caucasus it is essential to help people, especially youth to overcome prejudices, “enemy images” and in find a place in peaceful life.

To help address this issue Nonviolence International is operating with and supporting a local NGO network, working on peacebuilding issues with conflict-affected communities. The new approaches, developed by NI in this field, cooperation with many civic organizations as well as with local and federal authorities allows to make peacebuilding activities practical and measurable, turn them out of separate one-time efforts into real tools of change that visibly and constructively influence the situation in certain key areas.

In 2004 NI will continue such activities, in cooperation with a network of local partners it will:

• Expand and deepen cross-border cooperation programs between Chechen communities and populations of bordering regions, what is seen as an important step in reintegrating the Chechen population into mainstream Russian society and a way to resolve numerous specific problems, affecting the local people (cooperation between schools and educational institutions, social workers, local administration, etc.).
• Hold inter-community meetings, training’s in local schools, facilitated discussions and other projects in post-conflict areas, supporting a genuine reconciliation process.
• Organize meetings of elders and religious leaders, sport and culture events and other joint activities as dialogue will be facilitated in order to ease tensions and improve understanding between local residents and IDP’s in areas with high concentrations of forced migrants;
• Facilitate the development of pen-pal and inter-school relationships and numerous other activities in order to address the concerns of Chechen youth, help young people find a place in peaceful life, assist both Russians and Chechens in overcoming mutual stereotypes and in developing direct contacts.

Measurable indicators include: quantifiable results (number of events held and their participants, number of schools and students involved in pen-pal relationships and exchanges, etc.); quality changes as a result of the programs held (new opportunities for cooperation, “what becomes possible today that was not possible before”, etc.); practical long-term improvements related to peoples well-being; media reports and professional evaluations.

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[1] http://www.ngocis.narod.ru/

[2] A five-day war between Ossetian and Ingush paramilitary units.

[3] The Shelkovskoy, Gudermess, and Nozhayurt districts of the Chechen Republic and the Babyurt, Khasavyurt, Novolakskiy and Kazbekovskiy districts of the Republic of Dagestan.

[4] However, the lack of positive development of peace initiatives should not necessarily be considered as an evidence of their ineffectiveness. Maintaining the status quo sometimes can be a result in itself, because peacebuilding is very often a movement “against the tide.”

[5] Three checkpoints on the border between the Nozhayurt district in Chechnya and the Novolak district in Dagestan were set up thanks to the integrated peacebuilding program realized in these districts in 2002.

[6] The Novolakskiy district was formed in 1944 instead of the former Aukhovskiy district. When Akin Chechens were evicted from the Aukhovskiy district, several villages of the disbanded Aukhovskiy district were incorporated into the neighboring districts of Dagestan and many Lak families were resettled into this territory.

[7] Obviously, the following list includes only some of the many practical objectives, which will be pursued by the program in the different target regions.

[8] Forum on early Warning and Early Response

[9] At present Nonviolence International in partnership with local NGOs is involved in peace initiatives in Nadterechnyi, Naurskiy, Sshelkovskoy, Gudermes districts of the Chechen Republic, Nogaiskiy, Tarumovskiy, Kizlyar, Babayurt, and Khasavyurt districts of the Republic of Dagestan, Mozdok district of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, and Kurskoy district of the Stavropol Krai.

[10] The Club of  the Merry and Quick-witted is a popular competition with theatrical elements of student teams from Russian universities.

[11] At present Nonviolence International in partnership with local NGOs is involved in peace initiatives in Nadterechnyi, Naurskiy, Sshelkovskoy, Gudermes districts of the Chechen Republic, Nogaiskiy, Tarumovskiy, Kizlyar, Babayurt, and Khasavyurt districts of the Republic of Dagestan, Mozdok district of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, and Kurskoy district of the Stavropol Krai.

 

The CIS NGO Working Group on Conflict management and Prevention is a form of cooperation of people, nongovernmental organizations and NGO associations of the states and regions of the CIS or Eurasia for the purpose of joining and coordinating efforts on preventing and managing violent conflicts. The goal of the Working Group is to assist conflict management and prevention on the territory of the CIS states. The Working Group is sub divided into three regional sub-networks: Caucasus (including the Russian North Caucasus territories); Central Asia; Western CIS (Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus). The Working Group is managed by a Coordinating Council, elected on an annual basis during the network meetings, with the support of an international organization that acts as the Working Group administrative agency (currently – Nonviolence International, USA) and a Secretariat, which is currently based in Minsk, Belarus. This network currently includes over 70 organizations and researchers, covering all CIS regions, which experienced violent conflicts over the past decade and includes representatives from all these conflict regions. Today the Working Group is truly unique in a number of ways: it includes representatives from all CIS states and “conflict zones”; it creates a framework for productive cooperation between “researchers” involved in the analyses of the conflicts and in attempts to create frameworks for their resolution and “practitioners” working on a grass–roots level with the local communities in the various conflict areas; Unlike some other NGO networks in the Post-Soviet states, the Working Group was not created as a project of some large international organization, but was built "from the bottom up" starting with an initiative of the NGOs themselves. While the development of this network was supported by UNHCR and a number of international organizations, the Working Group is self-managed by a Coordinating Council elected from its participants. Through the network civic organizations from Eurasia have a unique opportunity to set their own agenda and to have their concerns and priorities brought to the attention of the international community; The Working Group is not only a forum for discussion and exchange of experience, it is a "tool of change" through its promotion and support of cross-regional and cross-border peace-building initiatives all from Moldova to Uzbekistan (Dozens of such initiatives were implemented with the involvement and support of the Working Group over the past years).

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