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TOP NEWS
General Assembly in Tallinn: Register Before 25 October, 2014
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In less than two months, on 27-29 November, 2014, the 5th General Assembly (GA) of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum will take place in Tallinn.
We are grateful to those colleagues, who have applied already, and encourage further Forum members, interested NGOs, and observers to do this before the deadline - 25 October, 2014 - by using the online application form.
Regulations for the Members of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum
For the "early birds", who managed to apply before 1 October, 2014, we will cover all the travel, accommodation (twin room at the SOKOS "Viru" Hotel), and catering costs. For others, we can't guarantee the financial coverage.
We ask for your understanding that we can cover costs for one representative per organisation only. The costs for the accompanying person should be borne by the applicant.
All our members will have an opportunity to bring their presentation materials to distribute at the event.
Regulations for Non-Members and Observers
NGOs - non-members of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum - and observers from the EU and Russia pay for themselves.
Sessions may be attended by the representatives of NGOs only. Observers may participate in open formats only.
The GA Programme is available online. More information on the General Assembly may be found here.
Should you have any further questions, don't hesitate to contact us at events@eu-russia-csf.org.
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TOP NEWS
Meetings and Discussions in Moscow and Warsaw
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First days of autumn turned out to be busy for Forum members and the Forum's Secretariat.
In mid-September 2014, Forum's Executive Director Anna Sevortian and Head of Consortium Stefan Melle visited Moscow. There they met Sven-Olov Carlsson, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Russia, Russia's Ombudswoman Ella Pamfilova, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, embassies of Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, and the Netherlands as well as important civil society actors - Committee of Civic Initiatives founded by Alexei Kudrin, Donors' Forum, and the "Memorial" Society. The purpose of this visit was to ensure and develop co-operation with political and civic institutions, promote the Forum's General Assembly in Tallinn, Estonia, and discuss fundraising opportunities.
On 22-24 September, 2014, Anna Sevortian and Barbara von Ow-Freytag, EU-Russia CSF Coordinator of the Contact Group with the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, went to Warsaw. It was opened by the Round Table "Problems and Prospects of Civil Society Cooperation with Russia" at the Institute of Public Affairs. It was attended by Katarzyna Batko-Tołuc (Citizens' Network Watchdog), Krzysztof Bobiński (Unia & Polska Foundation), Joanna Fomina (Polish Academy of Sciences), Grzegorz Gromadzki (independent expert), Łukasz Jasina (columnist at the “Liberal Culture Magazine”), Artur Kacprzak (Grupa Zagranica), Paweł Lickiewicz (Common Europe Foundation/Eastbook.Eu), Laurynas Vaičiūnas (College of Eastern Europe), Alicja Wancerz-Gluza (KARTA) as well as Jacek Kucharczyk (Institute of Public Affairs, IPA), while Agnieszka Łada and Łukasz Wenerski of IPA helped to make this visit happen. Anna and Barbara also met officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, allies in the NGO sector, and collegues of the the Solidarity Fund.
The next big upcoming event is the Joint Seminar of the European Economic and Social Committee and the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum "Position and Role of Civil Society in the EU and Russia". It will happen in Brussels on 7 October, 2014 with participation of Forum members from both the Russian Federation and the European Union and followed up by a session of the Forum's Advocacy Group, etc.
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STEERING COMMITTEE
Statement "Stop the Persecution of "Soldiers' Mothers of St. Petersburg" and the Institute for Freedom of Information Development"
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To watch the interview with Ella Polyakova, Chairwoman of "Soldiers' Mothers of St. Petersburg" and member of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, in Russian please follow the link.
To see its text version in English, please go here.
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Reacting to the latest decisions of the Russian authorities concerning non-governmental organisations, the Steering Committee of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum again strongly urges the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation and other relevant authorities to stop crackdown on NGOs, repeal or substantially revise the law No. 121-FZ (the so called “foreign agents” law) by removing the derogatory label of “foreign agent“, and restart dialogue with independent Russian civil society organisations. Moreover, the Steering Committee expresses its indignation and extreme concern about the instances of harassment of civic organisations and activists as retaliation or punishment for their activities, their position or their distribution of information on the conflict in Ukraine which is different from the official point of view.
On 28 August, 2014 the official list of NGOs registered as “foreign agents” was expanded by inclusion of two further prominent NGOs from St. Petersburg and members of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum: the St. Petersburg Regional Public Human Rights Organisation “Soldiers’ Mothers of St. Petersburg” and the Institute for Freedom of Information Development Foundation. By doing that, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation used its power to include NGOs in this list, which was given to it by the amendments to the Federal Law No. 121-FZ, adopted on 4 June, 2014.
Read more
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STEERING COMMITTEE
Statement "The Pressure on NGOs in Hungary Undermines the Rule of Law in the European Union"
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The Steering Committee of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum expresses serious concern at the new moves by Hungarian authorities against local NGOs. It calls on the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to stop all political pressure on civil society institutions. We also call on European Union authorities and other international institutions to intervene against the Hungarian authorities in view of recent developments.
The crackdown on Hungarian NGOs demonstrates a systemic violation of fundamental rights and suppression of political opposition. It is unacceptable for non-governmental organisations in an EU member state – Ökotárs, a partner in the Environmental Partnership Association, which is a member of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum, and Demnet – to be accused of receiving foreign funds for so-called oppositional activities.
Earlier this year, some Hungarian NGOs were put on a blacklist of “problematic civic organisations”, including Transparency International Hungary, TASZ, Roma Press Agency. Since then, NGOs have been exposed to unannounced financial inspections. Prime Minister Victor Orbán even described some NGOs as “political activists paid from abroad” trying to “influence Hungarian politics”.
Read more
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FOLLOW-UP
Reaction from the Ministry of Culture, Youth Policy, and Mass Communications of the Perm Region to the Statement on the ANO "Memorial Centre of History of Political Repressions "Perm 36"
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Exactly 30 days after the publication of the Statement of the Steering Committee "The Memorial Centre of History of Political Repressions "Perm 36" Should Be Preserved" and the letter to Viktor Basargyn, Governor of the Perm Region, the official answer from the Ministry of Culture, Youth Policy, and Mass Communications of the Perm Region was received by the Forum's Secretariat.
In her letter, Acting Minister Irina Yasyreva states that 'the development and activities of the Memorial complex of political repressions on the territory of the historical landmark of regional significance "Perm 36" in the Village of Kuchino of the Chusovoi District fully expensed by the Government of the Perm Region.' The main reason for the dismissal of Tatyana Kursina, Executive Director of the NGO and former Director of the State Museum "Perm 36", is seen in 'recurring <...> financial violations by associates of the NGO "Perm 36".' Another reason is connected to negligence of duties by the former management, too, as long as 'no item of the NGO "Perm 36" has been included on the list of the Museum Fund of the Russian Federation.'
This view picture described by the Acting Minister might be far from reality. Several trials against the former management are on-going, while the Administration of the Governor of the Perm Region has been delaying the signing of the agreement with the NGO. The infamous NTV Channel kept reporting on the "Perm 36" complex in the context of a commemoration site for supporters of Stepan Bandera, whose "fascist followers" fight in Eastern Ukraine against local peaceful population. The latest target of the NTV crew was Tatiana Margolina, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Perm Region.
The EU-Russia Civil Society Forum will report on the development of the situation.
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