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Program Results
Sharing Social Policy Research in Moscow
During its second year, CSSP contracted with the Center for the Study of Social Processes at the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow to act as a warehouse of social policy research and information to advance the advocacy efforts of Russian NGOs to influence public policy. Through its website, www.socpolitika.ru, HSE brings together NGO advocates, researchers, and CSSP grantees with common goals and interests by providing research that is critical to the success of CSSP partners. Regularly updated to provide Russian NGOs with current social policy information, the website also provides an internet-based forum to discuss and debate social policy solutions.
Building from the Ground Up: A Housing Reform Movement in Chita
A grassroots housing reform movement in the eastern Siberian city of Chita succeeded in reaching its advocacy goals when the local government approved the creation of a community council, which serves as a public forum for community members to discuss local housing issues with government authorities.
The initiative began when the Municipal Institute in Chita, with support and funding from CSSP, teamed up with a local think tank to conduct a community needs assessment on housing rights and methods of governance. Results of the research suggested the need for a community council, which would serve as public forum to allow community members to discuss local housing issues with government authorities.
Choosing Chita’s Severny Microregion for a pilot project, the Institute collaborated with the mayor’s office, NGOs, and local housing associations to develop their proposal. The campaign’s use of community events and mass media created public momentum that led to the city government’s approval of the measure, as well its donation of space for a resource center. In addition to weekly meetings of the Community Council, local residents can obtain legal advice, attend trainings and seminars for housing-related issues, and meet with specialists on housing, counseling, and conflict resolution.
The Severny Microregion Community Council has become a model for community-driven initiatives throughout the city and beyond. Among the institute’s growing network is the Pacific Housing Alliance, a coalition of NGOs in the Russian Far East and another CSSP grantee.
Ensuring Inclusive Education in Arkhangelsk
In Arkhangelsk, a city in the far north of European Russia, a CSSP working group is taking steps to ensure that people with disabilities are not excluded from receiving a standard education. The Inclusive Education working group, which includes the Arkhangelsk Organization of People with Disabilities, conducted a campaign involving both government and the public to address the issue of inclusive education, advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. As a result of their campaign, the Arkhangelsk regional prosecutor’s office initiated an investigation into financial mismanagement of inclusive education programs in the region.
The working group also conducted social policy research with recommendations for improving these programs in Arkhangelsk schools. On the strength of these efforts, the working group successfully lobbied the regional legislature to increase the budget for inclusive education programs. The new amendments were passed in June 2007, in time for the beginning of the new school year that September.
Russian Civil Society Program Brings Clarity to the New NGO Reporting Structure
The new set of Russian NGO laws, which came into effect on April 18, 2006, impose an enormous burden on domestic and international NGOs both in terms of re-registration and annual reporting requirement.
Russian Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) Forge Alliances to Understand Legislative Changes and Influence Social Policy
Since their ratification on January 19, 2006, the new amendments to NGO legislation in Russia have caused a stir among domestic and international NGOs. The new amendments provide a convoluted set of regulations affecting many aspects of NGO activity including registration, inspection, cause for closure, and foreign participation in domestic NGO activity. The law, which lacks clarity on the processes and regulations for these requirements, is set to come into force on April 19, 2006.
In order to help outline the legal implications of these amendments, IREX, as part of USAID's Civil Society Support Project (CSSP), hosted the first public lecture analyzing the theoretical implications of the new amendments and potential repercussions for domestic and international NGOs. Legal expert Alla Tolmasova presented and reviewed the legislative parameters and wide variety of options for interpretation with representatives from 161 Moscow-based and regional NGOs. The event was held in partnership with the Russian Donor's Forum and the USAID-funded project on NGO Taxation and Legislation. Key highlights of the meeting and a brief outline of Ms. Tolmasova's lecture are available in Russian at www.irex.ru and www.asi.org.ru.
The NGO/Government Dialogue Forum builds on other CSSP initiatives for the NGO community to establish a strategic plan for improving Third Sector advocacy efforts by creating thematic NGO alliances that develop constructive dialogue with policymakers and strengthening skills and tools to help domestic and international organizations navigate the new regulations. There is a role for NGOs to contribute their areas of expertise and influence social policy. However the sector needs to face the changing legal environment and understand its potentially serious implications.
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