NGOer i dagens Ryssland och Östersjäsamarbetet

1. CIVIL SAMHÄLLET OCH ÖSTERSJÄSAMARBETETDaria Akhutina, NORDEN Association RussiaStockholm, 24 Maj 2011 NGOer i dagens Ryssland och Östersjäsamarbetet

2. NORD VÄSTRA RYSSLAND • 9,5 % av landets befolkning • 9,8% av landets territorium

3. HUVUD STÄDERoch regioner • St. Petersburg • Leningrad oblastj (Vyborg) • Pskov • Novgorod • Kaliningrad • Karelia (Petrozavodsk) • Archangelsk • Murmansk

4. ANTAL NGOermars 2011 • St. Petersburg 12916(4% av hela Rysslands NGOer) • Leningrad oblastj (Vyborg) 2773 • Pskov 1029 • Novgorod 982 • Kaliningrad 2227 • Karelia (Petrozavodsk) 1302 • Archangelsk 1980 • Murmansk 1156 Cirka 20% - 10% riktigt aktiva, Fackföreningar 24%, Businness föreningar 1%

5. TYP NGOer enligt verksamhets område • Social vård (31%) • Kultur och utbildning (24%) • Idrott (11%) • Ungdoms organizationer (10%) • Miljövård (7%) • Religiosa (6%) • Politiska (3%) • Mänskliga rättigheter • ”Think-tanks”, research and studies

6. TYPISKA PROBLEM och trender • Finansresurser: Ökning av komunalkostnader, hyran och månadslåner • Mänskliga resurser: inte stabila, risk av utflödet till andra sektorer • Samverkan och stöd fördelas från Myndigheter enligt princip av relationen mot makten I framtiden: antal NGOer med statlig stöd ökar, inte alla nuexisterade NGO klara sig, inte alla NGOer typ ”watch dogs” ska fortsätta verksamheten

7. NGOer och internationella Östersjösamarbetet OMRÅDEN • Environment • Social Care and Health • Culture and Education • Human Rights • Research and Political studies • Youth cooperation

8. Forms of cooperation • Networking • Common Projects • Exchanges • Events: conferences, seminars, exhibitions, festivals, camps • Research & studies

9. PRINCIPLES • MUTUAL BENEFIT – solve problem, make smth better, improve situation, conditions, etc. • COMMON INTEREST – do smth together, combine efforts, share knowledge • TRANSPERENCY • FINANCIALLY are most project-based, also by donations and charity; less by own financing

10. Funding available for NGOs in BSR EU ENPI CROSS BORDERCO-OPERATION UNDER THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBORHOOD AND PARTNERSHIP INSTRUMENT • Nordic Council of Ministers NGO PROGRAM • National foundations and structures in the BS countries

11. Why do we need people-people level of International Cooperation? Added VALUE for NGOs • Through international cooperation NGOs become stronger, their activity and results more visible • Experience exchange – NGOs develop their knowledge • Through international projects – improve capacity and institutional building • International cooperation allows to solve common problems and meet challenges with common efforts

12. Added VALUE for Society • Positively influences official external policy makers showing the will to cooperate and result of such cooperation • Take part in decision making process, lobbying interests of civil society • Public diplomacy – always diminishing risk of conflicts and tension, promoting tolerance • Contributes to the regional development • International cooperation allows to solve common problems and meet challenges on common efforts • Unites efforts of different sectors - NGOs, small business, municipalities

13. Why do we need people-people level of International Cooperation? Added VALUE for NGOs • Through international cooperation NGOs become stronger, their activity and results more visible • Experience exchange – NGOs develop their knowledge • Through international projects – improve capacity and institutional building • International cooperation allows to solve common problems and meet challenges with common efforts

14. MAIN VALUE of Public Diplomacy • International cooperation with neighboring countries “on people to people level” – lead to stronger CIVIL SOCIETY in the region as a whole

15. OBSTACKLES • Limited access to financial recourses and support • Complicated fundraising and procedure of applying for funds, bureaucracy • Lack of human resources, knowledge and competence • Lack of informational exchange • Lack of interaction inside the sector • Lack of cooperation with other sectors • Weak support from governmental side • Limited access to information

16. EXAMPLE:Baltic Sea NGO Network – Baltic Sea NGO Forum • Serves not only as a meeting point for NGOs but also offers an • opportunity for a wide dialogue between NGOs and Governmental structures • on vital important issues • ESTABLISHED IN 2001 IN FRAMEWORK OF COUNCIL OF BALTIC SEA STATES

17. General Structure BS NGO Network • The Baltic Sea NGO Forum • Hosted by NGOs in the country of CBSS Presidency • Annually • The Baltic Sea NGO Coordinating Committee • One representative per country (National Focal Point) • Chaired by host country • Meets twice a year • National Focal Points in each of 11 countries • National Platforms Stated in document “Guidelines for BS NGO Network & Forum”

18. Thematic Working Group Thematic Working Group Thematic Working Group Thematic Working Group Organigram for Baltic Sea NGO Network • The Baltic Sea NGO Forum • Hosted by the country holding the CBSS Presidency • Organised by NGOs in the host country in collaboration with NGOs active in the Baltic Sea NGO Network • Held annually • The Baltic Sea NGO Coordinating Committee • One representative from each country (11 Focal Points) • Act as a steering group • Chaired by representative from the country holding the CBSS Presidency • Regular contacts via e-mail and aim to meet twice a year Thematic Working Groups

19. VI BS NGO Forum STOCKHOLM, 2006 Human Rights and Democratic Participation workshops: • Civil Security - Trafficking, violence against women/children, criminality and drugs as a development obstacle. • Social inclusion and discrimination • Environment and sustainability • NGO-legislation. Legal Security and Civil Society 

20. Under consideration • X BSNGO Forum in Germany, 2011 • XI BSNGO Forum in Russia, 2012

21. Why do we need the Forum? • Meeting platform for NGOs and Networks from the region from different spheres: possibility to discuss “cross cutting themes” of common importance like legislation, NGO/GO cooperation, access to information, etc • Possibility to share views, experience • Access to governmental bodies of 11 countries –as Forum is held in the framework of intergovernmental structure CBSS

22. Why do we need the NETWORK? • Improve and strengthen cooperation between NGOs • Wider opportunities in partner search for the common activities, projects, etc. • Easier consolidation of NGO recourses in case it needed (for example lobby, advocacy) • Huge information source: passive – receiving information/newsletters: active – requesting necessary info and spreading info

23. NORDIC – RUSSIAN NGO FORUM In the framework of Finnish chairmanship in the Nordic Council of Ministers 19 – 21 November 2011, St. Petersburg, Russia

24. Föreningen för samarbete med Nordiska länderna NORDEN www.norden.spb.ru

25. Om Föreningen • Från 1996 • Rysk NGO med status av ”Interregional” organisation som omfattar NWR • Huvud målsättning av verksamhet: Utveckling och stöd för internationella samarbetet mellan NGOer i Östersjöregionen