Based on a partnership between UNITED for Intercultural Action and the Centre for
Interethnic Cooperation in Moscow a joint project called 'The Utilization of the Network of Ethnic Associations for Opposing Xenophobia in Russia' has started in July 2006.
With the financial support of the European Commission (delegation Moscow) UNITED and the Centre for Interethnic Cooperation will actively promote networking between Ethnic Minority NGOs throughout the Russian Federation for a period of 18 months. In this way we will effectively resist to the alarming growth of xenophobia in Russia, particularly amongst youth.

This info-sheet has the purpose of reaching out to organisations interested and active within the same field, to stimulate and explore the possibility of growth of the project.

CONTENTS

1. ETHNIC MINORITIES IN RUSSIA

2. WHAT DOES THE PROJECT AIM TO ARCHIEVE?

3. WHO IS THE PROJECT GOING TO TARGET?

4. ACTIONS IN PRACTICE

5. WHO ENVISIONED AND STARTED THE PROJECT?

5.1 The Centre for Interethnic Cooperation

5.2 The European Network UNITED for Intercultural Action

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1. ETHNIC MINORITIES IN RUSSIA

According to estimations of the Federal Migration Service, there are about five to ten million
illegal migrants in Russia. The majority of them come from the CIS countries. In order to enter Russia they do not need a visa, nevertheless they have to register and report their presence to authorities as soon as they enter the country. The idea of the registration is highly bureaucratic, so much that the majority of migrants avoid it in the first place. Although their status is extremely precarious, and access to social and medical aid denied, migrants are constantly increasing in numbers. According to estimations, by 2010 the amount of immigrants will reach 30 million people. Without doubt such massive influx of representatives of other cultures cannot remain unnoticed by the indigenous population. Foreigners play a significant role in the development and formation of a positive economic situation in most Russian cities. Because of bureaucratic obstacles and administrative barriers, which make the process of official registration extremely complicated, the majority of immigrants live illegally in Russia. This status makes them an easy target for
representatives of the black market criminal groups. It also sets them apart from the
indigenous population in many ways, on many different levels.
Certainly, the benefit brought to Russia by foreigners can be witnessed in many fields.
Nevertheless, only the downsides of the migration issue is presented to the rest of the population. As a consequence, a survey showed that 52% of Russian have negative feelings towards people who are not of Russian origin. Feelings turn into attitudes. Aversion to representatives of other cultures appears to be a fruitful environment for the development of nationalistic, xenophobic and extremist ideas among the broad masses of the Russian population. Unscrupulous politicians often misuse and manipulate this collective irrational fear to the benefit of their electoral results.
The Russian Mass Media often cover events in which it appears that representatives of ethnic minorities, immigrants or foreigners are involved in an extremely preconceived way. Any information on infringements or unlawful acts in which representatives of ethnic minorities are involved becomes subject of intensive discussion and generalized comments on the part of journalists. This makes foreigners highly visible and creates a connection between "illegal" and "criminal". On the contrary, a poll conducted by the Center for
Interethnic Cooperation in 11 Russian regions showed those immigrants are very willing to work legally and to pay taxes.
On the other hand, in the major cities of Russia, ethnic NGOs, which represent the interests of their ethnic groups, have been formed and officially registered a long time ago. These associations have enough authority and credibility among their ethnic groups. It is only their financial possibilities and the professionalism of their staff that are significantly inferior to those of non-ethnic NGOs. Thus, they are not able to support immigrants of their ethnic group efficiently.


2. WHAT DOES THE PROJECT AIM TO ACHIEVE?

The main tasks of the project are:
· Training youth leaders from ethnic organisations of 12 regions of Russia.
· Successfully working in Russia with both authorities and non-governmental organisations.
· Becoming acquainted with experiences from European Union countries in the field of opposing xenophobia.
· Learning from many years of experience of UNITED and from its successful pan-European
networking.
· Providing a better information to NGOs in Europe about the situation in the Russian
Federation, and to establish and strengthen NGO links and contacts.


3. WHO IS THE PROJECT GOING TO TARGET?

The main target groups of the project are ethnic minority organisations in Russia, since ethnic minorities are those who mostly experience racist and xenophobic moods. Besides, differently from other NGOs, representatives of ethnic organisations have hardly had chances to take part in trainings and seminars organised in this field.
However, representatives from not-ethnic NGOs will also be invited to take part in the
activities of the project, because they also have good practice in the sphere of opposition to racism and xenophobia.


4. ACTIONS IN PRACTICE

As start off for this project, the conference 'Network of Ethnic Associations of Russia as a
Mechanism to oppose xenophobia and racism' was held in Anapa, on the Black Sea coast, in the Krasnodar region, in August 2006. During the project, trainings for both youth
leaders of ethnic organisations and representatives of local authorities will take place in several places such as Irkutsk, Samara, Yaroslavl, Saratov and Krasnoyarsk between
October 2006 and May 2007.
The twenty most active participants of these training courses will receive a further four-day
training during a study trip in March 2007 in the Netherlands.
Three representatives of the Network of Ethnic organisations will take part in each of the
regular international network conferences carried out by UNITED for Intercultural Action during 2006 and 2007. In all 12 regions of Russia where the project is carried out, the majority of the actions are devoted to the struggle against racism and the propagation of ideas of tolerance.
Participants of this network will pass each other information on interethnic conditions, on
positive practices and successful actions. They will receive from UNITED practical information material. 40.000 campaign posters in Russian language will be distributed as a stimulation to participate in Europe wide campaigns on November 9 (International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism) and around 21 March (Europe-wide Action Week Against Racism).
On the website of the Centre for Interethnic Cooperation, detailed information about
activities of the project and the situation concerning racism and discrimination will be
placed.
The project will finish at the end of 2007 with an international conference in Perm.

5. WHO ENVISIONED AND STARTED THE PROJECT?

5.1 The Centre for Interethnic Cooperation
The Centre for Interethnic Cooperation is a Russian independent non-governmental organisation (NGO), founded in 1997, providing ethnic minorities and ethnic associations support in protecting the rights of their communities.
The main aims of the Centre for Interethnic Cooperation are:
· Combating discrimination of ethnical minorities in Russia by legal methods;
· Developing and enhancing the co-operation among different ethnical minorities as well as with representatives of governmental organisations, who are in charge of interethnic relations;
· Offering technical, informational and legal support to national minority organisations and
individuals, among them women and children;
· Supporting the ideas of tolerance and fighting xenophobia among youth and to support young representatives of ethnic minorities.


The Centre is currently carrying out the following activities:
- Research
The Centre conducts constant research in the regions of Russia on interethnic relations,
studies the change of demographic conditions, carries out surveys among the leaders of ethnic communities, organizes seminars and conferences on which the ethnic community leaders and independent experts discuss the interethnic situation, and determine the problems that are faced by specific groups and minorities. The Centre posts questions that could be interesting for minorities. The Centre has already carried out more than twenty conferences, seminars and round tables with the participation of more than 200 ethnic associations.

- Coordination
The Centre aims to support the ethnic communities in solving the problems they face as minorities. The main challenge they have to face - as the results of the conferences, seminars and surveys show ­ is the discrimination based on their ethnic origins. The Centre also promotes cooperation between ethnic communities and authorities both on local and federal levels for successful dialogues. A Network of National Ethnic Associations was created and is supported by the Centre for Interethnic Cooperation, in which 126 ethnic associations from 60 Russian cities belong. At the conferences organised by the Centre, the authorities' representatives take part (from the deputy minister to parliamentary experts).

- Organisation Support
Most of the ethnic associations do not even have basic opportunities to organize their actions. Because of this, the Centre has worked from the very beginning on - and finally created - the network of ethnic communities that will support the network. The Centre also created a web site with the title 'Ethnic association of Russia'.
The relationship between the mass media and national minorities has to be considered one of the most crucial issues in interethnic relations in Russia: in working with the media, the Centre has carried out two conferences that brought minority leaders together with the National Press Institute.

- Educational
One of the main activities of the Centre is carrying out training events for ethnic minority
leaders on the protection of ethnic minority rights, negotiation methods in situations of
conflict and the use of the Internet for the coordination of joint activities. In 2003, the
Centre has organised and carried out the following activities:
· 'Coordination of Efforts for Protection of Migrants and Representatives of National Minorities' in Moscow.
· Trainings in Perm, Ekaterinburg, Astrakhan and Volgograd on the topic 'Negotiations of National Associations with the Authorities'.
· A conference 'National Associations - Duties in the Fight Against Racism and Xenophobia in Russia';
· A school seminar 'Russian and International Mechanisms of the Protection of National
Minorities'.
Experts from the Council of Europe also took part in several of these activities.

- Introduction of positive International Experience
Due to historic reasons, Russia has been isolated for a very long time from the other parts of Europe. While the isolation no longer exist, we still have language barriers and absence of technical opportunities, which affect the opportunity to establish direct contacts with
international organisations. The Centre wants to take the role of intermediary between the
minorities and the international organisations. For example, the Centre has organised
several meetings between ethnic community leaders and the leaders of the European Commission's Representatives.


5.2 The European Network UNITED for Intercultural Action

UNITED for Intercultural Action is the largest pan-European network against nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of migrants and refugees.
More than 560 organisations from all countries of Europe are currently linked through UNITED: migrant organisations, ethnic minority associations, refugee support groups, human rights and anti-racist groups, intercultural youth organisations and others.
The UNITED network's objective is to promote intercultural dialogue through intercultural
action and to counteract prejudice and other obstacles to peaceful coexistence of majority and minority groups such as stereotypes, xenophobia, national and religious hatred, etc.
It aims to strengthen the European struggle against racism by improving the information flow on the European level and by actively supporting cross border cooperation among anti-discrimination organisations.
Since 1992 UNITED has regularly organised large-scale European projects, conferences and
training seminars as well as expert meetings on the above mentioned subjects.

- Basic Information Exchange
The network also produces practical information material, providing know-how to its supporter organisations and to others. An ongoing, open and wide information exchange, which the UNITED network provides in as many forms as can be managed, is the key. Information is received from more than 2100 organisations and regular mailings go out to over 2500 groups in Europe (by post since 1992) and to over 6000 contacts by email.
Practical, basic network tools such as the 'European Addressbook Against Racism' (4000 NGO entries online) and the European activity overview 'Calendar of Internationalism' are regularly distributed Europe-wide.

- Europe-wide Campaigns
UNITED has been active in the field of creating a social climate favourable to a tolerant
pluralistic democratic society in Europe through annual large scale awareness-raising campaigns with the participation of numerous organisations from all European countries and 100.000s of participants: Refugee Day Campaign (20 June), Action Week Against Racism (around 21 March), International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism (9 November). For this purpose it has accumulated experience in producing and distributing attractive campaign and information material used all over Europe. Since its foundation in 1992, UNITED for Intercultural Action has produced and distributed well over 1,000,000 campaign items promoting the idea of interculturalism. The UNITED campaigns are based on the principle of 'think globally and act locally'. Organisations arrange activities on the local level within an intercultural and international framework.

- Successful Networking
UNIQUE · The work the UNITED network is doing is unique, not in its aims, many organisations on different levels aim to do the same, but in its effectiveness. All elements of the network strengthen each other. Meetings lean heavily on the regular mailings to attract participants, and on the extensive database and archive to find experts. Conferences yield ideas for action which can only become reality through the mailings,
both via land-post and via the Internet. Contacts are made at the conferences that result in activities that are published in the Calendar of Internationalism. Experience is exchanged on meetings that are set up through contacts found in the Address Book or in the Calendar.
This successful network model is supported by over 560 organisations from all countries of
Europe.

OPEN · UNITED has an open approach, which means that activities are open to a wide diversity of organisations, not only to the 560 supporters of the network but also to other organisations alike. Material is available free of charge and free of copyright, which is why it is particularly important to grass root (youth) groups. It is copied and translated throughout Europe. All publications are designed to be used by organisations. They do not pretend to reach a general public, but aim at stimulating, inspiring and motivating grass roots groups to do that in their own way in their own country with a little bit of help. The publications are sent out to over 2500 groups in Europe, 4-5 times a year and published on the website which is visited by hundreds of people each week.

The authors of this project hope that as a result of its successful implementation, NGOs in the Russian Federation and active participants of the network of organisations and regions will work closer together.

If your organisation is interested in the project and would like to either receive more information or to take active part in some of its aspects, do not hesitate to let us know your ideas, possibilities and comments.

Centre for Interethnic Cooperation
PO Box 8, RUS-127055 Moscow
phone +7-095-9731247, fax +7-972-6807
refugeescenter@interethnic.org
www.interethnic.org