Eurasia Grantee in the Spotlight: Youth Information Center
Democratic development in countries within the Eurasia region stalled during the past year, or in most cases, regressed. In Russia, the space for political discourse has narrowed and the prospects for civil society have not improved despite a warming of relations with the West. The political situation in Ukraine deteriorated over the year as the success of the pro-democratic candidates in the March 2002 parliamentary elections was followed by the gradual reconsolidation of power of the pro-presidential forces within the parliament, the Cabinet of Ministers, the court system, and the National Bank by year's end. In Belarus and Turkmenistan, the last two unreconstructed dictatorships in the region, repression of civil society increased. Georgia and Azerbaijan are on the verge of possible major changes as crucial presidential elections approach. The leaders of other countries in the region hover between obligations of more Western-oriented policies in the aftermath of September 11 and profoundly ingrained dictatorial impulses to control social and political movements in their countries.
Endowment funding in Russia helped grantees continue to resist authoritarian trends and push for greater freedom and openness. The GOLOS NGO Coalition organized a campaign for transparency in regional governments' budgets. The International Protection Center worked to increase observance of international human rights norms in the Russian justice system. And the Center for Development of Democracy and Human Rights and the Independent Council for Legal Expertise attempted to raise the standards of Russian legislation. Finally, the Society for Russian-Chechen Friendship, in spite of violence and even the assassination of its volunteers, continued to gather and distribute information about the ongoing conflict in Chechnya. With NED funding, the International Republican Institute (IRI) emphasized the development of effective regional governments, and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) worked to strengthen the capabilities of regional chambers of commerce.
Abuse of power by the government and deterioration of press freedom and human rights in Ukraine roused thousands of protestors in September 2002, but they ultimately failed to impact the balance of power. NED funding helped NDI provide support for the activities of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, and helped the American Center for International Labor Solidarity (ACILS) renew its commitment to working with trade union leaders. CIPE used NED funding to work with two Ukrainian groups to develop a National Business Agenda for the country. NED funding also supported analytical centers in their efforts to identify weak areas of democracy-development in Ukraine and propose recommendations for improvement. One NED grantee in Ukraine maintained a Web site tracking developments in the media. Another, the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, helped to promote public awareness of Western values and institutions in the regions of Ukraine.
President Alexander Lukashenka of Belarus remained "Europe's Last Dictator." Civil society groups used Endowment support to oppose Lukashenka's attempts to control or eliminate the independent media, nongovernmental organizations, and trade unions. NED funding was used to assist NGO development, independent media, youth groups, regional NGO resource centers, human rights organizations, and "third-sector" umbrella groups. Organizations in Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic that carry out cross-border exchanges and training programs assisting counterparts in Belarus were also supported. One success of the program was the election of at least twenty representatives of NED-supported organizations to local government positions in Belarus.
In all of the countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia, save for Armenia, the presidents have not changed in the past ten years. Some have declared themselves presidents for life. Against this backdrop, civil society organizations continued their struggle to defend human rights, support independent media, and conduct civic education programs. In Azerbaijan, the Legal Education Society took the lead in introducing the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights into law by training lawyers and by assisting claimants before the European Court of Human Rights. With NED funding, CIPE worked with the Partnership for Social Initiative in Georgia on a project to encourage government compliance with the recently enacted Georgian Freedom of Information Act.
In Central Asia, NED funds reached a wide region, including remote areas such as the deserts of Uzbekistan and the mountains of Tajikistan. NED continued to support civic education programs that have a broad impact, including the Tashkent Public Education Center's development of a civic education curriculum, which has been adopted by schools in the Fergana Valley and the western desert. Numerous human rights monitoring and protection programs were conducted by NED grantees in the Fergana Valley (Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan) and Turkmenistan. The Regional Human Rights Network, for example, provided a resource center for human rights NGOs in the Valley. NED also supported information-dissemination and media-training: In Kyrgyzstan, Internews Kyrgyz Republic used a 2001 grant from NED to publish the country's first media-law textbook and taught pilot media-law courses in several universities. In Kazakhstan, the Politon Discussion Club held weekly seminars to develop policy ideas and published them on its Web site. NED grants also supported numerous youth activities, including the Accord Community Center's program of student councils in Kazakhstan.
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Eurasia Grantee in the Spotlight: Youth Information Center
Nearly a decade has passed since young activists in the Republic of Belarus decided to pool their energy and create a network of youth organizations. Belarus was struggling with newfound independence and scarred by a failed economic and political system. While other former Soviet states were embarking on transitions, Belarus found itself heading into a new era of oppression. After winning the presidency in 1994, Alexander Lukashenka would drastically stifle the rights of the people and greatly expand the powers of the office. It was on the brink of his reign—today he's known as "Europe's last dictator"—that the Youth Information Center was founded in Minsk.
Ales Mihalevich was in his early twenties and the leader of the Belarusian Students' Association (a NED grantee) when he formed the Youth Information Center (YIC). His approach was influenced by NED's "East-to-East" strategy, through which Central European grantees that have successfully worked for democratic transitions in their own countries use their skills and experiences to aid counterparts facing similar struggles. Mihalevich says he received guidance and support from Polish youth activists from the Independent Students' Association (NZS), a NED grantee during the Solidarity era. Since 1991, more than a dozen Polish groups have been conducting crossborder programs in Belarus with NED funding.
YIC began by creating a database of Belarusian youth NGOs and initiatives, and then it produced and distributed monthly information bulletins. Soon YIC developed strong relationships with NGOs in various regions throughout Belarus. "These regional centers not only get assistance from the YIC," Mihalevich explains, "but they also become the conductors of YIC's information, educational, and financial support to other independent local youth organizations and initiatives."
Since 1999, YIC has conducted small-grants competitions for independent Belarusian youth NGOs. The program enables youth activists to implement their own local projects aimed at developing civil society in their respective regions. This year, more than 100 grants were made, averaging about $750 each. Mihalevich explains that $750 is significant in a country "where average [monthly] earnings hardly exceed $70." With these grants, youth activists pursued a wide range of democracy-building initiatives including civic education, independent publishing, leadership training, and human rights actions.
Support for pro-democratic youth initiatives now has even greater importance since Lukashenka is trying to win youth support for his regime while cracking down on independent NGOs. The government attempted to close down the YIC in 2001. In an effort to co-opt and control existing youth groups by "uniting" them, Lukashenka has even established the Belarusian Patriotic Youth Union (BPYU), a state-run federation modeled on the old Soviet Communist Youth League. Rather than attracting droves of followers, the BPYU has succeeded primarily in spreading apathy among youth.
"Though it is really hard to work in such conditions, we are doing our best not to get upset and to go on in spite of all artificial obstacles created by the authoritarian regime in power," says Mihalevich. In early 2002, Mihalevich, a member of the Belarusian Popular Front, Belarus' largest opposition party, stepped down from YIC to pursue a door-to-door campaign for a seat in local government. He remains involved with YIC and heartened by a new generation of young leaders he helped to mentor through his work there, many of whom have become NED grantees themselves. Not to be overlooked is the impact that YIC has had on Mihalevich himself, who went on to win his election with 75 percent of the vote, the largest percentage received by any democratic candidate. "It was an incredible feeling we hadn't sensed since long ago," he said. "This victory filled me with complete determination to do everything possible not to frustrate my neighbors' expectations."
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