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Grants >>
Eurasia Program Highlights
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In spite of these difficulties, NED grantees continued their work of advocating for increased openness, fairness, and accountability in the Russian political system. The Center for Support of International Protection helped individuals with credible claims of wrongful prosecution move their cases forward to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The Moscow Helsinki Group began investigating the new and alarming phenomenon of "mass-scale" human rights violations, troubling incidents in which Russian police have detained and abused tens and even hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens. Also, grantees like memo.ru, the Chechen Committee for National Salvation, and the Society for Russian-Chechen Friendship continued their efforts to make accurate, timely information about the escalating crisis in the North Caucasus widely available. Meanwhile, IRI and NDI continued to provide training and support for democratic political parties and candidates. And on a particularly bright note, Nikolai and Tatiana Shchur of long-time NED grantee the Helping Hand Foundation in Chelyabinsk were named European Heroes for 2005 by Time Magazine, for their tireless work toward educating a new generation of journalists, lawyers, teachers, wardens, and police in an understanding of and a respect for human rights. President Viktor Yushchenko's dismissal of Ukraine's cabinet in September 2005 occasioned widespread speculation in Russia's state-controlled media that the country's transition was in disarray. Chaos, however, failed to ensue, and NED grantees went about their work of consolidating Ukraine's democratic breakthrough. NDI and IRI began preparations for the 2006 parliamentary elections, while the Solidarity Center labored to help workers to organize and defend their rights in the Donbass, one of Ukraine's most notoriously corrupt regions. Longstanding NED-supported programs like Youth Alternative's parliamentary internship program for university students continued to grow and expand into new cities and oblasts. Other youth organizations like the Lion Society and Znayu! are reaching out to their counterparts in nearby countries in order to share their experience and skills. In Belarus, Alexander Lukashenka's falsification of the results of a fall 2004 referendum has allowed him to run for a third presidential term in summer 2006. To ensure a victory, "Europe's last dictator" has accelerated his attacks on civil society. Dozens of NGOs and independent newspapers have been closed down. During 2005, NED support allowed many third sector organizations and publications, especially those based in the country's regions, to continue operating despite the regime's repression. In the run up to the 2006 election, the Endowment was a leading supporter of the civic sector's non-partisan get-out-the-vote efforts. More than fifty voter education and mobilization programs were funded. In the Caucasus, NED funding focused on improving electoral processes and creating mechanisms for government transparency and accountability. In Armenia, the Endowment supported NDI's work with political parties and civic institutions, including facilitating public input into the constitutional amendment process. NED assisted a new effort to develop a unified reform agenda by sponsoring a think tank launched by the Armenian Helsinki Assembly. Supporting electoral rights of citizens was the main priority during the period prior to the November parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. NED supported six regional resource centers which provided office support and informational resources for NGOs and activists, as well as the Election Monitoring Center and the Support Center for Democratic Elections to produce informative television and print materials about the rules and regulations governing the electoral process. NED also assisted the Azerbaijan Lawyers Association and the Azerbaijan Foundation for Development of Democracy in providing legal assistance to voters and candidates. Two years after the "Rose Revolution," grantees continued to work to expand democratic reforms in Georgia. The Cultural-Humanitarian Fund "Sukhumi" trained women in political leadership skills, and Horizonti Foundation for the Third Sector created mechanisms for NGO input into the formation of defense policy by monitoring its defense budget, convening a working group to propose and analyze defense policy, providing legal assistance to conscripts, and conducting nationwide public opinion polling. Transparency International Georgia began publishing monthly reports about government accounts and making recommendations to improve public oversight of government spending. Central Asia is among the most authoritarian regions in the world, where presidents have routinely extended their terms in office through dubious referendums. Starting from this low point, conditions in Central Asian states continued to decline as new restrictions criminalizing NGO activity were imposed in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Against this bleak background, NED's programs in Central Asia continued to lay the foundation for long-term development of democratic values. The core areas of NED activity in Central Asia in 2005 were human rights and independent media. In Kazakhstan, NED supported the Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, which provided legal assistance for indigent persons in Almaty and Karaganda. In Kyrgyzstan, two networks based in the south reported regularly on human rights issues and provided support for counterparts in Uzbek and Tajik portions of the Ferghana Valley. The Youth Human Rights Group and the Independent Human Rights Group provided legal assistance, conducted human rights reporting, and provided a forum for the development of an independent youth movement. Programs in Tajikistan fostered freedom of information by supporting two independent internet publications, Avesta and Asia Plus; a local Uzbek language newspaper, Tong; a journalism resource center in Khuzhand; a television program for youth audiences produced by journalism students; and legal assistance for independent journalists through the National Association of Independent Mass Media. Despite a widening crackdown against NGOs in Uzbekistan, two independent email and Internet publications were produced, one grantee conducted public opinion polling on youth attitudes, and two groups organized human rights monitoring and provided legal assistance to political prisoners. Human rights groups funded by NED throughout Eurasia were critical to documenting and distributing information about human rights abuses, particularly with respect to the May 2005 massacre in Andijan. NED supported international and local NGOs that are providing free legal assistance for the citizens of Turkmenistan. The programs created a database of legislation, provided legal services for vulnerable citizens, and documented human rights abuses. In 2006, the Endowment will continue to support transitions and oppose back-sliding in breakthrough countries like Ukraine and Georgia, support activists working to expand civil society in semi-authoritarian states like Russia and Azerbaijan, and assist democrats working to advance peaceful reform in the dictatorships of Belarus and Central Asia. * Indicates Department of State Funding Beyond NED's Annual Appropriation |
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