North Caucasus NGO Monitor: June 1999
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Subject: North Caucasus NGO Monitor: June 1999
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Andre Kamenshikov <[email protected]>
North Caucasus NGO Monitor: June 1999
North Caucasus NGO Monitor
1. Hasavyurt Regional Charitable Fund "Salvation" is completed a first
stage of an assistance program for refugees in the Hasavyurt area of
Dagestan.
The Hasavyurt Regional Charitable Fund "Salvation" which cross-border
peace-building programs we have wrote about in the February issue of
the "Monitor" has recently completed a project aimed to assist
refugees in the Hasavyurt region of Dagestan. This project has been
funded by the Moscow Open Society Institute and took place from
December 98 through June 99.
The "Salvation" Fund was initially created in 1995 to assist the
placement of refugees poring in to Dagestan from Chechnya. During the
years of the war it has assisted over 100,000 refugees. Since the end
of the war most of these people have either returned or moved to other
locations in Russia. However, there are currently about 7 thousand
refugees (forced migrants, according to the official Russian
terminology), who still live in the Hasavyurt region of Dagestan. Most
of these people are unwilling to return - some of them have no place
to go, their houses were destroyed, others are afraid of being blamed
for siding with the Russian-backed Chechen governments during the war.
Some, however, are willing to return, but need assistance to be able
to do so.
A major problem comes from the fact that most of the refugees don't
have official registration. This is complicated by the fact that the
local Center for Employment, where the refugees registered during the
war has been robbed on March 16, 1996 and its records were stolen. The
lack of any documents, verifying the official status of the refugees
makes them vulnerable to harassment from local police and other
authorities.
In this situation the Hasavyurt Regional Charitable Fund "Salvation"
has concentrated on the following activities:
1) Legal counseling of refugees (over 1000 refugees received legal
counseling in Hasavyurt and villages in the Hasavyurt area, where
members of the "Salvation" Fund organized visits of their lawyer.
2) The "Salvation" Fund helped in wining a number of court cases, what
allowed 18 people to be recognized as "internally displaced" during
the war in Chechnya.
3) The "Salvation" Fund helped diffuse a number of conflict situations
between refugees and local authorities, as well as between the local
akkin-Chechens and other peoples living in the Hasavyurt area. (For
example, after an earthquake in January a number of refugees
temporally left to Chechnya. The local authorities tried to keep them
from returning to the Hasavyurt area of Dagestan a few days later.
Members of the "Salvation" Fund plaid an importing role in resolving
this issue).
Currently the Hasavyurt Regional Charitable Fund "Salvation" is
seeking funds to continue its important and constructive activities.
Address:
Hasavyurt, Zarechnaja street, 63
368005, Dagestan Republic, Russia
Tel. (872310) 41-26.
Chairman: Djavtaev Umar Hamzatovich.
-----------------
The last months brought a serious destabilization of the situation in
the Republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia in the West part of the North
Caucasus. Thus it is important to highlight the activities of various
organizations which are trying to carry out constructive activities in
and near this region. Today we publish information about the
activities of a number of such organizations in the city of
Kislovodsk, which is located in the Stavropol region, 3 miles from the
border of Karachaevo-Cherkessia.
2. Inter-ethnic Center "Drujba", Kislovodsk, is planning to publish a
newsletter "Together".
The Inter-ethnic Center "Drujba" (Friendship) in the city of
Kislovodsk was organized in 1992.
Its goals are to develop inter-ethnic communications in the city, to
unite various ethnic-based social organizations, to develop tolerance
and educate the youth about the cultural heritage of various peoples.
Currently the "Drujba" Center unites 9 organizations, which represent
the major ethnic communities in Kislovodsk. These are:
- Georgian society "Iveria";
- Ossetian society "Iriston";
- The social organization "Slavyane" (Slavs);
- The Greek society "Patrida";
- The Armenian nation-cultural autonomy "Krunk";
- The Inter-ethnic cultural center "Dagestan";
- The Abazian society "Abazshta";
- The Circkassian society "Adyge-Hase";
- The Karachai charitable society "Alan".
A new project that the "Drujba" Center is currently seeking financing
for is the publication of a information bulletin "Together", which
would highlight the activities of the various cultural societies of
Kislovodsk. It would give good examples of cooperation of different
ethnic communities and help develop tolerance among the general
population. Its circulation would include other towns and villages,
including those in the nearby Karachai-Cherckess Republic and thus it
could serve a tool, working to prevent a future escalations of
tensions in that unstable region.
Address:
Inter-Ethnic Center "Drujba"
Kislovodsk, Saperny pereulok, house 10
357700, Stavropol region, Russia
Tel. (86537) 3-26-97.
Director: Savelyev Vladimir Yurevich.
Further we provide information about two of the cultural societies
which are collective members of the "Drujba" Center:
3. The Karachai Charitable Society "Alan".
This society was created in 1991. Its goal is – to support the
rehabilitation of the Karachai people (who were deported from their
homes in 1944 and allowed to return in 1956), to revive Karachai
cultural traditions and pas their cultural heritage to the youth.
Currently the society unites about 2000 people.
The society has organized a Karachai dance club; its members actively
participate in the activities of the Council of the Elderly that plays
an important role in maintaining inter-ethnic peace and cooperation.
To assist the implementation of the Russian law "On the rehabilitation
of the repressed peoples" the society has organized a commission on
rehabilitation, which helps people by giving them advice and helping
them in gathering necessary documents.
Address:
Kislovodsk, Saperny pereulok, house 10
357700, Stavropol region, Russia
Tel. (86537) 3-26-97.
Chairman: Aliev Soltan Choranovich.
4. Circkassian society "Adyge-Hase".
This is the newest ethnic cultural society in Kislovodsk, organised in
1998.
Its goals are: to support the revival of the traditions and culture of
the Adyg (Circkassian) people; to develop and teach their history; to
develop respect to the history and culture of other peoples and to
help maintain friendship with people of different ethnic backgrounds.
Currently this society unites about 500 people.
Despite its short history, the "Adyge-Hase" society has already
actively participated in various events, organised by the Inter-Ethnic
Center "Drujba"
Address:
Kislovodsk, Saperny pereulok, house 10
357700, Stavropol region, Russia
Tel. (86537) 3-26-97.
Chairman: Gukyamukov Michael Batyrovich.
Due to the tense situation in the neighbouring Karachai-Cherckess
Republic and the contradictions between the Karachai and the
Circkassian communities that developed in the process of presidential
elections in that republic, the leaders of the Inter-Ethnic Center
"Drujba", the Karachai and Circkassian societies of Kislovodsk have
made a joint appeal to the people of Karachai-Cherkessia. In this
appeal they call on the people of Karachai-Cherckessia, the republican
authorities and the candidates for presidency to do everything
possible to prevent another inter-ethnic conflict, to put an end to
various terrorist and criminal actions and to secure peace in their
republic.
"North Caucasus NGO Monitor" is a publication produced by members of
the Nonviolence International - Newly Independent States"
(NI-NIS) on a fellowship from the Open Society Institute in Budapest.
Its goals are:
* to help in exploring new approaches for humanitarian activities
which allow supporting elements of civil society in the North
Caucasus, while significantly lowering the security risks associated
with such activities;
* to provide continuous information about constructive activities
of NGO's on a community level in areas of tension and conflict in the
North Caucasus;
* to highlight the work of dedicated local activists, who despite
extreme difficulties work toward peace, reconciliation, social and
economical revival of their communities.
Phone and fax numbers in the bulletin are given with the Russian
internal area codes. When dialing from outside Russia or the CIS
states, the numbers provided must be preceded with 7 - Russia's
country code.
Names are given according to the Russian standard - surname before the
first name.
For questions and comments as well as to get additional information
about NGO activities in the North Caucasus please contact:
Nonviolence International - Newly Independent States,
Contact person - Kamenshikov Andre
Luchnikov Lane, house 4, entrance 3, room 2
Moscow, Russia, 103982
Tel. (095) 206-8618 or 351-4855, fax 206-8853,
E-mail: [email protected]
http: www.glasnet.ru/~ninis
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