Subject: [CivilSoc] NGO: Int'l Discussion Club, Moscow
From: Center for Civil Society International (ccsi@u.washington.edu)
Date: Tue Jun 06 2000 - 18:23:54 EDT
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Brief information about IDC -
the International Discussion Club -
Association for International Development and Co-operation
[in 1999 IDC celebrated its' 10-years anniversary]
IDC is a Russian independent non-governmental, non-political, non-
profit voluntary organization. The IDC is registered by Moscow
Justice Department as a public NGO (certificate #979).
The aim of our NGO is "to promote the integration of Russia into
the World Democratic Community by establishing and developing
direct contacts between young people of different countries" and
"civil society strengthens in our country" (see the IDC Statutes).
The IDC main fields of activity are:
* organization of specialized seminars and conferences;
* international election monitoring;
* carrying out international youth exchanges;
* intercultural projects;
* educational and Internet projects;
* environmental activity;
* participation in NGO networks;
IDC is not a debating society.
It is an action-orientated peoples' initiative.
We started our activity in 1989. We were one of the first
independent organizations to fight against the Iron Curtain in
Russia. The word "Discussion" appears in our name because, at
that time, you were not allowed to have opinions that differed from
the "official" line, but you could "discuss" them.
The IDC is a mini-network with branches in Moscow, St.
Petersburg, Novorossiysk, Murmansk (Russia) and Minsk
(Belarus). The Club has representatives in Berlin (Germany),
Irkutsk (Russia), and Washington (USA).
Since 1990, the IDC has organized a series of exchange programs
with Germany and the Netherlands, as well as several international
seminars on the economy, politics and environment. Members of
the Club took part in many conferences and congresses all over
the Europe and have visited 11 European countries.
In 1992 IDC carried out an international seminar "Introduction to
Green Movement of Russia", supported by a democratically
elected Moscow City Council, which offered Western ecologists
their first opportunity to visit a nuclear reactor located in a secret
research institute in Moscow.
In 1993 the IDC international conference "Engagement for
Democracy" collected more than 100 participants from 7 countries.
At the Parliamentary elections in 1993, 95 and 99 and Presidential
elections 1996 and 2000 IDC, on appointment with the Central
Electoral Commission of Russia, has organized international
election observation programs. Representatives of 12 European
countries as well as participants from Australia, Canada and the
USA joined the IDC Observation team. In 1996 groups of IDC
observers attended general elections in the USA and a scandal
constitutional referendum in Belarus. In 1997 we went to see the
elections in Ukraine and Sweden. We also have organised political
seminars and carried out election observation at several local
elections in different parts of Russia.
Election observation is one of the IDC priorities. During the
parliamentary election in Russia (December 1999) and at the
presidential (spring 2000) we continued international election
monitoring. We carried out Study Trips for foreign students to
Russian elections. Participants of this program were as well official
foreign election observers, so we did serious job. We worked in
collboration with OSCE-ODIHR Election Obervation Mission. IDC
observers have a good mark from OSCE.
We will coninue this program ar several upcoming local elections in
Russia. We are looking for partners for this program. Please, see:
http://idc.cis.lead.org/observer/
Two recent large international activities of IDC were concerned with
environmental issues.
An international NGO seminar "Social Activism in Practical Urban
Environmental Projects" was held in Novorossiysk, Russia on
October 6-11, 1997. The seminar has the aim of bringing together
representatives of different sectors of society (NGOs, science,
municipal administration, universities, charitable foundations) from
different countries and of sharing their experience in implementing
urban environmental projects. 50 participants from 12 countries
took part in the seminar. The seminar was concentrated on
practical urban environmental projects - creation, protection and
upkeep of city parks, botanical gardens, arboreta, etc. Russian
Minister of Environment sent a welcome letter to the seminar
participants. All-Russia environmental TV program of RTR has
carried a report about the seminar.
In 1998 IDC carried out an Environmental Youth Working Camp at
the Novorossiysk Arboretum. The participants had opportunity to
enjoy not only presentations, discussions, role-games, but also to
take part in practical work - massive tree planting on the Black Sea
foreshore.
The IDC is also active in international debates and conferences in
Internet. Among our Internet initiatives there are two anti-war
campaigns - "Stop the War in Chechnya" and "Stop Bombing
Yugoslavia".
Now the IDC works on the following projects:
* "Arboretum in Novorossiysk" - assistance in creation and
development of a city park and an arboretum in the largest Russian
port city at the Black sea - http://idc.cis.lead.org/idc/arboretum/ ;
* "Public Involvement into Practical Environmental Strategy" -
implementation of a strategy of public participation in assistance to
development of special protected natural territories;
* "International Election Observation" - co-ordination of international
observers' activity and assistance of activity of Russian electoral
observers at federal and local elections in Russia; participation in
international election monitoring in other countries -
http://idc.cis.lead.org/observer/ ;
* creation of an International Non-Governmental Organization For
International Affairs - Forum of youth Associations for International
Relations (FAIR);
* "IDC Web" - a support of the World Wide Web pages of the Club,
development of NGO communications through the e-mail and
Internet (http://idc.cis.lead.org/);
Upcoming international IDC events and seminars: (see
http://idc.cis.lead.org/idc/projects.html):
* Courses in Russian language and/or culture, Moscow,
St.Petersburg;
* Study trips to Russia for foreign students (topics - on demand);
* A seminar "Introduction into Russian politics" (Study Trip to
Russian Election) and election observation - at several local
elections;
* Public hearings on the project of a new environmental law -
Coastal Code of Russia, Novorossiysk, Murmansk;
Contacts:
fax: +7-095-9563586 [for IDC];
e-mail: andrey@host.cis.lead.org, andrey_o@orc.ru Internet:
http://idc.cis.lead.org/
Mail: International Discussion Club,
Kashirskoje shosse, 88/26-112,
115551, Moscow, Russia.
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