Conflict Pool start new cycle of work in North Caucasus
The UK Conflict Pool in Russia has decided to support ten projects to be implemented in 2013-14 by leading Russian and international NGOs.
The projects will be selected by competition. All aim to reduce the potential for violent conflicts in the North Caucasus region by contributing to increase of awareness of conflict issues at the community level and improved ability to manage / prevent conflicts among local populations in the North Caucasus as well as to reduce impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations and improve adherence to international human rights standards in the North Caucasus.
Since 2008, the UK Conflict Pool in the Russian Federation has supported over 30 projects on conflict prevention and human rights protection which have been successfully implemented in the North Caucasus. There have been more than 100,000 direct beneficiaries including representatives of public administration system, grass-roots NGOs, human rights activists, academics, teachers, children and youth who participated in various activities - educational, cultural and social, receiving legal support, building professional capacity and establishing efficient networks between regional authorities and civil society.
About the Pool
The UK Conflict Pool was established to replace the former Global Conflict Prevention Pool and Africa Conflict Prevention Pool. It brings together diplomacy, defence and development work, in an agreed strategy based on conflict analysis shared between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and Department for International Development.
The main aim is to reduce global and regional conflicts and their impact through improved UK and international efforts to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts, and to create the conditions required for effective state-building and economic development in pre- or post-conflict regions.
The list of the currently supported projects
Project: North Caucasus Justice Project.
Purpose: Alleviation of climate of impunity for grave human rights abuses in the North Caucasus through awareness-raising on fundamental rights, promoting effective investigations, providing legal redress and generating diplomatic and political pressure on Russia to initiate reform.
Implementing partner: Russia Justice Initiative.
Duration: April 2012-March 2015
Project: The Civic Education Project “I am a citizen!”.
Purpose: Introduction and promotion of conflict prevention/resolution methodologies through development of civic education, teacher’s training and capacity building in Chechnya and Ingushetia.
Implementing partner: Genesis
Duration: April 2013-March 2014
Project: Police, civil society, youth - integrating new cooperative practices in the North Caucasus realities.
Purpose: Improving public safety, increasing the accountability of police and enhancing local capacities for dispute resolution in the North Caucasus by integrating new elements into the professional education of police officers and enhancing their level of cooperation with civil society and youth.
Implementing partner: Nonviolence International
Duration: April 2012-March 2015
Project: Voices of residents in the region strengthened by mass media for protection of rights and reconciliation.
Purpose: Increase of citizens’ activities, including the Internet-based ones, directed towards protecting their rights and peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Implementing partner: Caucasian Knot (Information agency MEMO.RU)
Duration: April 2012-March 2015
Project: Independent investigation as a tool for reducing human rights violations in Chechnya.
Purpose: Mitigation of conflict in Chechnya through reducing the scale of human rights violations in the region and implementation of law and practice of European Court of Human Rights as well as enabling HR defenders using the most effective approach towards the situation.
Implementing partner: Committee against Torture
Duration: April 2013-March 2014
Project: Monitoring of Human Rights Situation, Rights Protection and Advocacy as Integral Components for Stability and Conflict Resolution in the North Caucasus.
Purpose: Decrease of tension in the conflict-prone area of the North Caucasus by increasing government awareness of human rights violations in the region and providing legal support to Russian citizens in defending their rights at the national and international levels.
Implementing partner: HRC Memorial
Duration: April 2013-March 2015
Project: Organisation of the educational campaign on conflict prevention issues at the community level of the Northern Caucasus
Purpose: Creating conditions required to prevent social conflicts by engaging various population groups in socially meaningful activities and expanding the legal and information space of Northern Caucasus.
Implementing partner: The New Eurasia Foundation
Duration: April 2013-March 2014
Project: Conflict mitigation through legal education of law enforcement personnel and legal support to victims of human rights violations.
Purpose: Contributing to prevention and mitigation of conflict in the Chechen Republic by reducing the scale of human rights violations committed by law enforcement personnel at the stage of criminal investigation through educating law enforcement personnel on the human rights standards, providing legal remedy to victims of human rights violations and developing a dialogue and cooperation between civil society/NGOs and law enforcement agencies.
Implementing partner: Chechen Human Rights Centre
Duration: April 2013-March 2014
Project: North Caucasus: Protecting Journalists in the Most Dangerous Places.
Purpose: Improving journalists’ safety and security in North Caucasus, allowing them to fulfil their professional duty and contribute to the pivotal role media can play in resolving and preventing conflict.
Implementing partner: Article 19/ Mass Media Defence Centre (Voronezh)/ Centre for Mass Medial Protection (Dagestan)
Duration: April 2013-March 2014
Project: Reducing the threat of confrontation between the population and the government in Dagestan.
Purpose: Increasing awareness of conflict issues at the community level and improving ability to manage / prevent conflict among local populations in the North Caucasus; Reduce impunity of perpetrators of human rights violations and improve adherence to international human rights standards in the North Caucasus.
Implementing partner: Independent Council for Legal Expertise
Duration: April 2013-March 2014
For further details on the supported project, please contact our Projects Officer Murad Tangiev at murad.tangiev@fco.gov.uk, (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/conflict-pool).