Igor Joukovskii,

Kaliningrad Regional Center “Youth for freedom of speech”

Cooperation of Polish and Kaliningrad NGO’s.

Speaking about Kaliningrad has recently come somehow into fashion. There is a flood of press article, numerous discussions and conferences about the role of Kaliningrad and its place in changing international environment. The reason for it is quite clear for me. Kaliningrad has become a kind of symbol of the efforts how to avoid a new division in the region as effect of the process taking place in the European continent.

One of the very important steps of building the good-neighboring relations notwithstanding the existing obstacles is a cooperation or interaction within the so-called “third sector”.

International relations, traditionally the exclusive domain of the state, are also currently an area of activity of non-governmental organizations. These organizations support the building of a civil society as well as try to solve some other urgent problems.

The paper will only shortly touch upon cooperation of Polish and Kaliningrad NGOs by the view of Kaliningrad region organization “Youth for Freedom of Speech”.

The organizations from Poland and Kaliningrad region working together have different areas of interest, ranging from ecological issues through human rights, education, civil education, and culture and on to politics and economic issues.

Their projects take the form of training courses, internships, workshops and conferences addressed to representatives of other non-governmental organizations and local governments, to parliamentary deputies, politicians and to professionals in specific areas (teachers, lawyers, or journalists).

The purpose of those activities lies in exchanging experiences and knowledge about the political, economic, and societal transformations.

Funding sources.

For many years, the projects implemented by Polish non-governmental organizations in the region of Central and Eastern Europe, have been financed solely out of foreign government support (USAID, the Know-How Fund, MATRA) or from private sources (the Ford Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy, or the Stefan Batory Foundation). Foreign sponsors appreciate the fact that Polish NGOs are well informed about the on-going situation in the Kaliningrad region and that, as a result, they are able to act in a more efficient way than the same organization of the other counties. Polish organizations administer the programs of major foreign foundations under which grants are allocated; thus, the Education for Democracy Foundation runs the RITA program of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation and the Partnership for the Environment Foundation administers grants allocated by the Environmental Partnership for Central Europe Consortium.

With time, there arose possibilities for the funding of projects out of Polish sources, e.g. by the Know-How Foundation or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A considerable portion of activities, however, continues to be financed by foreign sponsors.

A Moscow based fund New Prospects is currently involved in sponsoring a number of joint projects of polish and Kaliningrad NGO’s.

Our experience.

Who we are?

Center “Youth for freedom of speech” – a NGO working from 1995 – was officially established in February, 1998, by a group of young people from Kaliningrad. It is officially registered with the Justice Department of Kaliningrad Regional Administration (Reg. No. 441). At the time being it comprises 43 actively working members.

The Canter aims to serve as an organizational basis for the activities focused on:

· creation of conditions for all-round intellectual, physical and moral development of youth;

· education in the sphere of national Russian and World culture, providing young people with aid for their self-realization and involvement in cultural life;

· defence of youth’s rights against authorities;

· development of freedom of speech and promotion of collaboration of young people with mass-media

Youth for freedom of speech does not have an endowment or any fixed funds; all of ours projects are executed with the use of grants contributed by donors.

1. Educational Projects

Starting from the very early years of founding of the organization, a number of educational projects have realized. Unfortunately, the cooperation with the polish NGO’s in the field of education and research is rather unsatisfactory. For instance, in 2000 a new project was initiated by Youth for freedom of speech is an annual collection of research materials in humanities, prepared by young scholars and students. Titled Kul’turny sloi” (Cultural layer), the collection includes several chapters on Philosophy and Culture Studies, Archaeology, History and Philology. Until now no one polish researcher have been published.

Since 2002 a new annual collection Baltic Studies was initiated, and the situation is getting better, some researcher from Polish universities were among the authors of the Baltic Studies.

2. Cultural projects

The main project in that field of our organization is International contemporary Dance Festival Tanz-Tranzit

In co-operation with local dance theatre Incluse the first festival was organised in April 2001 and just some days ago a third festival took place in Kaliningrad. During the event the numbers of polish dance theatres were invited to participate in it.

3. Projects for support of civil society

It is the area of the most intensive and fruitful cooperation with the polish partners is take place.

Within the frames of the “Development of tripartite cooperation” project (with Olsztyn Foundation for support of local democracy and NIDA Foundation) – training for officials, businessmen and NGO workers in municipalities take place.

The project was started in May 2001. It involves three groups of participants from Kaliningrad, Gusev and Svetly. Project was supported by the RITA program.

September, 2001: the meeting of Polish and Russian NGOs in Kaliningrad (also supported by the RITA program).

At the time being two new projects are underway: INFRUST (contact point for Polish and Russian NGOs in Kaliningrad and Olsztyn) and Atlas of Kaliningrad NGOs for Polish partners. These projects are the result of co-operation with Olsztyn Foundation for support of local democracy and NIDA Foundation.

Some Fields of Cooperation of Polish and Kaliningrad NGO’s.

Sharing of Knowledge, Exchange of Information

The purpose of these activities lies in sharing experiences gleaned during the economic and political reforms carried out in Poland, supporting the development of local communities, and promoting civic activity. Such activities are addressed to representatives of local government, teachers, and to self-government activists. A substantial amount of the initiatives is also addressed to opinion leaders, to politicians, political scientists, sociologists, experts in assorted fields, self-government activists, journalists, columnists, and intellectuals.

Some NGOs extend scholarships to students from the Kaliningrad region for study at Polish universities. The ones that are most active in this regard include the Eastern Institute Foundation, the Study Center of Antique Traditions in Central and Eastern Europe, the Center of International Relations, and the Stefan Batory Foundation.

The Education for Democracy Foundation

This institution was established in the late 1980s by a joint effort of teachers from Poland and from the United States with the objective of propagating knowledge about democracy, free market economy, and about civic activity.

Education for Democracy – International Trainers Network. Under this program, efforts are being pursued with a view to the establishment of an international network of trainer teams supporting local communities by way of civic education.

A program of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation Transformations in the Region – RITA managed by the Education for Democracy Foundation. Its objective lies in furthering democratic and free market change in Central and Eastern Europe (also in the countries of the former USSR) through the sharing of relevant experiences. It is executed through the extension of financial support to projects devised by non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, and by local self-government bodies.

The Borussia Cultural Community

Established in Olsztyn in December of 1990 by a group of local intellectuals – historians, writers, and art historians – with a view to creating an independent circle devoted to the humanities in the region of Warmia and Mazury. Borussia is known first and foremost on account of its publishing activity. It is a social association currently numbering some 140 members; it maintains dialogue with associations and state institutions, whether Polish or foreign, which profess some interest in "the lands between the lower Vistula and the Neman".

Conclusion.

NGO’s of Kaliningrad region are really ready to far more intensive cooperation that we have today. It is the same for our polish partners and friends. It’s nice to feel yourself young than you know that you are capable to do a lot. The specific characteristics and needs of the Kaliningrad region based on its position as an enclave are undoubtedly understood by most of prominent actors of the region.

Let’s work hard to intensify cooperation between NGO’s, business and government of the neighboring countries and turn it into developing good neighboring relations in the whole region.