Training Ethnic Communities to Protect Their Rights

About this grant

The goal of the Center for Interethnic Cooperation is to build the capacity of ethnic minority organizations in Russia to protect their rights through effective interaction with local government authorities and law enforcement agencies. In 2003, the center launched a training program to help ethnic minority associations understand their rights and resolve interethnic tensions.Multiyear funding will enable the center to educate ethnic minority associations, local government and law enforcement agency representatives on effective ways to cooperate in solving regional problems; create permanent discussion platforms in specified regions between ethnic minority associations and local authorities; and strengthen lateral communications between ethnic minority associations through the center’s Network of Ethnic Associations and its Web site.During the past two years, 317 ethnic minority associations and 62 local government representatives from 12 Russian regions participated in 18 two-day seminars; law enforcement agency representatives participated in training sessions in four regions; and 200 ethnic minority associations from more than 50 Russian cities participated in the center’s network.