Russian Liberals Are a Hoot

Russian Liberals Are a Hoot

 

Russian liberals love to constantly tell us that we must reform, that we must take on Western standards, that is, until those same said standards infringe on their drive to grab power, elections and will of the people be damned.

 

Case in point was the new sets of fines, still much smaller than in the West, against destructive and murderous demonstrations. How dare the authorities adopt Western and US specific laws against rock throwing and knife wielding demonstrators? That of the last riots, 11 of the 17 hurt were police, and mostly from stab wounds, that is, attempted murderer, is irrelevant to these "reformers" and freedom "lovers". As long as they have the freedom to do as they want and everyone else be damned, that is the freedom they push.

 

No different was the act of "protest" by Pussy Riot and their legion of Western sociopaths. The quotes from their Western backers are a riot all unto themselves. For example, during the NYC concerts held in their honour, and backed by such self righteous and often blind to Christian suffering groups as the Marxist leaning Amnesty International, Ellina Graypel, one of the performing singers "How could they put women in jail? They are not criminals, they are artists, just like me, who wanted to express themselves."

 

Well sweetheart, your country, the USA has some one million women in prison. They wanted to express themselves? Fine. Do it on public land, not in a Church, which is PRIVATE land belonging to the Orthodox Church. You have no more right to perform your act of protest there, without the owner's permission that in a store or some one's apartment.

 

Or this gem from Musician Frank London. "It looks like the Church is not separate from the State in Russia. The Church is using the State to impose its opinion shut up critics."

 

How so bright guy? Because they want trespassers who disrupted a Church service, desecrated Church property to be punished? You twits have every right to stand on the street cornor and voice your mindless babble, you do not have a right to use Soviet tactics (yes these were exactly out of the late SU's play book on destroying religion) to disrupt, oppress or push around worshippers, exercising their rights.

 

Your rights, you stupid twits, end at the border of my rights. We all stay within those borders and we all get along, otherwise there is a price to pay. But how can one blame them when the Moscow Times, itself had this to say on the subject, calling the act of vandalism and hooliganism "Performing an anti-Putin song in a Russian Church". As if these nice, upstanding girls were invited to perform or give their opinions.

 

Now we come to the NGO law. The rule, straight out of the US textbook, will require any NGO receiving foreign funding and participating in political activities to be registered for exactly what it is: a foreign agent, a term the US has used since prior to WW2. What, afraid the public will find out what your true sources of income are? As I pointed out in this article: (ARTICLE), several years back, most of the major NGOs are US funded and are leading the subversive actions, from civil society to the military. Again, this is no different from what America's elites did to us in the 1910s, leading up to the Marxist revolution and their 70 year rape of Russia.

 

What does this law require? Truth in advertising, that is what. The NGOs will be forced to display a label on their publications, including web based pubs, that they are a foreign agent, as well as publish a bi-annual report of their finances and activities. Oh, God forbid, transparency, that term the West so loves, until it comes to shining a light on their actions and that of their hired guns and quislings.

USAID It Was Good Knowing You

USAID It Was Good Knowing You


Off they go, USAid, nice knowing you, one of the fronts of the US Communist Democracy International (DemInt), a Trotskyte front, just as evil as its original ComInt forbearer. It is true that many non-political organizations will be hurt by this departure, that is an absolute. However that is the point that helped to keep and to cover the more insidious actions of USAid and other such US organization such as Freedom House or the National Endowment for Democracy. Half its $52 million budget, in Russia, went to such organizations as advocates for the disabled, fights against HIV or for Transparency International. All noble causes.

However, and this is a huge, huge HOWEVER, $22 million went to Golas (the US paid for "anti-corruption" organization, the likes of which are used around the world to help topple non-US vassal regimes and replace them with puppets, whores and imbeciles who than proceed to bankrupt their societies, give up their resources and rule with the iron fist that they supposedly were against), Moscow Helsinki Group, Memorial, Siberian Civic Initiatives Support Center and others.
Again, though, looking at other nations where this organization and other insidious US backed NGOs have operated and brought about the DemInt agenda, what help they did provide to legitimate causes was wiped aside by the regimes of hatred, war and national rape that were brought into power. The list is long and the body count high. From the early roots of toppling de Guile in France, in 1974, to the more recent actions, such as Bosnia, Kosovo (Serbia), Russian Chechnya, Makedonia, Armenia, Lebanon, Israel (PA regions with Hamas), Ukraine, Georgia, Egypt, Libya, Kenya, Tunisia, Yemen, and now Syria, with a half dozen other nations in the US cross-hairs.

As for whom US NGOs are sponsoring, please review my previous article on the subject: NGOs: Agents of US Empire

NGOs, Agents of US Empire

It is bad enough that US taxpayers sponsor, through the front Freedom House, Russian and Ukrainian Nazis (National Bolshaviks and Una Unsa) but through the even more insideous National Endowment for Democracy, we must face even greater disurption of our society and faith.

The names themselves are Orwellian works of art, when one considers that by Freedom it is meant the sponsorship of tyranical Fascist Marxist and by Democracy, the desruption of civil society and revolution. That both are directly sponsored by american money and both are in effect puppets of the power mad elites that run that nation, the question must be raised: why are they even allowed in our country? Why do they operate and have not been run out like that other American power drunk bastard: Soros?

In this short essay, I will cover the programs of the Endowment, which is actively promoting the tentacles of it's masters into every corner of the globe.

In Russia, the EfD runs the following programs:

Agency for Social Information (ASI) $67,000
To build regional NGO coalitions, and to strengthen ties between regional and issue-based associations, coalitions, and networks of civil society organizations across Russia. ASI will continue to gather information about active networks of Russian NGOs and disseminate it through its website (www.asi.org.ru). In addition, the organization will organize an NGO networking conference in Moscow and award five subgrants to support local NGO coalitions.

In other words, organizing like minded foreign groups as well as traitors and dupes to form revolutions and civil disorder upon Washington's command.

American Center for International Labor Solidarity $455,000
To promote freedom of association through sectoral and regional organizing, strengthen the rule of law by providing legal advocacy and Russian union representation for migrant workers, and challenge discrimination and xenophobia in the workplace and community. The program will focus on the auto, retail, and services sectors in St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Samara and Rostov Oblast, and Moscow. The migrant workers activities will be conducted through the Urals Trade Union Center in Yekaterinburg.

Translation, provide organization and legal defense of illegal migrant labour which should not be in Russia, which waters down Russian society with central asian islamicism and which steals jobs from Russians. To their defense and to help disrupt Russian society, the US comes to the rescue. Does this mean the US is working to create a displaced serf class of locals, dominated by illegals, just like it has created for itself? No thank you.

Andrei Sakharov Museum and Public Center $60,000
To resist historical revisionism by organizing a series of regional contests for Russian history teachers, which will provide them with an opportunity to create original lesson plans on topics such as Stalinism, political repression, the gulag system, human rights and the dissident movement. Winning lessons plans will be entered into a national contest, with the best entries compiled for use by other teachers.

This is rich, considering the US was one of only a handful of nations who voted against the Russian UN bill to recognize and stop the rewriting of WW2 history. In other words, the US vote was an attempt to protect the apologists and reformers of the Fascist Marxism that is again spreading, and with a lot of US dollars, throughout much of Europe, even as it is implemented in the US. But rewriting and destroying our history and teaching the Anglo version in our schools is just fine...shall we teach what role Wall Street played in making all of this a reality? I bet that surely would not win a grant.

Astrakhan Regional Social Organization "Committee of Soldiers' Mothers" $25,000*
To launch a resource center for NGOs in Astrakhan oblast in Southern Russia, in order to raise the level of professionalism of the oblast’s civil society organizations, and to train young activists and leaders. Astrakhan Soldiers Mothers will also hold a number of roundtables, seminars and a conference to encourage dialogue between civil society and local government.

While this organization started out with good intentions to end dedovchina, a disgusting practice in the army, due to the still low professionalism of the weak sergeants corps, it has been cooped to hamper Russia's fight against Islamic Jihad, that the West so lovingly encourages and sponsors.


Baltic International Development Agency (BIDA) $26,700
To continue a program to strengthen nongovernmental organizations in Kaliningrad region. BIDA will continue to provide technical assistance through its NGO Information and Consulting Center, which was established in 2002 with NED support, and organize training workshops for a total of 140 NGO activists.

Kaliningrad is a strategic position that makes surrounding Russia quite a bit more difficult, especially outflanking on the Baltic Sea. I am sure these are meant to be used to paralyze the oblast as needed.

Caucasus Institute Foundation $49,000
To conduct a journalism training program targeting young journalists from Russia’s North Caucasus. The program will include courses in investigative journalism, media standards and ethics, media law, English language, and regional economics. The role of democracy and civil society in journalism will be emphasized across the curriculum. The students will hold internships, contribute to a weekly online publication, and produce their own newspaper.

After all, the Western/Saudi sponsored jihad needs a voice.

Center for Public Information $13,500
To improve the Center’s outreach to the international and domestic media, Russian and foreign NGOs, government agencies and average citizens, and to develop into a more useful and effective information resource for the NGO community. The Center will design and launch its website, which will include NGO press releases, an archive of the Chronicle of the Moscow Helsinki Group and practical advice for NGOs

Another command and control site.


Center for Social and Labor Rights $40,000
To maintain, expand and promote its interactive Internet portal, www.trudprava.ru, which fosters knowledge of labor rights and issues, and provides workers with the necessary skills to defend these rights. Launched last year, this website serves as an independent and objective source of information to help workers make informed decisions and improve their working conditions.

Russian labour has a very active role and is already well organized, just ask Ford, when they were cheap on pay. Another way to subvert a layer of society?

Centre de la Protection Internationale $50,000*
To provide advanced training on international judicial procedures to human rights lawyers from Russia and other CIS countries. The Centre serves as the Strasbourg office of the Moscow-based International Protection Center, an Endowment grantee with extensive experience assisting citizens whose rights have been violated by appealing to the European Court of Human Rights.

So let me get this straight, an EU organization that is sponsored by the US and has no legal binding jurisdiction in Russia, used by the US/EU to subvert Russian law. Hmmm, did I miss anything?

Charitable Foundation "Support of Civil Society Initiatives 'Fulcrum Foundation'" $55,000*
To develop a sense of citizenship and personal responsibility among Russian youth and support the development of civil society at the local level. Fulcrum Foundation will award approximately seven small grants of about $5,000 in support of projects conducted by youth organizations working in Russia’s regions. The Fulcrum Foundation will monitor and support the activities of the organizations that receive grants.

Can't forget about the youth...got to brainwash them young, before they get to patriotic or conservative and since Soros' Open Society is closed, it is now up to the American taxpayer to try and make our youth into their model of nihilistic pseudo savagery.

Chechen Committee for National Salvation $75,000*
To offer legal aid and support to refugees of the conflict in Chechnya. Committee staff will attempt to intervene in cases of conflicts between local residents and refugees, and will help refugees resist pressure from local authorities to return home. The Committee will also gather information about and attempt to offer assistance in instances of arrests and disappearances.

Ahh, yet again the US taxpayer defends the US/Saudi puppet jihad. Got to make sure it never settles down.


Committee against Torture (in Chechnya) $85,000*
To reduce the incidence of torture in Chechnya. The Committee will monitor and publicize cases of torture at the hands of law enforcement officials, and will offer legal aid to the victims. It will assist victims in filing criminal charges in the Russian legal system and, if necessary, in applying to have their case heard by the European Court of Human Rights.

Ah, yet more defense of Islamic jihadists from the folks who brought the world enhanced interrogation techniques and black ops torture prisons throughout the eastern Europe and Mid East and God only knows where else. Hypocrites and Islamic Jihad enablers, nothing else.


Dagestan Regional Social Organization "Informational - Analytical Center 'Rakurs'"
$50,000
To publish its biweekly newspaper, Dagestanskii Rakurs (Dagestan Perspective), the only independent human rights publication in Dagestan. Dagestanskii Rakurs covers such topics as human rights violations, NGOs and their activities, conditions in the regional prison system, interethnic and interconfessional relations, problems faced by refugees and forced migrants, ecological issues, and efforts to promote cooperation between government and the third sector.

Yet more funds to destabilize our Caucuses. About time we started this for all the American Indian reservations, Latino groups, black power groups, confederacy groups and everyone else sick and tired of tyrannical DC. Why not? It's only fair.


Foundation "Independent Press Center" $67,000
To organize discussions and press conferences on important issues in Russian social and political life. The Center will monitor press coverage of corruption, illegal actions by officials, human rights violations, and critical reports on various issues in Russia. The Center will coordinate closely with Memorial, the Moscow Helsinki Group, Human Rights Watch and numerous other civil society organizations. The Center will also assist regional journalists who have run afoul of local officials.

The Americans need to practice what they preach, as their own government and corporate press seems to miss the numerous human rights abuses both inside the US: cops beating innocent people as constantly captured by cell phones, to hellfire missiles wiping out whole villages of civilians in Pakistan and Yemen to maybe get one guy.

Information Agency 'MAXIMUM'$41,399
To cover breaking events in Chechnya, Ingushetia and areas inhabited by ethnic Ingush in North Ossetia. The Maximum Information Agency will assemble a team of correspondents to gather information from eyewitnesses, government officials, and documentary sources, write stories for editing by the program director, and send these stories out via an e-mail list.

Yet another pro-Islamic group to keep the Caucuses restless..how many does this now make for our Islamic Jihad DC enablers?

Information Agency 'Memo.ru' $85,000*
To operate its Caucasus Switchboard website (www.kavkaz.memo.ru), which provides objective news and analysis of events in the Caucasus, as well as information on the activities of civil society groups. This year, Memo.ru plans to continue to improve the quality of the independent website’s journalism, and expand outreach to an international audience with more frequent updates of the site’s English-language version.

And yet another. Layers upon layers of Jihadist apologists.

International Protection Center $60,000*
To offer free legal representation and consultations to the victims of human rights violations in Russia. For those individuals who have exhausted all available remedies under the Russian court system, the Center will help them to pursue their cases through the European Court of Human Rights or the United Nations’ Committee on Human Rights.

Yet again, an EU org with US cash that is not legally binding in Russia. Why not allow American citizens to use it against the US gov too...or do those peasants not rate this "protection"?

Karachaevo-Cherkessk Center for Social Development ‘Civic Strategy’ $25,000*
To strengthen civil society in the Republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia in the North Caucasus by providing technical support and consultation to local NGOs, as well as building a network of NGOs. Civic Strategy will gather information about local organizations, assess their needs, and establish an NGO resource center.

Another command and control for the Caucus jihad.

International Republican Institute (IRI) $600,000*
To expand its National Youth Leadership Academy (NYLA), a growing network of youth-focused NGOs, party organizations and activists, to include new regions and target new audiences of young leaders who are already inclined toward activism, but lack the knowledge, skills and peer-network support to do so. IRI will also increase networking opportunities for both new and existing NYLA chapters to help create a cohesive interregional – and eventually, national – network of young leaders.

Can't have US marxist/corporate colour revolutions without a brainwashed youth, now can we?


Kabardin-Balkar Republic Public Human Rights Center $40,000
To continue its wide-ranging program of human rights activism in the predominantly Muslim republic of Kabardino-Balkaria in the North Caucasus. The Center will render free legal aid; monitor the activity of the courts and encourage judicial, legal and other reforms that promote human rights and democracy; research Stalin-era crimes in Kabardino-Balkaria; and hold a series of roundtables and conferences to deepen local understanding of these issues.

More agitators and community organizers for Jihad.


Kolskaya Association of Women Lawyers $25,000 *
To defend victims of torture and degrading treatment, and educate activists and officials to prevent and defend against such conduct. The Association will establish a crisis center for victims of torture and degrading treatment, submit legal appeals on their behalf, train human rights activists to represent torture victims, and conduct seminars on human rights for government representatives in Murmansk oblast.

Who defends American victims of torture or even the degrading treatment that all Americans suffer from their Transportation Authority or their Police? No one, but they'll send their debt money over seas for agitation.

Mashr $54,000 *
To counter the lack of official accountability and lack of respect for human rights in Ingushetia, in the North Caucasus. Mashr will publicize incidents of kidnapping and forced disappearance, provide legal assistance to victims and their family members, encourage officials to investigate such events thoroughly, and use international judicial mechanisms to resolve such cases when necessary.

Defending Islamic jihad takes many organizations. Pony up Americans, this is for a "good" cause.


Mothers of Chechnya $52,000
To offer legal aid and advice to the families of citizens that were kidnapped or disappeared during and after the two wars in Chechnya. The Association will help relatives continue searching for their missing relatives and will help them press criminal charges or file civil suits in court. It will also continue to maintain and expand its database on cases of disappearance in Chechnya.

How about Mothers of the Victims of Chechens, to help all the families who suffered from the US/Saudi Jihad? This from a nation whose press could not even say terrorist about the slime that murdered over 200 children in Beslan.

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) $1,000,000*
To address weak party development and citizen disengagement from politics in Russia through an 18-month project surrounding municipal elections. NDI’s program will include research on voters’ policy interests; meetings among parties, CSOs and elected officials to discuss community issues; training and guided practice for parties, candidates, and CSOs on election organizing and citizen outreach; and consultations and guided practice on constituent relations with newly elected councilors. Youth groups would be specifically targeted for participation in these activities.

Got to make sure there is a viable opposition party to the One Party Two Branch rulers...oops, that's DC and there can never be allowed a real opposition there to the ponzy schemes.


Pskov Council of Soldiers' Mothers $20,000 *
To enable Russian soldiers, draftees and young people of draft age, as well as their families, to protect their legal and human rights. Pskov Soldiers’ Mothers will conduct human rights training seminars and provide legal consultations for approximately 1,000 individuals and families in Northwest Russia’s Pskov oblast.
Regional Human Rights Organization "Soldiers' Mothers of St. Petersburg"
$68,000
To conduct its Human Rights School, as well as other workshops, for thousands of draft-age youth and conscripts. It will also continue to maintain a database on draftees and servicemen in order to track cases of human rights abuse at military bases across Russia. Finally, Soldier’s Mothers will create an interactive web portal to provide legal information and advice to draftees, servicemen and their families.
Union of Committees of Soldiers' Mothers of Russia
$60,000*
To defend the legal rights of Russian servicemen. Soldiers’ Mothers will provide legal aid and education to the victims of hazing and cruel treatment in military units. It will also monitor and publish recommendations on the jurisdictional conflicts between the Military and Civilian Prosecutors that arise during hazing investigations. These conflicts stem from ambiguities in the recently amended Russian Criminal Procedure Code.


Another group subverted from a noble cause to destroying moral in the Russian army. Shame on you from taking money from those who want to enslave you.


Regional Public Organization "St. Petersburg League of Women Voters"
$45,000
To hold a series of seminars and round tables on Russian politics for young civic activists from six regions: Arkhangelsk, Vyborg, Kaliningrad, Pskov, Tver and St. Petersburg. The League will also hold legal consultations for young people at its headquarters in St. Petersburg, and will continue to publish its newspaper, The League of Women Voters.


Yet more prepping for a colour revolution and emplacement of Marxists like US sponsored puppets the Nazi National Bolsheviks.


Russian-Chechen Friendship Society $25,000
To carry out research into the possibility of a war crimes tribunal on Chechnya, in accordance with a resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe calling for the establishment of such a tribunal. This grant will serve as interim funding while the Society establishes procedures for working with its official headquarters in Finland.

Yeah, how about a war crimes tribuneral in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia (not the one already set up to try the Serbian victims but the US aggressors), Pakistan and Yemen? Oh, does not work that way you say?


Russian Union of Journalists $50,000
To monitor and research instances of violence or pressure against journalists. The Center’s staff will conduct investigations into murders, kidnappings, and other extreme forms of violence against journalists in order to determine if they are connected to these journalists’ professional activities. Regular monitoring and research will be carried out by the Center’s network of correspondents.

Thankfully the US does not have these problems since almost all journalists are bought out hacks working for one or the other branch of the One Party Two Branch system.

Swedish Helsinki Committee $65,000
To increase international awareness of war crimes in Chechnya during the second Chechen war, and of the ongoing unrest and associated abuses in the North Caucasus. The Swedish Helsinki Committee, together with the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Federation International des Droits de l’Homme, the Demos Center and the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society will hold public hearings on Chechnya in Berlin.

Another European Jihadist apologists (even as the centers of Swedish cities have been ethnically cleansed of Swedes by Jihadists) running on US monies.



Youth Human Rights Movement $75,000 *
To strengthen a network of youth NGOs and promote the development of young human rights activists. In addition to networking and training, the project will include a mini-grants and small grants program, to provide organizational and project support to smaller, regional groups that have little access to financial resources; lack management and public relations skills; and are inexperienced in running public campaigns.

Yes, Youth "rights" to grow up to be mental deliquents and social perverts just like in the West...oh what joy.


American Center for International Labor Solidarity $350,036
To address fundamental worker and human rights violations experienced by Tajik and Kyrgyz migrant workers in Russia and to improve the capacity of Kyrgyz and Kazakh trade unions. The Solidarity Center will reach out to Tajik unions and support reform-minded union leaders and NGOs. It will also assist Kyrgyz and Kazakh unions to become more democratic civil society organizations and improve internal union democracy and communication.

Another one defending illegal islamics in Russia.

Foundation for Education for Democracy $110,000*
To continue and expand its civic education and training program at the grassroots level in Russia. The Warsaw-based Foundation will oversee at least 28 train-the-trainer and basic training workshops for more than 600 activist teachers and NGO leaders from the Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad and Samara regions.

And where would all this be without our wonderful Polish neighbors, who so lovingly brought us civilization for 400 years with the sword and the torch?

Lion Society $90,168 *
To foster crossborder democracy-building program with Russia. The Lviv-based Society will organize two meetings of Ukrainian and Russian NGOs to plan joint programs, make 60 short-term travel grants to promote international partnerships, award 10 small grants for joint programs, publish a brochure on crossborder programs, and expand its website on international programs.

Yes, we all know what that means: vassal hood and poverty under the Empire. Thank you but no.

And this is just the abridged version, with almost as many not mentioned and Christ knows only how many paid off and not mentioned.

But the US runs these also even in its vassal and puppet nations (as the US concept of ally is either vassal or puppet). I guess this is better to 1. keep control and 2. promote jihad.

Tajikistan (home of a colour revolution)
Amparo Young Lawyers’ Association
$22,715
Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law
$56,700
Center for the Support of Civil Society "Kalam"
$39,085
Human Rights Centre
$39,378
Independent Private Newspaper "Tong"
$30,290 *
National Association of Independent Mass Media in Tajikistan
$42,000
NGO Fourth Power
$39,700
NGO Women Voters
$33,427
Public Association “Paritet” (Parity)
$57,286
Public Association Youth of the 21st Century
$28,987

Ukraine (home of a colour revolution)
Just the bigger ones:
All-Ukrainian Youth Civic Organization “Young Rukh”
$50,000
American Center for International Labor Solidarity
$520,000
Association “Spilnyi Prostir”
$50,000
Center for Research on Social Perspectives in the Donbas
$50,000 *
Center of Information and Documentation for Crimean Tatars
$60,000 * (Another pro-Jihadist org)
Democratic Initiatives Foundation (DIF)
$50,000 *
Europe XXI Foundation
$70,000
Freedom House - Ukraine
$50,000
Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation
$78,708 *
Luhansk Regional Women's Legal Defense Public Organization "Chaika"
$45,000 *
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
$210,000
Public Organization “Telekritika”
$60,350
School for Policy Analysis of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
$45,000*
Sumy Regional Committee of Youth Organizations
$33,000 *
Ukrainian Catholic University
$42,000
Ukrainian Center for Economic and Political Research
$50,000 *
Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR)
$70,000 *
Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHU)
$43,000 *
Youth Alternative
$98,394
Rebirth of Crimea Foundation (RCF)
$38,963
To promote civic activism in rural Crimea. The RCF, in cooperation with the Poland-based Foundation for a Democratic East, will establish multiethnic parent teacher associations, conduct 60 training workshops, and assist school newspapers and student governments in 20 rural high schools in Ukraine’s Crimea. Ten organizations will be awarded computer equipment to further their work.

Translation, to subvert the Russian and Orthodox nature of Crimea to the western pseudo Polish/Western Ukrainian Catholic puppet state.




And to keep those pesky Orthodox in Eastern Europe from slipping back into Russia's orbit, there is a host of organizations set up to control them too:

East European Democratic Center (EEDC)
$94,186
To help assist local non-state newspapers in eastern, southern, and western Ukraine. The Warsaw-based EEDC will organize a train-the-trainers seminar and provide partial support for training programs on basic newspaper journalism and management. Eight to thirteen small grants totaling $41,000 will be made to improve the content and increase the print runs of the best of these newspapers.

East European Democratic Center (EEDC)
$84,060
To foster the development of the independent local press in Central Asia. The Warsaw-based EEDC will assist newspapers in Kyrgyzstan’s Talas region and Tajikistan’s Khujand region, and will also expand its training program to Kyrgyzstan’s Issykkul region. The focus will be on helping participants to understand the democracy-building role of the local press and how they can build secure, viable, independent newspapers. Workshops for journalists, editors and publishers will be conducted in both countries.

European Institute for Democracy (EID)
$38,211
To foster an informed debate on establishing a new institution in Poland to oversee crossborder democracy-building activities. The Warsaw-based EID will collect and translate key materials on models of democracy promotion agencies; convene a two-day seminar that will bring together 15 foreign experts from government and private democracy-building organizations with 40 representatives of the Polish government; and publish the conference materials and a position paper on the discussion.

Experts without Borders
$17,720
To train former and current prodemocratic local government deputies in Belarus. Prior to the fall 2008 parliamentary elections, an Estonian local government expert will conduct 12 training workshops in 12 locations in Belarus. The workshops will cover basic local government theory and practice, important local government documents like the European Charter of Local Self-Government, and Estonia’s local government reforms from 1988 to 2007.

International Republican Institute
$350,000
To train parliamentarians and parliamentary staffers from Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in the development of parliamentary procedures and institutions. As all three countries work for Euro-Atlantic integration, IRI and its local partner, the Vilnius-based Baltic-Eurasia Inter-Parliamentary Training Institute, will continue to function as a key intermediary between the EU, Lithuania, and these emerging democracies on the borders of Europe.

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
$305,475
To conduct training seminars for political and civic activists from the Eurasia region in Poland in cooperation with the European Institute for Democracy (EID). The study missions would enable party and civic activists to meet with their counterparts in Poland and learn techniques on organization building, advocacy and election organizing skills, and coalition building. The program would also strengthen EID’s organizational capacity and long-term development.

People in Need Foundation
$68,492
To increase the skills of political leaders in Moldova and promote the development of civil society in the breakaway region of Transnistria. The project will include a six-day visit to the Czech Republic for eight to ten prodemocratic Moldovan mayors for study, training, and networking; awarding a series of small grants to Transnistrian NGOs; and a seven-day trip to the Czech Republic for ten Transnistrian activists.

People in Peril Association (PIPA)
$36,157
To strengthen the skills of journalists in Moldova. The PIPA will adapt eight case studies of investigative journalism stories that played a key role in opposing authoritarianism and promoting reform in Slovakia. The case studies will be used in a series of trainings on investigative journalism to be conducted by Slovak journalists in Chisinau, to be followed by a study visit to Bratislava and meetings with relevant Slovak media.

Polish-Czech-Slovak Solidarity Foundation
$87,446
To carry out a desktop publishing training and equipment support program for representatives of prodemocracy NGOs and independent newspapers in Eurasia. The Warsaw-based Foundation will train at least 28 activists and equip at least 14 organizations from Russia, Belarus, Moldova and the Caucasus.

Polish-Czech-Slovak Solidarity Foundation
$68,850
To conduct a crossborder media training program for independent journalists from Eurasia. The Warsaw-based Foundation will invite practitioners for media-related internships in Poland, where they will receive practical training and meet with relevant groups, activists, and government officials. This year’s program will place special emphasis on investigative journalism and the legal protection of journalists.

Prague Watchdog
$51,800
To promote human rights, humanitarian assistance and freedom of information in Russia’s North Caucasus. Prague Watchdog will continue operating its website (www.watchdog.cz), a leading source of information on the political, military, economic and humanitarian situation in Chechnya, Ingushetia and other North Caucasus republics.


Again, I must ask, why are these NGOs, plainly sponsored by a hostile power, being allowed to operate?