Russia project work

15 July 2004

Russia project work

The ERRC secured four special grants to undertake project work on Russia during the period, and these have considerably expanded ERRC capacities in both ERRC Programmes and the ERRC Legal Department. In addition to activities detailed elsewhere, of particular relevance for ERRC Research and Policy are the following:

• "Researching and Defending Roma/Gypsy Rights in Russia" (November 1, 2003 - March 31, 2005) supported by the Global Opportunities Fund of the Foreign Commonwealth Office (United Kingdom). The project includes extensive human rights documentation and field research to result inter alia in the preparation of an ERRC Country Report on the human rights situation of Roma in Russia. Other project components include litigation and human rights training.
• "Monitoring and Defence of the Rights of Roma and Other Gypsy-like Minorities in the Caucasus and Russia" supported by the Human Rights and Peace-building Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands). It provides supplementary funding toward the Country Report, litigation, human rights training and network-building activities envisioned under the Global Opportunities Fund project.
• "Improving Public Perception of Roma in Russia through the Media", supported by the OSI Media Network Program. The project will support and develop activities of the "Romani Duma" (Samara) and "Romano Kher" (Moscow) in the field of Roma media and media publishing and broadcasting on Roma rights issues. The aim of the project is to publish materials on Roma rights issues in an insert to Samara's (Volga region) leading newspaper and broadcast on a major Moscow radio 1-hour weekly programmes on Roma issues and other Gypsy-type minorities for central Russia.

For further information about ERRC activities in Russia, please contact Leonid Raihman: raihman@policy.hu