Since 1994, ISAR has been supporting the development of civil society in the Russian Far East. Support for citizen activism lays the foundation for justice and equality, sustainable social and economic development, and further resident participation in key social and environmental issues. We seek to partner with all those who promote informed citizen participation in public processes on local and wider levels. Sensitive to local needs, ISAR’s programs concentrate on information exchange, development of networks for cooperation, educational and consulting services, and developing constructive means of resolving social and environmental problems. All programs promote increased social activism through further development of nonprofit organizations, grassroots groups and an informed citizenry.

ISAR –RFE has received funding from the United Stated Agency for International Development (USAID), the Hewlett Foundation, Institute for Sustainable Communities, and others.

Main Activities:

• Providing consulations for nonprofit organizations throughout the Russian Far East
• Leading trainings and seminars on nonprofit organization and grassroots activity
• Publising printed and electronic materials on NGO development
• Creating information and communication structures to allow the citizens throughout the region to unite their strength.

In the past two years, the work of ISAR – Russian Far East, has strengthened its partners and clients, leading to the following results:

• In six cities of the Far East, nonprofits have participated in the lawmaking process, making possible the acceptance of regional statutes which affect the interests of nonprofits and their clients.
• In four cities of the Far East (Blagoveshchensk, Birobidzhan, Yakutsk, Khabarovsk) local nonprofits and resource centers joined the number of institutions which promote contact between nonprofits and local administrations.
• 126 non-profits and initiative groups ran socially important projects offering alternatives to ineffective or insufficient government power.
• Twenty initiative groups carried out successful social projects, and five of these groups grew into real organizations and registered as such.

Grants

ISAR-Far East continued its work with the small grants program "Support for the Grassroots’ Environmental Movement in the Far East".

• The program was funded by the Hewlett Foundation.
• The grants program staff at ISAR-Far East managed the program.
• Program consultants in various regions of the Far East helped to prepare grant applications.
• The program administration determined the financing of 1'st and 2'nd level grant projects.
• An expert board made up of leaders in the Far Eastern environmental movement determined the financing of 3'd and 4'th level grant projects.

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«The Living Sea» Public Information Campaign

This Program focused on involving the public in solving the problems of marine biological resources conservation in the Far East. The Program was been led by ISAR-RFE together with the Center for Protection of Wild Nature «Zov Taigi» between January 2000 and 2005 with the assistance of the Coalition of Environmental Nonprofit Organizations of the Far East regions. Six marine regions of the Far East were included in the Program: Primorsky krai, Khabarovsky krai, Sakhalinskaya oblast, Kamchatskaya oblast, Magadanskaya oblast and Chukotsky Autonomous Region. Financial support for the Program was provided by The Rockefeller Brothers Foundation (RBF).

For example, during 2002 the following actions were arranged as part of the information and educaiton campagin: public hearings regarding oil development on Sakhalin, a competition for methodological materials on the "Living Sea," a youth environmental monitoring program "The Summer of Living Sea," World Sea Day - the 29th of September, and much else.

The Living Sea Coalition Logo Download

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