I. The New Tax Code Will Put Half of Russia's Charitable Organizations in Jeopardy
In September, a second round of hearings on the proposed tax code will begin in the Duma. In response to this, members of a group advocating the amendment of new tax code provisions for charitable organizations appealed to everyone working in Russia's philanthropic sector to join forces and urge the government to revise the code. Included in the group were representatives from the Association of Russian Banks, the Chamber of Commerce, various charitable organizations and several Duma deputies. The group stated that the government should expand the official categories of citizens who are eligible for tax-exempt status (refugees, invalids, etc.) and adopt amendments concerning taxes levied on property given in the capacity of a charitable donation. H.F. Burtsevoi, director of the legal service CAF-Moscow, stated that if amendments to the new tax code aren't adopted, no less than 50% of Russia's charitable organizations will cease to exist.
II. A New Regional Social Center is Formed -- "Ecology & Social Justice"
The "Ecology & Social Justice" Center was created by a group of lawyers interested in upholding the rights declared in the Russian Federation's constitution--in particular, the right to live in a healthy environment and the right to free speech. The Center will defend the ecological and social rights of citizens and organizations within the Federation's court system. Members of the Center consider this to be particularly vital given that currently in Russia it is very difficult to win a legal action concerning a citizen's right to non-hazardous environmental conditions (for example, in cases where a citizen is seeking compensation for damaged health or property due to environmental conditions).
Contact telephone: (095) 292-0254
III. Network of Regional Resource Centers Begins in Kaluzhskoi, Tverskoi, Tul'skoi & Moskovskoi Oblasts
The goal of this new network of resource centers is to increase the effectiveness and stability of non-commercial organizations in the four oblasts. Available at the centers will be information on various local, regional, and international resources for NGOs, as well as information about groups interested in potential partnerships. The centers will also provide training sessions on such topics as organizational development, tax issues for NGOs, and legislation that impacts the third sector. Financial backing for the network comes from a grant from USAID.
Contact telephone: (095) 958-21-72/958-24-06
Fax: (095) 958-51-30
E-Mail: [email protected]
IV. St. Petersburg NGOs Demonstrate in Support of Civil Rights in Belarus
On the 12th of August, in front of the CIS General Assembly Building in St. Petersburg, representatives from various NGOs and political parties gathered to stage a demonstration in support of civil rights for citizens and journalists in Belarus. Among the demonstrators were representatives from "Young Christian Democrats" and "Citizens' Control" (NGOs) and local members of the Democratic Choice of Russia political party. The event was countered by a noisy anti-demonstration, organized by representatives from "Working Russia" and the National Bolshevik Party.
Among the demonstrators' demands were the immediate release of imprisoned ORT journalists Pavel Sheremet, Dmitri Zavadskoi and Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov, and the assurance from Russian media directors that journalists be able to work in Belarus without fear of pressure or threats from the Belarusian government, in accordance with international law. Demonstrators sent letters to Russian Federation president Boris Yeltsin and CIS General Assembly Chairman Yegor Stroev urging the Russian government and the General Assembly to support freedom of the press in Belarus.
V. "Northern Correspondent" An Old Name for a New Publication
The Center for the Support of Non-Commercial Organizations in Archangelsk has published the first issue of the "Northern Correspondent," a newspaper for NGOs. In the 1920s, a newspaper for a local hobbyist club was published under the same name, but today's "Northern Correspondent" is aimed at the more than 600 registered NGOs in the Archangelsk region rather than collectors. The newspaper will deal with such issues as the government's role in resolving social problems, how NGOs can better help people, and many others.
Contact telephone: (8182) 44-1523
E-Mail: [email protected]
VI. Will the "Novyi Nizhnii" Foundation Continue?
In June of this year the "Novyi Nizhnii" foundation ceased operations. The foundation, created by former governor Boris Nemtsov, was the best-known charitable organization in the region. It united businesses interested in giving to charity with organizations for the needy. Among the recipients of "Novyi Nizhnii" funds were an orphanage, a psychiatric hospital and a local newspaper for the disabled, as well as several schools and children's clubs. However, after Nemtsov's departure from the governorship to Moscow, the foundation closed. Irina Simonenko, former director of the foundation, expressed hopes that the oblast's new governor, Ivan Sklyarov, would continue the "tradition of charity" and re-open the foundation.
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