Law and Environment Eurasia Partnership (LEEP)

LEEP's mission is to "facilitate the efforts of private foundations to support Central Asia." To meet this end, LEEP provides grant proposals from Central Asian NGOs translated into English, assists with bank transfers, issues a monthly newsletter, tracks legislative and other developments in the region, and provides other consultation when needed. LEEP operates under the auspices of six native Central Asian NGOs who share a common vision of building sustainable development and civil societies in their newly independent countries. Its Central Asian staff are acknowledged leaders in the NGO movement; its non-Central Asian staff consists of Westerners who have been involved in directing USAID development programs in Central Asia. In addition to its US office, LEEP has offices in Kazakstan and Uzbekistan.

LEEP estimates that approximately 2000 grassroots NGOs are operating in Central Asia. These NGOs are active in facilitating democratic and market reforms and have surpassed almost all of the local governmental agencies in technological expertise. Central Asian NGOs receive approximately 90% of their funding from the US government. This funding is drying up more quickly than anticipated. Little private funding has emerged to replace it. Indigenous philanthropy is just beginning to emerge. According to LEEP, without a new source of funds, half of currently active Central Asian NGOs may cease working in 1997.

Law and Environment Eurasia Partnership (LEEP) is a United States based 501(c)(3) charitable corporation formed and operating under the auspices of six indigenous Central Asian nonprofit nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) who share a common vision of building sustainable development and civil societies in Central Asia.

In Central Asia, LEEP's affiliate organizations are:

1. Aleyne (Emil Shukurov; Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan):
   [email protected]

2. Ashgabad Ecological Club, CATENA (Andrei Aranbaev; Ashgabad, Turkmenistan):
   [email protected]

3. Dashkhovuz Ecological Guardians (Andrei Zatoka; Dashkhovuz, Turkmenistan):
   [email protected]

4. Ecolog (Oleg Tsaruk; Tashkent, Uzbekistan):
   [email protected]

5. Green Salvation (Sergei Kuratov; Almaty, Kazakstan):
   [email protected]

6. Interlegal Almaty (Sergei Zlotnikov; Almaty, Kazakstan):
   [email protected]

LEEP produces a monthly journal of environmental and democratic development essays, Ecostan News, which is published in English, Russian, and German editions. Also, LEEP provides technical, financial, and informational assistance to a broad range of native Central Asian NGOs. LEEP may be reached at their Connecticut office listed above.

Last updated:    May 1996

A print version of much of the information contained in this NIS Third Sector Organizations section can be found in the The Post-Soviet Handbook (Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1999).

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