Information and Analytical Center of Nizhny Novgorod Society for Human Rights
SECTION 6
REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT
General characteristic of the human right movement in the region
The human right movement in the region differs in dynamical development and actively influences upon public life. Human right organization are not incorporated in general movement, but the active contacts and constant cooperation allow to speak about uniform human right community.
The most active human right organizations began to be created in the region during 1989-1992. The Nizhniy Novgorod group of International human right society is the first human right organization in Povolzhye. In 1993 the group founded the Human Right Society of Nizhniy Novgorod, which became the most powerful organization in the region. The Nizhniy Novgorod regional Committee of soldiers' mothers, ecological center "Dront" and Dzerzhinskiy human right group recommended themselves with their human right activity, the activity of social political clubs "Narodovlastiye" and "Grazhdanskaya initsiativa" and an independent trade union SOCPROF" is known.
The level of a legal and organizational literacy of the chiefs and members of these organizations has considerably grown during last years. The using of modern technologies of management, development of an information network and also developing interaction and cooperation with national and international human right organizations make much influence.
More than 30 human right public organizations and groups work in the region, the majority of them constantly cooperates with traditional human right centers. The practice of mass and gross violations of human rights in the region, and also active public position of citizens stimulate engaging to human right activity new people and groups, which actively assert human rights and freedoms. If for new created groups their developing as independent organization is urgent, for developed human right organizations professionalism and specialization in spheres of protection of human rights are most important today.
Various international funds and organizations rendering methodical, informative and financial support play a large role in development of human right organizations. Due to professional work on the various projects, human right organizations received unique experience on work and a possibility of stable development. Human right organizations find public support, actively use their contacts with mass media for propagation their ideas. The cooperation of Human Right Society of Nizhniy Novgorod, Centre "Dront" and Dzerzhinskiy human right group with experts, teachers, scientific allowed to achieve a level of efficient and professional setting of problems connected with ensuring human rights. High professionalism of active workers of human right organizations and the cooperation with experts determined high potential and influence of these organizations. The cooperation with public authorities within frameworks of joint programs and development of educational projects on human rights were a positive result.
Fundamental human right organizations
The Human Right Society of Nizhniy Novgorod, Ecological Centre "Dront" and the Nizhniy Novgorod regional Committee of soldiers' mothers are fundamental human right organizations. These organizations have wide popularity and a significant support of volunteers.
Special state bodies providing protection of human rights and their experience in interaction with human right organizations
Human Right Commission at the governor of the Nizhniy Novgorod region is a special body on protection of human rights. The commission discharges consultative functions, and also can consider citizens' petitions connected with rough and mass violations human rights. But the governor of the Nizhniy Novgorod region ignores the activity of the Commission, as a rule.
The interaction of public associations with public authorities and local self-government and their officials is adjusted by the federal Act of Russian Federation "About public associations". By this law, in particular, it is ordered, that the interposition of public authorities and their officials into activity of public associations, as interposition of public associations into activity of public authorities and their officials are not supposed, except cases stipulated by the acting of federal legislation. According to the law public authorities also provide an observance of the rights and legitimate interests of public associations, render support their activity, including financing some public useful programs. At the same time in practice it is very uneasy for human rights organizations to achieve premises for offices, privileges on rent and payment of public utilities.
The relations of public organizations with state bodies develop uneasy. Non-taking critics, public publicity makes the officials have a uncooperative altitude to human right activists, it results in the obvious or hidden ignoring of the law. And only positive offers, joint work allow to overcome this antagonism.
The specificity of human right work makes contacts with state bodies obligatory. According to this fact the most part of work of public organizations is connected to preparation of different references, letters, applications, petitions to the officials and public authorities.
Assessment of the regional human rights community in 1998 and changes that took place
In 1998 the activity of human rights organizations and groups increased, it is especially necessary to note the tendency of formation and development of human rights groups in cities and areas of the region.
Last year was marked with public attention to violations of elective rights. First of all it is necessary to note mass violations admitted by authority at the cancellation of elective results of the mayor of Nizhniy Novgorod. The participation human right organizations in these conflicts had a value in the public opinion. The activity of Human Rights Society of Nizhniy Novgorod played a large role. On the peak of public interest to these events new human right organizations: NRS "All-Russia Human Rights Union", NRSU "Nizhegorodskiy non-governmental human right center" realized themselves. A large association of citizens with human right orientation "Human Right center of A. Klimentyev" was formed, which members actively participated in the public actions in protection of elective rights. These and other human right actions involved new active workers and volunteers into participation in the work.
The judiciary, which requires deep reforming and now is not the indemnity of fair judicial proceedings and observance of equality of citizens' rights to the law, is the great interest for human rights organizations in 1998. According to opinion of human rights activists the activity of local prosecutor's offices can have no critics. There are a lot of claims to law-enforcement bodies.
In public conflicts in 1998 it became obvious, that the members of human rights organizations got sufficient experience in human rights activity and can efficiently represent citizens' interests at different authorities. The legal knowledge of the active workers and volunteers of human rights organizations increased.
In 1998 for the first time human rights organizations combined action on observance of lawfulness at conducting local elections and for organizing and conducting of measures devoted to 50 years of adoption of the General Declaration of human rights. Due to work of public organizations this anniversary became an appreciable event for the Nizhniy Novgorod region. The competition of school and student's works devoted to human rights was conducted for the first time in the region. Many participants from 150 ones began taking active part in human rights organizations and specializing in questions of human rights. December 9, 1998 the representatives of public organizations, teachers and experts showed the possibility of mutual cooperation, taking active part in the regional conference "Human Rights in the Nizhniy Novgorod region: achievements and problems". Journalists began illuminating human rights subjects much more widely.
In 1998 the Association of human rights organizations was created, which purpose is the coordination of actions in case of mass violations of human rights. On premeditation of the initiators, the Association is not a legal organization and each member of it has the right to maintain or not to maintain joint actions.
Facts of persecution of human rights activists and human rights organizations in connection with their public activity
The practice of open persecution of human rights activists was not conducted after 1991 by imperious bodies. But unfriendly relation of many officials to the activity of human rights activists, to the publications of their materials in press resulted in administrative limitations for human rights organizations and their separate active workers.
As a rule, the participation in human rights activity limits for human rights activists the possibility of state service. The conflict of interests of state authority and human rights organizations creates an obviously unequal and prejudiced relation of the chiefs of state bodies to the members of public organizations.
For example, the work of the Nizhniy Novgorod regional Committee of soldiers' mothers with the beginning in 1995 of the Chechen war was maintained by the administration of the Nizhniy Novgorod region. But active work of the Committee, its demands in following the law evoked an negative attitude of the officials of regional administration, after that the Committee of soldiers' mothers according to a far-fetched excuse was dispossessed of premises. The conflict of interests of the Committee and the Department on servicemen of the regional administration resulted in creation of Council of soldiers' mothers, which has only humanitarian activity.
Development prospects of human rights movement in the region
The development prospects of human rights movement are more optimistical in comparison with other public organizations, which can become one of fundamental factors in creating of civil society. Further professionizing of human rights organizations can determine the growth of influence upon setting state tasks by them. The important factor in this case has further expansion of cooperation with scientists, teachers of high SCHOOLS and experts, engaging to human rights activity of the students, future lawyers. The right protective legal community can become the most constructive force during state reforming in the long term.
The expansion of human right activity in areas will render positive influence upon growth of legal conscience of citizens. In connection with a crisis status and stagnation of institutes of state authority, the demand for human right activity constantly increases. The influence of human rights organizations increases too.
But the base for development of human rights organizations is extremely limited. The possibility of their efficient work depends on granting by international funds. The system of state competitive support of public programs is not still created. Much depends on changes in revenue laws in the part of fiscal incentives, and also on support of volunteer programs.
The development of special state bodies on protection of human rights has a great value. The success of their activity depends on support of their non-governmental organizations.