BRIDGES, 2017 - 2018

BRIDGES, workshop in Helsinki, June 2017

BRIDGES, guided tour during workshop in Helsinki, June 2017

BRIDGES, Visit to the Nordic House durig seminar in Copenhagen, November 2017

BRIDGES, one of the wokshops during the NGO-conference in Arkhangelsk, May 2017

BRIDGES, visit to the Red Square in Moskva on the way home from the NGO conference in Arkhangelsk, May 2027 (1 month before WM in footbold started in Russia)

Nordic and Russian NGOs building bridges

Interfolk was coordinator of the 18 months NGO project: “Nordic and Russian NGOs building bridges (BRIDGES)” supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Open Call for co-operation with Northwest Russia.

The partnership circle

included two Russian organisations and three Nordic organisations from the ares of culture and liberal dult education.

Interfolk, Institute for Civil Society (DK).

Hans Jørgen Vodsgaard, Head of Institute

GARANT - Regional charity NGO Arkhangelsk Centre of social technologies.

Tatiana Burieva, Deputy Director
Pskov Regional Public Organization «Centre for Sustainable Development”.

Semyon Nikonov, Director
Suomi–Venäjä seura (Finland-Russia Society).
Päivi Kärnä, Director
Husavik Academic Centre, Iceland.

Gréta Bergrún Jóhannesdóttir, project leader

Background

During the last years the collaboration between NGOs in the north-west of Russia and Nordic countries has been gradually declining because of the changes in the political situation with sanctions and other actions undertaken by Russia and European countries; adaptation of the Russian "foreign agent" policy; and reduction of funding for joint projects.

Currently there is a huge lack of collaboration between Nordic and Russian NGOs, and an urgent need of people-to-people contact with cross-border cooperation and joint projects between NGOs and their local partners.

Aim and objectives

The partnership circle consist of three Nordic NGOs and two Russian NGOs that share the intention of promoting renewed networks and collaboration between NGOs in Northwest Russia and the Nordic countries.

Our objectives are:

To map NGOs in the North of Russia and Nordic countries which are interested in developing cross-border cooperation and making a database with not less than 30-40 Russian and 30-40 Nordic organisations;
To organize activities aimed at discussion of main themes of Nordic-Russian NGOs’ cooperation, joint initiates, their validity, correspondence to the legislation in each of the countries participating in the project, stakeholders and potential funders;
To provide an exchange of expertise and best practices of Nordic and Russian NGOs;
To engage local authorities, mass media and state institutions in joint initiatives of Nordic-Russian NGOs.

Activities

The project team will deliver the following final products:

A database of Nordic and Russian NGOs, containing ideas for joint projects; best practices, include not less than 30-40 Russian and 30-40 Nordic organisations;
5 workshops and a conference are organized within the project period to support development of joint projects of Nordic-Russian NGOs; the presentation of joint initiatives of Nordic-Russian NGOs is made;
A Project website is made for dissemination of information support to NGOs elaborating joint projects. The database is placed on the website.

Outcome

The projevt tean managed to provide a well-functioning database to find partneres between Nordic and Russian NGOs, but it all fall apart with Russia's invention of Ukraine, February 2022.

Some months later, The Nordic Cluncil of Ministers terminated the Programmes for Nordic and Russian cooperation, and this project's Contact Database did loose its meaning.

A sad conclusion of the else positive and constructive cross-border cooperation with other Russian NGOs.

More information

Project application text, after approval

Task plan

First phase: Initiate the project work. April – June 2017/ 3 months
1) Start‐up management. April. P1, IF
2) Initial mapping, plan mapping methodology. May – June. P2, GA
3) Design the database and project website May – June. P2, GA
4) 1‐day Workshop in Helsinki, 13 June 2017. P4, FRS
5) First 1‐day partner meeting in Helsinki, 14 June 2017. P4, FRS

Second phase: Deliver results. July – Nov 2017/ 5 months
6) Complete mapping, all partners. July – Nov. P5, HAC
7) 1‐day Workshop, Sept 2017 in Husavik, IS. July ‐ Sept 2017. P5, HAC
8) 1‐day Workshop, Sept 2017 in Arkhangelsk. July ‐ Sept. P2, GA
9) 1‐day Workshop, Oct 2017 in Pskov July ‐ Oct. P3, PSK
10) 1‐day Workshop, 28 Nov 2017 in Copenhagen Aug ‐ Nov. P1, IF
11) Second 1‐day meeting, 29 Nov in Copenhagen Aug ‐ Nov. P1, IF

Third phase: Disseminate results. Dec 2017 – Aug 2018 /10 months
12) Launch the database. Dec 2017 – Feb 2018. P2, GA
13) Extra dissemination and exploitation. Jan – Aug 2018. P4, FRS
14) Counselling services. Jan – Aug 2018. P5, HAC
15) Nordic‐ Russian 2‐day conference in Arkhangelsk. May 2018. P2, GA
16) Third partner meeting in Arkhangelsk. May 2018. P2, GA
17) Follow-up planning. May – Aug 2018. P1, IF

Whole period: Transversal tasks April 2017 – Sep 2018 /18 months
18) Transverse dissemination. May 2017 – Aug 2018. P2, GA
19) Transversal evaluation. April 2017 – Sep 2018. P1, IF
20) Project management. April 2017 – Sep 2018. P1, IF