As the new war in Chechnya escalates, the role of NGOs based in the troubled regions of the North Caucasus increases. Local organizations are faced with two gigantic tasks - assisting hundreds of thousands of victims and (implicitly) attempting to contain and minimize violence. Though the capacity of local NGOs remains quite limited, their simple presence in the region means a great deal to various international organizations, which hope to bring assistance to the war torn areas.
In a sense, now is pay off time for any investments in the NGO sector of the North Caucasus. In the last issue of the "Monitor" we wrote about how the activities of local and Moscow-based NGOs helped prevent the development of an inter-ethnic conflict in Dagestan. We continue to monitor the situation in that region. However, today an extremely important task lies in front of NGOs located in Ingushetia, which currently hosts the bulk of the refugees from war-torn Chechnya.
1. Centre for Peacemaking and Community Development is assisting Chechen Refugees in Ingushetia.
Despite the tragic situation currently developing in the North Caucasus, the Centre for Peacemaking and Community Development, which we wrote about in the March issue of the "Monitor", is currently continuing and expanding its operations in this violent region. The new war in Chechnya forced the Centre to move its operations to neighboring Ingushetia - an area that hosted over 200,000 internally displaced people from Chechnya.
In such a difficult situation the Centre for Peacemaking and Community Development expanded its activities. Today's activities of CPCD include:
Continuing psychological rehabilitation work with children. CPCD moved its staff who managed the "Little star" center in Grozny (see the March issue of the "Monitor") to a number of refugee camps in Ingushetia. Tents were set up in 4 such camps where CPCD staff continues to work with children, traumatized by the war. These include the "Severnaya tochka" camp near the town of Sleptsovskaya and 3 refugee camps around Karabulak. Currently there are 15 people continuing this type of work. Also, CPCD plans to take a group of 50 refugee children out to Nalchik (Kabardino-Balkaria) for a three-week rest every month.
Another important activity of the Centre for Peacemaking and Community Development is distribution of humanitarian aid. CPCD has already distributed a few thousand blankets and warm clothes for refugee children. A new program that CPCD is currently becoming involved in is the distribution of 2000 food parcels to refugee families. The plan is to provide such aid once every two weeks.
Currently CPCD has an office in the "Assa" hotel in Nazran.
The activities of CPCD as well as of other similar organizations clearly highlight the important role that NGOs may play during such tragic events as the ones we currently see developing in the North Caucasus.
Address: Nazran, "Assa" hotel, room 203
Ingushetia, Russian Federation
Tel.: (87322)-63203
Contact person: Murat Tangiev, Adlan Adaev
2. Reconstruction and reconciliation efforts in Dagestan.
In the last issue of the "Monitor" we wrote about the important work, which was carried out by local and Moscow-based NGOs during the military conflict on the Chechen-Dagestan border. We shared our opinion that these efforts plaid an important role in preventing a further escalation of violence and the development of an inter-ethnic conflict in Dagestan. Today these same NGOs are working on reconstruction and reconciliation in the areas, affected by the fighting.
The idea of the program is to use the process of restoring houses, destroyed during the war, in order to unite representatives of various ethnic groups, living in and around the areas affected by military action. Among the people of Dagestan a tradition of "peoples construction" exists, when local communities unite to help people, who require assistance in building homes.
As a first step, on November 11 the Dagestan Regional Charitable Fund "Salvation" began assisting reconstruction efforts in the Novolak district of Dagestan. A number of houses were repaired by a group of builders representing various ethnic communities. Focus was made on restoring those houses that did not require serious capital investment. This mainly involved repairing roofs and windows, in order to create the minimal living conditions. Especially important was the active involvement of Dagestan Chechens in repairing houses of people, that suffered from the aggression, which came from neighboring Chechnya. The "Monitor" wrote about the tensions that developed between Dagestan Chechens and other Dagestan peoples as a consequence of the fighting in August-September 1999. The active involvement of local Chechens in the reconstruction efforts in the Novolak district of Dagestan helps in restoring decent relationships between them and other ethnic communities, preventing the development of "enemy images" inside the Dagestan society.
Today the Dagestan Regional Charitable Fund "Salvation" is actively seeking funds to continue this important program that has both a humanitarian and psychological aspect.
Address: Hasavyurt, Zarechnaja st. 63
368005, Dagestan, Russian Federation
Chair: Djavtaev Umar Hamzatovich.
Tel.: (872310)-4126
3. The Association of conflictologists of the Stavropol Region wins prize for its work with traumatized children.
The Moscow Open Society Institute has awarded the Association of conflictologists of the Stavropol region with the prize in honor of Mother Theresa. This was done in recognition of the work that was carried out by a group of local psychologists that helped children, who suffered psychological trauma during a terrorist raid on the city of Budyennovsk in June 1995.
The first phase of this program took place during the fall - winter 1998-99. 4 professional psychologists who have worked on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) trained a local team of 5 local people (graduates of local institutes in the fields of pedagogic and psychology). Following the training, work was carried out with 171 children, who were diagnosed with PTSD among nearly 1000 tested. Most of these children suffered during the terrorist attack on Budyenovsk in June 1995, during the war in Chechnya. The treatment brought results - children began doing better in school, stopped suffering from nightmares, etc.
Most of the funding for the first stage of the program was provided by the Russian social- political movement "Yabloko".
Based on the first stage of the program, a project was prepared aimed to expand the treatment to all Budyennovsk children, traumatized during the terrorist act and to involve their parents in the therapy. The local administration contributed to the program by providing an office and some salaries for local psychologists. The "Yabloko" movement is currently discussing the possibility of continued funding and the prize, received from the Open Society Institute will certainly contribute to the continuation of this important work.
Address: Lenin sq. 1, room 115
Stavropol, 355000 Russian Federation
Tel.: (8652) 26-76-36
Contact: Berdnik Alexander Andreevich
View general information about this project
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