Another take on the last 20 years of civil society developmenht in Russia from outside of Moscow. regional perspective.

1. Analysis from Siberia: A New
Paradigm for Democracy and Civil
Society Development in Russia
Sarah Lindemann-Komarova
April 2012

2. What is democracy?
The first association that comes
to mind is……

3. I have been asking that question in Siberia
since 1992 and the first answer is always…
FREEDOM.
This is usually followed by a list of specifc
freedoms (speech, religion etc.).

4. Only occasionally, after I have resorted to
begging people to think of other associations,
does someone suggest “responsibility” in
relation to democracy…
freedom without responsibility may not be
anarchy but it certainly isn’t democracy.

5. What is civil society?
THE T
SPACE
between government, work and
между государство, работой и
домом, в которомpeople can act
home, where люди выражать
collectively and realize their
себя через следование личным
интересам, potential by pursuing
individual которые могут быть
interests that can be anything from
какими угодно, от спорта до
organizing a sports club to
общественного блага.
participating in a community clean-
up.

6. This understanding provides us with
two parameters for measuring civil
society:
• The size of the space: Is
it being limited? If yes,
how, why and by whom
(is there a reasonable
justification for this)?
• Activities taking place
in the space: Number
and type of people,
range of activities and
issues being addressed
(are they increasing or
decreasing and why)?

7. 1992: Fundamental baseline observation
The appearance of
democracy
corresponded to a
catastrophic decrease in
the quality of life for
most people. This meant
that the people
promoting the case for
democracy, had to
demonstrate it’s
connection to improved
quality of life with
concrete, practical,
measurable results.

8. Ira, student, Novosibirsk State University, 1992:
“Time was running out and our country was literally shaking from all the
events. The August coup was the origin of the complete impoverishment of
the whole nation. I’d like to tell you one really impressive fact. During this
summer (1992) the salary of the leading science researcher from the Institute
of Thermophysics was nearly 900 rubles (per month). What could he buy? 4
kilograms of butter for 800 rubles or maybe 3 kilograms of good sour cream
for 850 rubles?
In comparison, in 1989, his salary was 445 rubles per month and he could
buy nearly 148 kilograms of butter. We can only admire his devotion to
research. this situation really killed a lot of
talented scientists who couldn’t stand Poverty level
these humiliating conditions. Russia:
For example, one department of the
Institute of Thermophysics buried 3 gifted 1993 30,9% 2005 13.5%
scientists between the ages of 50-60 1994 23,1% 2008 13.4%
in three months.”
• 1998 24,6% 2010 12.6%
1999 34,1% 2011 12.8%
2004 17.6% 2012 13.5%**

9. The strategy we developed to support civil society in this
challenging environment involved “mobilization through the
development of partnerships” and looks like this:

10. There are 2 primary objectives
• Objective №1: Strengthened infrastructure of
mechanisms, policies and procedures that
not only allow for, but, require citizen
participation in all aspects and level of
governance.
• Objective №2: Increased understanding and
belief by people that they can, should and
must take responsibility for the quality of life
in their communities and the country as a
whole and that good governance and
improved quality of life are only possible
when all people are involved in this process.

11. This approach was applied by the Siberian
Civic Initiatives Support Center in Novosibirsk
and other NGOs in the Russian regions that
serve as centers for civil society development.
The following are an example of key results:

12. 1995: No government competitions to support civic initiatives,
NGOs or social projects.
2013: In Novosibirsk Oblast alone 70, 000, 000 rubles
($2,333,333) will be disseminated in competitions to support
civic initiatives.

13. 1995: No mechanisms to support civic initiatives and citizen
participation in governance
Today: More than 323 mechanisms in 11 Siberian
Regions
(picture from NGO Fair in Novosibirsk below)

14. The following chart shows the development dynamics
for these mechanisms in the regions. There are 2
positive indicators: the increase in number of
mechanisms and the increase in the number of
mechanisms established on the basis of a
citizen/government partnership.

15. Red = Government initiative
Blue = Partnership initiative (government/citizen, NGO
Green = Mayoral initiative
Yellow = Citizen, NGO initiative
Purple = Partnership initiative (Business/NGO, citizen

16. Another interesting element in the chart – the increase of
mechanisms in 2003 and 2007. This could be a demonstration of
resonance from federal level initiatives (Civic Forum in 2001 and
Law #131 on Local-Self Governance in 2006), that made it easier
for activists to promote citizen participation and partnership with
regional and local government who had gotten the signal from
Moscow this was now expected of them.

17. Until last year the only strategic target that had not
yielded a result was the meaningful participation of
regional representatives on the federal level
decision making process in relation to the
development and support of civil society in the
regions. Then….

18. 2012 Federal Level – Representatives from
regional NGOs that support civil society were
included as experts by the Ministry of
Regional Economic Development

19. Lessons learned by generating these positive
results yielded a new paradigm for democracy
and civil society development.

20. Elements of this paradigm are
presented here in comparison to
the “transitional” or “traditional”
paradigm for democratic
development that is often
associated with western
development efforts. However,
the work that yielded the “new”
paradigm was also primarily
funded by western donors.

21. Strategic Focus
Transitional New/Siberian
Paradigm Paradigm
Freedom Responsibility
Свобода Ответственность
Human rights Quality of life
Права человека Качество жизни
NGO development Community social and
Развитие economic development
общественных Социально-экономическое
организаций развитие сообщества
Elections Other forms of participation
Выборы Другие формы участия

22. Transitional Paradigm New/Siberian Paradigm
Tactical Approach Strategic Approach
Тактический подход Стратегический подход
Civil society is equated with human Civil society is equated with anyone
rights and NGOs who chooses to use the space
Гражданское общество = права Гражданское общество = любой,
человека + НКО кто решает этим заняться
PR One on one organizing
Пиар Мобилизация каждого
индивидуально

23. Transitional Paradigm New/Siberian Paradigm
Speaking Listening and hearing
Говорить Слушать
Criticism /demands Partnership/ offering what you have to give
Критика и требования Партнерство и предложение
поддержки
Being against something Being for something
Быть против Быть за

24. A problem….
The “transitional”
paradigm has generated
unintended negative
results for Russian
NGOs and an often
inaccurate assessment
of the status,
weaknesses and
sources of those
weaknesses of civil
society in Russia and,
thus, understanding of
how to positively impact
on the situation.

25. A possible explanation…
Hans Rosling, expert on economic,
agriculture and health development
and a founder of the statistical program
«Gapminder», provided an analysis of
development in its broadest sense. The
following chart provides a possible
explanation why the “transitional”
paradigm generates unintended
negative results, it confuses the goals
of development with the means for
development.

26. Hans Rosling ‘s “Dimensions of Development” identifies human
rights, culture and environment as the goals and the path to
achieve them is through economic development, good
governance and education.
Средства для развития Цель
Means Goal
Права человека
Human Rights + +++
Окружающая среда
Environment + ++
Управление
Governance ++ 0
Экономический рост
Economic Development +++ 0
Образование
Education ++ +
Здоровье
Health + ++
Культура
Culture + +++

27. That means everything is okay
based on the results that have
been achieved? ….NO!

28. For example, of the 323 mechanisms
mentioned, the number of those
operating effectively are……ZERO….

29. Effective Community
Governance Model
we have been
Engaging
promoting Citizens
since 2006
1 3
4 3
Getting
Things Measuring
Done 2 Results
(Public &
Private )
• The four “Advanced Governance Practices” are represented by the overlapping
areas in the figure, which represent alignment of “core community skills” as follows:
• Community Problems Solving: Aligns “Engaging Citizens” and “Getting Things
Done.”
• Organizations Managing for Results: Aligns “Measuring Results” and “Getting
Things Done.”
• Citizens Reaching for Results: Aligns “Engaging Citizens” and “Measuring Results.”
• Communities Governing for Results: Aligns all three core skills.
• Copyright Paul Epstein 2005

30. In the small cities, towns and villages using the model
the results have been: more things are happening and
more community members are included in the process,
BUT, the measuring results component is not
developing.

31. Our approach also recognizes and promotes 5
roles of citizen engagement: the level of citizen
participating in all roles is increasing EXCEPT
for citizens as evaluators.
Role Description
Citizens as….
Stakeholders Anyone who cares about an issue and
can be mobilized to address it.
Advocates Help to create a platform with a long
term strategy to address an issue
Issue framers Identify problems, priorities, solutions
and acceptable compromises
Evaluators Provide objective fact based
assessments of community
development, projects and programs
Collaborators Those engaged in mutually beneficial
relationships targeted at improving
quality of life in the community

32. Overall status of civil society?
What’s happening in the space?
There is an increased
number of people,
organizations and
institutions active in the
civil society space and
an increase in the types
of activities and range
of issues they are
addressing.
Still, quantity and
effort does not equal
quality and results.

33. Overall status of civil society?
The size of the space?
The shape of the space is in the
process of being adjusted
primarily through legislation
generated by government.
The debate is whether these
initiatives are appropriate in
relation to the need to
balance other interests such
as transparency in the case of
financial reporting for NGOs
so public trust and support
(currently very low) will
increase or authorized places
and times for protests so non
protesters are minimally
inconvenienced.

34. The key constraint to addressing this
effectively….
There is often a politicized,
rather than practical, result
driven approach from the
government and response
from NGOs who present
themselves as
representatives of civil
society without any
legitimate claim to doing so.
So, sub-optimum results for
everyone.
Arguments need to be
knowledge and fact based
even if they are emotion
driven. Therefore….

35. The next strategic focus must be
promoting evaluation as an essential
element in all forms of activity (NGOs,
government departments, programs,
projects, councils, the processes that are
shaping civil society etc.)

36. …and continue to promote an increased understanding
of the responsibility of every citizen, business and
government bureaucrat to establish a just democracy in
Russia, because….

37. “Wherever democracy has fallen, it was too exclusively
political in nature. It had not become part of the bone
and blood of people in daily conduct. Unless democratic
habits of thought are part of the fiber of a people,
political democracy is insecure.”
John Dewey, American philosopher and father of
“democratic” education

38. THEREFORE

39. The process continues….

40. as we dream and work towards an improved
quality of life for everyone. Thank You.
ECHOSiberia@gmail.com