Since 1999, our partner organization the ‘Centre for Peacebuilding and Community Development’ Russian Charitable Fund, has been supporting a peacebuilding network with coordinators in six republics of the North Caucasus – Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachaevo-Cherkessia, North Ossetia. The network aims to strengthen links and improve communication between non-governmental organizations and young people in the North Caucasus so that they can engage in cross-border communication and dialogue, share experience and information, engage in joint projects and reduce their isolation. The network provides training in peacebuilding and conflict management. To build trust among ordinary people, such contact within the North Caucasus and between the North Caucasus and other parts of Russia is essential. The training work that we do is a natural forum to bring groups together, offering a common focus and cause.

Training people in conflict resolution and conflict transformation techniques, including good communication skills is important to equip people with the tools to build peace. The experience of Peacebuilding UK and our partners shows that many people in the North Caucasus, from school pupils and students to road police and local government representatives are keen and see the usefulness of such tools. The network brings people from around the North Caucasus together for training seminars and other events, and has also organized exchanged programmes for young people from North Russia and the North Caucasus, designed to promote awareness and understanding of each others’ lives and culture.

Peacebuilding UK and local partners opened a human rights centre in Grozny in late 2006, which provides pro bono legal counselling to clients and represents them in local courts. The general aims of this project are to promote the Rule of Law and help to restore public trust in the legal system. The centre generally receives 5 to 10 clients each day, 8 out of 10 cases of which are on civil matters. The centre often deals with housing related cases due to consequences of the war. Around 70% of housing has been destroyed during the war, which means that many people have nowhere to live. They require compensation from the local government and reinstitution of their homes – a complex and lengthy process, which the centre offers assistance with. The project aims to promote effective citizen participation in the functioning of the legal system, and to increase access to justice in Chechnya through reform of the judiciary and adherence to criminal procedure.