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LEAD CIS 2006 Highlights

LEAD Associate Training Activities

LEAD CIS Cohort 11 had 10 Associates, representing 4 sectors (NGOs, Government, Academia and Business) and 3 countries (Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan).  First part of the Cohort 11 training was in 2005. During year of 2006 there were two Cohort 11 sessions:

  • Session 5 - Orientation and Evaluation session on the eve of GTS (February 2006, Golitsino, Moscow Region)
  • Session 6 - Global Training Session (February – March 2006, Bhopal, India).

9 of 10 Associates successfully graduated at GTS and became LEAD Fellows.

Cohort 12

At the end of 2006 it was selected the next Cohort 12 associates, representing 4 sectors (NGOs, Government, Academia and Business) and 3 countries (Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan):

LEAD-like training offered to others

Answering the request of some regional and municipal societies in Russia  V. Sokolov, academic director organized three short term LEAD-like training courses for governmental and academic groups of people in Kazan, Volgograd and Saratov (Russia). 

Other LEAD activities undertaken

Alexander Ginzburg as a member of United Nations-Sigma Xi Scientific Expert Group (SEG) took part in preparation of Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Report for UN Commission on Sustainable Development. This report was presented to UN CSD 15 session preparation meeting and to wide public around the world February 28 2007.

Alexander Ginzburg took part in the Workshop “Global Dialogue on Energy Security” co-organized by China Institute of International Studies and “The Dialogue” in Beijing on October 16-17, 2006. The objective of the meeting was to address the conventional energy issues, including the challenges faced by global energy security, energy infrastructure, energy strategy of important energy-consuming countries and environmental protection. The nuclear energy issue was the second focus of the discussion which consists of the nuclear security challenges, the status of the nuclear power development, nuclear waste proposal and non-proliferation.

Alexander Ginzburg was a member of the Russian official delegation for COP12/MOP2 (Nairobi, Kenya, November 2006).

LEAD CIS/DEF Information coordinator Elena Ermolova took part in International Conference on Women and Desertification held in Beijing, 29 May-01 June 2006. The Conference has been conceived in the framework of International Year of Deserts and Desertification, which was declared by the General Assembly. DEF was chosen as the only NGO involved in preparation of the first Russian National Report on combat desertification and land degradation, coordinated by Ministry of Natural Resources of Russian Federation. During discussions and meetings on Institutional arrangements (including policies and strategies), energy and education issues, LEAD CIS/DEF representative reported to participants about opportunities  contained in LEAD training experience for establishing  effective network   to promote skill development, local knowledge and traditions long distance learning and access to information technologies.

LEAD CIS/DEF LEADNet coordinator Nick Yudin attended the Pan-European Eco-Forum. The European ECO-Forum is a network of more than 200 Environmental Citizen's Organizations (EGO's) throughout the entire Europe, sharing a common interest in the Pan-European cooperation for better environment. The ECO-Forum follows the official Pan-European cooperation Coordination Board Chair - Victoria Elias (Cohort 7). In the framework of international preparatory process to the 6th Ministerial Conference ‛Environment for Europe“ Eco-Forum and LEAD CIS manage the electronic network news digest "TOWARDS BELGRADE-2007" both in English an Russian. More references at http://www.ecoaccord.org/english/news/ecoforum.htm and http://www.ecoaccord.org/news/ecoforum.htm
Together with Eco-Accord Center for Environment and Sustainable Development «Eco-Accord» Nick Yudin create cooperation with a wide range of organizations from Russia and Newly Independent States at the territory of former USSR as well as from all over the world. “Eco-Accord” takes an active part in international processes “Environment for Europe”, “Environment and Health”, cooperation on environment and sustainable development in Asia-Pacific Region. LEAD CIS and «Eco-Accord» (Executive Director - Olga Ponizova (Cohort 2)) provide the web-version for Russian edition of "BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest" - International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) weekly issues, translated into Russian by Eco-Accord Center. More references at http://trade.ecoaccord.org/


LEAD CIS Fellows sponsored LEAD/DEF participation in IY International Conference “Russian corporations” ecological projects”. Present conference was devoted to the state ecological policy, environmental approaches in project implementation of TNC-BP, Norilsky nikel, Ilim Palp and other large Russian and joint corporation. Conference was organized by Ministry of natural resources and Ministry of economic development and trade, and also TNK-BP and WWF Russia.

LEAD CIS Fellows Saodat Pulatova, Marina Vishnyakova and Lilit Harutyunyan participated in the UNDP Workshop on Training for Sustainable Development, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, March 10-15, 2006

LEAD-CIS Community took part in International Conference “Sustainable Development-Nature-Society-Humanbeing”. Moscow June 5-6, 2006, organized by the Ministry of natural resources of Russian Federation, The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and MAXIMA Inc. within the chairmanship of the Russian Federation in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in May-November 2006.

Victoria Elias (Cohort 7) reported at the Round Table “NGO role in implementing EU Strategy “Education for sustainable development”.

Olga Ponizova (Cohort 3) took part in Round Table “International Cooperation for sustainable development”.

I. Chesnokova (Cohort 7) reported “Natural processes and sustainable development issues”.

Joint German-LI-LEAD CIS Project
The most important project of this year was “The Regional opportunities and renewable energy problems of Russia” under financial support of German Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety (BMU), coordinated by A. Ginzburg, V. Larin and E. Ermolova.
The main goals of the project are definition of the opportunities for the renewable energy technologies in Russia and estimation of local authorities’ and other stakeholders’ capacity to apply international experience in the field of Renewable energy.

Vlad Larin published “The State and Perspectives of the Renewable Energy Sources in Russia”.

Meeting and discussion with representatives NGO on preparation 2006 Summit G8 in Russia.
LEAD CIS as one of the leading Russian NGO was invited to take part at annual meeting of Minister of Foreign Affairs RF and NGOs, involved in international activity. The meeting was held on February 3 and was devoted to the joint activity in the field of common policy development of civil society and preparation for the G8 Summit in the field of NGO activity.
A number of LEAD CIS fellows participated in many NGO meetings before and during 2006 Summit G8, including the meeting with President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.


Involvement of Fellows

A number of LEAD CIS Fellows changed jobs or made noteworthy achievements during 2006. The most visible changes are:
- Julia Pakhomova (Cohort 11) became the Deputy Director of Department on environmental policy of Ministry of natural resources of RF.
- Anar Meshimbaeva (Cohort 9) accepted position of Chief of Department on socio-economic analysis in President Administration (Kazakhstan).
- Alexander Shestakov (Cohort 4) accepted position of Chief of ecological Department of TNK-BP Moscow office.
- Olga Ponizova (Cohort 2) actively participated in preparation Civil G8 Meeting in the framework of Summit G8 held in Moscow  2006. At present she involved in current activity of The Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation.

In 2006 three Regional Environmental Centers (REC) created by EU in CIS region were headed by LEAD CIS Fellows – M. Kozeltsev (Russia), B. Esekin (Kazakhstan), A. Isak (Moldova).

Alexander Karpov (Cohort 6) as leader of Joint Sub-Project of RREC and DANCEE (Danish Cooperation for Environment in Eastern Europe) on Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment in Transboundary Context reported to the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russian Federation (main beneficiary of Project) in April 2006.

K.Baigarin (Cohort 1) was deputy Head of official Kazakh delegation for COP12/MOP2 in Nairobi.

A. Oharovsky (Cohort 3), A. Golubovskaya (Cohort 9) and V. Larin (Cohort 7) actively participated in 15 Session of UN CSD in New York (May 2006)


Raising LEAD CIS visibility and partnerships

LEAD CIS was invited to take part at Plenary meeting of International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGO) in the framework of Conference of INGO’s of the Council of Europe. The meeting was devoted to the juridical issues of NGO’s activity, particularly to problems, caused by the adoption of new Law on NGO and new format for Russian NGOs activity.The meeting was headed by President of INGOs Conference of the Council of Europe Mrs. Annelise Oeschger.  The participants discussed a lot of their problems and raised some questions concerning their activity with a view of evoking the interest of EC to the situation with international cooperation in NGO sector. The representatives of Public Chamber of Russian Federation attended the meeting too. The meeting carried the expectations of expanding partnerships between Russian NGOs and EC
In recognition of our efforts on ecological education and essential contribution to the matter of environmental protection Ministry of Natural Recourses of Russian Federation awarded LEAD-CIS/DEF Director Alexander Ginzburg was awarded the title "Honorable environmentalist" (Honorable workman of environmental protection). LEAD CIS Information coordinator Elena Ermolova was awarded Diploma of Ministry. The award ceremony was held on 5 June at the International Environment Day. The WWF Regional coordinator in Ural region Tatiana Baranowskay (Cohort 11) was awarded diploma too.
A number of interviews about the LEAD Program have been given to various regional broadcasting companies and radio stations.
Alexander Ginzburg took part in the Russian TV environmental and climatic programs and talk-shows