Two Voices: 30th Anniversary of the Reunification of Germany and a Hope for the Future
Ahead of the 30th anniversary of the reunification of Germany being marked on 3 October 2020, the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum asked two Board members of Memorial Deutschland, our member organisation, to reflect on how they experienced this unique day and what they think about current challenges in Eastern Europe. […]
Webinar “Organisational Resiliency in Times of Uncertainty – A Balcony View”
Single Voting Day 2020 in Russia: Legal Arbitrariness, Electoral Fraud and Bans on Broadcasting
The Board of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum is dismayed at numerous cases of violations of the rights of voters, observers and members of election committees, aggression, as well as electoral fraud, bribing of voters and forced voting during the so-called Single Voting Day in Russia, which was held on […]
After Moria: Need for an Urgent Reform of the Common European Asylum System
Download the statement The Board of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum is shocked about the news coming from the site of the former Moria refugee camp on Lesvos, Greece, which burnt down on 9 September 2020 leaving some 13,000 people without shelter. As a consequence, they had to camp in […]
The challenge of commemoration. Cases from Poland and Germany
The EU-Russia Civil Society Forum publishes an article by Forum Deputy Director Kristina Smolijaninovaitė for the “New Eastern Europe” Journal. In this article, she reflects on the narratives of remembering WWII in European countries on the example of Poland and Germany. Both cases illustrate how challenging it can be to […]
75 Years Since: How We Remember World War II in Europe
On 2 September 2020, the globe celebrated the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II (WWII). This war remains one of the most painful and conflicting episodes in common European history. To mark this date, the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum and its history programme “Different Wars: Remembering the […]
Belarus on Its Way from Dictatorship to Democracy
In August 2020, during the presidential campaign, a peaceful electoral revolution unfolded in Belarus. At the final stage, it was headed by female leaders with the slogan: ‘We love! We can! We will win!’ («Любім! Можам! Пераможам!»). A Belarusian civil nation began to rapidly form. The Belarusian people refused to […]
Joint Statement ahead of the Meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers, 27-28 August 2020
Download the statement Alexander Schallenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Austria Philippe Goffin, Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Defence, Kingdom of Belgium Ekaterina Zaharieva, Deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Bulgaria Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic Gordan […]
Stop Repression and Threats — Solidarity with Belarusian Civil Society
The Board of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum is dismayed at the unprecedented scope of crackdown on Belarusian citizens and civil society leaders ahead of the presidential election on 9 August 2020.
The New Russian Constitution as a Pandora’s Box
Amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation were proposed by the Russian President in his message to the Federal Assembly on 15 January, 2020. A total of 206 amendments were proposed to the Constitution, and all of them were submitted to the so-called all-Russian vote as a package.
Five years of Europe Lab: Sharing memories, discussing the present, dreaming of the future
In July 2015 almost 100 young people from 18 countries in Europe gathered in the small town of Raseiniai, Lithuania. It was the continuation of what started in Perm during the legendary “Pilorama Lab” and still a new beginning. Since the opening edition, a “Europe Lab” has been organised every year in different locations in Europe, all connected to the topic of Historical Memory.
Stop the Attacks on the Rights of Transgender People in Russia, Hungary and Other Countries
Download the statement The Board of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum is deeply concerned about the recently proposed amendments to the Russian Family Code and Law No. 143-FZ “On Civil Status Acts”[9] that would result in a drastic worsening of transgender persons’ life conditions and undue restriction of their rights. […]
“Different Wars: Talking about WWII with teachers and societies”
In 10 and 11 July, 2020, an online seminar took place in the framework of the history programme of the Forum. The project called “Different Wars: Talking about WWII with teachers and societies” is a continuation of a successful exhibition “Different Wars: National School Textbooks on WWII”. The exhibition tackles […]
The Nation-Wide Voting on the Amendments to the Russian Constitution and Its Aftermath: No Fair Procedure, No Observance of Citizens’ Rights
Download the statement The Board of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum is dismayed at numerous violations prior and during the nation-wide voting on the amendments to the Russian Constitution – beginning with the very process of introducing amendments[8] and culminating in a dubious procedure, which lasted from 25 June 2020 […]
To Brussels… Virtually
We continue to experiment with new online formats and services and are grateful to our stakeholders for their open-mindedness and flexibility. So, on 23 and on 25 June 2020, a virtual visit of Russian civil society actors to Brussels took place. We planned multiple meetings in person in March 2020 […]
