01 February 2006
An Assessment of Russian Civil Society (2005)
Author:
Publisher:
Strategia - St. Petersburg Center for Humanities and Political Studies, St Petersburg, Russian Federation
7th Krasnoarmejskaya ul. 25/14, office no. 424
190005 St Petersburg
Russian Federation
Tel: +7 (812) 712 6612, 316 4822
Fax: +7 (812) 712 6612, 316 4822
http://strategy-spb.ru
This document summarises the results of the CIVICUS Civil Society Index Shortened Assessment Tool (CSI-SAT) application in the Russian Federation, carried out by the CSI implementing partner in Russia, the St. Petersburg Center for Humanities and Political Studies “Strategy” (“Strategy” Center). The project was carried out from June 2003 through December 2005 as part of the international Civil Society Index (CSI) project coordinated by CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. The CSI is a comprehensive needs assessment and action-planning tool for civil society actors at country level, which is currently being implemented in more than 50 countries around the world.
At the core of the project is the concept of civil society, which is defined as “an arena, situated for the most part outside family, state and market, in which people voluntarily interact for the promotion of their own and public interests and the common good”. This definition includes a large number of diverse organisations, including voluntary organisations, professional bodies, trade unions, local informal and formal community and sports organisations. In Russia, the CSI assessed the state of civil society based on secondary information, which was compiled in a comprehensive draft report.