BULLETIN # 13  Special issue

1998

Activities of L'auravetl'an Indigenous Information Center
from July 15, 1996 through December 5, 1998

L’auravetl’an Indigenous Information Center is organization strictly of and by Indigenous peoples of Russia. It is a partnership project of L’auravetl’an Foundation, Saami Council and RAIPON (Association of Indigenous peoples of Russian North, Siberia and Far East).

L’auravetl’an Indigenous Information center (IIC) welcomed the first group of interns on July 15, 1996. From that date and through December 5, 1998 forty eight (48) interns went through IIC. They represented the following Indigenous peoples: Nenetz, Chukchi, Keto, Tyva-Todzhin, Aliutor, Itelmen, Koriak, Nivkh, Shor, Kamtchadal, Evenk, Even, Sami, Ultchi, Yukagir, Selkoop, Udege, Negidal, Buriat, Dolgan, Altai and Mansi.

I. All the workshops for each and every group of interns were organized by the following blocks and with the following organizations :

1. Human and Indigenous rights:

- The Institute of International economics and relations;
- The Constitutional Court of Russian Federation;
- Human Rights Information Center;
- The ILO CIS office;
- Human Rights Commission at the Office of the President of Russian Federation;
- Department of Citizens Complains at the Office of the President of Russian federation;
- Moscow Human Rights Research Center;
- Court Chamber on Informational Disputes at the President of Russian Federation.

2. Social and Economic Development :

- Ministry of Labor of Russian Federation;
- Ministry of Nationalities of Russian Federation;
- Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation;
- Ministry for the North of Russian Federation;
- Ministry for Agriculture of Russian Federation;
- Department of the Regional development at the Office of the President of Russian Federation;
- Ministry of Health of Russian Federation;
- Committee for the North and Indigenous peoples, State Duma, Federal Parliament;
- Committee for the Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, State Duma, Federal Parliament;
- Committee for the Informational policies, State Duma, Federal Parliament;
- International Reindeer Herders Association;
- Committee for the North and Indigenous Peoples, Council of Federation, Federal Parliament;
- Association of Indigenous Peoples of Yakut (Sakha) Republic;
- Russian Environmental Society;
- The Moscow Office of Greenpeace;
- The Moscow Office of IWGIA;
- Association of Indigenous peoples of the North (RAIPON);
- State Committee for the International Decade of Indigenous People;
- Moscow Office of the Ford Foundation;
- Human Rights Society for the Central Asia.

3. Culture and Education :

- Miklukho-Maklai Ethnological and Anthropological Research Institute;
- Ministry of General and Vocational Education of Russian Federation;
- Ethnic Education Research Institute;
- Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation;
- State Museum of Eastern Studies;
- Russian House of Folk Arts.

 

II. L’auravetl’an IIC interns participated in the following seminars, conferences and parliamentary hearings:

1. Indigenous Peoples of Canada - social, political and ethnic problems.
A seminar. Miklukho-Maklai Research Institute.

2. Development of the State Policy on nationalities.
Hearings. Committee for Nationalities, State Duma, Federal Parliament.

3. Preservation and development of traditional economic activities of Indigenous peoples of the North.
Hearings. Committee for the North and Indigenous peoples, Council of Federation, Federal Parliament.

4. Children of the North - social and Health protection.
A conference. Ministry for the North.

5. RAIPON and Ministry for the North. Ways to cooperate.
A seminar. Ministry for the North.

6. Federal Law on Reindeer Herding.
Hearings. Committee for the North, State Duma, Federal Parliament.

7. Arctic, Northern and Siberian territories. Future policies.
Hearings. Committee for the North, Council of Federation, Federal Parliament.

8. Legal Status of Indigenous peoples of the Arctic countries.
International Conference.

9. State measures to assist the development of the Far East and Baikal regions.
Hearings. State Duma.

10. Fund raising and management.
Seminar. Moscow Center on NGOs support.

11. Indigenous peoples, resources and environment of the Russian North.
International conference. Ministry for the North.

12. Human rights and Indigenous rights International legal standards.
Weekly seminars. L’auravetl’an Foundation.

13. Indigenous Rights in Russian prime and subsidiary law.
International conference. Presidential Commission on Human Rights of RF. L’auravetl’an Foundation.

 

During the internship all interns had a crash-course in international and Russian (state and regional) legal documents and laws relevant to the Indigenous peoples. They also studied the mechanisms of implementation, promotion and protection of the legal documents, international and Russian.

All interns had computer classes where they studied MS WORD 6.0, WINDOWS 95, WORD 7.0 for WINDOWS 95 and INTERNET.

Upon completing the internship, every intern receives a small manual (prepared by the Center) on those Russian and International laws that could be relevant for Indigenous communities and names, addresses and contact numbers of specialists in different fields who can and are willing to give a consultation.

L’auravetl’an Indigenous Information Center wants to express its gratitude to all organizations and individuals who gave and continue to give their time, knowledge, support and talent to help Indigenous peoples of Russia and their Information Center.