Sociopolitical Situation in the Northeast Caucasus: Challenges to Nongovernmental Organizations, Andre Kamenshikov, Vladimir Sukhov, and Mikhail Charaev

Abstract casien: la Tchetchenie,l'Ingushetie, et Ie high, especially in Karabakh, Abkhazia, Dagestan, dans la perspective de l' Chechnya and Tadjikistan, where huge The authors provide a general analysis of action pratique en matiere d'intervention problems caused by war remain unsolved the sociopolitical situation in three basic charitable et humanitaire. Ces efforts sont such as the problem of hundreds of regions of the Northeast Caucasus, diriges vers une evaluation de thousands of refugees, for whom the road Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan, from 1'interaction et de la mise sur pied de to their homes remains closed. the perspective of practical action in the programmes constructifs au niveau des When speaking about the reaction area of humanitarian and charitable organisations internationales et non- demonstrated by the global community in activities there. These efforts are directed gouvernementales, autant qu' au niveau reply to the arising problems and crises, it toward assisting the interaction and im- des initiatives individuelles. Les auteurs is important to note the following: plementation of constructive programs on citent donc des exemples d' organisations • First, the rapid development of events the level of international and ayant eu du succes dans la mise en place and the occurrence ofnumerous crises nongovernmental organizations, as well as de telles initiatives. Ils decrivent aussi un in the post-Soviet territory was largely on the level of individual initiatives. Thus, certain nombre de projets en unexpected (despite some predictions the authors cite examples of organizations preparations. by various analysts). There was no which have been successful in these Introduction preliminary plan for a response to initiatives. They also describe projects that these events. As a result, many may be implemented in the nearfuture. Disintegration of the Soviet Union,eco- opportunities for preventive actions Precis nomic crises and the development of against upcoming crises were missed, many ethnic and political conflicts in the though they would certainly have Les auteurs fournissent une analyse ge- territory of the Newly Independent States been better than responding at a later nerale de la situation socio-politique de (NIS), i.e. former republics of the USSR, stage. trois regions cruciales du Nord-Est Cau- have created a new and unexpected • Secondly, today there is at least a challenge to the global community, a formal understanding of the necessity Andre Kamenshikov is Executive Director of challenge, for which it appears to be to react to the arising problems, Nonviolence International-NIS, 4 Luchnikov poorly prepared. The global threat of instead ofletting things "burn out on Lane, Entrance 3, Room 2, Moscow 103982, mutual destruction coming from a nu- their own." And, though the resources Russia. clear arms race has diminished, but it Vladimir Sukhov and Mikhail Charaev are activists selected for these purposes so far are working with Nonviolence International-NIS, 4 was replaced by a whole series of de- rather limited, a certain role of in Luchnikov Lane, Entrance 3, Room 2, Moscow structive processes and crises in many terna tional organizations is felt in 103982, Russia. regions of the former socialist camp. practically all conflict zones of the This article is an excerpt of the "Brochure on These crises take place on a regional post-Soviet countries. Nongovernmental Organizations of the Northeast level, but have an extremely negative Caucasus" reprinted with the permission of the In terna tional reaction to crises in the Forced Migration Projects of the Open Society combined influence on the global scale. Newly Independent States of the former Institute, which published the One of the most serious consequences USSR could be formally divided into . whole document in 1997. Full text of the of these regional crises is the three levels:2 brochure is available free of charge from the multimillion flow of forced migrants- • First, the level of direct interstate re- Forced Migration Projects, Open Society people, whom military conflicts, lations between the various Newly Institute, 400 West 59th Street, New York, NY nationalism, the lack of economic per- 10019, USA, tel.: (212) 548-0655, fax: (212) Independent States and other coun- 548-4676, email: [email protected] spectives, and ecological disasters have tries. forced to leave their homes in search of As the situation in the Northeast Caucasus, • Second, interaction of the NIS with Chechnya in particular, has changed for security and a tolerable future. international and intergovernmental the worse since the article was written, However, we may note certain positi institutes, such as the UN, EC, the authors do not recommend that any ve changes, like the fact tha t 1997 was OSCE,NA TO, 10M, lCRC, and their organization or individuals go to work the first year after the disintegration of various structures (UNHCR, ODIHR, there, because of the high security risk the USSR to begin in a situation when all UNESCO, etc.). involved. military conflicts in the Newly Inde- pendent States have been formally terminated.1 But the probability of re- Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (April 1998) newed military actions remain~ quite 21 4) • Third, the activities of non- • operate with a staff of volunteers, organizations directly from the troubled governmental organizations, who often change, creating prob- areas. The former often tend to disregard churches, public initiatives. lems for the continuity of opera- the latter (not least, due to lack of This article is directed to assist the tions. information) and either carry out all interaction and the implementation of 2. Difficulties in communication: rare activities themselves or rely on already constructive programs on the second and and poor phone lines, slow and un- well-known organizations. This is often particularly on the third level, that is, on reliable mail, absence of local pro- quite costly, time consuming and does the level of international and viders of em ail while computers not take full ad vantage of existing nongovernmental organizations, as well remain relatively expensive. opportunities. as on the level of individual initiatives. It 3. Mistrust-organizations which are All these problems result in the fact, includes some general analysis of the based in or have permanent repre- that though over the last years quite a few situation and the prospects for such sentation and work out of the coun- international organizations have gained activities in the Northeast Caucasus-a try's capital are often seen as being considerable experience workingin region in which today probably the most somewhat "in bed" with the govern- theNISand many national NGOs became pain and human suffering of the entire ment, which may be correctly or in- fairly widely known for their work on post-Soviet territory is concentrated. correctly perceived as the main cause problems of refugees and forced Many of these organizations and of the problem in the first place,4 migrants, the activities, of no lesser groups (and in some cases individual especially if the work is going on in a importance, of many local organizations, activists) are "insiders" in the situations region struggling for independence or groups and individuals from the conflict and must be included as essential autonomy. In situations of military zones themselves remain either unknown components in the framework of any conflicts a major problem becomes or overlooked. NGO activities in troubled areas. Without the" spy-mania," that often reaches an This is especially true in regards to the their cooperation various programs of absurd level. This has to do with the Russian Federation with its vast territory, humanitarian assistance,trust building, former "Soviet" upbringing of most complicated ethnic composition, huge conflict prevention, human and minority "modern" NIS politicians as well as problems and serious distinctions rights protection run a high risk of not with the occurrence in conflict between the situations in different re- addressing the most important needs and regions of many "security" structures, gions. concerns of the people and communities which need to somehow justify their With the purpose of helping to over- they are designed to help. Such local existence. Negative experience with come this lack of information about local groups and organizations can also "open NGOs and activists, and in order to doors" for large international other NGOs or international agencies may also contribute to this problem. analyze possible developments that may organizations and enable them to carry cause migration flows in the future, the out their activities in areas, which are 4. Criminality and problems of personal safety. Robberies, kidnappings, and "Northeast Caucasus NGO Networking impossible to reach otherwise due to Project" was carried out. It included three even murders of the employees of bureaucratic obstacles or unacceptably long missions by the representatives of 3 humanitarian missions in conflict high levels of risk. Nonviolence International (Andre zones are unfortunately no rarity and However, even simply developing and Kamenshikov, Vladimir Sukhov, and the situation is getting worse. maintaining contacts with small local Mikhail Charaev) to the regions of the (Chechnya has become especially NGOs, groups and activists, which is an North Caucasus, mainly Ingushetia, "famous" in this regard. It is obvious precondition to any active Chechnya, and Dagestan, which took sufficient to remember the wild cooperation, meets with serious place in the fall of 1996. The project has difficulties. The greatest of them usually murder of six employees of the been implemented within the framewor k are: International Committee of the Red of the Forced Migration Projects of the 1. The nascent character of most of Cross.) Open Society Institute. these groups, which: 5. Transportation, which is often diffi- • often came to existence as "ad cult and unreliable. It may become an Situation in the Northeast hoc" groups of people, suddenly obstacle for foreigners because of Caucasus faced with extreme hardships; time constraints and the need to ob- Conditions and Prospects for • usually have no clear developed tain special permits to visit certain strategy and are overwhelmed by areas, and for national NGOs because Humanitarian and Charitable urgent concerns; of cost. Activities in This Region • receive support, if any, which is Finally, at the other end, there is often The Northeast Caucasus is probably the far behind even the immediate a psychological "mind block" that stands most complex region in the entire post- needs they face; and in the way of developing direct Sovietterritory. A complex ethnic com- cooperation between fairly large inter- position, a weak economic base in national agencies and small groups and comparison with other regions, a short- 22 Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (April 1998) age of land resources, a problematic his- Chechen state was proclaimed and tors of the World, International Orthodox torical and cultural inheritance, which Chechen armed structures began to form. Christian Charities, the Islamic includes the tragic experiences of many For three years, the Federal government Committee on Disability and Rehabili- decades of the Caucasian war and Stalin's basically closed its eyes to the events in tation and many others. The activities of deportations of entire peoplesthese are Chechnya, then it decided to overthrow most of these organizations are very just some of the factors that already Dudaev's government. At first, the plan important. However there are many resulted in two large-scale armed was to do this by supporting opposition problems and difficulties connected to conflicts in the territory of this fairly forces inside Chechnya militarily and this work as well. The most serious of small region. financially, which included sending them concern questions of safety for the In October 1992, the Ossetian-Ingush "volunteers" from the Russian Army to members of humanitarian missions (es- conflict took place in the territory of the help in this operation. When this attempt pecially in their work on the territory of Suburban (Prigorodny) district ofN orth collapsed the federal government went the Chechen republic) and ensuring that Ossetia, which cost many hundreds of on with a full-scale military intervention the help provided reaches the groups of lives. The Ingush people together with in Chechnya, which was called" an the population that are in most need. It is the Chechens had been deported from operation for restoring constitutional obvious that in solving both of these their homes and sent to Siberia, order." questions assistance from local NGOs Kazakhstan and Central Asia on Febru- The Chechen war, which continued and activists may be of great help. ary23, 1944, under a decision by Joseph for nearly two years and has been for- On the one hand the tragic events Stalin. When they were permitted tore- mally declared over in August of 1996, "awaken" the activity of many people, turn in 1956, the Prigorodny region and became the most humiliating event for who respond to the problems they face. the appropriate part of the city of the Russian leadership. Tens of thou- On the other hand the presence of inter- Vladikavkaz, where they had lived be- sands were killed, hundreds of thousands national organizations, the implemen- fore deportation, remained under the became refugees, cities such as Grozny tation of various assistance programs administration of North Ossetia. Instead, and Gudermes were partially destroyed creates certain new job opportunities, two districts were added to the restored and many villages have suffered which often become nearly the only ones Chechen-ingushAutonomous Republic seriously, quite a few of which were in an area tom apart by war. on the northern bank of the Terekriver- practically levelled to the ground. The And this leads to some risks. First of former Cossack lands that were slowly same Chechen leadership remained in all humanitarian missions may find populated mostly by Chechens, but not power that was there before the war- themselves in the situation of a pie, the Ingush. exceptfor president Dudaev who was around which there is a fight going on. The conflict between the Ossetians allegedly killed in April of 1996. Second, local people who for a rather and the Ingush in the Prigorodnyregion Outside Chechnya the cities of long time have been working for them left many hundreds dead and up to 70 Budeyonovsk (in the territory of the will face a problem of readapting when 5 thousand refugees, predominantly Ingush Stavropol Region) and Kizlyar (in the their jobs will have to go. people from the Prigorodny district who Dagestan Republic) became objects of Thus, there is a paradoxical situation, fled to the newly created Ingush Chechen terrorist raids. And the on the one hand there is an incalculable Republic. More than half of these people Dagestan village of Pervomaiskoe was number of problems in the solving of still cannot return to their homes, and levelled to the ground as a result of the which NGOs could play an important often there are no homes to return to. disgraceful operation of "eliminating the role and on the other hand there is a kind Nevertheless, the terrible tragedy of terrorists and freeing the hostages." This of "unemployment" among NGOs and the Prigorodny region fades in compari- operation was organized and carried out people who declare their readiness to son with the consequences and losses in under the personal control of the Russian carry out the largescale programs but the course of the Chechen war, which is, minister of Security and resulted in have not learned to cooperate with each probably, the most tragic event in the destroying the villC:}ge, while most of other and don't have the necessary territory of the former USSR since World the terrorists managed to escape and resources for implementing the projects WarII. even take with them many of the they declare. In the autumn of 1991 a as result of a hostages. In a situation when there is such a number of events, which are considered The tragic events in the Prigorodny "market" of "unemployed" organizations by the Russian leadership today as a region and in the Chechen republic have and activists it becomes quite difficult to coup d'etat, while the Chechens them- caused a noticeable response among "separate the com from the husk." selves consider them a national libera- various international organizations and However, the situation can also be seen tionrevolution, anew government came agencies, working in the field of as an important potential for creating a to power in Chechnya headed by a humanitarian aid. Many organizations significant "third sector" in the conflict former Soviet Air Force General, began to work in the North Caucasus, areas, through which civil Djokhar Dudaev. An independent such as UNHCR,ICRC, MSF, 10M, Doc- 23 Refuge, Vol. 17,No. 2 (April 1998)

activity of the population can be ex- 19, tel.: 206-8589; teL/fax: 963- So, during conversations with peo- pressed and exercised. 9929, Victor Kogan-Yasny. ple engaged in freeing and/ or exchang- Luckily there are quite a few organi- Centre for Peacemaking and Commu- ing prisoners of war, hostages, zations, which already have significant nity Development, tel.: 241-3487; searching for the "missing" and kid- experience of work over the last few 240-0862; teL/fax: 241-3487, Chris napped it is important to avoid ques- years, thus allowing for an estimation Hunter, email: tions (unless they are absolutely of their efficiency. But it is also peacecentre @glas.apc.org necessary) like "where" and "through important to keep in mind that quite The Organizing Committee of the whom was it possible to find a person," often those organizations, which did Agreement "For Peace and "who is guilty of his detention," etc. the most work, cared less than others Freedom, Against the Bloodshed in And it is especially important to avoid about documenting those activities and Chechnya," Ludmila V ahmina, questions about where and how people attracting public attention to tel.: 299-1180, fax: 973-2094. were able to gather this or that themselves. Journalists Who for a long time information. So, in order to select the best worked in the North Caucasus Obviously there is no unique method partners it is helpful for humanitarian of" quality checks" of an organization organizations to exchange information Alexander Mnatsakanyan, Obshaya or a person. Some mistakes are inevita- between each other. Also it is helpful Gazeta, tel.: 915-7078. ble in any large-scale work. This is im- to be in touch with human rights Yulia Kalinina, " Moskovskiy portant to understand, and not to be organizations and journalists who have Komsomolets," tel.: 946-6293; discouraged by mistakes but to try to significant work experience in this Alexander Yevtushenko, "Komsomol minimize them and their consequences area. Pravda," in Pyatigorsk tel.: (87900) by being cautious and thoughtful. Do Following we provide a brief list of 59-504. not hurry to hire for your operations the organizations and journalists who, as Andrei Mironov, independent journal- first person that you run across, but we know, have spent a lot oftime ist and human rights advocate, tel.: don't be preconceived about everyone working in the North Caucasus and 251-8348. you meet. To be careful in such a com- therefore may act as consultants for Correspondents of NTV news (Boris plex situation is nat}lral, and your aspi- other groups.6 Koltsov, Elena Masyuk, Alexander ration to receive additional information Habarov, Vladimir Luskanov), tel.: Organizations should not repel normal people. On the 217-5277, 217-5431, 217-5436. contrary-it may develop a more serious Nonviolence International-New Inde- It is also necessary to note, as a attitude toward your words. And once pendent States (NI-NIS), 101000 rather important information resource, again, be extremely critical (but in your Moscow, Louchnikov Lane 4, the Network of Ethnological mind, not verbally) concerning entrance 3, room 2, teL/fax: 206- Monitoring and Early Warning of everything you hear. 8853; tel.: 351-4855; 206-8618; Conflicts, created by the Institute of email: [email protected], Andre Ethnology and Anthropology of the Chechnya Kamenshikov. Russian Academy of Science within General Information Human Rights Centre "Memorial," tel.: the framework of the project 200-6506, email: "Settlement of conflicts in the post- Chechnya declared its independence memhrcentre @glas.apc.org, Soviet space." It unites by email about from Russia in 1991, and since Novem- Tatyana Kasatkina. thirty experts from different regions of ber 1994, became the battleground of Ryazan Human Rights Society the NIS including some in the North the deadliest war in the post-Soviet "Karta":7 390000 Russia, Ryazan- Caucasus. states. The war formally ended in the central P.O. Box 20, tel.: 0912-77- When working in the Caucasus in fall of 1996, when an agreement was 51-17, order to get a real understanding of a signed between the Russian Federal email: [email protected]. http://ww person's work it is important to keep a Authorities and the Chechen resistance w.openweb.ru/ryazan http://www.gl very cautious attitude toward any leadership that provided for the asnet.ru/ -hronline/ ngo / proj / ~ words and stories people tell about withdrawal of all federal troops from rjazan/ memr .htm, Andrey their activity. During a conversation it Chechnya, presidential and '! Blinushov. is desirable to stay away from general parliamentary elections in the Chechen "Committee of Soldier' sMothers of statements and to find out about the republic in the near future, and an Russia": 101000 Moscow, details and specific examples of work. "uncertainty period" for five years Louchnikov Lane 4, apt. 32, tel.: At the same time it is important to during which a final decision on the 928-2506, Valentina Melnikova. keep in mind the fact that people easily political status ofChechnya must be "Order of Mercy and Social become alerted when they are reached. However, the internal situ- Protection," 127490 Moscow, questioned. This is especially the case ation in Chechnya remains extremely Pestelya Street 6B; teL/fax: 903- in Chechnya where there is a huge difficult. While there is no strong civil 7995, tel. 903-7993, "spy-mania." authority in today's Chechnya, the Re- EvgeniyaPoplavskaya. public is in the midst of a criminal "The Rightto Life and Human Dignity" crisis, Society, 103982 Moscow, Louchnikov Lane 4, entrance 3, apt. Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (April 1998)

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when such events as kidnap pings, rob- members and it is unclear when they different charitable and humanitarian beries, the taking over of people's apart- will return. programs are being carried out. We ments are common events. The This tragic situation puts people and suggestthat: Chechen resistance during the war organizations that are trying to carry • There be a shift from emergency could be characterized by a large level out constructive activities in Chechnya relief to programs which assist in of independence of its field in a dilemma, because continuing their the rebuilding of a sustainable commanders and by the existence of operations in the current environment economy. uncontrolled groups. Today, is a great security risk. To ignore this • There be a shiftfrom fairly large unfortunately, some members of those may serve as a kind of encouragement programs managed by permanent groups, as well as others who never for the continuation of violence against international staff to a larger were part of the Chechen formations, such organizations and people, while number of smaller programs carried have formed gangs engaging in pulling out at this moment may signifi- out mainly by local people and criminal activities. 8 These activities are cantly aggravate the already extremely organizations. not contained within Chechnya itself difficult situation for the people of • Various international agencies co- and the surrounding areas suffer from Chechnya and thus, considering the operate in developing a basic infra- them as well. availability of weapons, the extreme structure for their operations and, Another difficulty is that now, more deprivation of so many people, the lack what is more important, for the suc- than before, this violence is often di- of sources of sustainable income will cessful work of local organizations. rected against foreigners and repre- make it even more difficult for any new First of all that would mean opening sentatives of various humanitarian leadership to take control and crack- opportunities for cheap and fast agencies-as a group they are mostvul- down on crime. communications available for small nerable, and it is possible to extort sig- One of the approaches that is being local based NGOs. nificantmoney from them with minimal tried out by some organizations today If such changes in approaches take risk. in response to the difficulties they en- place they will significantly reduce the The most tragic event of this sort has counter is to continue programs aimed risks that representatives of various or- clearly been the terrible killings of six to help the Chechen population (mainly ganizations expose themselves to when members of the International Commit- refugees) outside Chechnya, in the they set up offices and place staff in tee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Whatever neighbouring regions. However this Chechnya on a long term basis. Cer- was the reason for this tragic eventwas approach has some serious setbacks. It tainly this approach will require regular it just a criminal act, a political act by creates incentives for refugees to stay field trips to the area to supervise and those circles in or outside Chechnya outside Chechnya for a longer time monitor the implementation of various that are interested in derailing the peace than is necessary, or requires them to projects. However, it is possible to fur- process, the result of a struggle between travel back and forth. For people from ther reduce the risks, and significantly Chechen factions or whatever else-it the southern regions of Chechnya who lower the costs if some of the certainly had a devastating effect on the are working on rebuilding their houses monitoring job could be carried out by perspectives for serious international (the war in those areas was most human rights and other organizations aid to the area. However, while this devastating) it is particularly difficult that will continue their visits to event grasped public attention all to benefit from these programs. And Chechnya anyway. around the world it is certainly not the this approach irritates the local Problems with Communication first such act of violence against inter- population in the regions surrounding national organizations on the territory Chechnya (during field trips we have If we want to successfully and regularly of Chechnya. The tragic disappearance heard complaints both in Ingushetia communicate with an NGO, notto men- of Fred Cuny and four doctors, the kid- and Dagestan aboutthis). Both these tion carrying out any joint programs, napping of two orthodox priests work- republics have immense problems of we must achieve the following: ing for International Orthodox Christian their own, Ingushetia still has nearly 1) Provide the means to communicate Charities (IOCC), the death of a 10M forty thousand refugees from the regularly. member, show that violence Prigorodny (Suburban) district of 2) Initiate contacts. .<_ 3.gainst international humanitarian or- North Ossetia who left after the 3) Generate interest for continuous ganizations in Chechnya is a real threat. conflict in 1992. communication and information It is clear that even under the best This extremely difficult situation exchange. possible scenario it will take a long more than ever before requires search 4) Assist in developing perspectives time before the newly elected Chechen for new approaches to the activities of for future programs and actions and authorities will be able to put the various agencies, organizations and in allocating necessary resources. criminal situation in Chechnya under individuals, who would like to have a 5) Encourage continuous follow-up on control. constructive impact on the develop- the implementation of the agree- As for today, most international ment of the situation in Chechnya. We, ments made and plans designed. So agencies have pulled out of Chechnya therefore, propose a shift in the way far there are no regular phone lines in response to the killings of the ICRC operating in Chechnya. Satellite phones

Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (April 1998) 25 are the most reliable way to communicate unlike in the Western states, are not used ing such towns as Atogi, Tolstoi Yurt, but their costs are high. As for cellular to relying on letters for communication etc. and one in Gudermes or Shali for phon es, there is a company that provides between themselves and especiallyin Eastern Chechnya. such a service in Grozny, but so far they business communications. Nor are they On the part of international organi- have set up only one transmission cell, so used to writing proposals or developing zations, developing such a commu- the phones are operable in Grozny and precise work plans. That is why it is nication network through local the nearest villages in about a 15 mile important to allocate people who will organizations will require active and radius. In other places extra equipment focus on helping others to formulate their regular sharing of experience and infor- must be set up, for example, in the ideas and plans into a form that will be mation about plans and projects and about Chechen town of Sernovodsk it is acceptable for international organizations local organizations involved in them. possible to set up an antenna that will and Western foundations. These same Developing such a program requires a make it possible to establish people would also be able to assist others significant investment but in the long run communications through a cellular phone by distributing information materials it may be very effective and save far service in the Ingush city of Karabulak about international organizations and greater resources as it will allow to about 20 miles away. foundations. replacement of some costly field trips It is important to understand that Technical assistance, training and with a system of regular monitoring of making communications available at financial support for such liaison or- the activities of the NGO sector in some location does not solve the com- ganizations could be provided by inter- Chechnya. It is also important to consider munication problems in itself. However it national organizations, agencies and that when there is a constant struggle for is certainly a precondition to every foundations. resources it may be difficult to get successful cooperative project, so this Technically speaking every such information from some NGOs about objective should certainly come first. "communication group" would need the others, especially if those others are seen In order to achieve this objective it following: as possible competitors for funds. That is seems possible to support and promote • A staff of 2-3 people including at why it is important to have organizations some of the Chechen based NGOs to least one person who understands whose main objective is precisely focus precisely on providing communi- computers and communications gathering information and assisting cation to other NGOs and activists in the (Projected cost: $8,000-12,000 per communications with such groups and area and to encourage them to com- year). therefore are not themselves afraid of municate more actively with organiza- • A computer, printer, modem (Pro- being left behind in the struggle for re- tions outside Chechnya. jected cost $2,000). sources. As a first step it is important to organ-: • Technical means for communication- There are obviously setbacks to such ize a few centres where NGOs and activ- cellular phone or a microwave link to an approach as well. First of all it is ists could use email in order to a communication centre (Projected extremely important to have reliable, cost for first year of operation $ communicate. Because most people don't well-trained and honest people involved 7,000, less for following years). have any experience with emailit requires in such projects. In a situation when most • finding or training people who could take Acartobeabletotravelandcommunicate international organizations have pulled with various organizations in upon themselves the task of typing out, their role becomes very important. messages into a computer and managing different locations (Projected cost the email communications for the others. $3,000). From Emergency Relief to If email servers will be opened in the near • Finances to cover operating costs, Le. Support for Long- Term future (so far there is a slight possibility various bills, gasoline, repairs, etc. Programs and Economic of that and only if the overall situation (Projected cost $2,400). Reconstruction will slowly improve) it would be possible The total cost of such a project will Today the chances for a peaceful settlement to simply cover the costs of their services amount to somewhere around $24,000 to of the Chechen crisis are higher than ever for certain local NGOs and groups. It is $28,000 a year (not including training, since the beginning of the war/, • though they also possible to prepare brief information preparing materials for distribution and are still far from being definite. Immediate leaflets on "how NGOs can other expenses that can be included in the humanitarian needs in Chechnya remain communicate" that could be distributed operating costs or considered immense. through the current Chechen authorities contributions from other organizations). However today's situation, which can who are responsible for registering NGOs It would be best to organize three such be characterized as "a chance for peace" as well as through the local press. points-one in Western Chechnya requires new approaches, such that would However it is important to understand covering such areas as Sernovodsk, create a "peace dividend" for the that written communication is generally Samashki, AchkhoiMartan, Gekhi, Urus- population and help people to not an element of common culture in Martan, Znamenskoe etc.; one in post-Soviet states. People, Grozny-for Grozny and Central Chechnya includ- Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 {April 1998) 26 return to peaceful life. These could be bles-about U.S. $0.35 and many don't One thing that is important to clearly such actions as: have the money for that. People can pre- understand, is that neither today nor in • helping to set up small enterprises, pare their own traditional bread, as well the foreseeable future will there be any especially those that would bring as other foods out of flour if they have it. guarantees for the return of investments immediate benefits to the population; This is why a set of mills will improve in Chechnya.12 The best approach is to and the food situation for those in greatest consider any. assistance program for • assisting local initiatives, aimed at need. Right now such a project is being Chechnya as charity, and if it happens to dealing with the legacy of the war investigated for Sernovodsk, a town on be possible to get a return-well, all the such as setting up orphanages, ren- the western border of Chechnya, which betterfor you. the federal forces attacked in March of dering psychological support to Who Are Your Partners? people who lost their family mem- 1996. During that time the village suf- bers,etc. fered significant damage. Today it could Since the main goal of this paper is to What programs of this type could be be considered one of the fairly safe areas give specific information about NGOs in carried out in today's Chechnya? One area in the Chechen republic. If the project of the Northeast Caucasus, we will provide that seems to be a good place to focus such setting up the mill in Sernovodsk will be information about different Chechen efforts on is the food industry. Obviously, successful, it will also benefit the nearby NGOs and activists. It is important to food is the number one human need. So far village of Samashki, which twice during understand that this information is far hunger has not been an extremely serious the war suffered devastating military from complete. In fact, a complete list of problem in Chechnya only because of the operations in which hundreds of people NGOs, activists and various civil high level of cooperation and strong family were killed. The mill project for initiatives does not physically exist. The ties in the Chechen society.9 However Sernovodsk could also serve as an ex- situation in Chechnya is changing so cooperation does not solve the problem ample of how such operations can be rapidly that an attempt to provide a full when there is a general lack of resources managed through local NGOslO and descriptive analyses of these various for human life. Agriculture in Chechnya therefore it has a good chance of bee om- groups and peoples is almost impossible. was in a poor state before the war and by ing the first link in a chain of similar However, there are groups and or- today it has been devastated. Many fields projects throughout Chechnya. Mills are ganizations that we got to know and to remain unavailable for agricul- . ture obviously not the only small enterprises cooperate with during our many visits to because of land mines. And, where there in the food industry that could be Chechnya (since August 1994). Where still is agricultural production, there often effective ways to support small business. possible we tried to indicate perspective is a lack of equipment for food processing. Other programs could include sup- programs for each organization we were That is certainly an area that needs support. plying bakeries or, for example, supply- in contact with, and define the most One of the practical ways of helping would ing the equipment necessary to bottle immediate needs for the organization's be setting up fairly small mills in areas mineral waters, which Chechnya has. development. wherepeopIe still produce grain, but are Some of these waters are known to have One thing has to be kept in mind-the not able to grind it. In places where old a very good effect in the treatment of reliability of mail to Chechnya is slightly state and collective farms remain, they certain illnesses and they could be ex- greater than to Mars. Looking up a house often simply hand over whatever they ported to areas outside Chechnya.l1 in Grozny according to its street address is produce to the people. For example in the Another area where it seems possible often possible, but sometimes you may Chechen city ofSernovodsk practically to assist small enterprises in Chechnya is have problems finding the proper street each family has its own reserve of grain. the construction ind ustry. Hundreds of when half of the houses that once lined it Setting up a chain of mills in such thousands of people had their homes have ceased to exist. Inhabitants of the city locations would benefit the population in destroyed or seriously damaged during also prefer not to . use the official street many ways. the war. In the southern areas there are addresses but nicknames of the city's First of all it will make flour much villages that were literally flattened. districts, which often have no relevance to cheaper for the people. Today people Today people are trying to pull their lives signs on the map.13 If you are asking need to travel twenty to fifty kilometres or back together, rebuild and repair what directions in a village you never hear the more to grind their grain. This is ex~ was destroyed. There is a great need for a street address at all (I actually suspect that pensive and often too expensive for many. construction industry especially for small many people simply don't know their own Plus that, the existing facilities are not factories, which could produce bricks street address). But you get good large enough and people need to stand in and other building materials. However, directions like, "You go through the long lines, signing up a month or so in this requires larger investments than central market (which may be a couple of advance, to get their grain processed. similar small business projects in the miles long) then take the road on your Buying bread is even more expensive, a food industry and it is important to be right, when it turns left you see a school on loaf costs about 2,000 ru- extremely careful in implementing any the right such programs. Refuge, Vol. 17,No. 2 (April 1998) 27 side, take the lane opposite it and turn the projects-setting up a mill, as one of the Community Development, which was comer two houses after the broken first programs aimed to rebuild small organized by two representatives of the tractor-or just ask anyone for me." enterprises and organizing a Centre for British Quakers-Chris Hunter and Patricia Nongovernmental Organizations communications with nongovernmental Cockrell. This group gathered extensive organizations of Chechnya and video material during the war (over 100 and Activists in Chechnya Ingushetia. videocassettes and many photographs). Society "For Peace and Human The location of Sernovodsk allows Members of the group went on many Rights" one to establish phone communication speaking tours to Western countries15 via the transmission centre in the Ingush where they presented information on the Headed by S haman Adaev (Shaman town of Karabulak, about 15 miles away. Chechen war and lobbied international Adaev , Leil a Tsoroeva, and Andre If that is done, email is no problem- organizations to put pressure on the Kamenshikov). Shaman already has a computer and a Russian government to end the hostilities. Address: Chechen Republic, Sernovodsk, modem and is computer literate. They participated in various antiwar Sovetskaya Street, house 51. Another requirement is a newer carthe actions like the Women's March in the one that is being used now is totally Spring of 1995 and many demonstrations Infonnation unreliable. and pickets both in Chechnya and in Shaman Adaev, the organizer of this With the extensive contacts of Shaman Moscow. They distributed small group, is a young Chechen who from the and his family both among Chechen and quantities of humanitarian aid (warm 14 beginning of the war was involved in Ingush organizations as well as among clothes ) received from Oxfam and from helping correspondents and human rights Russian and international human rights Saudi Arabia. workers gather objective information activists and journalists, his society is in Recently the Centre for Peacemaking about the events in Chechnya. Many a unique position to become a and Community Development opened a Russian and international correspondents, communication centre with other branch in Chechnya at the above address. human rights and humanitarian workers, Chechen and Ingush NGOs. The contact people for it are Zainap members of the Human Rights Centre Gashaeva and Adlan Adaev. The actual "Memorial" and of Sergei Kovalev's Chechen Branch of the Women's Committee of the North Caucasus office is located at the "Orgtehnica" club Commission on Human Rights, deputies near the factory of Electrical appliances- of the Russian State Duma and many (Also-Chechen Branch of the Centre for Peacemaking and Community also on the Staropromyslovskoe Shosse in others have used the help of Shaman an area that is called Katayama. during their work in Chechnya. At certain Development) Perspectives times during the war, Shaman's family Address: Chechen Republic, Grozny, house in Semovodsk practically turned Staropromyslovskoe Shosse (Zavety Today the group is in the process of re- into a press Centre from which came a Ilicha Street), house no. 129, apt. 43 adjusting and finding its place in the post- large share of the news about the ("GorodokMayakovskogo"). war situation. It is at present involved in Chechen war. Besides that, Shaman Infonnation the serious project of setting up a centre himself did extensive work on gathering forrehabilitation of children in Chechnya, information about human rights abuses This organization is the Chechen division initiated by Chris Hunter. However, while during military operations in Sernovodsk of the organization Women's Committee this may require the participation of the (his family's house was damaged in those of the North Caucasus that is headed by group in solving logistic and events) and neighbouring Samashki He Svetlana Umarovna Alieva. She is a organizational questions, it seems best has helped other local activists begin writer that focused on studying and that the actual management of the project their work. He distributed humanitarian highlighting the tragic stories of Stalin's be handled by the teachers and doctors of aid and money received from different deportations of various ethnic groups. the former children's sanitorium that is international organizations to the families The organization in Chechnya is headed the projected location of the rehabilitation in his village who suffered the most. by Zainap Gashaeva and consists of four centre. As for the group, the best option Perspectives Chechen women. seems to be work on programs which The main objective of the group when involve preparing lists of the people and Shaman and his family can certainly be it was organized in the beginning of families who suffered especially severe considered key people for various chari- 1995, was to document and expose facts hardships as a result of the war, who lost table and humanitarian operations in of serious human rights violations com- their family members, etc., and rendering Chechnya. However the society "For mitted by the federal forces in the process psychological and some humanitarian aid Peace and Human Rights" seems to be of the Chechen conflict. The group was to these people and families (this aspect the most suitable NGO for two specific mainly supported by the Moscow based of work was one of the ini- Centre for Peacemaking and 28 Refuge, Vol. 17, No. 2 (April 1998) tiatives of the group itself, and themem- Perspectives sistance for her work-money to travel, a bers of the group have already done some computer, money to pay a secretary, etc. work in this direction). In order to work At this point, though the war has been further on this the group needs money for declared over, many hundreds of both Republican Child Creativity Centre salaries and for transportation around federal servicemen and Chechen fighters Address: Chechen Republic, Grozny, who were captured during the fighting Chechnya, a computer and some training Krasnoznamennaya Street 10. in using it to set up a database, as well as still cannot return to their homes. An in accounting skills. agreement was reached and included in Infonnation the peace accord that all people "forcibly Unlike many other groups that were Public Organization "Chechen held" by both sides will be released on created recently as people's response to Mothers" the basis of" all for all" without any the hardships they experienced during the preconditions, but in reality the process Headed by Madina Magomadova. war, the Child Creativity Centre is an old of their release is taking place very Address: Chechen Republic, 364000 organization staffed by people who used slowly and with great difficulties. Grozny, Zavety Ilyicha Street, house 187, to work in the former "Children's Palace" Madina is convinced that many apt. 36. (or the "Pioneer Palace") which was the Chechens, who were detained by the Contact in Moscow-through the Com- centre for children's extra-curriculum federal troops during the war, have since mittee of Soldiers Mothers of Russia, activities (dancing, painting, sewing etc.). been given sentences on various criminal 103982 Moscow, Russia, Louchnikov The old threestory building of the Palace charges. That is due to the fact that Lane, hA entrance 3, room 32. which was one of the nicest buildings in according to the official Russian position Grozny was seriously damaged during the Infonnation there was no war in Chechnya but simply war and needs a major repair job before it a police operation to restore Since January 18th 1995, Madina may operate. Today the Centre has a few constitutional order. So legally, there Magomadova has travelled to Grozny in rooms in what formerly was a nursery cannot be any prisoners of war. Today it an attempt to find her brother, who school and it also uses the facilities of a is very hard to locate the Chechens who disappeared at the beginning of the war. nearby school. were sent to different penitentiary facili- She has not been successful in this task, Today the Centre for Child Creativity ties all around Russia and therefore are but in the process has met many other is, if not the only, certainly the largest not in the hands of the military com- women-from Chechnya and mothers of NGO, that is working with the minds and manders who, according to the agree- soldiers from different areas of Russia, spirits of children who lived through a ments, are formally responsible for their who were in a situation similar to hers. So war. release. she began advocating on the part of these Taking into account today's Chechen On the Chechen side, there also are people, writing letters of inquiry to realities this work is hard to overestimate. great difficulties in finding the Russian various official institutions of the Russian What is most remarkable is thatthe work prisoners. Some of them are located in Federation (often with the help of of this organization has continued official prisoner camps, others are held deputies of the Russian State Duma). throughout the past two years-except for by separate families, which demand that Since the summer of 1995 Madina two interruptions caused by the fighting they will exchange the prisoner only for became a member of the Commission for in Grozny. Of course, the scale of activity their own missing relative. Often money the search for missing people which has dropped drastically compared to what is demanded as well. Another serious functions under the auspices of the OSCE it was before the war. Of nearly 250 clubs problem is the continuing hostage taking mission in Chechnya. and sections where almost 3,000 children crisis in Chechnya when both Chechens Today, besides the Committee of sol- participated, today about 20 clubs are left, and people from other areas (for example, diers mothers of Russia, Madina is co- attracting about 400 children. But the builders from other regions who were operating with the organization "Lawyers Centre continues to function and not only working in Chechnya) are kidnapped for without Borders." In the process of he helps the children that attend its various demands, usually-financial. All rwork,Madina was able to find nearly 50 programs, but is producing methodo- of this creates a great need for the kind of Russian servicemen who were taken as logical papers on how to organize similar work Madina Magomadova is involved prisoners of war by the Chechens and activities, to be distributed among schools in. Unfortunately,itdoesnotseemnecessary negotiate the release of many of them. In and child centres in other districts of for her group to search for new kinds of some cases these were soldiers officially Chechnya. activities in the current situation-today's pronounced dead by their military The people working in the Centre are situation in Chechnya suggests that their commanders. In finding Chechens, specially proud of the children ensemble work will be required for a long time to e Madina had less successshe was able to "Lovzar" headed by Mr. Taklaev, find only bodies of people who were come. What she does need is some killed in the course of the war. It has financial and technical as- often been hard to identify these corpses. 29

Refuge, Vol. 17,No. 2 (April 1998) which has performed not only in Infonnation bles (about 1.2 million dollars). Most of Chechnya, but in other republics of the this money was allocated to support the North Caucasus, Moscow, and Bulgaria The Council was created before the war, reconstruction of churches, mosques and as well. during "Dudaev's regime." It has func- other religious facilities. The Council "When we gathered after the fighting tioned throughout the events of the last does not have the funds to continue this near our former palace and realized that years. It has two branches-Christian and work, but it is hoping to resume it when we could not use it anymore" -says Moslem. It is involved in several areas of funding becomes available. Before the Janna, the head of the Centre-flour work: war, Chechnya had six churches, 420 children began to dance right in the • Developing cooperation between the mosques, and a few prayer houses street." People around were surprised. different religious confessions of There are plans to organize religious They had not seen dancing for many Chechnya, propagating mutual un- lessons in the schools. People have been months and could not understand why we derstanding between people belong- sent to Arab countries to get religious should be dancing in the middle of a ing to different religions and education. There are plans to recommend destroyed city. B ut with our dance we've denominations. people for religious schools in Russia as shown, that life g oes on, that our spirit is • Humanitarian aid through the well. The Council is supporting a not broken and we will live and continue churches to people in greatestneed. program to create a German religious and to do what we've been doing no matter • Restoring churches, mosques; reviv- cultural Centre. A library is being created what." ing the activities of the various reli- with religious literature and many books gious communities. have been distributed among the public. Perspectives and Needs • Helping in religious education, The Council hopes to organize a set of The Child Creativity Centre has proven sending people to religious educa- TV programs, which will educate the its potential not only to survive, against tional institutions, making religious population about various religions and all odds, but to grow, now that the war is literature available for the public. confessions, a nd expose the common over. The need for the kind of work it • Organizing a TV Centre and prepar- roots and principles among them. This is does is tremendous. Any help will mean a ing programs for the local TV, creat- important to help ensure interethnic peace lot for bringing the children of Chechnya ing a press-Centre. and cooperation in Chechnya. The Council has prepared the text of back to a peaceful life. Perspectives The Centre needs help in repairing a an inter-confessional agreement, that hall for the children to rehearse and includes quotations from the Bible and Taking into account the wide scope of the perform in, suites for children's clubs, the Koran, proving the close relationship Council's operations, it is hard to say money f9r travel (the Centre tries to or- between Christian and Moslem religions, what kind of support is not needed by it. ganize summer vacations for the children and voices the need for developing However, in a situation in which there are in other regions), and much, much more. positive relationships between people of limited resources, we would recommend One relatively inexpensive way to help all denominations. The Council is focusing on the following: would be to supply a photocopy machine cooperating with the youth movement • Supporting the media programs that to be used for producing materials to be "Djamagat," which announced its desire the Council is ready to prepare. In distributed among schools and centres for to protect the non-Muslim population of today's Chechnya, with the heavy extracurricular activities around Chechnya from criminal activities. legacy of the war and uncontrolled Chechnya. Throughout the war, the Council for crime, it is essential for people to Another way to help the Centre for Religious and Confessional affairs has hear, read and see programs that focus Child creativity could be to develop some participated in the delivery and distri- not on the negative, but on the fund-raising programs in cooperation bution of humanitarian aid, mostlyfrom positive, not on the past, but on the with it-such as producing postcards with Churches and ChurchNGOs (such as future. And taking into account the the pictures children draw, or organize "Caritas"). For example, recently the low level of education of the popula- fund-raising tours with performances by Council received ten tons of hum ani tar- tion, the spread of some ratherprimi- the children's ensemble. ian aid, which was distributed among tive understanding of Islam.16 It is hospitals throughout Chechnya. The important for people to understand Council for Religious and Council has assisted the work of the head that religion must not separate but Confessional Affairs of the of the Orthodox community in Grozny, unite people. (What is most needed Chechen Republic who created a shelter for people (mainly atthispointisagood video camera.) Headed by Sumbulatov Aguzar Alievich. the elderly) who lost their homes. • Some resources need to be found for a Address: Chechen Republic, Grozny, The Hadjiev government, when it was few salaries for people, working in the Mayakovskogo Street 86 " A," apt. 44. in power (in the first half of 1995), Council (2-3 at least). So far, most helped the Council with six billion ru-

30 Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (April 1998)

of the work is carried out by volun- At present the fund is looking for the Fund will collect information teers but this cannot last forever. people that could become its trustees and about the people in most need, pro- • Assistance with providing a vehicle. support its activities. Negotiations about vide transportation, take responsibility Without one, the ability of the Coun- that were held with the head of the Union for security, etc. cil to keep in touch with people and of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs A. V • Creating an ophthalmological clinic in organizations around Chechnya is olski, a representative of the President of Grozny, Realizing how expensive it is very limited. Tatarstan (the Tatar Republic) and to send people to get medical • Help in restoring the office of the others. These trustees would control how treatment abroad, the Fund is trying to Council. It is iocated on the" ground- the help they provide is being used while support the creation of medical floor" -basically, a basement of an the Fund will provide logistic and centres in Chechnya. apartment house and is in very poor organizational support. The Fund is The Revival Fund of the Chechen condition. managed by the Council of the Fund. Its Republic also seems to be a good organi- highest body is a Conference of the zation to approach with various projects Revival Fund of the Chechen Members of the Fund. Once a year, the aimed to set up small businesses and Republic Fund is supposed to inform the public enterprises. Of the most important needs Headed by Shamil Beno, a Chechen born about who has been providing aid via the the Fund needs two trucks: one small one in Jordan who was the first Minister of Fund, who has received this aid, etc. (around 1.5 tons) for use in the city, and a Foreign Affairs of Chechnya under the Perspectives larger one for delivering significant presidency of Djohar Dudaev. Address: quantities ofhumanitarian aid to different 18 Chechen Republic, 346047 Grozny, Strong points of the Fund is its clear locations in Chechnya. organizational structure, its good ties on Hankalskaya Street 78. Cellular phone: Centre for Protection of Rights and 903-30-7717 (area code from Moscow: - various levels both in Arab countries and in Russia, its through control over the use Culture 8-2 from other regions ofthe CIS: 8096; of resources and its focus on substantial in Moscow fax: 928-48-73). Headed by Elhanov Islamjan Israilovich. aid that may really help change peoples Address: Chechen Republic, Grozny, Infonnation lives for the better. Michurina Street 105. At this point the Fund focuses on the The Fund was created in the middle of Infonnation following programs: May 1995 by a gr oup of people who had • Creating an orphanage. There are The Centre for Protecting Rights and already been involved in charity and plans to open an orphanage for about culture was registered in September of humanitarian assistance, helping people 250 children that lost their parents 1995 (The work actually began in the first who suffered during the war. The group during the war. A place has been months of 1995). The Centre was of founders of the organization (nine located for it in the Staraya Sunja organized by three people known in the people) included two bankers, specialists village and there is an agreement with Republic-Islamjan himself, Said- in construction, an economist, two the local administration. Agreements MagomedHasiev, Bisultanov Apti. The scholars and a journalist. Besides have been reached with Jordanian focus was to protect both human rights humanitarian aid, members of the Fund organizations and the Mufti of and Chechnya's cultural institutions, actively participated in different Chechnya Kadyrov. which have suffered great damage during peacemaking and mediating initiatives, • Registering people who got injured the war. At present t..~ere are two major trying to assist in putting an end to the during the war. The Fund cooperates programs being carried out: hostilities which caused the problems in in this task with the Islamic World • "Victims of the war" -includes pre- the first place (participated in monitoring Council on Disability and paring lists of victims of the fighting negotiations on behalf of public Rehabilitation that will accumulate in Chechnya. A questionnaire was organizations proposed strategies to the information gathered and agreed developed for this purpose. The Cen- improve the peace process, etc.). to finance the project. The work will tre also plans to gather information In 1995 and in the beginning of 1996, be carried out with the cooperation of about human rights violation during the Fund assisted thirteen families with a the societies of the disabled in the the war, about" missing" people, and total sum of sixty million roubles (nearly various districts of Grozny and attempts to trace them, etc. At this one thousand dollars). Unlike most other Chechnya, the local administrations, point the Centre has a list of around organi~ations, the Fund tries not to help etc. one thousand people, mainly many with a little, rather seriously • Humanitarian assistance during the Chechens who were arrested during support a few families and help them winter. A preliminary agreement the war. adjust to new conditions. This includes about this was reached with the • "Reviving cultural life. " This is seen providing substantial financial aid, Egyptian Embassy. Egyptian repre- as the main focus of the Centre. Dur- providing apartments, purchasing small sentatives distribute the aid, while street-shops so people could earn a living for themselves, etc. 31

Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (April 1998)

ing the fighting archives were burned, sidering the high security risks in today's around a certain location not long before libraries and monuments destroyed Chechnya, it is helpful to focus on towns itwas bombed or shelled-you had all the etc. and villages where these risks are chances to be considered a "fire Right now there are attempts to restore significantly less than in other areas or in corrector.") a library. The Centre was able to Grozny. Today no place is safe but the It is typical for any foreigner to hear negotiate an agreement that 100,000 security situation varies a great deal from remarks every now and then about pos- books will be sent to Chechnya. place to place. It is generally worse in the sibly working for some secret service, as cities and differs a lot in other areas. Perspectives well as "jokes" on that issue, etc. In itself Another area which poses a great risk to this is normal and though may be quite The Centre for Protection of Rights and visitors is the southeast of Chechnya. In irritating, there is no reason to panic. But Culture is a rare example (perhaps the any case, before starting any serious it is important to behave as wisely and as only one so far) of a Chechen organiza- program it is important to get the approval carefully as possible trying to give no tion that was able to formally apply and of both the central authorities in Grozny, reason for any serious suspicions. Also, receive a sizeable grant (over $50,000) the local administration and field when the hostilities are carried out against from the Moscow-based Open Society commanders. Negotiating this may journalists, humanitarian workers, human Institute. The main purpose of that grant require some skills. On the one hand it is rights activists Chechens often later try to is to support the "Victims of war" pro- importantto generate some interest in the justify them claiming tha tthe victims gram. The Centre also may need help in work you or your organization is were spies, etc. Try to avoid asking creating a computer database for holding proposing and to show what benefits that questions that are not directly related to and using this information. would bring to the area. On the other your concerns. hand, however, it is important to be very Plans for Organising an Orphanage And generally, be careful on your careful in "opening up your cards." Large travels, avoid travelling at night. Stay in in Achkhoi-Martan for Chechen projects, especially if they require sig- your friends' homes and try not to be Refugees nificant investments (in Chechnya $5,000 alone for long especially when you are Contact: Vaha Zavliev, in AchhoiMartan, is alread y a big sum) may attract a lot of travelling. And if you do-it might be safer and ask for directions. unhealthy interest. People in official or taking a bus than hiring a car. Russian unofficial power positions may try to proverb says, "God looks out for the Infonnation19 control the projects or use them for their carefuL" Five years ago there was a facility in own benefit. Certain compromises on this Achkhoi-Martan for children who either are often inevitable, taking into account Ingushetia lost their parents or for various reasons the complexity of the situation, but they General Information couldn't live with them. Only one school should not become a serious burden to the functions on its territory. During the last project itself. One technique, that may be Unlike Chechnya, the small Ingush Re- four years an enthusiastic person from the used sometimes (but not always) to public is an example of significant local community has been developing overcome such obstacles is to allow an progress achieved against serious ob- plans to revive this facility. He wants to idea of something what would be good "in stacles. The Ingush Republic was estab- unite in one complex the former principle" to float around for some time in lished in 1992 in the territory of 4 orphanage, the building of a former the selected community, thus forming a districts of the former Chechen- Ingush teacher's training school and two positive public opinion, before it is autonomous Republic. The Ingush children's camps (former pioneer camps) formulated into a concrete proposal. This population voted overwhelmingly that near the town. He believes that this is easiest to achieve when already year for remaining as part of the Russian facility could hold up to 3,500 children of cooperating with a local NGO or activist. Federation what was largely due to the the ages from six to seventeen. Besides Remember however, that there is no one fact that the Russian Parliament adopted a places to live and study the facility would set of universal guidelines, and what is law "On rehabilitation of deported also include a farm where the children right for one project and one location may peoples, which included a promise of could work and produce agricultural be absolutely counterproductive in territorial rehabilitation." products to feed themselves. However, another case. As already mentioned the Ingush that more or less serious repairs must be done As it was already mentioned, suspi- were deported together with the Chechens on all the buildings of the selected cion of anyone from the outside is always to Siberia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia facilities before they can operate. very high in a conflict zone. Chechnyahowever, seems to beat all the have lost the Prigorodny (Suburban) Psychological and Security records in this sense, with a very strong district, that was part of the Ingush Aspects of Work in Chechnya and broad "spy-mania." (For example: Republic before the deportation. After during the warif you happened to hang their return in 1956, that district remained In the process of preparing and carrying part of North Ossetia whose leadership out various humanitarian projects, con- was creating difficulties for the returning Ingush. In October of 1992 32 Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (April 1998) a volunteer conflict erupted leaving a huge amount of refugees, caught be- dally unprotected" people from around 700 dead and creating 70,000 tween to conflicts. Ingushetia itself. refuges, most of them Ingush people from As already mentioned, one of the ef- The Red Crescent Society has nine the Prigorodny district. So far less than fects that conflicts and crises have is thai permanent and thirty-five part-time half of those were able to return. they encourage people to take their well- employees. Most of the part-time em- Ingushetia als o suffered greatly from the being into their own hands, thus in- ployees are representatives of the or- Chechen war right on its eastern border. creasing the civil activities of the ganization in various locations At times it received over 160,000 population. This clearly has been the case responsible for preparing lists of the refugees from Chechnya. In fact some of in Ingushetia. families and people who are in greatest the first victims of the war were a few Despite the small population of the need and for organizing the distribution Ingushmen that protested as the federal Republic, there were many more working of aid to them. troops were moving towards Chechnya NGOs created "per capita" in Ingushetia, The organization keeps track of all through Ingushetia. than in other "quiet" regions.2o recipients and has a computerized da- Yet, despite all these hardships, the Obviously the most important problem tabase where it collects information. This Ingush Republic may serve as a positive that these groups had to deal with was the information includes the number of example of progress achieved against great well-being of tens of thousands of people in the family that is receiving aid, odds. The leadership of the Republic, refugees from the Prigorodny region, and the number of children, the group the headed by a former Soviet Army General over a hundred thousand refugees from recipients belong to (widows, orphans, Ruslan Aushev was able to negotiate with the Chechen war. disabled, single over the age of 65 and the federal government a set of economic Nongovernmental Organizations others) the area the family originated conditions. Under them most Ingush from, its present address, etc. businesses are practically tax-exempt. of the Ingush Republic Recently the Red Crescent Society More than that, many Russian businesses began to implement a program of aid for were registered in Ingushetia for a small Ingush Red Crescent Society elderly people at home. The society is fee, which allowed them to drastically also prepared to organize urgent response reduce their taxes. As a result, at a time Headed by Liza Amarhadjieva. Address: to new crisis situations like the one that when in nearly all regions of Russia the Recently Red Crescent Society moved to developed during the fighting in Grozny economy was declining, Ingushetia another address and since they still have in August 1996. developed at a fairly high pace. Someone no telephone connection installed, we Needs and Perspectives who could' observe the extremely poor cannot obtain the information about their situation in the Republic just a few years address. We recommend getting the The IngushRed Crescent society is prob- ago would be pleasantly surprised with all address from the International Red Cross ably the best organization to channel the new construction that has been and is office. direct humanitarian aid to the population. going on today. It also has huge experience cooperating Another factor that contributed to the Infonnation with various international organizations significant progress, achieved by The Ingush Red Crescent Society is a and relief agencies (ICRC,Oxfam, World Ingushetia is the success of the Ingush unique organization compared with other Vision, etc.). leadership in attracting significant in- NGOs by the scale of its operations and Whatthe society needs for its further ternational aid. Indirectly, during the last the number of people it was able to assis development is the capabilities and the years, this was also a result of the poor t. It was set up in 1992, soon after the skills to communicate directly with vari- security situation in neighbouring tragic Ossetian-Ingush conflict. Since ous potential donors. For this the best Chechnya, what caused many international then it was able to help directly a few thing would be to use email, but there are organizations attracted by the Chechen hundred thousand people most of them- no email servers in Ingushetia. The main crisis to operate in and from Ingushetia. many times.21 In addition to this, the problem is ensuring a good telephone The Ingush Republic did not only receive Ingush Red Crescent Society assisted the connection with some service that aid and assistance from various operations carried out by other provides access to the Internet. Right now international organization and agencies for organizations and relief agencies. All this the possibility to do this is being its own purposes, but became a major aid was directed to help refugees-both discussed. Installing a cellular phone at point of support for Chechnya, especially from the Prigorodny district of North this moment seems to be the cheapest for the Chechens who became refugees in Ossetia and from Chechnya. The society solution to this problem. It will require the territory of Ingushetia. also helped organize medical centres at around $12-15,000. This email service, However, all this must not overshadow locations along the Chechen border when ifit is set up, could also be accessible for the fact that Ingushetia is still a tiny the fighting in the border areas intensi- other NGOs in Ingushetia. The society republic with a weak economy and fied and just recently the Red Crescent also needs finances to extend its storage Society began a program to help the" so- facilities and to increase the Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (April 1998)

33 salaries for the part time staff in various their children in Chechnya, bring them Address: Ingush Republic, 366720 N locations. out-including cases when soldiers were azran, Chechen Street 5, fax: 9234066 taken as prisoners by the Chechen (Moscow number in Ingushetia). Committee of Ingush Women " fighters. At the same time Soldiers Moth- Infonnation Almos" ers Committees around Russia help in Headed by Leila Muratovna Tsoroeva. monitoring the conditions of Ingush The Council of Social Organizations of Address: In gush Republic, 366720 soldiers in different Russian military the Ingush Republic was organized in Nazran, Kartaeva Street, tel.: (81) 237- locations and in defending their rights. February 1995 with the purpose of de- 16,242-02. The Committee has participated in veloping communication and coordi- many antiwar activities since the begin- nating efforts between different Ingush Infonnation ning of the Chechen conflict. In June NGOs. It consists of12 separate groups. The Committee of Ingush women was 1996, it has organized women to meet Some others are considering the possi- registered on the 2 of March 1993, soon with the Russian and the Chechen del- bility of becoming its members. after the first presidential elections in the egations during negotiations in Nazran Most of the work of the Council has newly created Ingush Republic. The main and hand over to them a petition with been related to the tragic events in objective of the organization is human some specific proposals on how to stop Chechnya and in the Prigorodny district rights protection. The Committee is the war. of North Ossetia. It lobbied on behalf of involved in the following activities: The organization does not have a the forced migrants from the Prigorodny • Protecting the rights of Ingush sol- permanent office and is often forced to Region, organized and participated in diers, drafted to the Russian Army. move. Nor does it have any serious fi- many actions opposing the war in • Helping in the search for Russian nancial backing. Chechnya, participated in the negotiation process on different levels between North military servicemen "lost" in the Needs and Perspectives course of the Chechen war. Ossetia and Ingushetia, took part in • Advocating on behalf of Ingush peo- The Women's Committee of Ingushetia various press conferences, etc. ple who have been detained or over the past years has proved its effec- Recently it prepared and sent a grant broughtto court in the neighbouring tiveness in many areas of human rights application to the Open Society Institute regions (mainly in the territory of the protection. At this point it needs at least requesting $10,000 for a program aimed Krasnodar and Stavropol regions). some financial backing to be able to con- to help legal education in Ingushetia, • Maintaining an archive of materials tinue and expand its operations. It is most monitoring the human rights situation in (information, photos, etc.) of people important to solve the problem of getting relation to refugees and publishing a who have been killed or "missing" a permanent office and the necessary newsletter. after. the tragic events in the equipment for it. The second problem to Perspectives Prigorodny district in 1992. work on is establishing communications. • Lobbying in front of authorities on Third-to get a car in order to be able to The task of uniting efforts of various behalf of the" socially unprotected" work more effectively both in Ingushetia NGOs is certainly very important and people (single mothers, elderly peo- and Chechnya. And last but not least-at must be encouraged. Also, the Council of ple, widows, etc.). The committee least some of the people working in the Social Organizations of the Ingush helps such people to prepare various organization need to receive some salary, Republic seems to be a good organization requests, appeals and other documents because there is a limit to how long to focus on solving the communications and to bring them to the attention of people can work as volunteer. problem for Ingush NGOs. Perhaps it the official authorities. There are five In order to achieve all these objectives could unite its efforts on this issue with people working in the members of the Women's Committee of the Red Crescent society. It is also an organization on a volunteer basis. Many Ingushetia need some assistance and organization that may assist NGOs and othe rs also participate in the activities of training in writing proposals, using organizations from other regions and the Committee. For example: some law- computers and other skills that are im- countries in finding partners for their yers, like the chairman of the Ingush portant for their work,22 In solving the programs in the Ingush Republic. Lawyers Committee Tamara Hautieva, task of developing and maintaining List ofNGOs,Members of the Council together with women's "support groups" communications it would be bestto co- of Social Organizations of the travel to other regions to participate in operate with other Ingush NGOs, in- IngushRepublic trials, where Ingush are involved. cluding the Red Crescent Society. After the beginning of the Chechen Council of Social Organizations of Women's Committee of Ingushetia war, the Committee began to actively "Almos" the Ingush Republic cooperate with Soldier's Mother's Com- Union of Ve terans of World WarII mittees all around Russia. The Ingush Headed by Chairman, R. Buzurtanov; women's committee helps them find coordinator L. Tsoroeva. Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (April 1998) 34

Union of V eterans of Afghanistan of the • assisting in solving the housing The languages of the various ethnic Ingush Republic problem for refugees and displaced groups in Dagestan belong to three lin- Chernobyl Union of the Ingush Republic persons; and guistic groups: the Turkish, the Indo- Union of Cossack Formations of the • rehabilitation programs for children European, and tne Iber-Caucasian Ingush Republic who suffered during the Chechen language groups. Union of the Deported from North war. From the beginning of perestroika in Ossetia This organization has already deliv- the former USSR, many problems sur- Charitable Fund for Social Protection of ered humanitarian help and equipment to faced and began to grow rapidly, relating Motherhood and Childhood Committee hospitals, orphanages and the to national questions, divisions based on for the Search for Hostages IngushState University. The organization ethnic backgrounds and interethnic and "Missing" itself and its activities seem to be relations. In Dagestan, where there is Actors Union of the Ingush Republic interesting, but so far we have not had such a variety of ethnic groups, Artists Union of the Ingush Republic any working experience with them. interethnic tensions and contradictions Federation of Child and Teenager or- Dagestan developed. However, these problems did ganizations of the Ingush Republic Youth not lead to the volunteer conflicts that Ecological Organization "ECOS" General Information took place in many other regions. In A new organization that is not located Dagestan the increase in interethnic in Ingushetia but whose operations are The republic Dagestan is a subject of the tensions was limited to the development mostly focused on the Ingush Republic Russian Federation, it consists of 42 of different national movements, various is: administrative districts.23 Its capital is demonstrations and a few separate Association for the Protection of Mahachkala. On the south, Dagestan incidents that did not develop into a borders with Azerbaijan, on the south- serious conflict. But there are many cases Deported Peoples west with Georgia, on the west with when people who found themselves in a Address: Moscow at 129110 Moscow, Chechnya, on the northwest with the relatively more vulnerable position Gilyarovskogo Street 39, office 800, tel. / Stavropol Region, on the north with suffered from criminal activity, while fax: (095) 971-28-27, Kalmykia. The southern part of the Re- authorities were unable, or too passive to email: [email protected] public is covered with the foothills and protect them and the general public the mountains of the Main Caucasus Infonnation remained indifferent to their problems. Range, and on the east it stretches along During the past several years, It plans to be an all-Russian organiza- the Caspian sea. Dagestan was in a situation close to an tionbut so far most of its activities were In the yea,r 1813, according to the economic blockade-the only railroad related to Ingushetia. Unlike other NGOs Gylistan treaty the territory of modem connecting the Republic with Russia goes this is a wealthy organization (its Dagestan was attached to Russia. In through Chechnya and could not operate Chairman, Muharbek Aushev, is one of 1817, the mountain peoples of Dagestan because of the events there. The border the directors of the largest Russian oil began an anticolonial campaign referred with Azerbaijan was closed. Dagestan is company). Its declared goals are: to as the Caucasian war. It lasted till in the middle of a severe economic crisis • networking between various deported 1864, when it was finally suppressed by and crime in the Republic has increased peoples support organizations; the Russian Empire. On January 20, 1921 sharply (even more so then generally in • developing a complex Program for after a two-year war with German and Russia). All this, together with the the liquidation of the consequences Turkish forces and the "White Guard" the growth of ethnic tensions, leads to a which result from interethnic con- Dagestan Autonomous Republic was strong outflow from Dagestan of mainly flicts, based upon the experience of formed as part of the Russian Soviet the Russian and the so-called "Russian- the Ingush-Ossetian conflict; Socialist Republic (RSFSR). speaking" population. At the same time a • organizing and participating in con- According to the census of 1989, the difficult economic and political situation ferences and seminars, related to the population of Dagestan amounted to in Russia and other NIS countries has problem of deported peoples protec- 1,802,188 people. According to the data resulted in even greater return flow of tion; in 1995 the population increased to ethnic Dagestanis from other regions and • developing projects, which will help 2,066,657 among which there were rep- countries. to create new jobs in the Ingush Re- resentatives of 102 nationalities. The The armed conflict in Chechnya and public; largest ethnic groups were the Avar, the huge flow of refugees also had a Agul, Azerbaijan, Armenian, Chechen,24 negative impact on the situation in Dargin, Kumyk, Lak, Lezgin, Nogai, Dagestan. Russian, Rutul, Tabasaran, Tatar, Tsahur, Ukrainian. Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (April 1998)

35

nic Tensions and In February 1944, after the deporta- (21,000 acres) in the Kumtorkalinski Contradictions in Dagestan tion of all the Chechens, the Auhovski district near Mahachkala was allocated district was abolished. Instead of it the for the new Lak towns and villages to be The ethnic diversity of Dagestan, the Novolak district was formed where in built and 3,150 Lak families were sup- interconnection of cultures of the various March of 1944, 1,300 Lak families wore posed to move there. The resettlement peoples, living side by side for many moved from the Lak and Kulin districts program for the Lak people should have centuries developed certain norms of of Dagestan. been completed in 1996, but due to short- behaviour. These norms helped avoid any In the process of resettling the Lak ages in financing only around 20 percent major armed conflicts in Dagestan people, twenty-four villages, 1,300 fami- of the resettlement program has been despite the fact that tensions often ran lies were moved to nine villages in the accomplished so far. Since the Laks very high and serious contradictions still newly created Novolakdistrict. People cannot move from the N ovolak district exist. It is possible to indicate the this means that the program ofrestoring " were given one wagon for three families. \ following most important areas of ten- On the road some people died from the the Auhovski district cannot be imple- sion: cold weather and malnutrition. When mented. The akkin-Chechens propose to • The Novolak(former Auhovski) dis- they came they were put in the houses restore the Auhovski district before the trict-relations between the akkin- left by the akkin-Chechens. Many people Laks mov e out. But the Lak demand that Chechens and the Lak (problems of died during the first three years after the the process of restoring the Auhovski resettlement of the formerly deported district and the resettlement of the Laks resettlement. 26 peoples). In the process of deportation the prop- should happen at the same time. • Tensions and problems along the erty of the akkin-Chechens was left be- Tension grows, the akkin-Chechens Dagestani-Chechen border. hind. All they were allowed to take were take over lands, demand that their an- • Area populated by the Lezgin, di- some clothes and a small amount of food. cestor's houses be freed, that all the vided by the Russian-Azerbaijani Cattle, property. houses-all of that was paragraphs of the law "On Rehabilitation border. left behind. A large percent of the of Deported Peoples" be fulfilled. The • Problems of the Nogai people, di- deported died in the first few years after Laks resist the pressure from the akkin- vided between Dagestan, Chechnya deportation. Chechens, organize demonstrations and and the Stavropol region. In 1957, after the deported peoples try to pressure the government of Dages • Similar problems of the Terek Cos- were allowed to return to their home- tan. sack's, divided between Stavropol lands, the akkin-Chechens returned but Due to the lack of financial resources, region, Chechnya and Dagestan.25 they were not permitted to go back to the the Russian government made a decision We shall take a look at three of these N ovolak district, formed in the place of to change the deadline for the im- situations that we consider most impor- the Auhovski district. Instead they were plementation of the resettlement program tant. We believe thatthe situations that given about 20,000 hectares (almost for the Lak population of the N ovolak developed in the Novolak district and 50,000 acres) of land in the nearby district and for the restoration of the along the border with Chechnya are the Hasavyurt district. Auhovski district till the year 2000. Thus, most urgent and explosive, and poten- Since 1957, there were some rather the work that needs to be done in order to tiallymay develop into open interethnic serious collisions between the akkin- solve the problem has nearly been conflicts so they deserve immediate at- brought to a halt. There are objective tention. The situation on the border with Chechens and the Laks and in 1991-93 contradictions between them have in- reasons for that, but the further the Azerbaijan still remains quite tense, but resettlement program will be delayed, the seems to have improved over the past creased. The akkin-Chechens wanted to return to the homes of their ancestors. higher interethnic tensions will rise years and is less likely to lead to serious between these two peoples. problems (which does not mean that it The Laks were not against this in prin- does not deserve attention). ciple, but they demanded that the gov- Problems and Growth of ernment of Dagestan should first allocate Tensions along the Chechen- Novolak (Auhovski) District: territory and finance the construction of Dagestan Border7 Contradictions between the nine towns and villages for the Laks to Most of the people in Dagestan felt com- Lak and Akkin-Chechens move to. passion toward the Chechen people On the third congress of the national There was no Novolak district before during the war in Chechnya. Many con- deputies of Dagestan in 1991, a decision 1944, its territory belonged to the sidered this war to be a national libera- was made to create an organizing com- Hasavyurt area. In 1943, part ofthe ter- tionmovement of the Chechen people28 mittee for the restoration of the Auhovski ritory of the Hasavyurt area was desig- From the first days of the war the district and an organizing committee for nated as the Auhovski district, populated Dagestan population actively participated the resettlement of the Lak population of mainly by the akkinChechens. in an antiwar movement,29 people N ovolak district. the demonstrated, blocked roads and A governmental program was ac- cepted: a territory of 8,500 hectares 36 Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (April 1998) did not allow the federal troops to enter Events in Kizlyar and Pervomaiskoe trict and also want to maintain their lands Chechnya from Dagestan. have once again exposed the inability of in the Hasavyurt district)32 these districts The government and people of the leadership of Russia to take care of will de facto become a part of Chechnya, Dagestan did what they could to assist crises, its poor understanding of the real even if they formally remain part of refugees from Chechnya. Nevertheless on situation on the ground and the rigid and Dagestan. January 9,1996 the Dagestan city of unprofessional style of its operations. In Such fears, fuelled by certain state- Kizlyar became the object of a raid that Dagestan many people got the impression ments by Chechen leaders and constant must be qualified as a terrorist attack by a that the real intent of the Russian provocations on the border, lead to the few hundred Chechen fighters, led by government was to pull Dagestan into an growth of anti-Chechen feelings in 3o Salman Raduev. open military confrontation with Dagestan. Demands were already made to Early in the morning the Chechen Chechnya. The operation carried out in create self-defence units in all regions of fighters entered the city and terrorised it. Pervomaiskoe was so obviously Dagestan bordering with Chechnya, to They took over the city hospital with its worthless and senseless that after the permit the carrying weapons, to conduct a patients and a maternity house next to it. anti-Chechen attitudes among the strict account of all Chechens, living in They drove people from their homes and population of Dagestan have begun to Dagestan, including refugees from the apartments and gathered a total of over diminish at the expense of a growing war. 3,000 hostages. As a result there was the discontent over the actions of the Federal The akkin-Chechens themselves often most powerful explosion of anti-Chechen authorities of the Russian Federation. state that in their culture, traditions, and feelings in Dagestan. There was a high The Kizlyar tragedy united all the way of life they are closer to the peoples probability of actions against the ethnic groups of Dagestan, and weakened of Dagestan than to Chechens living in Chechens living in Dagestan as well as the contradictions between them. At the Chechnya.33 During the tragic events in against the refugees from Chechnya. The same time, itlead to an increase in anti- Kizlyar and Pervomaiskoe the Dagestan interference of the Dagestan leadership Chechen feelings among the Dagestan Chechens actively participated in the made it possible to avoid a military population. These antiChechen feelings search for a peaceful solution, negotiated solution in the city of Kizlyar. The spread to the akkinChechens who live in with Salman Raduev compelling him to fighters released most of the hostages, Dagestan. Many people see the akkin- give up one position after another. During and about 150 of them, including Chechens as proponents of Chechen hostilities in Chechnya the leadership of members of the Dagestan leadership, separatism. the separatists hoped that the akkin- agreed to leave Dagestan peacefully in a Gradually anti-Chechen feelings be- Chechens would support their armed convoy of buses. But on the very border gan to diminish but after the signing of struggle, but this has not taken place. between Dagestan and Chechnya near the the peace agreements in Hasavyurt on Dagestan Chechens condemn village of Pervomaiskoe, the convoy was August 26,1996, when military activities provocations and robbery on the border, stopped and surrounded by federal troops. in Chechnya ended and were replaced by they understand that as soon as the Attempts by the Dagestan leadership to a fragile peace, when one should expect patience of the Dagestan people breaks secure a peaceful solution to the crises the situation to stabilise, anti-Chechen the first reaction will be against them. were ignored and the Federal government feelings again began to grow. Raids However nowadays, in the euphoria of took over the operation. Meanwhile the constantly take place from the Chechen their victory, many Chechens tend to fighters took up defence positions in the territory onto the neighbouring Dagestan identify themselves with Chechnya more village. The Federal ministry of Interior districts during which cattle and cars get than before. In general the akkin- and the Federal Security Service, headed stolen, robberies take place, and Chechens are in a contradictory situation. personally by ministers Kulikov and sometimes hostages are taken in order to On one hand they are Chechens, they Barsukov organized an armed operation extort money and so on. The have strong ties with Chechnya and are of "eliminating terrorists and freeing the representatives of allnationalities of influenced from there. On the other hand hostages" that began on 15 January. The Dagestan suffer from these criminal they are residents of Dagestan and are operation that was planned to be a few activities. under pressure from the Republican hours long took four days. Both sides Another cause of tensions are the leadership and population. The leaders of suffered heavy losses and quite a few of statements of various Chechen leaders the akkin-Chechens repeatedly stated the hostages were killed in it. The village that the Hasavyurt and the Novolak their clear position that they are inhab- was completely destroyed. On the night (Auhovski) districts are ancient Chechen itants of Dagestan and like all Dagestan of January 18th, Salman Raduev was able territory. 31 are oriented to remain within the Russian to break through the Federal lines and There is an opinion among the Federation. with a group of fighters and hostages Dagestan peoples, that if the program for The leadership of Dagestan and its (who were later released) disappeared in restoration of the Auhovski district will population are obviously satisfied with the territory of Chechnya. be implemented (today the Chechens the end of the war in the neighbouring demand the return of this dis- republic but in reality the long awaited Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (April 1998) 37

peace brought an aggravation of the is clearly a double standard in the legis- sons. In O<:tober 1996, there were around situation on the Chechen-Dagestan bor- lation. eight thousand left in the city and seven der. Situation of Refugees from thousand in the district. In the Novolak Area of Residence of the Lezgin, district, that received a total of Chechnya about14,OOO people, 116 refugees were Divided by the Russian- During the war in Chechnya, Dagestan left. The Kizlyar district accepted 7,560 Azerbaijani Border received around 150,000 refugees. Tak- people and the Tarumovski district After the disintegration of the Soviet ing into account, that the economic situ- received almost fifteen hundred, of whom Union the Lezgin found themselves di- ation in Dagestan is very difficult, a nearly a thousand returned to Chechnya. vided by the Russian-Azerbaijani border. accepting such numbers of refugees has Most of the refugees stayed in the Similar situations developed in many created additional problems due to the private sector. Local people felt compas- areas within the post-Soviet territory: need to finance their housing, liveli- sion and did what they could to help. Ossetians in Russia and Georgia, hood,etc. Besides that, the administration of the Russians in Ukraine, Estonia and The flows of refugees changed de- bordering districts found buildings for the Kazakhstan, Armenians in Azerbaijan, pending on the intensity of the fighting refugees to use (schools, nurseries, Azerbaijanis in Georgia and so on. In inChechnyaand the geography ofmilitary educational and industrial facilities, etc.) some regions the growth of interethnic actions. When fighting intensified in one The refugees received 2,465 rubles a day tensions lead to an open armed conflict or another Chechen location the number and the people or organizations that between the ethnic minorities that refused of refugees increased and as soon as the provided housing received 1,000 rubles a to accept the new arrangements and the fighting ceased many refugees went back day.36 But even this minimal support did titular national groups. Contradictions to their homes. Many refugees did not not last very long, somewhere around between the Azerbaijanis and the Lezgin register, especially during the first October 1995, this financing stopped. were high and some volunteer incidents months because during the registration a In this situation an important role was took place over recent years on both sides form (113) was filled out which was played by international organizations, of the border, although a large volunteer similar to the form that was filled out which rendered medical services, brought conflict did not develop. One of the during the deportation in 1944 and and distributed medicines, food, clothes major reasons for tensions was that the people were afraid of possible and so on. The Dagestan Ministry on 35 border between Russia and Azerbaijan consequences of their registration. Emergency situations, the Federal was closed and relatives from both sides Many refugees did not have documents. Migration Service have also worked faced difficulties in crossing it. They were registered without them and actively. In the beginning of September 1996, in such situations employees of regis- At the present moment many managers of there was a decision made by the Rus- tration centres had the opportunity to buildings, where the refugees live, want sian government to ease the procedure abuse their power during the distribution them to return to Chechnya as soon as for crossing the border. Air, railway and of humanitarian aid. Nor are such abuses possible. This occurs because electric bus communications were opened be- excluded on the part of the refu-gees power and gas are used and the costs of tween Dagestan and Azerbaijan. The themselves, when they could register at these services are not compensated. The border is completely open for the women different locations under different refugees themselves, knowing the and children as long as they can present surnames. Many refugees went to their economic situation in Dagestan, feel their ID (a passport or birth certificate). relatives or friends. Besides, many resi- uncomfortable and understand that they Young men of "drafting" age need to dents of Dagestan have left for other are a burden. But many people re. ally present on the border a passport with regions of Russia and countries of the have nowhere to go. When the ad- their residence permit (propiska)34 or a NIS to their relatives, parents, and chil- ministration of the Hasavyurt district gave special permission document that can be dren. As a result of all this, there is no the lists of refugees to the administrations easily obtained in Mahachkala. clear statistic of refugees and in the dis- of the Chechen city of Gudermes, the There is a certain contradiction. For trict branches of the Committee on La- Nogaiyurt, Vedeno and Shali districts of example if a representative of our or- bour and Employment there are data only Chechnya it discovered that around 70 ganization Nonviolence InternationalNIS about those refugees, who were actually pe rcent of these refugees live at home in registered. departs from Moscow to Azerbaijan he Chechnya. So there are many cases when does not need to receive any special Most of the refugees coming to a person lives in Chechnya at home, but Dagestan from Chechnya during the permitting documents, all he needs is his receives humanitarian aid as a refugee in entire period of the war stayed in the city regular internal passport. If he will go to Dagestan. of Hasavyurt and the Hasavyurt district. Azerbaijan from Dagestan, it will be We believe that it is important to assist The maximum number of refugees that necessary for him to receive for this a the return of refugees, whose homes permission paper in Mahachkala. This came to the city was almost 65,000 and to the district-about 60,000 per- Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (April 1998) 38 remained, who have the finances and the economic crisis in the country these But because of the "tuhumstvo," the opportunities to live in Chechnya. This factories have stopped functioning. This strong family ties, once a person moved will decrease the number of refugees in effected the "Russian-speaking" to the plains and settled there, he would Dagestan and it will become easier to population of Dagestan in particular. try to bring his parents, brothers and other help those who are in the most desperate People were left without salaries and they relatives. At the same time the Russian situation, who lost their houses, don't did not have other sources of income. As youth, after competing higher education, have enough means for livelihood etc. the power of the federal and local tried to find jobs in other areas of the For: this purpose it is necessary to government diminished and interethnic country. This mainly happened because transfer activity of international organi- tensions increased, the Russians as the for them the chances of making a zations from Dagestan to Chechnya. least protected found themselves under successful career in Dagestan were very Taking into account the risks and the criminal pressure.37 Russians, who often small. Because all that, the birth rates and difficulties of that and the reaction of worked as qualified specialists in the population growth of ethnic international organizations to the killing different enterprises were provided "Dagestanis" w as much higher than of the of the six ICRC employees, it is possible apartments during Soviet times. Criminal Russian population. to use potential local activists, NGOs and structures would take away people's So by the middle of the 1980s, the people who helped the operations of apartments or force them to sell their flats percent of Russian and "Russian- international organizations in Chechnya. for low prices. Through fraud, criminals speaking" population in the republic has sharply decreased, even In those districts Migration of the Population and received documents allowing them to take them over. There were some cases, where they made up a majority. With the Its Reasons when the owners of apartments were beginning of "perestroika" ethnic tensions For many decades, during existence of killed, or kidnapped in the process of grew, people began to divide themselves the USSR, migration flows were directed taking their apartments over. Republican based on their ethnic background and the out of Dagestan. Since 1992, as a result authorities did, to a certain extent, try to further this process continued, the more of a new political situation, these flows protect the Russian population but in a complicated things became. Under these have changed. The inflow of the popu- situation when the leadership itself is in conditions the migration of Russians out lation has exceeded the outflow. It is crisis, the Russian and "Russianspeaking" of Dagestan increased significantly. possible to follow the most important population remains under the pressure of When the war began in Chechnya and tendencies in the migration of the popu- criminal structures in those towns and especially after the tragic events in lation in and out of Dagestan: villages where it is a minority. Kizlyar, fear of these events spilling over • Migration of the Russian and other Another factor that forces the Russian the border into Dagestan spread among "non Dagestanian" population from and "Russian-speaking" population to the "Russian-speaking" population, Dagestan. leave is the consequences of the especially in the areas near the Chechen • Migration of ethnic "Dagestanis" migration of the Dagestan peoples from border. from the NIS countries and Russia the mountain areas of the Republic onto During the last few years, the reasons into Dagestan: the plain. This process began in the for migration are related to the war in 1970s, and was connected to the fact Chechnya, to some statements of various Migration of the Russian and Other thatlifein the mountains had poor per- Chechen leaders about the need to unite "Non-Dagestani" Population from spectives-there was a shortage ofland, the Hasavyurt and Novolak (Auhovski) Dagestan Migration flows of the farms were unprofitable, there were no district with Chechnya, to tensions along Russian and "Russian-speaking" jobs, etc. On the plains38 there was a the border, constant provocations, population from Dagestan can be defined shortage of labour, industrial production stealing cattle, taking hostages etc .. as: and cattle farming were expanding and so It is possible to designate the following • From cities and districts, where the on. reasons for the migration of the Russian Russian population made up a mi- In the Tarumovski district there was and "Russian-speaking" population from nority of the population. no organized migration from the moun- Dagestan: 39 • From districts, where the Russian tains. Ethnic "Dagestanis" came on their 1. Poor economic conditions. population was traditionally the own personal initiative and this was 2. Social vulnerability of the "Russian- majority. welcomed. In the Kizlyar district there speaking" population, especially in The most important reason that causes was organized migration from the the cities and districts, where it is a the "Russian -speaking" population to mountains, people were given land, small minority. migrate can be called "social whole new villages were built for the 3. Fear related to the Chechen war and vulnerability." This population as a rule is migrants, they were provided building problems on the Dagestan-Chechen working in plants, factories, technological materials, given jobs and so on. This, at border. enterprises, etc. As a result of the time, did not create ethnic conflict.

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Migration of Ethnic "Dagestanis" Avars have lived in the Kvarelski district historical homeland are they needed and from NIS Countries and Russia of the Georgian Republic for over a they do not trust any governments. back to Dagestan cenhiry. They were located in three vil- Nongovernmental Organizations lages- Tivi, Sarusu and Chindijskuri. At the time of the Soviet Union people When Zviad Gamsahurdia came to power and Activists of Dagestan left for the regions of Russia and the in Georgia they found themselves under In the process of their work in the terri- Union Republics to work, to receive and pressure. tory of Dages tan, the members of /IN on- continue their education, make a career The roads to their villages were violence International" Society have and so on. As a result of the collapse of blocked, people stopped receiving pen- contacted a few NGOs and an expert of the USSR, political and economic hard- sions and benefits, the vineyards were the Network for Ethnological Monitoring. ships in the NIS, growth of interethnic confiscated, and there were threats of Charitab Ie Fund "Medik" (KizIyar tension and sometimes even open per- physical massacre. The "Kvarely" A vars branch) secution, the migration flow of ethnic have requested the leadership of "Dagestanis" has reversed and people Dagestan to help them move back to their Registered in May of 1993. Operates in have begun to return to Dagestan. historic motherland. Kizlyar. The return of "Dagestanis" from Cen- "K varely" A vars were offered to mi- Headed by Andrey Tretyakov. Address: tral Asia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia grate from Georgia to the city ofYuzhno- Dagestan Republic, Kizlyar, Pobedy takes place for the following main rea- Suhokumsk in the Nogai district of street 1, apt. 2., tel. in Kizlyar: 230-98.40 sons: Dagestan. The steppe covers most of this Information • a very low living standard in Central district, there is a shortage of water, that's Asia; why most of the migrants do not want to The main activity of the Fund is to render • a very low living standard and ethnic move there. medical and social help to children, tension in Azerbaijan and Georgia; Nevertheless seven buildings have disabled, elderly, war veterans. Initially and been constructed in this city for the mi- the Fund rendered assistance to people at • pressure and abuse of power on be- grants to live in, but most of the migrants their homes-people with low incomes, half of local authorities against all moved to Mahachkala, to the Stalskoe with health problems when they could native peoples of the North Caucasus village of the Kizilyurt district and to the not come themselves to the medical and the Trans-Caucasus including the Kizlyar district, which are all in the facilities. ethnic "Dagestanis." plains. The Fund rendered social help. It took As it is nearly impossible to live in the Two-hundred-thirty-five families patronage over children's institutions in mountains, all returning people try to moved to Dagestan and 705 families town and over a special school in settle in the plains. People from the stayed in Georgia. All migrants, both Mahachkala. This activity was supported mountains also try to move to the plains those who already moved and those who by the students of Dagestan Medical which creates internal migration (people were in Georgia received pensions, Institute and did not last long because its depart from their homes because there is benefits and medical assistance in financing was terminated. no work). Dagestan as they could receive it in After the tragic events in Kizlyar, the There are almost only old people left Georgia. Fund assisted medical and children's in the mountains today who live on their This process has already lasted over institutions of the city in receiving medi- pensions and large families that receive five years. The time frame, which had cal supplies, children's toys and dis- child support. As it was mentioned above been set by Federal institutions and the tributed warm clothes in the village of there is a very complicated economic government of Dagestan came to an end, Pervomaiskoe. situation in Dagestan. People returning to but the plans were not realized. The Perspectives the Republic and those who have government of the Russian Federation migrated from the mountains try to find does not provide sources of financing to At the present time the Fund, incoopera- jobs, but everything is occupied as there fulfil the program of migration (except tion with Nonviolence InternationalNIS is is a huge deficit of jobs. That's why many for the Federal Migration Service of Rus- developing a project aimed to organize people are forced to earn a living by sia, which provided financing for buying psychological assistance for the children, criminal or semi-criminal acts. Tension and assembling buildings for the doctors, teachers who suffered from and ethnic contradictions are rising in the migrants from Georgia). The leadership psychological stress during the tragic Republic. of Georgia declares that it cannot pay events of January 1996. This is planned One of the most difficult situations in compensation for the property left behind as a fairly inexpensive project (around the context of the return of ethnic by the migrants (houses, gardens etc.) $7,000-8,000) and could serve as a pilot "Dagestanis" is the immigration to because it does not have the money. As a project for similar programs in Dagestan of the K varely A vars from the result, people are in a complicated K varelski district in Georgia. "K varely" situation, neither in Georgia nor in their Refuge, Vol. 17, No.2 (Apri11998) 40 other areas that suffered from the war, Dagestan. Though he is not really an around different figures who claim to be including Chechnya itself. NGO activist, we believe it is right to serious leaders. However, a similar situation include him in this publication because may be seen in the field of NGOs and among Hasavyurt Regional Charity Fund people whb worked for along time in his expertise might be of great value to "Spasenie" ("Salvation") different international organizations. any organizations or agencies that decide 6. The given list by no means can be considered Contacts: The Chairman of the Fund to work in this troubled region. complete. We know that there are many more Umar Djavtaev, Chairman assistant Gulnara Ahmedova people and organizations who worked no less Vahmurad Ashabov and Irainat than the ones we mentioned and therefore we Karimova. Address: Dagestan Republic, apologise for not including them in the list. Address: Dagestan Republic, 368005 Mahachkala, Marksa Streer 11 G, apt. However, it is nearly impossible to know and mention everybody. Hasavyurt, Zarechnaja Street 63, tel.: 21, tel.: (22) 67-2795. (8722310) 36-64. 7. Recently this organization published a small Infonnation brochure with advice for NGO rep- Infonnation resentatives who are planning to work in Gulnara is a young woman from conflict zones. We highly recommend to The main direction of activities of the Dagestan living in Mahachkala. She has look at it as well. Fund is creation of an assistance centre attended some youth conferences with 8. The Chechens often use the nickname "In_ for refugees from the Chechen war. This representatives of various NGOs from dians" for such groups-nothing against native centre renders the following assistance: the Caucasus. At present she is not a Americans, however. • legal aid to the refugees; member of any specific NGO, but is very 9. Helping those in need is generally an im- • finding buildings for housing refu- interested in the possibility of getting portant aspect of Muslim culture. We have involved in some organization where she observed in different conflict zones of the gees; former USSR that countries and territories • promoting the media to highlight the could contribute to peace and interethnic which are predominantly Muslim are more problems that concern the refugees; cooperation in her Republic. She could successful in dealing with such human • help in the search for Russian serv- be a useful person to contact in consequences of crises and wars as huge icemen who were captured as pris- Mahachkala if her help is needed. II refugee flows often with less available re- sources to begin with. oners of war; and Notes 10. The local NGO responsible for this project is • searching for "missing" people. the Society for Peace and Human Rights. It is 1. This doesn't mean, however, that bloodshed headed by Shaman Adaev, a young Chechen Perspectives has ceased completely. who became well-known for his work with As the war has been declared over and 2. It is natural that such divisions are rather journalists, human rights activists and with the majority of refugees have already conditional, especially between the second international organization throughout the and third category. Some organizations, such entire war. returned to Chechnya, this organization as ICRC, 10M occupy a kind of intermediate 11. In fact, the word Sernovodsk comes from the can readjust to the new challenges it is position. Russian "Sernye vody," which means sulphur facing and play an important role in 3. For example: 10M operations in Chechnya waters. Before The war there was a large easing tensions on the ChechenDagestan began, basically, through cooperation with a sanatorium located in the village border. Nonviolence International-NIS small Moscow-based NGO and some local Unfortunately, it suffered the heaviest hopes to assist this NGO as well as the Chechen activists, who on their own had damage during the events of March 1996. already begun to evacuate civilians from one in Kizlyar in getting an email 12. That does not mean that it is theoretically Grozny in January 1995 at a time when the impossible to have a return on your invest- address. fighting in the city reached its peak and no ments, but that completely depends on the official or international agency was able to Kisriev Enver (an expert of the ability of your partner to make a profit in an operate in that area. Network of Ethnological Monitoring extremely difficult environment and and Early Waming of conflicts) 4. For example, during the work in Chechnya, secondly-on his willingness to share the the International Organization for Migration profits with you. No legal instruments are Address: Dagestan Republic, 367012 was often confused with the Russian Federal available today to guarantee any agreements Mahachkala, Marksa Street 11 G, apt. 21, Migration Service what caused sometimes and it is doubtful that they will appear in the negative attitudes toward it. tel.: (22) 67-3974, (22) 67-2795, email: foreseeable future. [email protected] 5. Abstractly speaking, each era brings forward 13. For example, one of the large round central certain people. But when times begin to squares was given (unofficially) the name Infonnation change at a kaleidoscopic pace many people "Minutka" because once upon a time there appear who were pulled out of their was a cafe by that name next to the square. I Enver Kisriev is a highly qualified spe- everyday lives and become leaders in differ- remember how after a month in Grozny, I cialist, an expert in the fields of ethnol- ent spheres but after a short time the need for still had difficulties figuring out what people ogy, anthropology and interethnic them in their new capacity vanishes. meant when they described their addresses in relationships in Dagestan. He is a con- This is seen best when you look at politics a manner like "the third house on the left and note an unreasonably high number of when you turn right of the Minutkasquare." sultant at the People's Council-the highest various parties and movements built governmental body in 41 Refuge, Vol. 17, No. 2 (April 1998) 5) 14. One of the peculiarities of the situation with also related to the diverse and complicated Chechens living in Chechnya. We believe Sernovodsk and therefore with the society ethnic composition of Dagestan. this isa very interesting and indicative fact. "For Peace and Human Rights" is that 24. The Chechens that live (or lived) in 34. If the person lives in the southern part of administratively Sernovodsk is in some cases Dagestan are known as the akkinChechens. Dagestan, it is enough to present his pass- still considered part of the Ingush Republic 25. The Cossacks demand the return to the port with the residence permit to cross the within the Russian Federation. The reason for Stavropol region lands along the north bank border. thatis that when the former Chechen-Ingush of the Terek river, that were attached to 35. Besides that, in the middle of1995 the city Autonomous Republic split in 1992, there was Chechnya in 1956. authorities in Hasavyurt, where the largest a decision between the Chechen and the 26. This is an interesting fact. Recently there number of refugees came from, demanded Ingush leadership notto draw a border line in was a lot of information about the deported that all men aged 16 and over must register order to avoid conflict. Sernovodsk used to be peoples and the terrible losses they suffered at the city militia. Later this decision was part of the Sunjenski district of the Chechen- during the deportation. But the people that reversed, bu t it also deterred people from Ingush Autonomous Republic, a district that were relocated to the areas left by the getting registered. was considered to become part of the new deported peoples also suffered greatly. In 36. 2,465 rubles is the equivalent of U.s. $0.40- Ingush Republic. However, the majority of some ways this "relocation" was similar to 0.50. This is just enough to buy one loaf of the population of the village are ethnic the deportations. The Stalinist totalitarian bread. Chechens and de facto Sernovodsk became system was ruthless in everything it did. 37. Ethnic "Dagestanis" have very strong family part of Chechnya. As it was mentioned, in 27. Administrative districts of the Dagestan ties, what is known as "tuhumstvo." When a March of 1996 the Russian mili~ tary Republic that border on Chechnya are the family is large, when some relatives hold surrounded, bombarded and "cleansed" the Tsumandinski, Botlihski, Gumbetovski, important positions in power structures, village, thus recognizing it as Chechen Kazbekovski, Novolak, Hasavyurt, these people try to find a good jobfor other territory. At present the village has a Chechen Babayurt, Kizlyar, Tarumovski and Nogai relatives, they protect them, help them, etc. leadership and there is no serious debate over districts. Russians, living in Dagestan usually have its belonging to Chechnya. Yet in papers it is 28. A recent survey showed that this was the smallfamilies, weak relationships among still often considered part of Ingushetia, so opinion of more than 35 percent of the relatives, they don't support each other the Shaman's society is registered as a public or- population of Dagestan. way Dagestanis do, that is why they became ganization according to Russian law. 29. Obviously, the most active antiwar move- the most vulnerable ethnic group in time of 15. Articles about these visits and other activities ment developed in the areas bordering economic and political crisis. in which the group participated have been Chechnya where there is a large population 38. We mean the Kizlyar and Tarumovski dis- published in the "Joint Nonviolent Action" of akkin-Chechens. In the first days of the tricts of Dagestan. newsletter, contact Nonviolence International- war a number of federal armed personal 39. Dagestan stands second to the last among the NIS. carriers (" APC") with their crews were Russian regions byits living standard. 16. For example, you may hear such remarks as captured with the support of the local 40. Unfortunately there is no direct-dial phone "There's no God, there is Allah." population in the territory of Dagestanand service to Kizlyar, you have to call through 17. Today the number may have changed. then transferred toChechnya. an operator. Nonviolence InternationalNIS is 30. The Chechen fighters claimed that initially also planning to organize an email address in 18. Right now, for example, just in order to hire < there was no plan to attack the city and the a truck load from Grozny to Shali (about 30 Kizlyar, that will help in communications objective of the operation was to destroy a miles) it is necessary to pay 350,000 rubles- with the "Medik" Fund. Ll helicopter airfield located next to the city, that's enough for the survival of a family of 3- that was used as a base for federal army 4 people for a month. helicopters that bombed Chechnya and a Refuge, Vol. 17, No. 2 (April 1998) 19. Members of Nonviolence InternationalNIS military garrison. However on the airfield did not have an opportunity, so far, to meet there were only two helicopters and the Vaha themselves. The information published garrison organized a fierce resistance, after came from other Chechen NGOs that are which the fighters entered the city in order to known to be reliable. take hostages and that way to secure a safe 20. However the small size and population of the passage to Chechnya. Republic leads to the fact, that there are 31. Like the statement made by AsIan proportionately many more "government" Mashadov (the Chief of staff of the Chechen jobs "per capita" then in other places. This military formations during the war and creates opportunities for some potential presently a likely candidate for presidency in activists to find themselves a role in the upcoming elections) when he referred to government structures. the Dagestan city of Hasavyurt as "the 21. For a republic like Ingushetia the operations ancient Vainakh land." of the Red Crescent Society may be compared 32. In the city of Hasavyurt the Chechens make with the work of some government ministries up 32 percent of the population and in the and agencies. Hasavyurt district-25 percent. 22. Nonviolence International-NIS plans to help 33. The members of Nonviolence International- in this. NIS society repeatedly observed, that akkin- 23. Districts and cities are considered separate Chechens say "we" regarding the people of administrative entities. The large number of Dagestan and "they" about fairly small districts in the republic is

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