NGOs Launch Alternative France-Russia Year
The official "France-Russia Year" will be launched by the French and Russian Governments in Paris on January 25. That same day, at 2:30pm local time, an ‘Alternative France-Russia Year' will also be launched in Paris by a coalition of French, international and Russian NGOs.
The official framework does not allow for the discussion of a number of crucial questions for Russia and French relations. "The Coalition for the ‘Alternative France-Russia Year" is therefore preparing, in counterpoint, a series of events to allow both the French and Russian civil societies to speak and to support those who are striving in Russia for the emergence of a state of law.
A number of NGOs among the most engaged in the human rights situation in Russia are already associated with the Coalition: Reporters Without Borders, Amnesty International France, ACAT-France, la Maison d'Europe et d'Orient, as well as Russian NGO's that include Memorial, The Sakharov Center, the Foundation for Support to Glasnost, Citizen Assistance (Grajdanskoie Sodeistviie), and others.
A multitude of events will be taking place simultaneously in both countries and the year will be marked by a busy schedule of high-level political visits in both states.
The NGOs, alongside journalists, politicians, intellectuals and French and Russian born artists will host a simultaneous press conference to launch the "Alternative France-Russia Year".
Key French speakers include:
- Daniel Cohn Bendit
- Andre Glucksmann
- French NGO representatives
Russian key speakers include:
- Anna Staviskaia, attorney for the children of Anna Politkovskaia, of Andre Erofeiev and of Louri Samodourov, currently under trial, and other prisoners of opinion
- Svetlana Gannushkina, member of the direction of Memorial, as well as of the NGO Citizen Assistance (Grajdanskoie Sodeistviie)
- Alexei Simonov, writer and film director, president of the Glasnost Defense Foundation
Further events also scheduled include:
- March - The opening of a Franco-Russian exhibition in Paris
- June - A public debate about the rule of law in Russia
- Summer - An exhibition of the major French, international and Russian NGOs about their work in Russia
- Autumn - A concert in Paris