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Washington – February 8 – Freedom House, the Moscow Helsinki Group and the Youth Human Rights Movement announced a new partnership today, aimed at strengthening ties between civil society groups in Russia and the United States in order to jointly support democracy, rule of law, and human rights activists worldwide.

The U.S.-Russian Civil Dialogue will also provide a framework for a larger role of civil society institutions by seeking to create a system for mutual support and common action aimed at advancing human rights standards.

"We believe our own advocacy efforts will be strengthened by joining with Russian partners more frequently on matters of shared interest," said Thomas O. Melia, Freedom House deputy executive director. "We hope the dialogue being launched today will formalize an already effective partnership between U.S. and Russian civil society groups working together to promote human rights and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide."

The U.S.-Russian Civil Dialogue will conduct joint research projects and advocacy on important human rights issues and present findings at international fora. In the coming months, the partners plan to hold a follow-up meeting of the US-Russian Civil Society Forum that took place in Moscow on July 6-7, 2009 and continue to discuss the role of human rights in the bilateral relations. The U.S.-Russian Civil Dialogue invites other civil society groups to join in common initiatives to advance the cause of human rights around the world.

“We believe it is essential to formulate common platforms of issues. The civil society has to play a more significant role not only in bilateral relations between our countries, but also on the international level. The partnership seeks to work in solidarity with democracy and human rights activists working in various countries,” said Dmitri Makarov, Youth Human Rights Movement program coordinator.

Freedom House, an independent nongovernmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom in the world, has been monitoring political rights and civil liberties in Russia since 1991 and the United States since 1972. Moscow Helsinki group is the oldest active human rights organization in Russia, established in 1976. Youth Human Rights Movement is an international network of individuals and youth groups, created in 1998 with the goal of forming a new generation of human rights and civil society activists. 

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