| Key qualifications (summary) |
Business experience in the
CIS since 1992 in tourism, broad experience on capacity building and
project design, monitoring and strategy planning. Experience with strengthening
of the civil society, use of media, small businesses, NGOs.
The co-operation between TGK Consult and RAIPON (Russian Association
of Indigenous peoples of the North) is based on an action program,
made by TGK Consult and RAIPON in 1999. RAIPON represents 40 regional
branches (peoples) living in the Russian Arctic right from the Kola
peninsula and Siberia to the Far East. In Russian law the numerically
small peoples are defined as peoples numbering maximum 50.000 individuals,
but many of the peoples consist of only a few thousand. With Danish
support the organisation has established a central office in Moscow
and developed its project work so that it covers both international
and local initiatives in the regions of Russia.
The traditional culture and way of life of the indigenous peoples
is dependent on conservation of the environment in their subsistence
areas, where they live as reindeer herders, hunters or food gatherers.
Despite the great cultural diversity among the indigenous peoples of
Russia, the peoples are united in their struggle for land rights and
in their aim to avoid overexploitation of the natural resources. Right
from the vast oil and gas areas in the northern and central parts of
Siberia to the forests of the Far East the indigenous peoples must
fight to preserve a sustainable environment. With out their tundra,
fishes in the rivers and prey in the woods the indigenous peoples have
no future, neither culturally. As a minority of only 200.000 individuals
it is important for the indigenous peoples to have a strong federal
organisation.
Since 1999 the support to RAIPON has focused on five main areas:
- Establishment of a Project Centre in Moscow aiming at capacity
building in project description, project management and fundraising.
Concrete courses in Logical Framework Approach with regional participants,
fact-finding missions to the regions.
- An Information Centre in Kamchatka with four regional centres.
The Information Centre functions as a link to the central organisation
and works for the indigenous peoples' legal and political rights
in their "territories of traditional land use". Furthermore,
a program on ecotourism as an alternative income source for the
indigenous peoples is being developed.
- Development of a small grants program for support of micro-initiatives
such as traditional workshops on a private basis. A wood carving
workshop, a sewing workroom and small-scale tea production are concrete
examples
of supported projects. Communities in Primorsky Kray, Evenkia,
Nenestky AO.
- A youth conference on "indigenous peoples versus industrial
exploitation of the traditional lands". The conference brought
together representatives from all of Russia in Tomsk, Siberia,
where a resolution and a youth program with a set of recommendations
for
the future work were adopted. A follow-up was held in February
2001.
- On the basis of the action program, the individual projects
have covered an indirect strengthening of the indigenous peoples'
access to the
media, both through publishing a newspaper, which writes about the
problems of resource use in both Russian the indigenous languages,
especially with respect to the Russian oil, gas and fishing industry.
Furthermore, there has been drawn increased attention to indigenous
peoples' problems in general, for example by holding conferences,
at visits to the regions by the leadership of RAIPON and visits by
foreign
delegations.
Finally, TGK Consult has channelled financial support for the participation
of indigenous representatives at international meetings in forums under
the Arctic Council and with Arctic parliamentarians.
In 2002 carried out a project on capacity building and the use of
media in the Nenetsky AO, funded by the Danish MoFA. Furthermore, TGK
Consult assists IWGIA (International Work Group on Indigenous Affairs)
in the project “Capacity Building and Promotion of Rights for
Indigenous People” which focuses on A) lobbying federal legislation,
B) indigenous political participation and C) local democracy initiatives.
TGK Consult
TGK Consult was established in 1999 as an independent consulting company
with the aim to offer professional assistance to development agencies
and companies. All communication is done directly in Russian and English.
My educational background is a master's degree in Russian and Political
Science (1997), and my professional background includes jobs in The
Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (1996-97), the tourist business
and as a teacher (1998) and finally as an advisor in the Arctic Council
(1996 and 1999). TGK Consult has completed two successful projects
funded by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and has its financial
reports audited by an international auditing company (Deloitte&Touche).
Besides, TGK Consult has a valuable network of professional partners
in Denmark and abroad
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