INTERNATIONAL CAUCASUS FOUNDATION ON MINORITY ISSUES (ICFMI)
Mission
The ICFMI`s mission is to contribute to the construction of democracy in Caucasus by improving the regions interethnic climate and promoting principles of interethnic peace and justice based on institutional solutions acceptable both to majority and minorities.
Strategy
In prder to achieve its goals and to address the problems identified above, the ICFMI active in the following main field of activities:
collecting available information, data and initiatives on ethnic minorities, and making these available to parties interested in real dialogue about different aspects of ethnocultural diversity. Facilitation the exchange of information and the communication process between minority and magority organizations by network activity;
providing support to initiatives dedicated to developing new approaches to interethnic relations based on the mutual understanding and acceptance of ethnic differences;
Organizing advocacy campaigns designed for the intellectual and political actorsof both majority and minority, in order to develop pragmatic approaches to minority issues;
Offering training, seminars and assistance in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and conflict management;
Promoting alternative approaches to multicultural education for both majority and minorities, reflecting the historical role and contribution of the region`s various minorities and attending to the particular needs of different minorities in terms of education (while attempting to prevent the misuse of minority education issues in political debate).
Aims, objectives:
To gradually provide a more favorable climate for the interethnic relations in Caucasus;
To increase the visibility of minorities in the public sphere with notable events of interethnic dialogue;
To engourage and assist minorities in making their claims in a more balances way, relying more on reliable data and accurate information, and developing more pragmatic programs targeting institutional solutions for accommodating interethnic difference successfully implemented in other parts of the world;
TO INCREASE PUBLIC ACCESS TO AND INVOLVEMENT IN INTERETHNIC PARTNERSHIPS AND COOPERATION THROUGH GRANT-MAKING ACTIVITIES;
TO DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS;
TO LOBBING OF INTEREST OF NATIONAL MINORITIES;
TO PROVIDING SUPPORT TO NGOS OF NATIONAL MINORITIES AND FUNDRAISING;
TO PREVENTING DISCRIMINATION ON NATIONAL BACKGROUND.
ICFMI activities:
MONITORING THE INTERETHNIC CLIMATE AND POLITICAL ARENA (ETHNOBAROMETER, MONITORING THE PRESS AND LAW-ENFORCEMENT);
OFFERING QUALIFIED INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS (REPORTS, INFORMATION BULLETINS);
RENDERING RECOMMENDATIONS, AND TRAINING FOR COMMUNITIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN CONFLICT MEDIATION AND ADVOCACY MINORITY RIGHTS;
WORKING TOWARDS THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF INTERETHNIC DIALOGUE;
The ICFMI achieve its goals through the following means:
BY AN ADEQUATE MANAGEMENT OF THE ALLOCATION OF FINANCIAL, HUMAN AND INFORMATION RESOURCES;
BY OFFERING A MODEL FOR COMBINING RESEARCH WITH PROACTIVE APPROACHES;
BY PROMOTING THE COOPERATION OF EXISTING INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN THE FIELDS OF INTERETHNIC RELATIONS/
Structure:
GENERAL COORDINATION OF FOUNDATION ACTIVITY REALIZED BY BOARD, WHICH CONSIST OF THREE COUNTRY DIRECTORS (ONE BY ONE FROM AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA AND GEORGIA) AND CHAIRMAN OF BOARD WHO APPEAR COORDINATE ACTIVITY OF FOUNDATION IN SAFE.
COUNCIL OF GUARDIANS CONSISTS OF 21 MEMBERS (OF FIVE FROM AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA, GEORGIA AND SIX INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS).
