“United Europe”

Public Problems Research Institute “United Europe” (the PPRI) was founded in the spring of 1996 and since April 1997 functions as a public charity organization.
     The mission of the Institute is to advance the development of civil society through promoting community initiatives, social partnership, legal education of citizens and noncommercial organizations
     The Code of the organization was registered on the 04.22.1996 by the Regional Division of the Department of Justice at the Administration of Orel region.
     The main fields of work are protection of human rights and informational help to public organizations through a resource center.
     The institute has established systematic contacts with many non-government organizations of Russia: Moscow Helsinki Group, The International Coalition of non-government organizations “We, Citizens!”, St. Petersburg Political Science Center “Strategy” among others. It has partners among non-government organizations of Orel region: Institute of educational Programs “Civil Peace”, Orel organization of practicing psychologists and psychotherapists “Practic”, the regional group of the International Society for Human Rights and others. The organization also closely works with various government agencies like Orel regional Committee on Human Rights, the Justice Department, the Department of Punishment, The Department of Social Service, the election committee. It has contacts with several local businesses.
     Most student volunteers are members of the Youth Human Rights movement which functions in Orel Region through the PPRI.

The main programs and projects the organization conducts are:

          The Legal Clinic
     The main goal of this program is to provide legal help and support to the citizens. The volunteers -students of the Law Faculty of Orel Colleges - give the consultations on the phone and in person. Advice is given mainly in the fields connected with the realization and defense of one’s rights. All legal aid is provided free of charge. Along with that, in several, mostly civil, cases the students defend the clients’ rights in courts.

          The Penitentiary Aid Program
     At this time, the Institute is the only public organization in Orel Region that works regularly with penitentiaries. In 2001 within the grant by the Open society Institute (The Soros Fund) the PPRI has advanced the Oliver Twist Project to assist the social rehabilitation of the teenagers incarcerated in the Shakhovo juvenile penitentiary. The program was developed to assist the kids during their sentence and after it as well. A computer class was organized where the teenagers could receive training to work as computer operators. A drawing contest “A window to an open world” was held in 2001. A gym that hasn’t worked for more than 10 years due to the lack of funds was restored. Student volunteers from Law and Social Service faculties of Orel universities were involved in the realization of this project.
          The Bulletin for the Inmates subprogram
     Since the end of 2001 the Institute with the help of Civil Liberties Fund issues a bulletin “Civilis Societas - Hope” for the inmates of Orel region. In this bulletin along with legal help and advice for the released delinquents, poems, short stories and other pieces of work by the inmates themselves are published.

          Human Rights Watch
      In 1999-2000 the Institute was a regional partner for the nationwide project “Human Rights Watch”, which is organized by the Moscow Helsinki Group - the oldest human rights organization in Russia. At the end of the program regional records were compiled by the MHG into the national report on human rights. 

          “We choose our government”
     In 1999 the PPRI took part in the national project to organize public control over the elections to Russian Duma. In 2000-2002 The Institute promoted public watch over the conduct of the Presidential elections and elections to Regional and City Councils.

          Protecting human rights: the roles of the society and the government
     In 2001 the Institute was invited by the St. Petersburg political science center “Strategy” to participate in the national project to examine the roles of the society and the government in the fight against the human rights violations. At the start of 2002 the PPRI became a coordinating organization in the Central European part of Russia. Within this project a research team was created from scientists, representatives of municipalities and human rights activists from several regions in Central Russia.

          The center of informational and administrative help to the NPO of the Orel Region
     The real development of the civil society is impossible without a strong third sector and that’s why the Institute since Jan 1999 functions as the center of informational and administrative help to the non-profit organizations. Specifically, it organizes and holds seminars, provides individual consultations to the leaders of Orel non-profit organizations in various fields of their work. The PPRI issues a news bulletin for the non-profit organizations, holds a page o the third sector in the “Journal of the Justice Department in Orel Region”
          The Bulletin for NGO subprogram
     Since 1998 The Public Problems Research Institute with the help of Civil Liberties Fund issues a bulletin “Civilis Societas - Third Sector” for the non-government organizations of Orel region. The bulletin holds legal advice and recommendations, announcements of the seminars, grants and other useful information.

           The Legal Library and the Library of books on human rights
     The library holds: Books on law: legal acts, laws, commentaries to them
      - Books on human rights: methods and techniques for defending human rights
      - Books for the school teachers of Civic Ed
      - Informational materials for the leaders and activists of the non-profit organizations