APPENDIX 3
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FOUNDATION FOR POLITICAL CENTRISM
The Foundation for Political Centrism (FPC) was established in January 1996 in
compliance with Federal Law No. 82-FL dated May 19th 1995 ‘Non Governmental
Organisation.’ The promotion of a centrist political model within Russian public opinion
is its main objective.
FPC’s key areas of activity are:
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The evolution and development of Russia with a secure state and society, with
the minimisation of losses and additional costs
The recognition and respect of freedoms of an individual and citizen, majority
interests and minority rights, and the balance and removal of various interests
and contradictions from complicated decisions
Patriotism as the adherence to a multi-ethnic, all-national and state interests of a
multi-national Russia
Professionalism as the ability to find and implement sophisticated solutions
Reformation of the state and society through techniques allowing maximal
conditions for the respect, rights, health and lives of all citizens
Political decency and responsibility as standards negating double standards of
words and actions
Political and behavioural culture of solidarity, retrieval of concurring interests
uniting various social or conflicting groups
Recognition of original cultural, historical and traditional national values
Understanding common features and ways for the continuous development of
Russia and the World, including the aspiration to a favourable foreign policy and
economic conditions
An aversion to aggression and violence in social economic reforms and an
aversion to any form of social, religious and ethnic segregation
The negation of political extremism
The Foundation, being a public organisation, has developed alternative approaches to
extremist and dogmatic political and state methodologies towards government and
reform of Russia.
The Foundation has supported, in practical way, the complicated mission of generating a
new conscience among Russia’s citizens, and a new psychology of freedom and
responsibility.
Scientific research activities have become one of the main lines of the Foundation during
recent years concentrating on the following problems:
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The nature and essence of political centrism and its manifestation in Russia
The development of the political sphere of state and society
The formation of a multi-party political systems
The special features of civil society building in Russia
The theory and practice of creating legislation and application of relevant
lobbying practices
Scientific projects, conferences, seminars and ‘roundtables’, publication of scientific and
methodological monographs, collections and journalistic articles have a provided ways to
pursue, implement, express and publicise these activities.
The following monographs have also been published:
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Political Centrism in Modern Russia: Problems of Theory and Practice, Moscow,
Mysl, 1999
The Practice of Industrial Lobbying, Moscow, FPC, 2001
The Modern Russian Multi-Party System: Visibility and Essence, Moscow, Mysl,
2001
New Philosophy of Reformation in Russia, Moscow-Tomsk, 1999
Political Centrism as a Social Ideology, Moscow, 1999
Quasi-Reformation, Moscow, 1998
What is Political Centrism? (We Build a Party for Russia), Moscow, 1998
Russian Centrism: Historical and Contemporary, Tomsk, 1999
A permanent politological scientific seminar called ‘Russia under the Conditions of
Transformation’ (2000-2002) and ‘The Problems of Civil Society Building in Russia’
(2003) have become the main sphere of the Foundation’s activity.
The seminars participants has permanently consisted of leading scientific experts across
various fields. The creation of a discussion site for ideas to be freely discussed has
become one of the systematic goals of the seminar. Four years on, the aim has been
thoroughly realised.
More than thirty-two seminar proceedings have been published. Copies are sent free of
charge to more than 250 higher educational institutions and universities, sixty regional
libraries across Russia, and more than fifty federal and regional authorities.
The Foundation promotes the training of young scientists. To this end, so far four postgraduate scholars have completed studies under the guidance of Dr. Sulakshin.
The protection of the rights of enterprises, regions and the legislative branches, as well
as the means for them to lobby in a normal and civilised way, are viewed as the second
main task of the Foundation. Over the past few years, the Foundation have prepared
more than twenty resolutions for the Sate Duma and many bills, some of which have
been adopted by the Russian Parliament.
In order to realise this agenda, the Foundation has created a subsidiary scientific and
practical subdivisions: the Centre for Legislative Support of Industry and the Institute on
Legislation and Juridical Investigations whose activity is determined by orders both from
non-governmental and governmental bodies.
The Foundation is financed through contracts, donation and grants. Funding to date has
come from:
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The Russian Humanitarian Scientific Foundation attached to the Government of
the Russian Federation (2001, 2002, 2003)
F. Ebert Foundation (Germany, 2001)
DCAF (Switzerland, 2002, 2003, 2004)
For more information please contact:
Dr. Stepan Sulakshin
FPC, Moscow
Tel. +70 95 249 0703
Fax +70 95 249 80 42
Email: frpc@cea.ru