57%
of Russians have donated to charity in the past year.
Most often, they donate to help those in need of medical treatment or who have suffered natural disasters. They also donate to religious organizations. Russians gave far less frequently to environmental causes, education, science, culture and art.
Most people prefer to help those in need directly, i.e., without intermediaries. Occasionally, however, they provide assistance through government agencies and social services, religious communities, and charities.
These results were obtained during a nationwide survey of 2,000 Russians, which was conducted in the context of Monitoring the Status of Civil Society, a study by the HSE’s Centre for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector. The survey was conducted in 2014 with the support of the HSE’s Basic Research Programme. The results of the study will be published in the second issue of an informational newsletter on the development of civil society and non-profit sector in Russia. More information (in Russian) can be found here.
See also:
Researchers Discuss How the Pandemic Is Changing Civic Activism
In October, HSE University held the 10th Conference of Civil Society Researchers, organized by the Centre for Studies of Civil Society and Nonprofit Sector. The main topic of this anniversary forum was ‘The impact of the crisis on the development of the nonprofit sector and citizen self-organization in Russia: New realities and prospects’. The conference was co-organized by the Association "European University for Volunteering" (EUV) and the United Nations Volunteers Programme (UNV), a long-time partner of the centre.
12th ISTR Conference: HSE Researchers Presented Record Number of Papers
The 12th International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR) Conference took place in Stockholm and was entitled ‘The Third Sector in Transition:Accountability, Transparency, and Social Inclusion’. The conference is held biannually and is a major academic event in its field.
76%
of Russians believe that ordinary customers shouldn’t worry about product manufacturing having a negative effect on the environment, people or animals. Instead, they believe that this should be a concern for the state and businesses.
42%
of Russians are not currently willing to pay additionally for goods that are produced in line with ethical principles (e.g., respect for the environment, respect for workers' rights, refusal to test cosmetics on animals, etc.).
Evgeny Yasin to Head Council on the Role of Civil Society and Human Rights in Economic Modernization
Evgeny Yasin, Academic Supervisor at HSE, has been named head of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society Institutions Development and Human Rights. The decision by the Council follows an initiative by Irina Khakamada, who previously headed the council.
88%
of Russians feel responsible for what takes place in the building and surrounding yard where they live.
'Urban Movements and Local Civic Activism are the Most Flourishing and Productive Sides of Contemporary Russian Society'
Christian Frohlich has been a Research Fellow at the Centre for Studies of Civil Society and Non-Profit Sector since 2014. This year he is being fast tracked for tenure in the HSE Faculty of Social Sciences in the School of Sociology. Dr Frohlich has a DPhil in Sociology from Leipzig University, Germany. He spoke to HSE English News about his research into civic activism in Russia and about why he likes living and working in Moscow.
Evgeny Yasin joins the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights
On August 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a directive appointing HSE Academic Supervisor Evgeny Yasin to the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. His candidacy was proposed by Council head Mikhail Fedotov.
65%
of Russians who know or who at least have heard about public, nonprofit organizations and initiatives in their city, village or settlement, learned about them through ‘word of mouth’.
82%
of Russians believe that they can influence what takes place in the buildings and courtyards where they live.