Russia

The idea to set up an association first emerged in 2004 when a few IFP Russian alumni discussed how they could capitalize on each others’ diverse life experiences and newly acquired knowledge in bringing positive change to the lives of their communities and exert greater influence on their country. It seemed that no matter what the questions were, there was one answer: “We can do it if we unite our efforts and stay together post-fellowship.” 

Snapshot of Alumni Members

Officially launched in 2005, the alumni association in Russia today unites many IFP alumni living in different parts of the country and working in diverse professional fields.  Some alumni work in large, well-known companies, some are in the teaching profession, while still others are stewards of their own business. Many Russian alumni are directly involved in the implementation of various social justice projects, working for organizations concerned with the rights of children, women, and socially vulnerable population groups.

Despite geographic dispersion and different professional and personal trajectories, the alumni association provides all alumni with a common platform to realize their commitment to work on issues of social justice in their communities and the nation. Since its inception, the association has developed into an informal network of educated individuals with practical community-based experience working on bringing together various community actors to collaborate on solving social justice issues in contemporary Russia. 

Past and Future Alumni Activities

In December 2005, the IFP-Russia Alumni Association organized its first big event, a national conference on “Social Justice and the Roles of Different Community Actors.” The conference brought together IFP alumni, scientists, educators, policy-makers, and members of the business community to discuss critical social justice issues, and how non-governmental organizations and business can influence social development and policy makers in Russia.  In 2007, the proceedings of the conference were published and distributed to regional libraries around the country.

Continuing to work on bringing together different community actors concerned with issues of social justice, the IFP-Russia Alumni Association held a second national conference, on “Human Rights and Social Justice - Theory, Policy, and Practice.”  Educators, human rights activists, and policy-makers from different regions of Russia joined IFP alumni to discuss how to bring social rights from ideology to implementation.  In 2008, the conference proceedings were published as a special volume of Collegium Magazine, a research periodical published by Smolny College of St. Petersburg State University.

In October 2008 the IFP-Russia Alumni Association organized and held its third major event – a national conference entitled “Urban Studies: the Socio-cultural Landscape and its Creators.” The conference brought together researchers, social activists, and educators to talk about ways to increase community involvement in solving social and economical issues in Russian cities.

The association provides Russian alumni with opportunities for continued post-fellowship professional development, which helps them remain effective and competitive leaders in today’s knowledge society. From 2005-2007, the association organized several training workshops and seminars for IFP alumni in Russia.  However, alumni have proved to be the best resources for each other and are able to easily tap into those resources via the association. Alumni learn about job vacancies, grants, and new projects via the network and when alumni require expert, professional, or personal assistance they simply fire off a letter to the alumni association’s listserv and receive prompt assistance.

Today, the IFP-Russia Alumni Association is an active and visible network in Russia that unites leaders living in different regions and working in different fields that are all linked by their IFP experience and the association’s mission. Every year, new Russian graduates of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program join this network and contribute their knowledge to the alumni’s collective efforts, aimed at making Russia a more just and better place to live. 

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