The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Globalization

In recent years Russia has become more efficient in its foreign political activities in the Eurasian region, which added a powerful impetus to the whole spectrum of its international cooperation – ranging from social and economic to cultural and educational. In particular, Russia’s participation in the work of international non-governmental organizations allows for the creation of favourable conditions to foster trade and economic cooperation, for solving problems in health care, environmental protection, for the development of energy-conservative technologies, for promoting of culture, education and communications.

The international non-governmental organization “Platform ‘Eurasia Dialogue’” encompassing today a score of countries emerged as an independent movement in 1998 during the Istanbul meeting of Eurasian writers’ and journalists’ unions. The Platform is a Euro-Asian initiative in the international public movement, whose main goal is to unite the Eurasian Region on the basis of spiritual values. The most active and intellectual part of the population of the countries embracing the Platform gain an opportunity to promulgate, through peaceful dialogue, their positions, the potential of national economies, in fact, everything that forms the humanitarian sphere. The Platform as an instrument of the embodiment of objective tendencies of broad unifying interaction calls for scientific interpretation.

The first fourteen years of the Platform’s existence (1998-2012) proved its worth as a rather influential organization in the Eurasian region. The association aims to address important issues related to cultural heritage, education and science. Every year the Organization carried out over ten projects, thereby attracting attention of scientific circles and the general public to the resolution of problems in a targeted region. This substantiates the growing role non-governmental organizations play in contributing to the settlement of numerous humanitarian, political, economic and cultural issues. As is well-known, today international organizations are regarded as associations that, from the viewpoint of integration processes, are best suited to beat the challenges of the 21st century.

By 2012, the Platform brought together twelve national departments and several dozens of observer states, whose representatives take part at numerous functions organized by the Organization.

In its activities, this organization is guided by the following fundamental principles: to elicit the cultural potential and the cultural and historical heritage of the Eurasian region; to disseminate the ideas of dialogue and tolerance among peoples; to promote social and cultural activities.

As to the sources of financing, there are different approaches to the solution of the financial issue, in particular, organizations, private actors, national representations, charity departments, etc., can contribute to the Platform cause. Also, to accomplish the ends spelled out in the Charter, the Platform and committees can engage in commercial activities to secure the necessary income.

The priority areas of activity conducted by the Organization include assistance in enhancing mutual understanding and preserving the cultural heritage and potential of the peoples of Eurasia. In the framework of these tasks, the Platform holds various conferences, seminars, round tables, memorial meetings, symposia; it launches various projects, including exhibitions and guided tours.

In May 2000, the General Assembly of its members took a decision to start publishing a quarterly cultural and intellectual magazine entitled “DA” to bring together the intellectual forces of Eurasia. The edition is the “hallmark of Eurasian intellectuals”, and, as a forum for preserving cultural and spiritual human relevance in the globalized world, it aims to settle educational and moral issues. The journal also features articles on international relations between Platform member-states, including information about visits and formal meetings at the country level, as well as materials on the dynamics and development of relations. Of special prominence are articles on the cooperation of leaders of the Eurasian space (the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey), which is a priority dimension today. Their influence within the Eurasian region is subject to multilateral research by experts in various fields since the analysis of the specific relations between Russia and Turkey, conducted through the prism of cooperation, demonstrates the majority of tendencies related to the Eurasian integration.

Thus, the journal covers such fields as science, art, education and economies, as well as the social and cultural constituent part of the peoples of the Eurasian Region. The major peculiarity of this edition is that its authors are renowned creative and academic intellectuals from all parts of Eurasia. That the DA journal is bilingual (Note: it comes out in two languages: Russian and Turkish) also singles it out in the host of cultural and intellectuals editions of world significance.

Representatives of over twenty countries, including the USA, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, China, France, India and Japan, made reports at Antalya (Turkey) in November 2012 at the international forum “Reconsidering the World Economic Order” devoted to peaceful, sustainable economic development, problems of the world financial system, issues of production, employment and competition, economic control and regulation mechanisms, etc.

The Platform triggered numerous projects – just to name a few, there are “Leaders of Eurasia” devoted to outstanding persons from the Eurasian region, “A Hundred of Major Works in Eurasia”, “Students in Exchange Programs in Eurasian Universities”, and others.

The Organization orchestrated the foundation of the “Youth Forum” to address the problems of the youth, “The Antalya Forum” focused on the topics and ways of resolving social problems and the “Women’s Forum” to encourage the dialogue between women from all walks of life and of various occupations – from housewives to women-politicians.

The ideological framework of this Organization encompasses the elements of Erasianism, which are widely used in doctrines established by many political parties and movements. At the beginning of the 21st century, the conception of Eurasionism and the formation of a single Eurasian economic space are becoming an adequate response to social challenges of globalization. The conception stems from the idea that Eurasia is a peculiar historical, territorial, social and cultural entity; that this entity develops according to its own rules, its national traditions and values formed throughout the long history of interaction of different peoples. Eurasian national cooperation should consider the interests of all Eurasian peoples, their equal responsibility for the economic, political and cultural space of Eurasia. Today, integration processes are not only a reality but also a necessity as a factor of sustainable development under globalization. The founders of the “Platform ‘Eurasia Dialogue’” gave the welfare of multinational entity preference over any internal, including cross-national, strife. The program of this Association contends that “the meaning and importance of cultural heritage is that the heritage of a nation should be freely disseminated, shared with others, it should absorb the values of foreign nations, thereby encouraging mutual spiritual influence”.

As is well-known, according to the Resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on 23rd May 1968, an international non-governmental organization (hereinafter referred to as INGO) shall mean an international organization that is not established by a intergovernmental agreement; its aims shall be other than profit-oriented, it shall be recognized at least by one state, it shall be financed by at least two countries, it shall conduct its activities at least in two states, its key principle being independence from government.

It should be noted that the social essence of non-governmental organizations is to unite people not on the basis of their common language, nationality, history or territory – the way states do, but on the basis of their common public-oriented goals, that is, being legally private entities, non-governmental organizations pursue public goals.

In the early 21st century, non-governmental organizations operate along the following lines: they raise issues that are neglected by governments; they initiate specific approaches toward the solution of these problems and urge governments to adopt appropriate agreements; they lobby governments and inter-State structures persuading them to take the necessary decisions; they watch over the actions of governments and inter-State structures in spheres of international life and monitor the discharge of obligations taken by governments and non-State organizations; they mobilize public opinion and encourage the sentiment of involvement of an “ordinary man” in international matters.

The Platform Eurasia Dialogue is a typical example of an international non-governmental organization. Initially, in 1998, a decision was taken to establish a similar organization at the International Forum of Writer’s Journalists’ Organizations of Eurasia, and it was not until 5th May 2000 that this Platform was initiated. The first national department was opened in Istanbul. Later, national departments sprang up in other member-states, the legal status of which is regulated by the corresponding national law.

Nowadays there are lots of unions and movements in the world that strive to bring nations together. This tendency toward unification is dictated by regular and objective processes. Naturally, it is largely governed by economic reasons. The Euro-Asian trade and economic cooperation also reflects the spirit of our age. The emergence of such organizations as the Platform, which set an aim to unite the Eurasian Region, proves very urgent.

The Platform operates according to the Charter regulating the activities of the Organization, which is subject to the norms of a national (internal) law of the State since international non-governmental organizations are not entities under international law. According to Article 2 of the Charter of the Platform, one of the main objectives of the Organization is to hold comprehensive conferences, seminars, meetings with prominent journalists, writers, intellectuals, actors, sportsmen, musicians and scholars to conduct cultural dialogue and cooperation, to launch projects oriented toward dialoguing and peace.

The supreme steering body of the Platform is the General Assembly that consists of representatives of national committees of the Platform. The General Assembly drafts a plan detailing the work of the Platform for the following year, assesses proposals made by committees of different countries, selects working groups and also delegates certain powers to national departments or the Secretariat General, which is answerable to the Assembly and exercises control over the work of the Organization. It is also in the capacity of the General Asssembly to establish the Platform’s national committees in other countries in accordance with the relevant agreements.

The General Assembly elects a chairman of the Platform for a designated period and on the expiry of the term the chairman is given a title of an Honorary Chairman of the Platform. Such a title was granted to writers Chinghis Aitmatov and Anar Rzaev, Prof. Ilber Ortayli, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Prof. R.B. Rybakov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, a poet Nurlan Orazalin, Prof. V.I. Sergeichuk. Prof. S.P. Vinokurova, Doctor of Philosophy, from Belarus was elected Chairwoman for the term of 2013-2014.

Thus, the activities of the Platform ‘Eurasia Dialogue’ are of fundamental nature and it positions itself as an international non-governmental organization efficiently engaged in social, cultural, educational and scientific fields, which may receive wide acclaim in the Eurasian community. The Platform has covered a lot of ground from making an international experiment to conducting efficient activities as an international organization. At present the field of its activities encompasses matters of cultural development, issues of education and science and even economic stabilization.

Zalina Zokoeva
St. Petersburg State University, PhD student