International Association of Russian Fellow Nationals’ Youth Organizations

On September 23-27, 2004 under the auspices of the International Council of Russian Fellow Nationals, supported by the Government of Moscow and the Moscow House of Compatriots, leaders of youth organizations of Russian countrymen living abroad assembled at their first forum.

Attending the Forum also were representatives from the Federation Council and State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Roszarubezhcenter, Russian Chamber of Commerce, Moscow State Duma and organizational departments of the Moscow Government.

Forum participants approved letters of address to President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov, and young people of the Russian community abroad. The Forum culminated in establishing the Association of Russian Fellow Nationals’ Youth Organizations (MAMORS), designed to facilitate the consolidation and coordination of activities between non-government organizations of young people abroad.

Among the promoters of the Association were representatives of young Russian compatriots’ alliances from over 40 countries. They adopted the Statute of the Association and set up its managing bodies – the Board of the Association composed of 17 persons from 15 countries overall and co-chaired by V.V. Pashkov (Chairman of the Board, Ukraine) and V.V. Zhuravlev (Executive Committee Secretary, Russia), and the Auditing Commission composed of 7 persons.

The following key priorities of MAMORS were identified during the Forum:

• young people of the Russian abroad: historic legacy and cultural identity preservation challenges;
• Russian language and literature; Problems of education in Russian;
• young businessmen of the Russian Diaspora: challenges of development;
• creating an integral Russian-speaking information space abroad;
• youth organizations – the future of the Russian Diaspora;
• sports: healthy generations;
• youth and the environment;
• youth organizations' role in addressing environmental challenges faced by the humanity in the XXI century.

MAMORS will pay special attention to encouraging young compatriots to actively participate in arrangements for the celebration of historical dates well remebered by the Russians – not only through various conferences, festivals and youth artistic shows, but also through specially timed forums with extensive participation of youth organizations of the Russian abroad.

The foundation of MAMORS gave a new impetus to the consolidation process among youth organizations of Russian compatriots living abroad, helping to promote their role in the life of the Russian Diaspora and strengthen ties with the historical homeland.

Arrangements for celebrating the 60th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War became a crucial consolidating factor for youth organizations of compatriots, uniting them with all Russian people. The young of the Russian community abroad once again showed their adherence to the historical memory of the generations and their committement to make a feasible contribution to strengthening international positions of the Russian world and Russia's stature.

In april 2007 MAMORS Second Conference took place to assemble more than a hundred representatives of the Russian youth worldwide. Taking part in the conference were Head of the Moscow Department of International Relations Georgy Muradov, Director of Russian Foreign Ministry Department for Relations with Compatriots Alexander Chepurin, Representative of the Russian Presidential Office O.F. Trofimova, Director of the Moscow House of Compatriots Yuri Kaplun, and Executive Secretary of ICRFN Vyacheslav Durnev. The delegates also met with Member of the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly, Director of the CIS Countries Institute Konstantin Zatulin.

Produced at the first session were unanimous declarations of protest against the removing of the Soviet Soldier the Liberator monument in Tallinn (Estonia) and the closure of Russian exposition in Oswiecim Museum (Poland). In the evening of April 26 the delegates attended the Moscow festival ‘Youth for the Culture of Peace’ in Luzhniki.

On April 27 the delagates of the Conference continued their work at the following sections: ‘Young People of the Russian Foreign Community: Preserving Historical Memory and Cultural Identity’; ‘Entrepreneurship Support’; ‘Organizational Issues and Russian Information Space Development’; ‘Supporting Russian Language, Culture and Education, Religious Affiliation’; ‘Social Adaptation and Cultural Integration of Younger Compatriots’; and ‘Legal Support to Russian Compatriots’.

For the moment MAMORS is the only actively developing youth organization of compatriots internationally.

Official website: http://www.mamors.ru/