New Challenges for the CRINGO Network

3rd Annual General Assembly of the CRINGO – Caucasian Refugee and IDP NGO Network was held in Kiev, Ukraine, on October 4-8, 2004. GA was attended by the representatives of the 50 organizations working throughout the Caucasus.
 
CRINGO network represents the joint initiative of the Caucasian NGOs working in the field of forced displacement. Sixty-six organizations assisting IDPs/Refugees and other persons with common status are united under the aegis of this network in order to better assist their beneficiaries via cross border efforts. The initiative is supported by the DRC (Danish Refugee Council).
 
Decree on CRINGO outlines the mission of the network as “rending assistance in resolution of problems of refugees, IDPs and other persons with a common status by consolidating efforts of Caucasian NGOs.”
 
General Assembly represents the principal governing body of the Network. According to the Decree of the GA it (among other functions) determines common directions, goals and objectives of the network, elaborates strategy of actions for the network, and approves Complex Program of Actions etc.
 
Along with the GA, Network also has Coordination Board (CB) consisted of 2 elected representatives from the each coordination points. CB ensures coordination of the Network activities within the period between the meetings of GA. Besides, Network has secretariat created to implement resolutions of CB.
 
CRINGO operates in the Caucasus since 2001. The Network is neutral and non-political. That is why network implements its activities through four coordination points in Baku, Yerevan, Stavropol and Tbilisi and not through countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia. Any NGO, including those from conflict zones (Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia) willing to join the network is free to do it via any of the abovementioned coordination points.
 
The slogan of the General Assembly for this year was: CRINGO believes in a joint effort …
 
At the General Assembly, a joint effort was done to analyze the path of future activities of the network, to draw out the important and the significant for the Network and to call attention to the shortcomings of network activities.
 
This year GA differs from the previous ones. “The most important issue this year was to adopt strategic action plan for CRINGO for the next three years… Most important is actually that it is united plan. That means it is agreed among the 66 members of the network” says Shanna Jensen, Regional Program Coordinator for DRC.
 
Main essence of the General Assembly is that all decisions are made jointly. “Our network is efficient, because we are making decisions jointly. The evidence of such efforts is the strategic plan we have adopted on this GA and which covers network activities till 2007. I hope, that on the base of this plan network would become more effective” Avaz Hasanov of the Azerbaijan-based Society of Humanitarian Researches noticed.
 
In previous years DRC involvement in functioning and management of the network was quite deep and substantial. Although, this year the new form of cooperation between donor agency and Network was introduced. This year, all of the actions of the network are planned and implemented by the Network Coordination Board and members themselves. Communications are also run not by DRC facilitators, but by persons hired by the Network.
 
“This GA is different from the previous ones, because of two reasons. First is that now we are having new form of relationship with DRC and secondly we have elaborated Action Plan based on strategic 12 issues. They would give us possibility to see in three-year perspective what would be happened within the Network” Karen Asatryan of Armenian Sociological Association, Member of Coordination Board says. 
 
Strategic Planning means, that network member NGOs have agreed on principal issues like: what should be done to make CRINGO actions more promoted and target oriented, how network can advocate the problems and needs of its’ beneficiaries with local authorities and international agencies, how to increase the level of information of civil society, what are the actual priorities of the network and how network can contribute to the trust building in the Caucasus.
 
Based on this strategic planning the certain program of actions will be elaborated and implemented by the network in the course of the next three years (2005-2007): “At the GA, we have seen serious strategic planning. This is very important moment for the network. A lot of good work has been done, many very useful partnerships have been established, and some of the very serious misunderstandings have been dealt with. Now it is step ahead.” Anika Krstic, Regional Program Manager of DRC says. 
 
“For sure, there are a lot of interesting ideas, I think there is a lot of commitment among the members. So, it is of course depending on funding available and the continued commitment from the NGO members to consent the priorities which is set in strategic plan” Shanna Jensen says.  
 
Despite positive efforts of the CRINGO member NGOs, network definitely has substantial shortcomings: poor information sharing, vague long-term perspective vision etc. In order to improve some of the components the presentation of the new CRINGO web-site www.cringo.net was made on the General Assembly. In addition, 4 journalists (one from each coordination points) are working for the network by preparing the articles in order to highlight in a positive and unbiased ways the IDP/refugee related events occurring in the Caucasus.
 
As Anika Krstic says: “I think, there is a positive atmosphere, despite all struggles and debates among CRINGO members, but it is general kind of drive, that is what we want to achieve. Now it is also about, how the network prioritizes and how the internal structure of the network can help to carry forward these very important things.”
 
Network is functioning since 2001. It is one of the vivid and active initiatives in the Caucasus, although as members of the network estimate: it is too early to speak on the sustainability and efficiency of the network.
 
“We are moving in the right direction. We have decrees, ethic code, strategic planning and action plan. Each CRINGO member has clear imagination on weak and strong sides of the network. That is why we can suppose, that Network would be successful and efficient” Karen Asatryan says.