During May 24, 2006, USAID’s FOREST II Project -- which focuses on forestry civil society issues, particularly illegal logging and certification -- carried out its Final Meeting in Khabarovsk Krai. During this meeting key project achievements were introduced including the development of a matrix which will better adapt a Manual for Leaseholders to the Forestry Code, creation of a Regional FLEG (Forestry Law Enforcement and Governance) Program looking at illegal logging issues, VLT (Verification of Legal Timber) standards which are now beginning to be put into effect for Khabarovsk Krai. A wider view is that FOREST II Project introduced the local community and population of Khabarovsk Krai in forestry issues which affect their region. All project recommendations and findings developed under the project have been placed with FOREST NGO partners including Ecodal and All Russia Nature Protection Society. Mr. Vladimir Kolymitsev, Head of the Regional Forestry Agency for Khabarovsk Krai, noted that “USAID’s FOREST Project provided us a path to the future, and as result we have made tangible steps toward successful implementation in Biomass Energy, countering Illegal Logging, Certification, Secondary Wood Processing, Pest Monitoring and Fire Prevention. This project will live long after its completion next week.” USAID’s FOREST Project concludes its work in the Russian Federation on May 31, 2006.

On May 20-21 in Vladivostok American Councils for International Education financed by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs conducted a two-day conference “JFDP Alumni Impact on Their Communitiies: Within and Outside the Walls of Academe”. The conference featured welcoming remarks from Dan Hastings, Consul for Culture and Education at the US Consualte in Vladivostok, and Olga Permyakova, specialist of higher education with the Administration of Primorskiy Krai. Among attendees were Boris Reznik, first prorector at Far Eastern National University who spoke about the future of higher education in Russia, and John Croom, instructor in the Russian American Faculty at FENU who presented the speech on the role that universities play in the larger community. The second day started off with a seminar on information technologies conducted by Alexei Falaleev, director of online programs at FENU. Both days were rounded out with presentations by the alumni themselves - telling about activities they have been invovled with since returning from participation on the JFDP program - and complemented with roundtable discussions of the overall theme of the conference, the impact of JFDP alumni within their own universites and in the greater community. The conference was evaluated highly by participants. Everyone gained valuable information and new insights, and all appreciated the opportunity to network with their colleagues in the region.

Under the auspices of the US Consulate General in Vladivostok, the award-winning Terwilliger-Cooperstock Duo visited the Russian Far East May 14-24. Violinist William Terwilliger and pianist Andrew Cooperstock performed in Pushkin Theater and Maritime University in Vladivostok, Kray Philharmonic Hall in Khabarovsk, and in the Museum of Art in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. All the concerts had overwhelming success and were widely covered by local mass media. Besides the concerts, the musicians conducted master classes at the Music College and at the Arts Academy in Vladivostok.
The RI team rendered assistance for the musicians during their stay in Sakhalin.

In Khabarovsk on May 18-19 the International Conference entitled, “Together Against Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking” was conducted by “Path to Success!” program, Winrock International in partnership with ABA/CEELI both financed by USAID. The goal of the event was to foster increased cooperation among administrative structures and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in order to combat domestic violence and human trafficking in the Russian Far East. Among more than 60 attendees were Elizabeth Duban, USAID Moscow office, Mark Getchell, Director, Bureau of International Organization for Migration, representatives of Vladivostok and Khabarovsky Krais Administrations, Khabarovsky Kray UVD, NGOs of Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Blagoveschensk, and Ussuriysk as well as the USG-sponsored program implementers and RI Coordinator.
Topics of the Conference were:
• Overview of the problems of domestic violence and human trafficking;
• Efforts of law enforcement officials, legal professionals, medical institutions, educational establishments, social services, mass media, and NGOs in combating domestic violence and human trafficking;
• Development of a referral system, which will provide the necessary support and assistance to the victims of domestic violence and human trafficking;
• Planning preventative measures against domestic violence and human trafficking as well as rehabilitation work with those who have suffered from the above mentioned problems.
The conference gathered together representatives of different sectors of the RFE communities and gave them the opportunity to share experience and ideas, and to work out the strategy of further cooperation in solving the problems of human trafficking and domestic violence in the RFE. The organizers are currently synthesizing proposals from each working group and are planning to draft a common resolution for the local governments’ consideration.

On May 18, 2006, in the Hall of the Academic Council of the Vladivostok State University of Economy and Service (VGUES) the seminar "Problems and Experience of Economic Support and Social-Cultural Adaptation of Migrants from the NIS Countries in the Russian Far East" took place. The seminar was organized by The Russian Far East Affiliate Office of the New Eurasia Foundation (FNE RFE), Peace Fund in North-East Asia and the Center of International Researches of VGUES, under the auspices of Primorsky Territory Government and Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Vladivostok.
Among almost 50 attendees were Mr. John Mark Pommersheim, US Consul General, Mr. Oh Sung-Hwan, Consul for Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Vladivostok, Ms. Irina Lindberg, Director of The Russian Far East Affiliate Office of the New Eurasia Foundation, Mr. Nikolay Morozov, Chairman of Committee on the Regional Policy and Legality of Legislative Assembly of Primorskiy Kray, Mr. Sergey Sevastianov, Director of the Center of International Researches of VGUES, Mr. Nikolay Kan, General Director of Peace Fund in North-East Asia, Mr. Yury Avdeev, Deputy Chief of Pacific Center of Strategy Development, Mr. Sergey Pushkarev, General Director of Regional Labor Exchange for Migrants, representatives of almost all national diasporas present in Primorye Region, Department of FMS Russia in Primorsky Region, Department of Federal Placement Services in Primorsky Region and representatives of the other organizations dealing with migration issues as well as experts and scientists from Moscow, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Blagoveschensk.
This seminar was the first significant event within the frame of FNE RFE project the goal of which is to develop and introduce effective management models in the sphere of internal and external labor migration in the border regions of the Russian Far East.
The main Project Objectives are:
 To conduct a baseline research in the target regions of the Project; to study experience accumulated in the Western territories of the RF in the sphere of labor migration; bringing in foreign experience;
 To develop a dialogue between public authorities, law enforcement agencies and supervisory bodies, research institutions, mass media and civic organizations in the target regions in order to find ways to solve problem situations;
 To elaborate and introduce regional models for solving problems of labor migrants, to protect their rights, improve adaptation to local communities and to increase tolerance local residences toward labor migrants;
 To build a network between Project participants, to summarize practices and experience accumulated in the regions; to present results to target groups of the project, to develop proposals on improvement of regional migration policy, and to develop recommendations for federal authorities.
During the seminar two Round tables - " Problems and experience of ethnic Koreans adaptation in the - immigrants from the NIS countries" and " Problems and experience of adaptation of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Armenia and other NIS countries citizens in the Russian Far East" - were held. Plenary Session and Round Tables participants made presentations and conducted a chain of open discussions regarding migration issues which attracted big interest of media representatives.

A delegation consisting of four Washington State-based law enforcement personnel and youth affairs specialists directed by Curtis Cortelyou of FRAEC visited Sakhalin May 13-24 in the framework of “Washington – Sakhalin Law Enforcement Partnership” (WSLEP) training and exchange program sponsored by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) at the U.S. Department of State. The program provides training and technical expertise to the Sakhalin Department of Internal Affairs (UVD). In addition, the program engages police, security firms, multi-national firms, and other partners in critical discussions about public safety in Sakhalin.
Eleven-day exchange program focusing on Juvenile Crime and Working with Youth-At-Risk comprises of Roundtable on the topic “Juvenile Crime and Working with Youth-At-Risk – Russian and American Experiences”, Site Visits to UVD juvenile affairs departments, local schools, youth detention centers, counseling centers, etc. The delegation also met with the five UVD juvenile affairs staff who will be participating in a return exchange visit to Seattle, WA in September 2006.
Since 2000, WSLEP has exchanged fifty law enforcement personnel and trained over 150 UVD personnel on Sakhalin. INL will continue to fund the program through 2006.

On May 13-14 “Khabarovsk Millennium Development Goals Conference” and “Russian Far East Alumni 5th Annual Parliamentary Debate Tournament”  were held in Khabarovsk. The events were organized by the American Councils, Vladivostok - with additional financial support provided by the US Embassy in Moscow. Also participating were Winrock International’s “Path to Success!” program, the Youth Parliament and Model United Nations Club of Khabarovsk, and officials from the Khabarovskiy Krai administration.
The main goals of the event were to
- Promote Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and involve alumni from non-hub cities in a significant activity;
- Have FLEX alumni cooperate with other local youth organizations and alumni of other US government sponsored exchange programs and build alumni networks in non-hub cities and encourage future alumni activity
- Give participants a chance to develop new skills in debating, oral presentation, leadership, and teambuilding
- Recruit new FLEX city representatives to conducting activities and develop the alumni community;
FLEX alumni from the cities of Ulan-Ude, Blagoveshensk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy and Vladivostok traveled to Khabarovsk to participate in the two day event. Participants learned what Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are, as well as the role MDGs play or should play in their lives, and how they might promote the MDGs in their communities. All of the information was presented by FLEX alumni, representatives of Model United Nations Khabarovsk, and invited Open World alumni, who are professionals in public administration and whose work is related to MDGs that seek to improve economic development and protect the environment. FLEX alumni concluded their stay by participating in a parliamentary debate tournament, where a main focus was to test alumni on what they had learned the previous day and to develop a team spirit between competitors. The activity gave alumni new energy to initiate their own events and to continue communicating with the Vladivostok office of American Councils, MUN clubs in their cities, Winrock International in Khabarovsk, and other non- governmental organizations in order to cooperate and organize socially important activities.

On May 13 “Kidsave International” a program funded by USAID, conducted Graduation Party for the first foster mothers on Sakhalin to complete professional training. Over 30 participants attended the event, including Vice-governor Lubov Shubina, representatives of partner/sponsor companies Sakhalin Energy Inc., Universal Sodexo and Starstroy, representative of local Church and members of the mass media. RI Coordinator and Coordinator Assistant attended the party as well.
Owing to professional work of specialists from Kidsave International, several citizens of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk who have been specially trained by psychologist will adopt children from Troitsky orphanage for the summer.
Since the beginning of 2006, the Kidsave International program has been running social marketing campaign aimed at changing negative stereotypes about orphans.

On May 11, a historic, Russia-wide rally aimed at engaging the Russian public about the merits of Russia's growing cooperation with NATO was held.Visiting nine Russian cities over 16 days, "The NATO-Russia Council Rally 2006" was launched in Vladivostok at  Far Eastern National University and co-hosted by the U.S. Consulate General and Honorary Consul of Canada. Delegations from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Russian Academy of Sciences, NATO, the United States and Canada participated in the rally, as did hundreds of students from various Vladivostok universities. Regional and local civilian and military officials also attended and supported the rally.