East and Southeast Europe
The Regional Office FNF ESEE covers 23 countries in East and Southeast Europe. The Regional Office in Sofia coordinates the following Project Offices in the region: Bulgaria and North Macedonia, Greece, Romania and Moldova, Western Balkans, Russia and Central Asia, Ukraine and Belarus, South Caucasus and Turkey.
News
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Changing the world one fight at a time
Achieving legal and social victories, Nino Bolkvadze does not wait for a better world: she creates it. She was the first openly lesbian running for office in the history of Georgia. Meet the #FemaleForwardInternational ambassador from Georgia.
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Liberal Communicators Network (LCN): Non-Profit Edition
If you are passionate about non-profit communications, you are cordially invited to apply for the ‘Liberal Communicators Network (LCN): Non-Profit Edition’ of the European Liberal Forum (ELF). The Academy ‘Make a Good Message Better’ offers online a series of big-picture inputs by high-level speakers in the summer (7 sessions over 2 weeks: 24 June- 11 July) and 2 specialized workshops and 2 sessions in the autumn on SEO and Social Media in September and October.
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Hans van Baalen – A great European
Hans van Baalen, ALDE President and member of the Board of Trustees of the Freedom Foundation, passed away tonight. Like no other, he shaped liberalism in Europe and tirelessly carried the message of freedom to the outside world. From now on, as a liberal family, we must continue alone along the path he blazed. His commitment to a united Europe will remain unforgotten.
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Prisoner of Conscience: Elchin Ismayilli
Find out the story of the released prisoner of conscience. In March 2021, thanks to a presidential pardon, more than 30 secular and religious opposition figures, have been released from prison in Azerbaijan. Among them is as well the journalist Elchin Ismayilli unjustly incarcerated. In mid-February 2017, police arrested Azerbaijani journalist Elchin Ismayilli and later charged him with bribery, extortion, and abuse of power.
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Russian Media and the Rule of Silence
Learn more about how the authorities in Russia are trying to silence independent media. The event “Rule of Silence” was jointly organized by the Kennan Institute and FNF. The distinguished panelists are Pavel Chikov – a Russian lawyer, a human rights advocate and head of the Agora group; Ivan Pavlov – a Team 29 representative; Roman Anin – investigative journalist, ex-partner of OCCRP and editor-in-chief of Important Stories media. Moderated by Sergey Parkhomenko.
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Freedom Team Interview with Martin Kothé : Thoughts on Freedom and FNF
Curious to get to know Martin Kothé, our new Regional Director for FNF East and Southeast Europe and Project Director for Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Greece? Watch an animation to discover his thoughts on Freedom and FNF.
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The art of being a woman
Nadia Makova is an entrepreneur who defies stereotypes of women as simply housewives and mothers.She is a successful Russian entrepreneur, founder and CEO of several businesses, related to the EdTech, event and communication industry, and of Moscow Advanced Communications School and LXP-platform K-AMPUS (Learning Experience Platform). She has changed her field on Russian territory and has gained experience of both huge corporations and her own endeavours.
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The first feminist teacher in Romania
She has taught students for 42 years. She has marched in protests, helped with female rights legislation, and inspired the new generation of feminists. Mihaela Miroiu is Romanian, a professor at the National School for Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest.
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Meet Mihaela Miroiu from Romania
Mihaela Miroiu is Romanian, a professor at the National School for Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest. She has taught students for 42 years. She has marched in protests, helped with female rights legislation, and inspired the new generation of feminists.
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Russian Media in Germany
Find out how Russian information warfare and disinformation have affected Germany in the publication by Dr Susanne Spahn.
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Meet Nadia Makova from Russia
Nadia Makova is an entrepreneur who defies the stereotypes of women as simply housewives and mothers. She is a successful Russian entrepreneur, the CEO and managing partner of leading educational media Theory & Practice and a founder of several businesses in the communications and media industry. While she is changing this field in Russia, she also tries to defy the traditional, patriarchal understanding of female roles and enjoys having both a family and business.
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Prisoner of Conscience: Marfa Rabkova
On September 17, officers from the Interior Ministry detained a Belarusian human rights advocate, Marfa Rabkova, and her husband. A week later, Rabkova was charged with planning to incite riots, an accusation which both Belarusian and international human rights advocates see as unjust and fabricated. If convicted, she faces up to three years in jail.
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Freedom Team Interview: Martin Kothé in Focus
Meet Martin Kothé, our new Regional Director for FNF East and Southeast Europe and Project Director for Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Greece since August 2020. Learn more about his professional journey and personal manifesto. Martin Kothé has joined FNF in early 2020 after 10 years as a Managing Director for FTI Consulting in Berlin, a US strategic communications consultancy. From 2004 to 2010, Martin was working as spokesperson to the German President Horst Köhler during his tenure in office. Prior to that, Martin served as communications director and spokesperson of the German liberal party FDP affiliated to FNF (1999 - 2004). He started his career in journalism, learning the trade in the German Section of the BBC's World Service from 1988 - 1991.
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Meet Anastasia Sechina from Russia
Editor Anastasia Sechina speaks about the meaning and difficulties of being an independent journalist in Russia. Anastasia, a reporter and editor based in the city of Perm, shares how she has been fighting – and surviving – in the inhospitable Russian media tundra for almost 20 years now, and why she still does it. “Small, local media can become a focal point for civic activism on a particular topic, it can inspire and educate citizens to join together to change something,” she says.
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Meet Liza Simbirskaya from Russia
How to normalize being gay in Russia? Screenwriter Liza Simbirskaya talks about her approach of gently challenging homophobic narratives through art. “I am trying to live by the samurai wisdom, or maybe it's just a proverb, “do what you must and come what may,” says Russian screenwriter Liza Simbirskaya about her attitude towards life. In the past few years, the up-and-coming screenwriter has made her name in the non-mainstream art and cinema circles of Moscow with her ambitious, socially oriented takes on issues often ignored by the predominantly conservative society of Russia.
Social Media
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♀️ The up-and-coming screenwriter and producer, Liza Simbirskaya, has made her name in the non-mainstream art and cinema circles of Moscow with her ambitious, socially-oriented takes on issues often ignored by the predominantly conservative society of Russia. 🏳️🌈 Discover her inspiring story in the Pride month 👉 https://bit.ly/3d0Mqsr 🌍 In the #FemaleForwardInternational campaign, FNF shares best practices of female empowerment and leadership from East and Southeast Europe. Elizaveta Simbirskaya #fnfesee
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⏯️ Watch live the discussion ‘Beyond Brexit and Corona. The Future of International Education Cooperation’ on 23 June at 10:00 – 11:30 CEST 👉 plus.freiheit.org/global-ambitions 🛑 The end of the Erasmus+ programme in the UK due to the Brexit will have a direct impact on the educational opportunities of young Europeans. We need ideas for a restart of international education cooperation. How are international academic careers shaping up in the “world war for talent”? Find out more about the speakers and the topic 👉shop.freiheit.org/#!/Veranstaltung/b79q1 #Restart21 #globalambitions
