All news
No Places for Activists to Meet: Tatarstan Seeks Common Coworking Zone for NGOs
Activists have nowhere to meet. There is a request for coworking for NGOs in Tatarstan.
Tatarstan Minister of Culture Irada Ayupova opened the meeting with the topic of state subsidies, which is relevant for non-profit organizations. According to her, the Tatarstan project often “quickly” receives such support.
"Unfortunately, our projects do not often win. This is mainly due to the fact that very large sums are charged with low co-financing," she noted.
At the same time, projects often have a "small territorial, regional character." Irada Ayupova explained that support is mainly received by more global ideas.
"There is a presidential grant, you can apply. Projects related to socio-cultural aspects, such as the adaptation of people with disabilities or the construction of an institutional civil society, may be especially successful. This area is actively supported and is reflected in the subsidy competition," the minister said.
One of the representatives of the non-profit organization, Gulfiya Mutugullina, curator of the "Cultural Volunteer Group", raised another pressing issue - finding a place for the NPO to work and store the organization's property. She gave an example from her work. All the literature, goods and tools of the volunteers are stored in a separate room in her house. There is no special place for activists to gather, so they have to hold meetings in apartments.
"This concerns almost every organization, and it is a common pain point for all of us. By law, the state cannot finance the maintenance of property in the non-profit sector. Even for one-time events, premises have to be rented," said Irada Ayupova, revealing the cause of the problem.
However, according to her, the issue needs to be resolved through communication with lower-level departments. Thus, over the past month and a half, two "Dobrotsentr" have opened at the Republican Children's Library and the HU. Pesina: "This is a place where constant communication between volunteers and the organization takes place."
"If we talk about real estate financing, it is usually integrated into the subsidy system. NGOs by their nature must carry out active project activities. And the activities of this project are part of the preservation of heritage," added the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Irada Ayupova came up with an interesting idea, proposing to create a single platform for interaction between various non-profit organizations. "We can create things like co-workings, co-workings for non-profit organizations. I think this concerns not only culture, but also youth and social policy. Here you can create a storage system where you can store jewelry, equipment and other things. Each has its own segment. And you can also hold meetings in public places. "In my opinion, this is the only model that works."
Almost 6 thousand residents of Tatarstan participate in the federal program "Creative People". In addition, the republic is among the top five leaders in the number of participants in the program "Cultural Volunteers" - 10.6 thousand people in the region.
Within the framework of the regional project "Cultural Environment" in Tatarstan, 14 new objects appeared. Among them are the Rural Cultural Center and the Children's Museum Center.
Major repairs were carried out in three objects: the Zelenodolsk Theatre, the Zelenodolsk Museum and the Bavlinsky Museum of Local History. Irada Ayupova added that technical equipment appeared in the Tetyushsky Museum of Local History, the Arsk Historical and Ethnographic Museum and the Yelabuga Museum-Reserve. Modular libraries were opened in Yelabuga, Drozhzhanovsky and Kukmorsky Districts.