It is very difficult for a politician to refuse advances from human rights activists. This is particularly the case in the institutions of European politics, where, in the absence of hard power of their own, politicians often use humanitarian issues as a platform to engage on an international stage.

Into this morass has stepped what appears at first sight to be an innocuous human rights NGO, fronted by a photogenic and highly articulate young woman who seeks to address the wrongs that are the legacy of the Soviet Union. Ukrainian citizen Lyudmyla Kozlovska, champion of Maidan, defender of the imprisoned and the maligned, and her Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF) have become a fixture on the European human rights scene.

However, this NGO, originally founded by another Ukrainian citizen, Ivan Szerstiuk, who is reportedly currently serving an eighteen-year sentence in Ukraine for ordering a murder, in actuality serves a purpose, and indeed a master, far removed from the carefully crafted image it conveys so well.

As well as outstanding arrest warrants, multiple convictions, and considerable wealth, the key clients of the foundation, presented as politically persecuted champions of democracy, share something else in common: allegations of money laundering on a formidable scale.

French MEP Nicolas Bay, speaking during a meeting of the European Parliament’s committee on Financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance earlier this year, named the controversial Kazakh fugitive oligarch Mukhtar Ablyazov as being the real figure behind the ODF.  « There are now very real questions about the funding of the activities of that Foundation. All too often, perpetrators of white-collar crimes are able to pass themselves off as victims », he said, calling for a parliamentary investigation into the activities of the organisation.

Bay’s call was echoed by Romanian MEP Andi Cristea, who declared that considering “the ODF’s efforts to defend one or more controversial characters, I believe that significant resources are needed to investigate in Brussels the transparency of the ODF’s funding and the correct recording of lobbying activities in the public register. The image-washing operation that the Foundation led for Ablyazov is not a secret to officials in Brussels.”

Ablyazov, who has multiple convictions and who has served two prison sentences in the past, in Kazakhstan and France, became responsible for possibly the greatest fraud in history when he embezzled some $7.6 billion from the BTA Bank, of which he was head. He has also received a life sentence for ordering the murder of his predecessor at the bank, Yerzhan Tatishev, in 2004. The fugitive also has an outstanding 22 month jail sentence awaiting him, should he ever return to the UK, handed down to him for contempt of court. This was confirmed in recent weeks when the outstanding arrest warrant in his name was formally extended.

His crimes, however, should not be viewed in isolation: he appears to be not a lone criminal, but part of an organised crime syndicate. Brussels-based journalist and author of the book Wanted Man: the story of Mukhtar Ablyazov (2019), Gary Cartwright, stated at a Brussels press conference recently, « if you want to know who Ablyazov’s partners in crime are, simply look at ODF’s client list.”

The list includes the likes of Ablyazov’s son-in-law, Ilyas Khrapunov, wanted in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine, and named in an English court as having been involved in the laundering of Ablyazov’s cash through Donald Trump’s property enterprises. Also Khrapunov’s father, Viktor, a former mayor of Almaty, and, like his son, currently resident in Geneva is another of ODF’s so-called “persecuted oppositionists”.  The former Mayor of Almaty Viktor Khrapunov, his TV-anchorwoman wife Leila, and their son Ilyas stand accused of embezzlement schemes amounting to at least $300 million — they are the subject of lawsuits in the United Kingdom and the United States. The Khrapunovs have been described in the French language press as “one of the richest families in Switzerland”.

Nail Malyutin, currently serving six-years in Russia for stealing $4 million, and who has ties to Aslan “Djako” Gagiyev, a controversial figure whose gang stands accused of orchestrating more than sixty murders is represented by ODF, as is Moldovan businessman Vyacheslav Platon, a businessman named in the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) investigation into the Russian Laundromat. Platon is currently serving eighteen-years for his part in what became known as the “theft of the century,” in which 12.5% of the nation’s GDP went missing from three banks.

ODF appears, with some success, to have created a model for its wealthy clients: the establishment of a political organisation, positioned in opposition to the government of the country or countries in which they are wanted, and then formulating a campaign for their « human rights », carefully positioning them alongside genuine and high profile victims such as Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov.

This abuse of the human rights platform was attacked by former UK MEP Nikki Sinclaire who said  “For those of us who have fought tirelessly for Human Rights, it feels like a punch in the stomach when someone uses mechanisms to slyly promote their own self interest.  Such actions undermine the work of genuine Human Rights activists and deserve to be highlighted.”

Another vocal critic of ODF is one-time ally, Polish MEP Anna Fotyga, who has severed her links with the organisation stating in the European Parliament that it has “ceased to be a non-political NGO and is not a credible organisation”.

As well as undermining the work of genuine human rights activists, ODF can also be seen to be corrupting important European political institutions. An Interpol Red Notice calling for Ablyazov’s arrest was successfully lifted following successful lobbying of the European Parliament deputies by Kozlovska. There have been questions asked as to exactly how this was achieved. « The MEPs who supported the initiative by ODF were all asked if they, or their families, had received any pecuniary advantage in return for their support, » Cartwright said to the author of this article. « Whilst we have no evidence to suggest that this may be the case, it is noticeable that not one has directly denied it.”

Interpol undermined, parliamentarians possibly corrupted, this is the work that ODF does so well.

However, the organisation itself came under the spotlight when in April of this year Britain’s Sunday Times published a damning article implicating it in money laundering activities allegedly related to Ablyazov’s ill gotten gains. A company owned by Kozlovska’s husband, Bartosz Kramek, was named as having benefited from money laundering activities involving a number of Scottish based companies, to the tune of more than £1 million.

Until the Sunday Times article appeared, Kramek was mainly known for his somewhat bizarre July 2017 call to overthrow the Polish government, encouraging acts of civil disobedience such as the withholding of tax payments and teachers’ strikes. This led to increased governmental interest in Kramer, Kozlovska, and in particular ODF’s finances.

All of this is being presented by ODF as the political persecution of Kramek, thus winning over those who are opposed to the current ruling party such as Belgian Liberal Democrat MEP, Guy Verhofstadt, who personally intervened when Kozlovska was subject to an order banning her from entering the Schengen zone. Thanks largely to his efforts, in March of this year Kozlovska was granted a five year residency permit in Belgium, and the Schengen Information System (SIS), which exists to protect the security of EU citizens, was added to the list of political mechanisms and institutions undermined by the activities of ODF.

The post Will the Open Dialogue Foundation pull the wool over the eyes of the European Parliament? appeared first on Brussels Express.

Over the past century, the perception and role of women in Western countries has changed considerably – while in a country such as India, there is still a long way to go to overcome certain discriminative values and traditions, making women victims.

“Project Why” is an Indian NGO established in 2000 by Anouradha Bakshi, which challenges the awareness of the existing inequalities through the empowerment of women. Claire di Felice volunteered for two months in a vocational training centre for women from an underprivileged background in Madanpur Khadar.

Based on her experience, she described the work of the NGO in this district with some 15,000 inhabitants in the Southern part of New Delhi, inhabited mostly by first or second generation migrants from other Indians states such as West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, or Rajasthan.

Since 2007, over a thousand women have been trained in order to provide them with the means to earn a livelihood – transforming their lives by boosting their confidence and skills, enabling many to become independent business entrepreneurs. Thanks to this NGO, numerous women realised their potential in taking control of their life, while also ensuring a brighter future for their children and generations to come.

The presentation was received by the audience (some 50 participants from over 20 countries) with enthusiasm and the willingness not only to financially support the cause, but also to increase its effectiveness by offering a series of recommendations.

What resonates with this NGO’s work is that indeed when you educate a man, you educate an individual, but when you educate a woman, you educate a generation.

For more information find them on Instagram and Facebook at @projectwhydelhi.

The post Brussels support for NGO women’s project in India appeared first on Brussels Express.

It is important to be reminded of inspirational stories about people who make an impact with their work. They could be motivational for us to create an environment where our positive contribution matters to improve the society we live in. A moment to break away from our Western day-to-day habitual concerns.

Jovana Savic  shared her experiences with Brussels Express, and the following interview was conducted at Soare Internationale meeting in Brussels.

Jovana Savic is a passionate young woman with bright visions about socio-economic development through education. Today she works in Ghana, Western Africa, as an Education Programme Coordinator. She relocated there a year and a half ago.

She grew up in a small town in rural Serbia. In addition to English and French, she also learnt Greek and Chinese at the University of Belgrade. In 2014, she completed her postgraduate studies in Business Development at the Vrije University of Brussels, Belgium. But how come she decided to move to Africa? She explains this as a gradual process after working for various NGOs for Africa and South-Eastern Europe.

“That’s the beauty of International Brussels. I was asked to monitor and fundraise for a few organisations in East Africa. But I decided that I want more than that, I wanted to live there for at least a few years so I can really understand the culture and people. The opportunity appeared to be in Ghana, which took me by surprise, but after living there I fell in love with country and its people.”

Inspired by her working and living experience in the Balkans and West Africa, she finds a lot of similarities between them. She believes in the importance of providing the youth and children with adequate skills and opportunities.

The organisation

Jovana works for Ghana Health and Education Initiative. Their mission is to enable communities in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District of Ghana to improve their children’s health, learning success and opportunities by building local capacity and providing necessary resources and support. They envision a future where children—free from illness and illiteracy—can realise their full potential, a future where healthy, educated young people will lead their communities out of poverty.

The region

Can you describe the area conditions?

It is not that densely populated. It’s surrounded by vividly green forest. There is a rainy season and a dry season – everything gets dried out. Last year, we had two months and a half with no rain, high temperatures (over 43 degrees Celsius) which has a negative impact on the agriculture and food supplies. The main income comes from Cocoa collection, which is then dried and exported to the West for chocolate making.

Jovana emphasises that working in the village Humjibre, rural Ghana in Western region, is very different from the capital Accra. The organisation is covering 6 communities with 5000 people.

« The beauty, » she says, « is that “we are community focused, working with local staff. I consider myself more as a facilitator and someone who is there to bring in new skills and improve the educational environment. At the same time, I have learnt a lot not just about development work but also about beautiful Ghanaian culture.’’

What are the most important things you learnt during your stay?

When you go to a funeral in Ghana, you see people dancing. I wasn’t shocked to see that. And of course, at the same time, people are also crying because they are mourning. What really touched me was the life celebration. That is something which we have to improve here. From Ghanaians, I learnt that you really need to be grateful for what you have. I felt it before, but the experience of living in rural Ghana just deepened the gratitude.

Are they different from Europeans?

Love, care, attention, empathy are universal values. What I learnt is that being spiritual is important. People in Europe are often dipped in conformism, not always being able to remember their own essence and existence.

How did your relatives react to your choice to dedicate time and live in Ghana?

People who know me expected it, my family and friends are very supportive. They were supportive because this decision did not come over night, it was a gradual process and it took me a few years to achieve and settle on the continent. They might not fully understand my motivation and calling but when I explain how fulfilling it is and show the results, they realise the impact of my work. Because, at the end of the day, the only true measure is happiness.

Education

How is the educational programme structured?

If you enter a primary school in rural Ghana, you will notice there is one teacher per 50-60 students. As a result there is a huge number of school drop outs and high levels of illiteracy. We have Early Childhood Literacy program where we enroll the non-performing students and teach them English and basic Maths skills. We give them supplemental classes every day after school. After 2 years 95% of students are able to become top students in the classrooms in their regular schools, which I find amazing. It is important how you teach, not what you teach. Our classrooms are creative classrooms and we have this policy to encourage students and give them attention, so they feel valued. People just need an opportunity, the distribution of talent everywhere around the world is equal, but the distribution of opportunities is not. This is what we’re trying to put forward.

Do you provide the top students with scholarships?

Last year the Ghanaian government abolished fees for senior high school and because of that decision we are not awarding scholarships anymore. Since 2005 up to last year we have awarded around 113 scholarships. Those scholarships gave a lot of opportunity to young people to continue their education, and sometimes even study abroad. We have around 10 cases where those people who benefited from our scholarships now help the organisation from the distance.

Are there volunteering programmes available?

Yes. Volunteers are able to come and enjoy the community under the annual Summer Serve and Learn Programme. There are different sessions, health, and education related. Usually, the volunteers stay for 2-3 weeks. Girls Empowerment Camp is a necessity. After the camp has been introduced to the community, the level of teenage pregnancy has dropped. For example, ten years ago a lot of girls used to get pregnant and that would stop their further education.

We believe that this programme has prevented that because, for the past 6 years, we haven’t had such cases among participants. These are some of the workshops we provide during the camp: Leadership, sexual reproductive health, we teach them how to earn pocket money, for example, soap making and jewellery. The more opportunities, the more results. If people decide to join the Health Programme, they help the organisation collect the data that show if we should scale back, improve or continue the projects. The international volunteers are mainly college students from US and Canada, but I would recommend the programme to anyone who is interested to better understand how development works on the field in rural Ghana.

The post A lesson from Western Africa: socioeconomic development through education appeared first on Brussels Express.

Bono met with President Antonio Tajani and the Parliament’s political group leaders in order to support the idea of a new partnership between the European Union and Africa.

The ONE is an international non-governmental organization which aims to fight extreme poverty and preventable diseases in Africa. The European authorities on the other hand are keen on working towards the new EU-Africa partnership, especially with the increase of the number of migrants from Africa to Europe over the last few years. The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker has also addressed this point during his last State of the Union address in September.

LIVE｜Welcoming Bono at the European Parliament 🇪🇺 https://t.co/RDNFjKEGP6

— Antonio Tajani (@EP_President) October 10, 2018

The post Bono in Brussels to visit the European Parliament and promote EU-Africa partnership appeared first on Brussels Express.

She was identified as being a danger to Polish national security, something that she denies. It has, however, been reported that access to a certain part of her case file must be refused on the grounds that it contains secret information, the disclosure of which “would cause serious damage to the Republic of Poland”.

The following morning, Ms. Kozlovska, was deported to Kyiv. But she still has the right to reside in Poland, on the basis of her marriage to Bartosz Kramek, the Head of ODF’s foundation board and a Polish citizen, who also holds Ukrainian and Russian passports.

On July 27th 2017, Kramek published an article entitled “Let the State Come to a Stop: Let’s Shut Down the Government!” In this, he proposed actions such as the refusal of citizens to pay taxes. This was published under the auspices of the ODF, an unusual activity for a human rights NGO.

The article was published again in English, on August 25th 2018.

A call for the overthrow of the government is something that would attract the immediate attention of the security forces in any country.

But this is not the only activity that Ms. Kozlovska and the ODF have engaged in what might be considered out of character for a human rights NGO. The ODF briefly held a licence allowing the foundation to supply military equipment into Eastern Ukraine, (although this licence was promptly revoked by the authorities). The licence, it has been reported, was issued on the authority of a senior official who has subsequently been investigated for possible collusion with Russian Federal Security services (FSB).

Somewhat out of character is paragraph 14, sub-paragraph 31, of the foundation’s statute which allows it to undertake « Gambling and betting activities”. The sources of funding for ODF have always been a subject of concern to the the Polish authorities. It has emerged that the ODF has received donations from Igoria Trade, a company behind an internet-based currency exchange site, and the Cyprus-based Banerco Ltd., a significant player in the world of online casinos and bookmakers.

The murky world of online gambling, and the currency exchange firms that can generally be found operating alongside them, are allegedly associated with large-scale money laundering.

This may be a coincidence but in the course of its human rights work, ODF’s most prominent clients – and possibly financial backers – all appear to have one thing in common: they have outstanding arrest and extradition warrants, and in some cases criminal convictions, for money laundering.

Take the case of Mukhtar Ablyazov, “the world’s richest fraudster” according to the UK press.

Accused of embezzling $7.6 billion from Kazakhstan’s BTA Bank, he has a 20 year jail sentence awaiting him when he eventually returns to his home country; a 22 month sentence outstanding in the UK for contempt of court. He has already spent a couple of years languishing in a French prison and is facing litigation in the USA. Indeed, the High Court of England and Wales has recently suggested that his money may have been laundered by a criminal associate, Ilyas Khrapunov, who along with his father Viktor, is represented by the ODF, through Donald Trump properties in the USA.

There is also evidence that ODF has received donations from a company associated with Ms. Kozlovska’s brother, and which has supplied military equipment to the Russian navy. ODF is connected, albeit tenuously here, with the supply of military equipment.

There is another thread that runs through the saga of the ODF and its activities – that of “political persecution”.

The alleged money launderers mentioned above – and not all those involved with the foundation are named in this article – are represented by the ODF as “political opponents” of  “oppressive” states and “defenders of democracy”. On her detention at Brussels airport on August 13th Ms. Kozlovska claimed that she was a victim of the political persecution of her husband.

At the present time it is not known if Ms. Kozlovska may lose her right of residence in Poland. She has managed to gain access to both Germany and Belgium since her expulsion, through visas issued with the assistance of European politicians, most notably German MEP Rebecca Harms, and former Belgian Prime Minister and currently MEP Guy Verhofstadt.

But the issuing of such visas undermines the integrity of the Schengen Information System, something that would appeal to the broader strategy of the Kremlin.

Ms. Kozlovska will be keen to regain access to Belgium, where her Foundation has offices. But, such has been the controversy over ODF’s activities recently that the future does not look good for her continued lobbying activities in Brussels.

The post The curious case of the Brussels lobbyist: the expulsion of Lyudmyla Kozlovska from the Schengen zone appeared first on Brussels Express.

Located next to the runways of Zaventem national airport, this new extension of the center consists of four units, two are for families of six, while two others for families of eight. Families in an illegal situation could be locked up for up to a month.

The NGOs denounce this situation by opposing the confinement of children: « As the associations for the defense of the rights of foreigners were able to see during a visit organized by the Immigration Office, July 11, the family homes’ are in fact a ‘family prison’, and nothing less, » denounced the CIRE (coordination and initiative for refugees and foreigners).

Myria issues warnings

Myria, the Federal Center for Migration, on Friday sent several warnings to the Federal Government on the eve of the entry into force of the decree that will again allow the confinement of families for their expulsion.

Belgium stopped this practice in 2009 following a conviction by the European Court of Human Rights for the detention of children in the closed center 127-bis of Steenokkerzeel. Alternatives had been put in place in the form of open « return houses, » but the system was considered to be too inefficient, in particular because of the number of families leaving without warning was significantly high (about one-third).

The law has never been changed and still allows the confinement of families with minors. The previous government had planned to return but the project had not been implemented. The current government has taken the step and approved a decree that organizes the plan. Family units have been set up at « 127bis », designed to meet the needs of a family and prevent child abuse.

The detention period is limited to one month (14 days renewable) but in practice the detention periods are reset after each attempt of removal is missed. Some families may be directly confined, without alternatives, if a member of them is a danger to public order or national security, even if these two concepts are not clearly defined. Finally, for disciplinary reasons, a minor of 16 years can be placed in isolation for 24 hours, without prior warning, without access to the outside. Parents’ visits are not clearly defined either.

UNHCR urges Belgium not to lock up children

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday urged Belgium not to lock up children for deportation with their families.

« Children, especially those arriving in another country in search of international protection, are extremely vulnerable and need specific care. We should treat them first and foremost as children, not as illegal aliens, » said UNHCR Regional Representative for Western Europe, Véronique Robert.

The post UNHCR urges Belgium not to lock up children appeared first on Brussels Express.

Now I can learn and support myself and be independent.

I wanted to be educated. Now I’m happy with myself.

It makes me feel alive.”

These are the words from a Syrian woman living in Lebanon. She, along with many others, found herself alone in a new environment without an education, family nor support.

After seven years of conflict, many Syrian men have either been killed, injured or displaced. This has led to a shift in household dynamics with women being the sole provider in one in three households. This difficult transition occurs at the very moment when they need time and space to grieve the loss of their family, friends, and home.

In response to this, SB OverSeas set up empowerment programs with the holistic aim of helping the women economically, socially and psychologically. We wanted not only to economically empower the women, but also to equip them with the skills needed to adjust to their new lives. In our centres, we offer vocational and educational training with the aim of alleviating the women’s’ financial situation through facilitating access to the labour market and promoting entrepreneurship. This is done by providing a number of vocational courses including sewing, knitting and language courses. The products created are sold at exhibitions organised by SB OverSeas.

Additionally, we support the women through offering psycho-social support. We offer a safe space for conversation, thus helping to create a network of mutual support which is key to building stronger communities. For mothers, we provide (in partnership with Save the Children) a kindergarten service in our Bukhra Ahla centre so they can partake in activities.

‘When I started SB OverSeas my dream was to help as many women as possible without giving them the feeling that they are weak and in need of help. I wanted them to live independently and be educated. This dream became reality and we were able to give thousands of women the chance to learn and become independent, and fight for their rights.’

–Louma Albik, founder and chairperson of SB OverSeas

We are working to empower the women in conflict to grant them the tools to be active survivors and builders of the community, rather than passive victims. With our three centres, we have provided this help to over 4000 women from refugee communities in Lebanon.

The post Empowering Syrian Refugee Women: a new challenge in a new home appeared first on Brussels Express.

The community and friends overseas allowed SB with the opportunity to raise awareness on the need of education to displaced children, giving them their childhood back whilst learning, reading and discovering the world that surrounds them.

SB OverSeas is thankful to everyone of them and is developing a new, visual, product to track where all the Give Hopers are! This tool will help not only to visualise the supporters but will be also be an opportunity to show to the community in Lebanon, all of those who sustain their right to education!

People from all around the globe are sharing the vision of SB OverSeas. A vision to provide education to everyone. There is an entire generation of school-age children who have been displaced due to the Syrian conflict and therefore not having access to key years of school. Having the opportunity to see a classroom again means having hope for their future and self-development. Here how the map looks like. Explore where SB supporters are!

Want to added to the map? Tag SB OverSeas in a photo on Facebook or send an email at hq.communications@sboverseas.org.

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