90
3.7
Finnmark KFUK-KFUM: Dream, dance and democracy in the borderland
Institutions involved and funding. Responsible for the project was Norges KFUK-KFUM Finnmark krets, in collaboration with the two other district organisations of northern Norway, Troms and Nordland. Project leader was Randi Karlstrøm. The partners on the Russian side were the YMCA organisations in Murmansk, Apatity and Moscow, and Ilya Scherbakov, YMCA district secretary in Apatity was the main contact person. The Norwegian side was responsible for the overall activity, while the Russian partners coordinated the Russian participation, gave presentations, and assisted in organizing a trip to Pechenga Nikel’. The project took place in the summer of 2005 (22 - 26 June). The overall budget was 193,000 NOK, of which 85,000 was participants’ fees. The project received funding of NOK 20,000 from the Barents Secretariat, while the amount applied for originally had been NOK 40,000. Other financial contributions came from the LNU (The Norwegian Children and Youth Council), NOK 40,000. The account showed expenditure of 206,000 NOK. Thus, the contribution from the Barents Secretariat made up less than 10 percent of the total expenditure for the project. The deficit was covered by the three district organisations that were responsible for the project. Background. KFUM-KFUK had collaborated with YMCA in Russia over a number of years. A European network gives financial support to the YMCA organisations in Apatity and Murmansk city. In 2000 and 2004 delegations from Russia took part in KFUKKFUM conventions in Norway. According to the project leader there was a lack of interest and curiosity from the Norwegian youth (especially in Finnmark) towards Russia, and the project indented to increase the youth of Northern Norway’s interest in Russia and Russian culture by focusing on Russian culture, language, history and politics in the bi-annual Nord-Treff. The NordTreff 2005, at Svanvik Folkehøyskole in Pasvik would focus on Russian issues, contain an optional trip to Russia for the Norwegian participants, and a Norwegian-Russian meeting at the end of the four-day event.
NIBR Report 2008:4
