As the recent Russian elections conclude and current President Vladmir Putin has been re-elected and confirmed as the clear winner, the United States continues its hysterical claims that the scary Russians have “meddled” in American domestic affairs with American elections being the chief target. But, despite all the money spent, witch hunts, and censorship, the accusers have yet to produce one shred of credible evidence of any “Russian meddling” that has taken place.
One perfect example of the “debate,” if both sides given equal time and opportunity to state their positions and facts, is the hilarious interaction between radio personality Lionel and career imperialist and spokesman for the intelligence community, Brent Budowsky, when both men were scheduled to debate the question of Russian meddling on RT. The exchange succinctly sums up the evidence allegedly proving Russian meddling vs a demand that the case be proved.
“Remarkably,” writes Ulson Gunnar, “as Washington accuses Russia of political meddling within the United States, the NED openly lists nearly 100 subversive activities or organizations they are funding inside of Russia itself. Beyond what is listed on NED’s website is support the US and Europe is providing unpopular opposition figures like Alexei Navalny, the now deceased Boris Nemtsov, Yevgeniya Chirikova (NED-funded Strategy 31), Lev Ponomarev (NED-funded Moscow Helsinki Group), Liliya Shibanova (NED-funded GOLOS) and many others who have been repeatedly caught conspiring with American diplomats and financiers backing their subversive activities.”
The United States has long been meddling in Russian elections and Russian society. As Tony Cartalucci wrote in his article, “Bombshell: US Caught Meddling In Russian Elections!” in 2011,
After the fall of the Soviet Union, there proceeded a lawless free-for-all where foreigners began rushing in in an attempt to create their own order out of the chaos. Leading this charge was billionaire oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky who fashioned an “Open Russian Foundation” and even had western corporate-financier elitists Jacob Rothschild and Henry Kissinger chair its board of directors. In a now all too familiar scenario, Khodorkovsky and his networks of foreign-funded NGOs attempted to consolidate and transfer Russia’s wealth, power, and the destiny of its people into the hands of Wall Street and London’s global “corporatatorship.”
I highly encourage the reader to access Cartalucci’s article in order to get a better understanding of the methods and scale of American meddling Russia has had to deal with ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Below are operations listed on NED’s own website, also found at this link:
RUSSIA 2017
Access to Information
Freedom of Information
$80,790
To provide analysis on political and current affairs. Objective, fact-based reporting will be conducted and public presentations will be made.
Aiding Corruption Investigations
Accountability and Governance
$51,098
To raise awareness of kleptocracy and its local and global implications. Information about these issues will be provided to international audiences.
Assessing and Building Partner Capacity through Technology
Political Processes
$105,000
To increase civil society organizations’ capacity to use technology for more secure and effective organizing and communications and to strengthen the capacity of civic organizations to effectively pursue their goals. A digital security diagnostic tool will be developed to meet these goals.
Capacity Building for Journalists
Freedom of Information
$68,751
To strengthen the capacities and digital skills of regional journalists and to foster regional and national journalism networks. A series of capacity-building workshops for journalists will be organized.
Civic Education
Civic Education
$45,100
To promote democratic ideas and values. Seminars and trainings will focus on civic education and the benefits of activism to local communities.
Freedom of Information
$80,790
To provide analysis on political and current affairs. Objective, fact-based reporting will be conducted and public presentations will be made.
Aiding Corruption Investigations
Accountability and Governance
$51,098
To raise awareness of kleptocracy and its local and global implications. Information about these issues will be provided to international audiences.
Assessing and Building Partner Capacity through Technology
Political Processes
$105,000
To increase civil society organizations’ capacity to use technology for more secure and effective organizing and communications and to strengthen the capacity of civic organizations to effectively pursue their goals. A digital security diagnostic tool will be developed to meet these goals.
Capacity Building for Journalists
Freedom of Information
$68,751
To strengthen the capacities and digital skills of regional journalists and to foster regional and national journalism networks. A series of capacity-building workshops for journalists will be organized.
Civic Education
Civic Education
$45,100
To promote democratic ideas and values. Seminars and trainings will focus on civic education and the benefits of activism to local communities.
Civic Education
$74,041
To raise awareness of corruption and its relation to human rights violations. Project activities will include investigating instances of corruption and collaborating with the media to publish information about their findings.
Counteracting Discrimination Against Minorities
Human Rights
$43,211
To reduce instances of hate crimes. A series of trainings for volunteers, activists, and members of the community at large will focus on public activism and means of responding to hate crimes.
Defending Digital Rights
Freedom of Information
$75,440
To promote public engagement on Internet freedom issues and to defend citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and privacy. Strategic litigation and public advocacy will be conducted on freedom of information issues.
Defending Freedom of Association
Freedom of Association
$60,383
To assess and raise awareness of the state of civil society and human rights, and to provide recommendations to the international community on how best to support it. Reports will be written analyzing these issues and presented to various actors.
Defending Human Rights
Human Rights
$52,760
To raise awareness of human rights violations committed in the region and to lower tensions between minority communities and local officials. Free legal aid and a series of roundtables and conferences will help deepen local understanding of human rights.
Defending Human Rights
Human Rights
$245,781
To raise awareness of human rights violations and to provide support to victims of human rights violations. Activities will include monitoring the situation with human rights, providing legal defense for victims of human rights violations, and raising public awareness of these issues.
Democratic Film Festival
Democratic Ideas and Values
$53,135
To support regional democracy-themed cultural events that will present democratic values and ideas to the public through movies, public discussions, and presentations. Young professionals will be provided an opportunity to develop their skills through participation in master-classes.
Developing the Capacity of Activists
Human Rights
$46,640
To increase the capacity of young activists. Representatives of civil society will be trained in human rights history and law. A series of trainings and events for professionals working on these topics will be organized.
Documenting Human Rights Abuses
Human Rights
$100,000
To improve access to information pertaining to the violation of fundamental human rights and international law. A website with regularly updated news and information will be maintained.
Documenting Repression
Freedom of Information
$45,784
To create a unified information platform linking databases with information on political repression in the former Soviet Union. A new online platform will be developed, providing access to a significant amount of historical information on political persecution to scholars and the general public.
Documenting Repression
Freedom of Information
Supplement: $15,000
To unify information in databases of information on political repression in the former Soviet Union. The project will provide access to a significant amount of historical information on political persecution for scholars and the general public.
Emergency Support for Civil Society
Human Rights
$131,980
To provide emergency support to civil society activists operating in a restrictive environment and to promote the continued work and effectiveness of local civil society organizations. Such assistance may include emergency relocation support; emergency assistance to those suffering from politically motivated persecution; and support for civil society organizations’ work.
Empowering Civil Society
NGO Strengthening
$34,663
To organize a series of capacity-building workshops for graduates of a prestigious civic activism program with the goal of maintaining a network of democratically minded people. The project will focus on establishing a support network of regional organizations and activists to enable networking among young leaders.
Engaging Regional Activists
NGO Strengthening
$46,488
To support local civic activists. The program will carry out research on local-level civic activism and help organizations develop their capacity.
Enhancing Public Access to Information
Freedom of Information
$65,090
To provide the public with accurate information about foreign policy developments. In-depth investigative reports, short news items, and educational reference material will be published online.
Fostering Civic Engagement
Civic Education
$52,636
To promote civic consciousness, cultivate better understanding of democratic institutions and values, and foster independent critical thinking. Civic and legal education programs for students will support networking among programs and provide technical and information assistance to program participants.
Freedom of Information and Expression
Freedom of Information
$100,000
To provide an independent source of information on social, political, and human rights developments A website will be maintained with regularly updated news and information, and a program to raise awareness about and counter censorship online will be conducted.
Hall of Memory, Center of Tolerance
Human Rights
$44,790
To support civil society and human rights activists. Discussions on history and human rights will be hosted and resource support will be offered to activists, local NGOs, and initiative groups.
History and Human Rights
Civic Education
$46,310
To educate and encourage discussion among youth and educators about the ramifications of political repression and other human rights violations. Seminars for educators and activists will focus on methods for teaching human rights.
Human Rights Center
NGO Strengthening
$62,670
To improve knowledge of and respect for international human rights standards and to raise awareness of individual rights. Human rights and legal education programs will be conducted, leadership trainings and seminars will be offered, and legal assistance will be given.
Human Rights Coordination
Human Rights
$47,040
To coordinate the activities of proponents of civil liberties and human rights. A broad range of support will assist victims of violations of the right of free assembly.
Human Rights Education
Human Rights
$38,762
To raise awareness of human rights and to enable participants to better defend their rights. A series of trainings and roundtables will improve participants’ awareness of their rights and develop strategies for defending them.
Human Rights Education
Civic Education
$31,035
To promote and explain the practical importance of human rights and civic education in regional universities and school communities. Human rights trainings, including human rights education methodology seminars and regional school competitions will equip school and young university teachers to understand the practical application of human rights norms. An online presence will be maintained.
Human Rights Monitoring
Human Rights
$127,375
To raise public awareness of and maintain an information and news collection network about human rights violations. A website will post regular updates on instances of civil and human rights violations.
Human Rights Monitoring
Human Rights
$24,510
To continue its legal aid program for victims of human rights violations. Monitoring of human rights abuses will be conducted, and free legal assistance to victims will be provided.
Improving Access to Independent Journalism
Freedom of Information
$152,628
To improve the availability of unbiased, locally relevant information and to increase citizen engagement. An online platform for use by independent journalists and civic activists will be maintained.
Improving Access to Information
NGO Strengthening
$31,620
To improve access to information, to support grassroots initiatives, and to improve the quality of journalistic reporting on access to information issues. Trainings will be organized on how to properly access information and to write about local issues.
Increasing Access to Justice
Rule of Law
$30,100
To support the rule of law and improve access to justice. Legal support will be offered to victims of human rights violations and activities will be conducted aimed at raising public awareness on issues concerning the rule of law and access to justice.
Increasing Access to Justice
Human Rights
$101,001
To promote adherence to the rule of law by advocating for compliance with and implementation of international norms and domestic legislation, and to increase domestic and international awareness about the use of international mechanisms as a tool to address human rights violations. Monitoring will be conducted and technical assistance will be offered to victims of human rights violations.
Increasing Access to Legal Aid
Human Rights
$25,862
To provide legal aid and trainings for citizens whose rights have been violated. Meetings and consultations with citizens will help answer questions they have about their rights, in particular women’s rights.
Increasing Access to Legal Aid
Human Rights
$55,422
To provide legal aid and seek recourse for victims of human rights violations, to help persecuted citizens understand their rights, and to monitor hate crimes and discrimination against minorities. Project activities will include providing free legal support and conducting public awareness campaigns.
Increasing the Capacity of Civic Activists
Civic Education
$40,964
To increase the capacity of civic activists. A series of seminars will bring activists together to share best practices, discuss security issues, and network with their colleagues.
Increasing the Capacity of Civil Society
NGO Strengthening
$114,307
To improve access to information about human rights and environmental issues. Consultations and events will he held and informational materials on these issues will be written.
Independent Journalism and Legal Analysis
Freedom of Information
$44,986
To support independent journalism on civil society, human rights, and legal issues. A website will be maintained to publish articles and host an online database of legal information.
Independent News and Commentary
Freedom of Information
$48,940
To provide an independent source of national news and commentary to Russian-language audiences. Online video news programs will be produced featuring analysis and commentary.
Independent News and Commentary
Freedom of Information
Supplement: $10,000
To provide a high-quality source of national news and independent commentary to Russian-language audiences. Video news programs will be published online featuring analysis and commentary.
Independent News and Internet Television
Freedom of Information
$77,000
To provide an independent source of information on local developments and commentary on national-level political and social issues to Russian-speaking audiences, while connecting them to fact-based reporting on national and international events. Original reporting, analysis, and video content will be published online and through social networks as well as aggregate national and international news from a variety of reliable sources.
Information Network
Freedom of Information
$75,000
To provide reliable and accurate information on local events through a network of regional correspondents. The project will support the maintenance of a website with regularly updated news and information.
Information Network
Freedom of Information
$120,000
To provide reliable and accurate information on local events through a network of regional correspondents. Activities will include maintenance of a website with regularly updated news and information.
Information Portal
Freedom of Information
$72,833
To inform citizens about human rights and ecological problems and ways of resolving them. A website with regularly updated news and information about these issues will be maintained and assistance will be offered to journalists and activists.
Investigating Corruption
Freedom of Information
$37,896
To raise awareness of corruption and its relation to human rights violations. Project activities will include investigating instances of corruption and collaborating with the media to publish information about their findings.
Investigative Journalism and Independent News
Freedom of Information
$80,400
To increase the availability of quality Russian-language investigative journalism and to provide the public with an independent source of news and analysis of developments. Investigative reporting, analytical articles, and current events coverage will be published online.
Journalism Resource Center
Freedom of Information
$40,600
To strengthen the capacities of journalists to conduct their work. The project will provide informational and professional support to journalists as they conduct joint projects on topics of mutual interest and will help to establish ongoing partnerships between journalists.
Legal Assistance for Human Rights
Human Rights
$75,000
To improve access to justice for migrants and ethnic minorities. Activities will include monitoring instances of hate crimes, providing information and legal aid to victims of hate crimes and other rights violations, and conducting trainings for potential victims about their rights.
Legal Defense
Human Rights
$150,050
To protect fundamental freedoms. Legal defense will be provided to civil society organizations, activists, and others, and strategic litigation will be pursued to oppose laws and practices that deny citizens their fundamental freedoms. Awareness of these issues will be raised and lawyers will be trained to conduct similar work.
Legal Expertise
Accountability and Governance
$44,490
To support legal research and analyses, and to inform the public about the findings. Developments related to human rights will be monitored, and research results will be published online.
Legal Resource Center
Human Rights
$69,264
To provide legal assistance to victims of human rights abuses and to disseminate information concerning such cases. Regular monitoring of human rights abuses will be conducted.
Legal Support of Citizens’ Rights
Human Rights
$52,913
To provide informational and technical assistance to movements working on locally relevant human rights violations. Legal assistance will be provided to protect citizens’ rights and the public will be educated about the corrupt practices that often lead to violations.
Local Governance Schools
Political Processes
$99,680
To support local civic activists. Research on local-level civic activism will help civic organizations develop their capacity.
Monitoring Extremism
Human Rights
$88,957
To foster greater attention to the problems of extremism and xenophobia, and to promote tolerance for ethnic and religious minorities. Project activities will include monitoring and publishing reports and analyses.
Promoting Accountability
Accountability and Governance
$48,820
To expose cases of corruption among public officials at the regional and federal levels. Public records will be used to research and investigate reports of corruption and produce documentation demonstrating corrupt activities. Research will be published on the organization’s website and in collaboration with local and foreign media.
Promoting Civic Engagement
Freedom of Information
Supplement: $6,880
To involve a broader segment of the local population in civic activism and to further discussion of local issues. An online platform will be maintained to facilitate the exchange of information and local activists will be assisted.
Promoting Civic Engagement
Freedom of Information
$61,064
To maintain an online platform to facilitate the exchange of information on local issues and to work offline to help local civil society and NGOs to organize activist campaigns and civic initiatives. Public discussion of local problems and civic activism at the neighborhood, municipal, and regional level will be encouraged.
Promoting Independent Media
Freedom of Information
$62,700
To promote the independent assessment of political, social, and human rights developments. Information and analysis will be provided on political, social, and human rights developments in the regions.
Promoting Internet Freedom
Freedom of Information
$44,813
To provide information and promote public engagement on digital rights issues in Russia. The program will support the maintenance of informational resources on related topics.
Protecting Activists
Human Rights
$121,137
To foster the respect of, and adherence to, international norms on human rights, rule of law, and democratic values. Activities will include maintaining a website and providing informational and legal support to activists.
Protecting Ethnic Minorities
Human Rights
$38,630
To defend the rights of ethnic minorities. Project activities include the provision of legal aid to members of minority populations with a focus on gaining citizenship or other legal status for stateless peoples. Advocacy will be conducted on behalf of marginalized and stateless peoples and strategies will be developed to coordinate efforts to acquire documents required for displaced ethnic minorities to obtain legal status.
Protecting Human Rights
Human Rights
$110,008
To reduce the incidence of human rights violations, to strengthen compliance with international human rights standards, and to help citizens understand their rights. Legal support will be provided and informational campaigns will be conducted.
Protecting Human Rights
Human Rights
$46,695
To enable young people and their families to protect their rights and to decrease the frequency of human rights abuses. Human rights seminars and consultations on these issues will take place.
Protecting Minority Rights
Human Rights
$32,090
To provide information support and legal counsel and to inform the public about ongoing abuses of the rights of minorities. A series of public events will inform the public about ongoing discrimination against minorities.
Protecting the Right to Information
Freedom of Information
$151,016
To assist citizens in realizing their right to information and to improve the implementation of laws guaranteeing citizens’ right to information. A series of activities will be conducted including informational campaigns to raise the awareness of the right among the legal community and the general public.
Providing an Open Space for Civil Society
NGO Strengthening
$49,453
To enhance the capacity of civil society. The project will support public events and collaboration between civic activists and organizations, including civic education programs.
Providing Independent Local Reporting and Combating Corruption
Freedom of Information
$35,700
To raise awareness of local issues, to provide accurate information on local and national news, and to foster government accountability and combat public corruption. A website covering local news, events, and civic initiatives will be maintained and a program to monitor and combat public corruption will be conducted.
Public Movements, Past and Present
Human Rights
$69,017
To raise awareness of the problems facing civil society and to improve understanding of the role of political repression in history and modern society. Project activities will include the continued development of the grantee’s online presence, including making sections of its archives more accessible to the public.
Public Opinion Research
Democratic Ideas and Values
$44,400
To measure public opinion. Surveys on public attitudes regarding a range of issues will be conducted and published.
Raising Awareness of Human Rights
Human Rights
$67,110
To provide free legal representation and consultations to victims of human rights violations. Information will be collected about human rights violations and assistance will be provided to victims. Regional and international instruments for human rights protection will be utilized.
Resolving Social Issues
Democratic Ideas and Values
$39,800
To facilitate the discussion of approaches to addressing social issues and to foster cooperation between activists. An event dedicated to the discussion of current social issues and how to address them will be held.
School of Investigative Journalism
Freedom of Information
$79,972
To strengthen the capacity of regional journalists, to increase the amount of independent investigative journalism available to the public, and to foster regional and national networks among journalists. An investigative journalism training program will take place.
Sociological Research
Freedom of Information
$196,376
To improve understanding of public attitudes. Research regarding major political and economic developments will be conducted using a variety of tools and methods.
Strengthening Civil Society
NGO Strengthening
$122,180
To provide informational, legal, technical, and financial assistance to NGOs and initiative groups. Events will be facilitated focusing on common problems faced by NGOs and civil society activists, such as legal challenges, registration procedures, and reporting requirements.
Strengthening Women’s Organizations
Human Rights
$59,999
To strengthen civil society and to improve the ability of women in society to protect their rights. Trainings will help participants identify and address pressing social and political issues in the region.
Support for Independent Journalism
Freedom of Information
$90,000
To increase the availability of quality Russian-language investigative journalism and to provide the public with an independent source of news and analysis on significant social issues. Investigative reporting and news coverage will be published online.
Support for Investigative Journalism
Freedom of Information
$64,600
To increase the availability of independent investigative journalism on Russia-related issues. Project activities include a high quality investigative journalism program. The reporting will be published online.
Supporting Activists
Human Rights
$60,288
To provide support for activists under pressure. Legal and technical assistance to individual activists facing pressure or threats due to the nature of their work will be provided, and capacity-building and technical support for activists and organizations will be offered.
Supporting Civic Activists
Civic Education
$46,352
To promote civic engagement and activism among young people. Trainings will be held for rising civic leaders and support will be provided to grassroots initiatives.
Supporting Civil Society
NGO Strengthening
$58,643
To maintain a center for the support of citizen initiatives and to defend citizens’ rights. Trainings will be hosted and awareness will be raised about these issues.
Supporting Civil Society
Human Rights
$154,621
To support civic education and public dialogue. Activities will include hosting various events such as public discussions, seminars, lectures, roundtables, and trainings, and networking opportunities for civil society activists and organizations.
Supporting Civil Society
Human Rights
$250,000
To monitor human rights violations and to offer legal aid to victims of human rights violations. A website with information about legal resources and human rights will be maintained.
Supporting Civil Society Activists
Democratic Ideas and Values
$47,660
To support democratic activists. Fellowships to activists at risk and humanitarian aid will be provided to political prisoners. Awareness will be raised about human rights issues, including politically motivated persecution against activists.
Supporting Democratic Reforms
Democratic Ideas and Values
$42,250
To develop a positive agenda for building a more democratic and inclusive society. Reports will be commissioned and roundtables will be organized on this topic.
Supporting Human Rights Defenders
Human Rights
$60,120
To support regional civil society organizations through public outreach, training, and informational support for activists. Informational and technical assistance will be offered to civil society activists and other democrats at risk who have come under pressure due to their work.
Supporting Human Rights Defenders
Human Rights
$67,919
To provide support to human rights activists at risk. In response to a growing authoritarian crackdown against civil society actors, activists who have come under pressure will be hosted at a respite and rehabilitation program.
Supporting Independent Media
Freedom of Information
$39,600
To provide independent news and analysis on social, political, and human rights developments along with a platform for open discussion and debate. Content related to the development of democratic norms and competitive politics will be published.
Supporting Independent Media
Freedom of Information
$44,826
To provide an independent source of information on developments in the Baltic countries, Russia, and the world to Russian-language audiences. The program will support an independent media project to provide quality reporting to the public.
Supporting Interregional Human Rights Defense
Human Rights
$58,480
To reduce the occurrence of human rights violations and to seek recourse for victims. Legal assistance will be provided to the victims of human rights abuses and their families.
Supporting Open Dialogue
Democratic Ideas and Values
$100,000
To support civic debate and open dialogue by providing a venue and resource center for a network of independent civil society groups. A facility will host exhibitions, seminars, debates, networking events, and coordination meetings for civil society activists.
Supporting Regional Independent Media
Freedom of Information
$69,300
To improve the availability of objective information. A weekly printed version of an independent newspaper and a daily online newspaper with both original reporting and posts from regional experts and journalists will be supported.
Supporting the Rule of Law
Human Rights
$108,000
To improve the handling of gross human rights violations cases in the domestic and international justice systems and to raise public awareness of these issues. Monitoring of such violations will be conducted, and legal assistance will be provided to victims.
Trainings on Effective Representation Before the European Court of Human Rights
Rule of Law
$50,450
To train human rights lawyers on international judicial procedures. Activities will include free legal advice and trainings for human rights lawyers.
Video Reporting
Freedom of Information
$39,851
To provide an independent source of news and analysis of current events to the public. An Internet television program will cover pressing social topics in the former Soviet space.
Video Series
Freedom of Information
$35,347
To provide an independent source of national-level news and analysis of current events to the public. An online video series covering news and social topics will be produced.
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