Support to Civil Society in Transnistrian Region

People in Need (PIN) has been working in Transnistria, an authoritarian breakaway region of Moldova, for more than 10 years. Until today, PIN remains one of the very few international organizations providing support to local civic activists and groups that aim to promote democratic developments in the region, protect freedom of speech and assembly, and provide opportunities for critical thinking in this region heavily influenced by pro-Russian propaganda.

In Transnistria, PIN provides capacity building and grant opportunities to grassroots initiatives that focus their activities on raising awareness about the importance of human rights, encourage people to actively participate in solving problems their communities face and open space for discussion of sensitive issues. We also work with more established independent NGOs providing them with opportunities for institutional growth that the oppressive environment of the region makes especially challenging. PIN has also supported the launch of Chesnok Human Rights Documentary Film Festival and to this day remains one of its main partners.

In the course of our advocacy actions, we have been consistently raising awareness about Transnistrian civil society on an international level. We have also been trying to draw the attention of the international community to the fact that while absorbing donors’ funds for improving its infrastructure and social services, the de-facto government of Transnistria has been violating basic human rights of the people living in the region and adopting increasingly repressive strategies of control over media and civil society.