Political Activism and Youth Movements in Russia

1. Political Activism and Youth Movements in Russia Politics on the Move/ 18.2.2010 Laura Lyytikäinen

2. Youth Political Activism and youth movements in Russia How to define ’political’ and ’active’? How to study youth political activism? Color revolutions in Central and Eastern Europe Youth Movements in Russia Repertoires of Contention

3. Voting Behavior/ Youth in Europe Youth participation in General Elections in Europe (EUYOUPART 2005), Russia (FOM 2003, Voting Behavior and election results)

4. FOM Russia 2007: How often do you vote?

5. Political Apathy of Youth More and more young people in the world are rejecting institutional politics and its actors. Many studies show that young people are interested in political matters themes that youth want to be involved in are often ignored by the mainstream political parties and representatives. Political system remains remote and distant to young people and therefore it fails to attract and engage younger generation.

6. How to study youth activism? Many quantitative research lean on to the traditional understanding of politics and concentrate on political behavior tied to the elections and parliamentary activities --> do not reveal the reality of youth political activism. ‘conventional political science’ indicators. By allowing people themselves explain what is political we are approaching ‘the political’ as lived experience rather than as conventional set of arenas. According to O’Toole et al. (2003), this lived experience can be revealed by ‘the thick’ description through semi-structured interviews.

7. Example of the UK (Henn et al. 2005) Young people interested in the “new style of politics” that is more participative and focuses on localized and immediate issues. Young people in Britain feel alienated from the political process but not because of their apathy but because of the lack of trust in the political system and politicians. Milyukova 2002: relatively high level of politicization and a contradictory political consciousness of the Russian youth Liberal values coexist with a desire for authoritarianism and for a strong personified leader.

8. Youth as a specific group Generation effects are distinctive attitudes developed amongst the young and are shared by this group over time. Generation effects arise from the fact that successive generations face new challenges of which previous generations have no experience. Political issues and arenas familiar to other, older, generations may well have little relevance to young people.

9. Generational Dimensions Mannheim (1952): Three Dimensions of Generation Individuals belonging to same generation behave and think alike because they share a generational location in a society. Generational experiences are shared and encountered at the same stage of one’s life cycle. Contextual dimensions are important in describing these shared experiences; Individuals need to belong to the same culture and society to have similar encounters. Generations fracture into smaller ”units”; through these generation units generational experiences actualize. Different generation units work differently with their shared experiences and strive for different goals ?Mobilization

10. Generation Shared Generational Experiences E.g. World Wars, ”The 60s Generation”, Women’s Rights In Russia? Perestroika & Glasnost’ 1986, Market reforms The First ”Free Generation”, Post-communist Generation, Market-orientated, Liberalism?

11. Youth Political Activism – the Color revolutions Wave of Protests in the Eastern and Central Europe Serbia 2000: Otpor (Resistance) Bulldozer revolution Students against Miloševic during the Kosovo war Georgia 2003(Rose Revolution): Kmara (Enough) Presidential elections in 2003 Saakashvili’s supporters forced Shevardnadze to resign Ukraine 2004 (Orange Revolution): Pora (It’s Time) Presidential elections in 2004 Daily protests on the Maidan Square in Kiev Run-off annulled -> new run-off Yushchenko 52%, Yanukovich 44% In 2010 mass-protests in Maidan forbidden Georgia: Shevardnadze, SaakashviliGeorgia: Shevardnadze, Saakashvili

12. Color Revolutions Youth played an important role in successful revolutions Revolutionary aims: Democracy Non-violent methods of protests Supported by the western funders, e.g. The Soros Foundation, Gene Sharp’s non-violent methods of resistance Electoral process: claiming and showing the fraud in the elections Kyrgystan 2005 Zubr in Belorussia, MJAFT in Albania Oborona, My & Smena in Russia

13. Political youth movements in Russia Pro-Kremlin movements Supported by the Kremlin; funding, media coverage Large mobilization Young Guard of the United Russia Youth wing of Putin’s Party United Russia Young Russia Mestnye and other ”projects” Camp Lake Seliger

14. Nashi Nashi (Ours) 2005 -> ”Official” anti-facism and democracy “a Putin-era political technology project”? (Heller 2008) Membership up to 120 000 “Anti-Orange” Some assess that President Medvedev’s project of “civilized Russia promoting itself as a friend and partner of the West” does not need the Nashi anymore. (Heller 2008, 4) Grown independent?

15. FOM 2009: Which of the youth movements you know?

16. Oppositional youth movements/Leftists National Bolsheviks Eduard Limonov Banned Radical nationalist agenda Large membership Nation of Freedom – New movement organized by a section of ”Limonovitsy” AKM – the Vanguard of Red Youth Radical Communist Youth Group Young Left Front, Union of the Communist youth

17. Democratic Oppositional Movements The umbrella movements OGF, the Other Russia Solidarity Founded in December 2008 United democratic forces, communists and nationalists were left out SPS, Yabloko Party, People’s Democratic Union, ’For the Human Rights’, Memorial & Others Boris Nemtsov, Garry Kasparov, Lev Ponomarev Supported 9 candidates for the Moscow City Duma elections in 2009 -> all refused registration by the election committee Youth movements, Oborona, We, Smena, Youth Yabloko Il’ya Yashin (YY), Oleg Kozlovsky (Ob), Roman Dobrokhotov (We) – all in the Political Council

18. Youth Movements Democratic Youth movement ’We’ 2005, Roman Dobrokhotov fighting for a democratic state that respects human rights, freedom of speech, free business, constitutional state and other gains of democracy; Army and police reform Around 100 members, dozen active Humorous demonstrations, plays and pickets Oborona Smena Free Radicals, Nation of Freedom

19. Spring 2005; Youth activists from the SPS and Yabloko Party Inspired by the Ukrainian Orange Revolution ”First time people started to believe something could really change” ”New Free Generation” Free and democratic elections, free and independent media, reform of the army and militia, against corruption, equal laws for everyone Leading figure Oleg Kozlovsky Around 1000 participants on the lists, dozens active Students, young specialists, 14-40 years Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ekateringburg, Arkhangelsk

20. Oborona Mass demonstrations, pickets, graffiti, seminars, Flash Mobs, Camp Partizan Non-violent methods of protest Internet; blogging, articles (especially Coordinator Oleg Kozlovsky) LiveJournal, vKontakte, Facebook The Washington Post, the Huffington Post…

21. Repertoires of Contention Repertoires of contention are historically particular; at one point in history only a limited set of ways to act collectively are learned and realized. (Tilly 1978) Protesters have a certain “stock” of repertoires available. The stock varies in time and place, and therefore different forms of protest reflect the agents’ historical and national-geographical location. How the present day repertoires of the oppositional movements reflect the political culture and political opportunity structures of Russia?

22. From Mass Demonstrations to Humoristic Flash Mobs Mass demonstrations: Dissenters’ Marches 2005-2008 Organized by the Other Russia, OGF At the peak 5000 participants Strongly regulated by the authorities Not allowed anymore Youth movements’ ”flash mobs” Small scale, participants in dozens Organized on the Internet Often humoristic, ridiculing the authorities Surprising and confusing elements

23. Other means of contention Graffiti, Stickers Graffiti already used by the Soviet dissidents Concerts, seminars Camp Partizan Internet communities LiveJournal Vkontakte, Facebook www.kozlovsky.ru , www.namarsh.ru

24. Interaction between the state, pro-Kremlin and anti-Kremlin movements Tactical adaptation/ innovation Following, spying each other Legislation: 2006 Law on NGOs (amended in 2009) 2002 Law on Extremism Defaming, harassment ”US spies”, conspiracy theories (US influence on Color Revolutions) Harassment; Street actions, Internet blogs Violence Strong control of the Media; no coverage on oppositional/ dissident action Controlling the street actions; refusing permissions, military/ police presence

25. Growing Dissatisfaction Social protest in Russia has been growing during the years 2007-2009 (Lankina & Savrasov 2009) socio-economic downturn, rise in unemployment and dissatisfaction to the government’s policies in dealing with the crisis opening political opportunity structures and the growing awareness of the mobilization demonstrations Kaliningrad January 31st Nationwide Strategy 31 protests In Kaliningrad up to 12 000 protesters In Moscow 300 protesters, 100 detained No public media coverage

26. Literature Barber, Terry 2009: Participation, Citizenship and well-being. Engaging with young people, making a difference. In Young, Nordic Journal for Youth Research, Vol 17(1):25-40. Bruner, M. Lane 2005: Carnivalesque Protest and the Humorless State. In Text and Performance Quarterly, Vol. 25, 2/2005, 136–155 Davies, Christine 2007: Humour and protest. Jokes under Communism. In International Review of Social History, Vol. 52 (2007), 291–305 Henn, Matt & Weinstein, Mark & Hodgkinson, Sarah 2007: Social Capital and Political Participation: Understanding the Dynamics of Young People’s Political Disengagement in Contemporary Britain. In Social Policy & Society 6:4, 467–479.

27. Literature Lankila, Tomila & Savrasov, Alexey 2009: Growing Social Protest in Russia. In Russian Analytical Digest, 60/09. Forschungsstelle Osteuropa, Bremen and Center for Security Studies, Zürich, Research Centre for East European Studies. McFaul, Michael 2003: Generational Change in Russia. In Demokratizatsiya, (vol. 11), 1/2003, 1-64. Milyukova, Irina 2002: The political future of Russia through the eyes of young students. In Young (Vol. 10) 3/4, 12-25. Rossi, Federico M. 2009: Youth Political Participation. Is this the End of generational Cleavage? In International Sociology, (Vol. 24) 4/2009, 467-497. O’Toole, Therese & Lister, Michael & Marsh, Dave & Jones, Su & McDonagh, Alex 2003: Tuning out or left out? Participation and nonparticipation among young people. In Contemporary Politics, (Vol. 9) 1/2003, 45-61.