In a show of support for Russian civil society groups, President Obama addressed a U.S.-Russian Civil Society Summit held in Moscow on July 7th, in which many MacArthur grantees participated. Obama stressed the importance of freedom of expression and assembly, the rule of law, and consistent application of justice — values that are also reflected in MacArthur’s grantmaking. The summit brought together some 70 participants from Russia and the U.S., including grantees the Moscow Helsinki Group, Human Rights Watch, AGORA, INDEM, the Independent Council of Legal Expertise, Public Verdict, the International Youth Human Rights Movement, the Center for Russian Environmental Policy, and the Carnegie Moscow Center. Domestic grantees represented included the Housing Partnership Network and The Community Builders. Calvin Holmes, Executive Director of the Chicago Community Loan Fund, a recent winner of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was one of four summit attendees who reported to Obama on the U.S.-Russian dialogue during the summit. PRI Director Debra Schwartz and Russia Director Igor Zevelev participated in the summit.
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