American Committee for Peace in the Caucasus
The American Committee for Peace in the Caucasus (ACPC) is a project of Freedom House which monitors events in the North Caucasus.[1]
The ACPC was founded in 1999 as the American Committee for Peace in Chechnya.[2] Its remit expanded with the spread of conflict into other republics in the North Caucasus – Ingushetia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia and North Ossetia.[3]
About ACPC
- Founded in 1999, the American Committee for Peace in Chechnya is the only private, non-governmental organization in North America exclusively dedicated to promoting the peaceful resolution of the Russo-Chechen war. Chaired by former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, former Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and former Congressman Stephen J. Solarz, the committee is composed of more than one hundred distinguished Americans representing both major political parties and nearly every walk of life. Former Ambassador Max M. Kampelman is the co-chair emeritus.
- Based at Freedom House, the Committee's mission encompasses three distinct yet interrelated objectives:
- Advocacy: Developing and promoting policies, through the U.S. government and international institutions, aimed at protecting civilians, improving conditions for refugees and securing a cease-fire;
- Information: Advancing public awareness of the Chechen war, including its broader implications for democracy, human rights, and regional stability in both Russia and the former Soviet Union; and
- Diplomacy: Convening private "Track II" talks between representatives of the Russian government and Chechen resistance aimed at developing a framework for ending the war and resolving Chechnya's long-term legal and political status.
- To those ends, ACPC organizes educational programs for the public, develops policy recommendations for lawmakers and collaborates with an international network of more than 400 activists, journalists, scholars and non-governmental organizations. The Committee distributes Chechnya Today, a daily email news service, and Chechnya Weekly, an online news magazine produced by the Jamestown Foundation and edited by former Keston Institute President Lawrence A. Uzzell.
- In keeping with its mandate to be an independent resource for the public and a good-faith arbiter for the warring parties, the committee does not accept financial assistance from the governments of Chechnya or Russia, or from private for-profit corporation with investments in the former Soviet Union.
Related Organizations
ACPC Members
Committee Staff
- Glen E. Howard, Executive Director
- Michael J. Bradow, Program Officer
Notes
- ↑ About ACPC, American Committee for Peace in the Caucasus, accessed 14 June 2010.
- ↑ About ACPC, American Committee for Peace in Chechnya, accessed 14 June 2010, archived at the Internet Archive 10 February 2006.
- ↑ About ACPC, American Committee for Peace in the Caucasus, accessed 14 June 2010.