The Central Eurasia Project (CEP) strives to make available more and better information about human rights and the social and economic health of the South Caucasus and Central Asia both within the region and internationally. Some of its projects focus on the neighboring countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan as well.

The CEP pursues this work along three lines. Research and advocacy efforts on key open society issues—outlined in cooperation with colleagues from affiliate foundations in the region—form the backbone of this strategy, which is further enhanced by public information efforts and a targeted grants program.

Research and Advocacy
CEP-sponsored research forms the basis of the project’s advocacy efforts. The CEP’s first full-scale policy undertaking was dedicated to analyzing the consequences of drug trafficking in Central Asia, including the spread of HIV/AIDS and corresponding human rights violations. In 2003, two new projects were launched, Caspian Revenue Watch and Iraq Revenue Watch. Both focus on promoting transparency and preventing corrupt business practices among governments as well as multinational companies and NGOs. New areas of inquiry are constantly being elaborated based on the priorities laid out by local partners.

Public Information
Another part of the project’s mandate is promoting public awareness about the region in general and the Central Eurasia Project’s research and policy agenda in particular. A CEP website, EurasiaNet, provides information and analysis about political, economic, environmental, and social developments in the countries of Central Eurasia, as well as news related to Russia, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia. Updated daily, EurasiaNet also offers additional features such as newsmaker interviews, book reviews, and opinion pieces. Another aspect of the CEP’s public information activities is the Open Forum meeting series, which brings together analysts, policymakers, and advocates in New York and Washington, DC to discuss issues related to the region. These informal discussions help to promote dialogue on critical developments that are often underreported or misunderstood by the mainstream media, and frequently highlight the CEP’s research or grants work.

Grantmaking
The Central Eurasia Project uses grantmaking to international and indigenous NGOs to help build local capacity, bring international expertise to bear on the region, and promote cooperation between local activists and international civic movements in the fields of human rights, the environment, and transparent governance. The ultimate goal of such activity is to strengthen civic leaders in the region and construct support networks for them within international structures and movements. The CEP’s grantmaking generally dovetails with its research and advocacy agenda.

Finally, the CEP is the coordinating and oversight body at OSI for the Soros foundations in the Central Eurasia region. Although the foundations in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan each have their own local boards and staff, their efforts to address open society issues receive substantial support and guidance from CEP staff members.