One of SEN's key strengths is our ability to respond quickly to the rapidly changing needs of environmental advocates in northern Eurasia. Building on our staff's close daily contact with Russian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), our fluency in Russian, and our deep understanding of the cultural and political reality, we work constantly to create innovative solutions to the challenges of the day.

In the new millenium we find ourselves working with NGOs that have grown through a decade of new computer technologies, new opportunities, and new contacts, and who have become better experienced at carrying out projects and campaigns to stop harmful practices and to demonstrate alternatives. They invite us to collaborate with them as their direct partners. At the same time, the political climate has taken a sharp turn for the worse. President Putin has stepped up the tempo of resource extraction, promoted the import of nuclear waste, supported more roads and pipelines through wilderness areas, eliminated governmental nature protection agencies, and instituted repressive policies that remind environmentalists of the Soviet Union during the 70's and 80's.

NGOs and activists ask their international colleagues to help them demonstrate the benefits of maintaining the pro-civil society and pro-environment course that led to so many gains over the past decade.

Our response to this situation is our Russian Environmental Partnership Program, created jointly with our Russian partners. Through REPP we provide concrete examples of how properly integrated sustainable practices can work effectively to promote the economic, social, and ecological health of a target region.

Our current collaborative work includes: establishing a solar energy demonstration site near where the Altai Republic plans to build a hydro-electric dam; constructing a state of the art composting toilet at a remote environmental awareness center; creating a visitors center for Altaisky State Nature Reserve; and helping set up basic infrastructure for Uch Enmek, a recently established nature park.