Forum for Peaceful Russia

In June, the degree of degradation in international relations between Russia and the world will be clear. Is it possible to move away from imperialism and suppression not only in the policies implemented by the state, but also in the consciousness of the country's citizens? What strategies can be effective in shaping the consciousness of the democratic? What strategies can Russian civil society offer in order to maintain ties and cooperation with the world? Can global Russians help with reforms at home?

We are facing an incredible amount of sanctions and expect the strongest rise in unemployment in 20 years. In 2022, GDP is forecast to fall by about 10%. It turns out that Russia has gone back at least 10 years. Will we be able to achieve average GDP growth, how will the structure of the labour market change and what is now the potential GDP growth for the decade? How will foreign firms return and will they be able to do so? Will the mass exodus of international companies from Russia allow for the development of domestic production?

More and more people do not find a place in the built political system, become disillusioned with it and prefer to go into the shadows. This is the "party of the unrepresented". The strategy of depoliticisation, which time and again has ensured that the authorities get the vote they want, has reached a new level with the closure of Ekho Moskvy and Dozhd TV. Fears of a great Russian firewall and a spiral of large-scale repression are in the air. The experiment in remote voting has become universal, opportunities for election observation have diminished, and being allowed to vote without belonging to a parliamentary party has become virtually impossible. What productive strategies can there be for democratic forces within the country?

The problem of torture and humiliation in the system is systemic in nature and in order to address. It is necessary to reform both the Federal Penitentiary Service and the investigative and judicial system. Is it possible to reform the penitentiary system under the current political regime? Is reform of the penitentiary system possible under the current political regime? How can it be organised and what can we do to reduce the scale of torture in Russian prisons?

Today, facial recognition systems using CCTV cameras are being developed and implemented all over the world, both by private and public entities. Since 2020,
Moscow has become the hotbed of the largest experiment with artificial intelligence systems in Europe. Are these systems a tool of high-tech repression or a means ofensuring security? What are the implications of such systems, and how can their implementation be made more transparent and accountable to citizens? Can facial recognition systems be banned altogether in Russia or is it an idea that will still be implemented?

No one knows for sure when and how political regime change will take place in Russia. But any responsible politician, regardless of his or her views, is required to know in advance, if not the answers themselves, then the options for answering the key to the key questions Russia's new government will face in its political transformation. One of them is how to deal with the wrongdoings of the former regime actions committed by the previous regime or with its connivance. How far back should we go in redressing the iniquities of the past? What can be done now to restore justice in the future?