Recent opinion surveys reveal higher social demand for justice. Justice is understood differently by different people. However, at the same time, this concept can be identified by general criteria that each person identifies in this concept.

Civil society is all about justice. It is followed from the multiple materials underlying the 2017 Civil Society Report. These encompass published results of research and surveys by various research centres, government statistics, publications in the national media, opinions expressed by leaders of public associations and members of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, reports and proposals by civic chambers in Russian regions, as well as tens of thousands of citizens’ appeals to the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation.

The 2017 Report highlights the development of civic engagement and non-profit organisations, key practices in philanthropy and volunteering. Special focus is placed on the institutions supporting government-civil society interfaces, such as public chambers and community boards, as well as public control institutions. The Report preparation involved a series of in-depth interviews with the Russian Civic Chamber members. The information requests were sent to regional chambers.

The Report is also based on non-Russian materials, including the ones gathered by the delegation of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation during its visit to Brussels. For the first time in three years, the Russian civil society representatives met with members of the European Economic and Social Committee.

The Civic Chamber’s Civil Society Report is a collective reflection on processes in various segments and institutions of the civil society within the country’s relevant agenda. This Report is not merely an attempt to analyze and summarise what has happened and has been done this year, it is also an attempt to look ahead into the future, probe it for next steps, and understand what our civil society should be like to ensure Russia’s sustainable development.