History

Centre for Development and Peace Studies FORUM (before November 1995 Moscow Research Center for Development and Peace FORUM) was founded at the initiative of a group of specialists in peace studies in January 1994. It is registered in Moscow as a non-profit organisation and is entirely grant funded. 

It is initiated as an effort to provide a positive, interdisciplinary social, scientific response to the common challenges facing new and established democracies. FORUM's activities involve and benefit scholars, policy makers, and activists representing diverse experiences and views. 

The organisational structure of FORUM is a flexible one, it invites highly professional specialists from other scientific and educational centers, independent experts to work on concrete projects. The main projects undertaken by the FORUM are subject to approval by its Board of Directors. Direct guidance is effected by the Director and Executive Director. 

In recent years the Centre FORUM has focused on action research. 
In 1997 the Centre FORUM opened a regional office in St.Petersburg. The St.Petersburg office coordinates and supported the work of the North Western Russia Programme, including an expanding network of trainers on principles of 
democratic trade unionism and youth group involvement in the democracy-building. 

Project and programme related funding is derived from a number of sources, including Russian and international foundations. 

Director - Dr. Olga A. Vorkunova
Executive Director - Leonid S. Petrov