Center for Civil Society International ([email protected])
Fri, 18 Oct 1996 13:36:49 -0700 (PDT)
CCSI presents excerpts from the Agency for Social Information (ASI) e-mail
information bulletin. Translated from Russian by CCSI volunteer Tom
Sorenson, J.D., Ph.D., Attorney at Law, Edmonds, Washington, USA.. For
more information on how to receive ASI' s bulletin regularly, contact:
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AGENTSTVO SOTSIALNOI INFORMATSII
Kutuzovskyi pr. 22 pod. 14a,
Moscow, 121151
Tel./fax: (095) 249-3989
E-mail: [email protected]
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N 41
October 8-14, 1996
Excerpts
I
On October 9 The Moscow City Duma Discussed the Draft Law
"On Civic Social Order"
The draft law "On Civic Social Order" was developed by a group of experts
that included representatives of nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations.
According to the draft law the financing of all of the City's social
programs will be done by open competition in which governmental, private,
and social organizations may take part.
According to one of the developers of the law, the president of the
foundation "No to Alcoholism and Drug Addiction" Oleg Zykov, this
financing mechanism will create the basis of social policy in the city.
"The 'motivated' portion of the citizenry takes part in the social sphere
in Moscow. Naturally, not nearly all social organizations are able to
effectively resolve social problems, but on the whole there is an
enormous potential here. Passage of the law will permit us to save on
budget resources spent on maintaining a bureaucratic apparatus that can
be used for training and retraining personnel etc."
The deputies, however, made a number of critical remarks about the draft
law. For example, Deputy Krutov expressed the opinion that measures of
civic order are financed from city budget funds, but social order is
something "more private." A part of the speakers, who maintained that "we
have no non-social programs in our city," proposed looking at social order
only as an integral part of some [larger] city legislative measure. This
opinion however found no support among the deputies of the Moscow City Duma.
Noting the weak development of the basic concept "social order", the
inadequately expressed humanitarian direction, and other shortcomings of
the draft law, the majority of the deputies nonetheless acknowledged the
necessity of such a law under the conditions of a democratically
developing city. Despite the disagreement that came up, at the end of the
two hour discussion the draft law was accepted as a basis by a majority of
the 15 [deputies] who voted (three abstained). It was sent for revision
in accordance with the adopted propositions.
II
The Movement for Nuclear Safety Directs Appeal to the State Duma
The appeal, the initiators of which were the Movement for Nuclear Safety
together with a number of social, environmental organizations, expressed
dissatisfaction with the reduction of the status of the Ministry of
Environmental and Natural Resource Protection of the Russian Federation
to the level of a committee and the termination of the Security Council's
committee on environmental security.
In this situation, according to the social organizations, the Ecology
Committee of the State Duma "is the only high ranking organ capable of
opposing the government's breaking of the Law on the Defense of The
Environment and other environmental laws." Therefore the attempt to
remove the chair of the Environmental Committee of the State Duma Tamara
Elotnikova also drew the unease of the social organizations. They believe
that Elotnikova's joining the committee noticeably activated its
legislative work, strengthened ties with voters and social institutions
and changed the very style of the work. The pressure on Elotnikova is
explained by her activism in the area of atomic law, especially in
connection with her work on the Law on Radiation Emissions."
Noncommercial organizations view her leaving the post of chair of the
Environmental Committee of the State Duma as "one more link in the chain
of events destroying environmental controls on the economic and financial
activity of [governmental] departments."
The Movement for Nuclear Safety has asked all social organizations to
support its appeal to save the Environmental Committee under the
chairmanship of T. V. Elotnikova. You may join the appeal by calling
(3512) 375-163 (sic) or by e mail: (3512) 375-163 (sic) or by e mail: [email protected].
III
The Saint Petersburg Music Therapy Center Helps Children
The music therapy center was created as part of the international cultural
program "People of the World Together." This nonprofit humanitarian
project conducts its work in two directions: music-therapeutic aid and
creating educational programs for music therapy specialists.
Music therapy is a creative, active form of developmental, rehabilitative,
and psychotherapeutic activity. It is a dialog between the therapist and
his patient, a dialog often conducted beyond the limits of spoken
communication. In clinical practice, this creates the possibility of
influencing even the most difficult patients suffering from severe mental
and physical disorders for whom traditional forms of spoken, behavioral
and medical therapy are ineffective.
The center's clinic and social rehabilitative music-therapeutic aid
service accept children with a wide range of conditions. The specialists
use a unique method based on an individual approach to the patient.
The center organized informational, get acquainted seminars, trainings,
and practice with the goal of more broadly disseminating knowledge of the
methods of music therapy.
More information may be obtained by telephone: (812) 315-0923, 173-6571,
143-8116, 184-3950, 226-2325.
IV
A Mini-Home for the Elderly cannot Find Clients
International Elders' Day, which was marked in Moscow last week, once
again gave cause to think of the possible alternative ways of resolving
the problems of protecting the rights of the elderly and the well being of
the aged. According to the results of one sociological investigation,
around 10 per cent of those of retirement age are alone and do not have a
family. Many of them need residential social assistance.
No one in Russia knows what a "mini-home (minipansionat)" for lonely
elderly people is. The only experiment in creating this type of
institution was established three years ago in the Zamoskvorech'e region
of Moscow. The founders were commercial enterpr ises (the firm "AKO," the
cooperative Mramor), the Russian Cossack community, the Committee for the
Defense of the People of Moscow, the local administration of
Zamoskvorech'e, and the local social service center for the elderly
"Zamoskvorech'e."
Only 11 people now live in this home, which was designed for 40. Why?
The organizers and founders of the home throw up their hands. "People are
probably afraid of kindly initiatives, they see commercial interests,
profits, and machinations with property behind the charity." The elderly
are cautious about new ideas. The unavoidable condition [of living in the
home]--exchanging their apartment for a place in the home--inspires fear
of falling victim to machinations concerning apartments. Even legal
guarantees and strict controls by the local administration cannot save
people from their lack of trust.
But what do the elderly people now living in the home, whom it has become
clear are very satisfied with their material conditions and services,
think? "The matter is very simple: family members, neighbors, and
doctors in the local clinic dissuade, exert psychological pressure or
begin to threaten. The prevalent social stereotype that a home for
elderly is a "place of ending" in which life is unbearable because of the
rude treatment by the service personnel and the lack of government support
for this type of institution also plays a role. This has nothing to do
with our mini-home," says pensioner Iriada Georgievna Komochkina.
The pensioners find complete security and have all the conveniences. They
receive meals four times a day and qualified medical assistance. At the
same time their pensions remain at their complete disposal. Moreover, on
request trips to clinics and sanitoria are paid for.
The mini-home "Zamoskvorech'e" is located at ul. B. Ordynka, D. 11/6.
Contact telephone: 231-0741, 231-0873.
V
"The Older Generation" Strives to Establish
Diverse Ties between Generations
At the Central Spiritual Legacy House a presentation took place by the
society "The Older Generation." The founders of the new noncommercial
organization were the Moscow Lawyers Union (chair M. Kazymina), the center
for volunteers "The Moscow House of Charity" (president G. Bodrenkova),
and the Women's Information Network (director T. Troinova). Its charter
was established in July of this year.
When speaking of the problems of the older generation, it is customary to
mention their lack of well being and weak health while forgetting about
their inadequate spiritual life. The television and the telephone are the
lot of the elderly. Their rich personal and cultural potential remains
untapped. Therefore the basic goal of the new organization is to attract
citizens of retirement age into an active social live, to use their
experience in the fields to which they have devoted their lives, to
establish connections between generations, and to draw the attention of
governmental organs to the problems of elderly persons.
The organization's activities will be based on the work of volunteers. It
is proposed to put on a series of concerts, exhibitions, and meetings with
youth, and to open clubs on different interests. The lawyers who are
members of the new organization plan to use their expertise on legislation
relating to the elderly and to provide legal assistance.
One of the initiators in the creation of the new organization M. Kazymina,
has said: "We wish to connect two generations--grandmothers who survived
the war and grandchildren who know of it only by hearsay. After all,
today's children tomorrow will take the helm of state, and if we do not
effectively pass on the baton, will they be able to pass it on to their
own children?"
Those at the meeting also supported the idea of directing a petition to
the UN with a request to change the name of the holiday Elders Day to
Older Generation Day.
Contact telephones: 917-7537 (Maia Mikhailovna Kazymina, President of
"The Older Generation"), 291-2274 (Tatiana Troinova), 291-3041 (Galina
Bodrenkova).
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