Center for Civil Society International ([email protected])
Thu, 19 Dec 1996 17:15:10 -0800 (PST)
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., Edmonds, Washington, USA. For more information on
how to receive ASI's bulletin regular ly, 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 49
December 3-9, 1996
IN THIS ISSUE:
I. According to Preliminary Results 87 Percent of the People of
Kostroma Oblast Voted Against Construction of a Nuclear Plant
II. Baikal and Kamchatka Receive World Heritage Status
III. The Bee--Leftist Petersburg: From "Apple to Anarchists"
IV. A Telecommunications Network for People with Disabilities
called ContactNet will be Created in St. Petersburg
V. The First Conference Of Social Organizations in Tyumen Oblast
Took Place on December 5-6
I
According to Preliminary Results 87 Percent of the People of Kostroma
Oblast Voted Against Construction of a Nuclear Plant
Under Russian law, the issue of construction of all atomic energy
facilities must be decided by the people in a referendum. The first such
referendum took place on December 8 in Kostroma oblast, where it was
proposed to complete the construction of a nuclear power plant that was
halted in 1991. The referendum was preceded by a vigorous election
campaign by the regional social movement In the Name of Life and
Greenpeace. Over the course of several weeks a specially equipped
campaign bus crisscrossed the oblast, covering around 1,500 kilometers.
According to the coordinator of Greenpeace's anti-nuclear campaign Eduard
Gismantullin, the results of the vote confirm that people do not want to
live with "the peaceful atom."
Environmentalists hope that the Kostroma referendum will be the first step
on the road to a complete rejection of nuclear energy. From their point
of view, Russia today does not need new nuclear power plants because the
country has an enormous potential for energy conservation. According to
the Energy Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
can save up to 45 percent of the energy it consumes, which is several
times more than the energy provided by all the nuclear power plants in the
country.
Further information may be obtained by phone from Greenpeace at 251-9073
or 978-3950
II
Baikal and Kamchatka Receive World Heritage Status
On December 6 the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO decided to include
two Russian territories, the Lake Baikal Basin and Volcanoes of Kamchtaka,
in the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Registry. This creates greater
opportunities for the development of these regions and the conservation of
their unique environments.
Greenpeace Russia began work on a World Legacy project in 1994. Exactly
one year ago UNESCO included 3.2 million hectares in the Komi Republic,
which made it possible to save it from the barbaric logging by the French
company Yuet Holdings and stopped a gold mining project in the northern
part of Iuvid Va National Park. The government of Switzerland has
earmarked several million dollars for the development of these
territories.
According to experts from Greenpeace, the inclusion of Baikal, which
contains 20 percent of the world's supply of fresh water and the likes of
which do not exist elsewhere, in the World Heritage Registry will make it
possible to stop the Baikal Cellulose and Paper Combine that is
threatening the existence of the lake. According to Roman Pukalov, the
coordinator of Greenpeace Russia's Baikal project, "now no self respecting
company will buy cellulose obtained at the expense of the destruction of a
world heritage."
Volcanoes of Kamchatka includes both active and extinct volcanoes and the
Kronotskii Reserve with its unique valley of geysers and its surrounding
nature, as yet untouched, where all types of volcanic activity may be
seen. In the deep canyon of Geyser River, known worldwide as the Valley
of Geysers, are concentrated numerous hot spouting and flowing springs,
and mud volcanoes.
Volcanoes of Kamchatka is the home of native and threatened species,
including the bald eagle (the symbol of Kamchatka), the Kamchatka bear�,
and others. Moreover, from summer to late winter you can observe a unique
phenomenon here: the migration of mil lions of salmon from the ocean up
the rivers to spawn.
In the future Greenpeace plans to prepare documentation for UNESCO on the
Komandorskii Islands and Europe's greatest volcano, Kliuchevskaia Volcano.
Contact telephone: 251-9073; fax: 251-9088
III
The Bee--Leftist Petersburg: From "Apple to Anarchists"
At the end of November, after some delay, the first issue of the journal
"The Bee" came out. The Bee is a monthly calendar review of the
activities of nongovernmental, noncommercial organizations in St.
Petersburg. The principal theme of the issue is: "Leftist Petersburg:
>From "Apple" to Anarchists."
This first issue of The Bee begins a series of articles on contemporary
St. Petersburg civil society. The journal contains diverse and detailed
information on large and small leftist organizations [including articles
titled]: "Left, Right, Where Is The Country?," "Panorama of Leftist
Petersburg," "The Ethnology of Leftists,"� "Leftist Art: There Isn't
Any," "Leftists on the Internet," etc.
In addition, in this issue a first attempt was made, together with the
Agency for Social Information, to create an integrated city calendar that
presents a view of city life. Every city group can find something in the
calendar for itself and about itself. It is important that the actions
of social organizations find their place in the calendar. Publication of
the journal was made possible thanks to support from the Heinrich Boll
Foundation.
Contact telephone: (812) 325-8913
IV
A Telecommunications Network for People with Disabilities
called ContactNet will be Created in St. Petersburg
The charitable foundation for support of the education and the creative
work of persons with disabilities "Intercourse" offers help and support to
people with different types of disabilities�. They emphasize school age
children with disabilities in their work.
One of the foundation's projects is the creation and development of a
computer communications system with a large number of specially developed
educational and domestic programs. The purpose of the system is to
facilitate communication, study, and creative contacts between people
with disabilities and by this means to assist in their rehabilitation.
Three types of rehabilitation are envisioned: psychological, social, and
professional. The following theses are applied to each: "I'm OK," "I can
do everything and more," and "I am independent and can earn my own
money."
In its arrangements for users the foundation offers electronics and
provides specialists for initial training. Programs are developed and
adapted for users of similar ages and levels of preparation. Experienced
teachers, psychologists, physicians, and programmers participate in the
work of the foundation.
At the present time the foundation is working on a program titled "Circle
of Intercourse"--the creation of an association of people with
disabilities and persons with limited mobility who are future users of the
communications network Contactnet.
Contact telephone: (812) 315-0727. E-mail: Contact telephone: (812) 315-0727. E-mail: [email protected].
V
The First Conference Of Social Organizations in
Tyumen Oblast Took Place on December 5-6
The conference was organized by the Noncommercial Organization Support
Center, which is based at the youth club "Al'kor," with financial support
from the Eurasia Foundation. Representatives of approximately 60
noncommercial organizations in Tyumen, Urai (Khati-Mansiiskii autonomous
district), Ishim, Tobolsk, Vinzil, Roshin, and other towns of Tyumen
oblast took part.
At the conference leaders of the Ekaterinburg charitable foundation "Good
Will" led a seminar on strategies for developing the noncommercial sector
and drafting civil initiatives, and acquainted the attendees with the
capabilities of contemporary computerized means of communication. The
participants in the seminars discussed the prospects for cooperation, and
the regional representative of the Eurasia Foundation Elena Zyrina
answered their many questions. The most actively discussed issue was the
consolidation of social organizations in the Leaders Club, the first
meeting of which will take place on December 23 at the facilities of the
social foundation Mariia, as well as the formulation of a city ordinance
and oblast law on social order.
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