Center for Civil Society International ([email protected])
Thu, 27 Mar 1997 10:35:16 -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 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 10 (119)
7-13 March, 1997
In this issue:
I. The Moscow Helsinki Group Calls for the Dissolution of the
Russian President's Commission on Human Rights
II. Women Voters Oppose Violence Against Women
III. An Exhibit of Photographs of Young People from Nizhnii Novgorod
at the Museum of the Moskovskii Region
IV. The Foundation "Counterpart" has Undertaken the Creation of a Handbook
for Trainers of Nongovernmental Organizations in Russia
V. The Russian Version of the New Noncommercial Publication
"Aesop's Fables" to Come Out on March 20
I
The Moscow Helsinki Group Calls for the Dissolution
of the Russian President's Commission on Human Rights
On March 7 the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG) sent an open letter to Russian
Federation President Boris Yeltsin concerning the constant and massive
violations of human rights in the Russian Federation. While recognizing
that political arrests and the use of psychiatric repression for political
purposes have practically been eliminated, the MHG noted that nonetheless
lawlessness reigns in the country. Examples include the events in
Chechnya, the systematic withholding of payment of wages, pensions, and
bene fits, the situation of refugees and those forced to leave their
homes, etc. Iurii Orlov, Ludmila Alekseeva, and Lev Ponomarev, the
members of the MHG who signed the letter, believe that the responsibility
for all of these violations of the law lies first of all with the
executive branch of the government of the Russian Federation. They have
demanded a change of personnel at the highest level.
In addition, these human rights advocates have asked Boris Yeltsin to
dissolve the current President's Commission on Human Rights and to form a
new commission. The commission, which was formed in 1993 under the
chairmanship of S. A. Kovalev, was supposed to be the connecting link
between the president, his administration, and the human rights movement,
which today includes thousands of organizations throughout the country.
>From the point of view of the signatories of the letter, the commission,
currently headed by V. A. Kartashkin, cannot with its current
characteristics be an intermediary between the human rights movement
because the members of the commission "don't know and don't understand"
the Russian human rights movement and forget that their primary purpose
is not education but the defense of citizens from the government.
II
Women Voters Oppose Violence Against Women
A new social organization has been registered in St. Petersburg--the St.
Petersburg League of Women Voters. One of the basic purposes of the
League's activities is to help realize and defend the civil, social,
economic, and cultural rights of citizens as well as to attract women into
social and political life. The League will endeavor to improve the status
of women by organizing information and consultation centers for the
defense of women's rights, the creation of rehabilitation centers for
women who are victims of domestic violence, and through the development
of programs for the eradication of violence against women. In addition,
the League proposes to work on the population's employment problems,
supporting initiatives for the creation of new jobs in small and medium
sized business, carrying out educational activities, and participating in
the decision making process of state institutions and local
administrations.
Telephone number: (812) 259-4932 (Svetlana Lepeshkina)
III
An Exhibit of Photographs of Young People from
Nizhnii Novgorod at the Museum of the Moskovskii Region
An exhibit of photographs by young people from Nizhnii Novgorod titled
"Successful Stills" opened on March 5 at the Museum of History and Culture
of the Moskovskii region [of Nizhnii Novgorod]. The exhibit was organized
by the social youth organization "Sokol" ["Falcon"] with sponsorship
from the "Focus" chain of stores. Representatives of the administration
of the Moskovskii region, guests from radio and television, students, and
simple lovers of photography attended the opening.
Almost 200 works were displayed in the competition, from which a jury
selected 70 photographs by 27 artists aged from 14 to 28. The results of
the competition will be announced at the end of March, and anyone can be a
member of the jury who has visited the exhibit and who expresses his or
her opinion as to which photographs pleased them the most. The subjects
of the photographs are quite varied--nature pictures and scenes from the
life of the city.
"This exhibit is one of the first in the history of our organization,"
said Igor Lapshin, the president of Sokol. "This is a new thing for us.
We basically are concerned with preserving social order and preventing
juvenile crime. Therefore, the assistance of the director of the museum
and of the administration of the Moskovskii region was most helpful to
us."
IV
The Foundation "Counterpart" has Undertaken
the Creation of a Handbook for Trainers of
Nongovernmental Organizations in Russia
The Social Initiatives Support Program, which has been working under a
grant from the United States Agency for International Development, has as
it goal the creation of favorable conditions for the development of the
third sector in Russia and its recognition as a full partner with the
government and business.
Training, consultations, access to information and other methods assist
the leaders, members, and volunteers of social organizations to obtain the
necessary skills for the successful direction and preservation of their
organizations and the broadening of the scope of their services.
In the past two years, the Social Initiatives Support Program has
instructed around 50 trainers and consultants in the field of
administration and organizational development of non-governmental
organizations from Central and Southern Russia and Siberia. The
availability of highly professional local trainers and consultants is an
important condition for the creation of favorable circumstances for the
development of the regions.
Issuing the handbook is the largest part of the preparation of a trainers
conference that will take place in May-June 1997 and toward the creation
of a professional Nongovernmental Organizations Trainers and Consultants
Association.
Trainers and consultants working in the field of the administration and
organizational development of NGOs may send information to be included in
the handbook.
Fax: (095) 958-5130. E mail: [email protected] or
[email protected].
V
The Russian Version of the New Noncommercial Publication
"Aesop's Fables" to Come Out on March 20
The publication, put out by the center AESOP [which in Russian is an
acronym for words "effective protection, education, and prevention"]
contains information on the history of the creation of organizations
active in the area of sex education and HIV-AIDS prevention, on their
activities, and the current state of affairs in the area of sexual health.
The bulletin, which is published through the efforts of volunteers at
AESOP, is scheduled to come out three times a year.
The Russian version of "Aesop's Fables" [an English version came out
earlier this year. Trans.] is available as of March 20 at the Internet
address: http//www.openweb.re/windows/aesop.
Additional information is available by phone: 925-0444.
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