Center for Civil Society International ([email protected])
Tue, 6 May 1997 13:24:14 -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., 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 15 (124)
11 - 17 April 1997
In this issue:
I. The Russian Charitable Foundation "No to Alcoholism and Drug Addiction
(Nada)" Says the Law on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances
Violates Human Rights
II. The Verdi Opera Society is Called to Save Russian Opera
III. The Andrei Sakharov Museum and Social Center "Peace, Progress,
Human Rights" is accepting Applications for Free Tours, Lectures
and Meetings
I
The Russian Charitable Foundation "No to Alcoholism and
Drug Addiction (Nada)" Says the Law on Narcotics and
Psychotropic Substances Violates Human Rights
On April 11 the charitable foundation NADA staged a press conference at
the Russian American Press & Information Center for the purpose of
expressing its position on the draft law "On Narcotics and Psychotropic
Substances" that was adopted by the State Duma on February 12 of this
year and to publish an open letter to the Federation Council and the
President of the Russian Federation [who can still block the law.
Trans.].
"The current proposed law, especially its Article 7 dealing with questions
of the treatment and rehabilitation of ill persons, threatens to return us
to the infamous days of Soviet narcotics policy, which was an adjunct of
the law enforcement system," said Oleg Zykov, the president of the
foundation. "Henceforth not only distribution, dealing, and possession
will be crimes, but mere use as well. Drug addicts under this law will
not be considered ill but will be considered criminals, who must be
punished, put in jail."
The "state method" reflected in the law even suppresses the activities of
social organizations that conduct rehabilitation programs for drug
addicts. "Treatment may be given only in state institutions," the law
says. Yet even if rehabilitation programs continue to operate their
effectiveness over time will become nil since addicts will stop coming to
the drug counselors and psychologists of charitable foundations out of
fear of exposure, the participants of the press conference believe. Thus
the problem, the consequences of which can be ameliorated by a humane
relationship to the addicts, will only be driven underground, which is
especially harmful for youth.
Ekaterina Savinaia, the director of the treatment and rehabilitation
program "Zebra," said that 80% of high school upper class students have
already tried narcotics. If the new law is adopted, interest in the
"forbidden fruit" will only grow. The black market will flourish, the
number of groups at risk will increase, and we will see a rise in the AIDS
epidemic. In short, the situation will be reminiscent of the period of
the "dry law" of the beginning of perestroika [which adopted a similarly
heavy handed approach to the problem of alcoholism--Trans.], when
underground drunkenness inflicted much harm. In fact, the situation this
time will be even more lamentable.
NADA has appealed through the mass media to the President of Russia and to
the Federation Council with an open letter "On the Impermissibility of
Adopting the Law 'On Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances.'" The letter
says: "In essence, the law is a system of discriminatory measures. We
must object to the tendency to criminalize the medical use of narcotics.
If this law is adopted the use of narcotics for medical and social uses
will decline, the risk of complications from overdoses will increase,
mortality will increase as will the risk of infection with HIV, the
authority and availability of drug services will be reduced and the
illegal drug market will be stimulated."
On April 16 the Federation Council met and considered this draft law. The
law was rejected and returned to the Duma with a recommendation to form a
conciliatory commission to rework it.
Telephone: 126-8861 (Elena Usacheva)
II
The Verdi Opera Society is Called to Save Russian Opera
The Verdi Opera Society was created in Moscow in 1996. Its creators were
not opera artists, not musicians or theater people, but academic
physicists. Viktor Kaslin, a Doctor of Physical-Mathematical
Sciences...and an author of significant publications in the area of
atomic and molecular physics and an expert on classical and operatic
music, became the first general director of the society.
It was decided to invite the Italian Ambassador to Russia Baron Emmanuel
Schiamacca [Italian spelling uncertain--Trans.] to serve as president of
the society. He is a well known person who has no direct connection to
opera. This was no accident. After all, sunny Italy is the homeland of
opera. And today every beginning opera singer dreams of demonstrating his
or her mastery to the Italians, who truly appreciate it.
Nonetheless the Verdi Society is a professional society. It deals with
the multifaceted support and development of Russian opera. Not long ago
opera in Russia was under the special protection of the state. Joseph
Stalin, for example, had a special love of opera, personally knew all of
the opera singers, and tried not to miss a single premiere. Today opera
is less popular. This classical art with its rich traditions is in danger
of being forgotten, and its performers are reduced to dragging out a
miserable existence. Therefore the basic task of the society is to give
singers and musicians the possibility of pursuing their profession and
making a living. At the same time special attention is paid not to the
stars but to average and beginning artists.
The circle of patrons [of the society] is not unknown. It includes the
director Boris Pokrovskii, the chair of the International Musicians' Union
Irina Arkhipova, Zubar Sotkilana, Bella Rudenko, and others.
In the year of its existence the society has organized around ten "bons
mondes," at which singers from various operas of different artistic types
have performed. "Important persons" gather at these "bons mondes" of the
Verdi Society, among whom operatic art is promoted. In addition, opera
singers, theater directors, impresarios, and musicologists have a chance
to get to know each other better....
III
The Andrei Sakharov Museum and Social Center "Peace, Progress, Human
Rights" is accepting Applications for Free Tours, Lectures and Meetings
Primarily invited are teachers, students, and those studying in middle and
professional schools.
Tours are planned on the following subjects:
- The history of the human rights movement in Russia.
- The life and work of A. D. Sakharov.
- The history of totalitarianism in the USSR.
- Conditions of freedom..
- The history of political repression.
- A tour of the museum's library (a review of literature on the
totalitarian regime).
The museum also conducts free tours on history and literature as part of
the program of the middle schools. Lectures are offered on the following
subjects:
- History and geography of the GULAG.
- Poetry of the GULAG (meetings with the victims of repression and acquaintance
with their work.)
- Real alternatives to military service (for draftees and their parents)
In addition, the staff of the museum can prepare and conduct without
charge lectures and tours on any other topics of interest. They can
invite specialists, and organize meetings with well known human rights
activists, journalists, authors, and historians. The library has a large
video collection on human rights, cultural, social, and civil topics.
The museum is accepting applications from teachers for conducting lessons
for pupils on recent history (USSR) and the literary work of victims of
repression in the coming academic year.
Send your applications for attendance to the museum at 107120 Moscow,
Zemlianoi val, D. 57, str.6.
Telephone/fax: 917-2653
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| CCSI presents excerpts from the ASI Bulletin. The |
| ASI Bulletin is a publication of the Agency for Social |
| Information (ASI) in Moscow. Originally published in |
| Russian, selected stories are translated and posted to |
| the CCSI listserv "CivilSoc." English and Russian |
| archives are available on the CCSI Web site at: |
| |
| http://www.friends-partners.org/~ccsi/ |
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