Center for Civil Society International ([email protected])
Fri, 24 Oct 1997 12:48:53 -0700 (PDT)
CCSI presents excerpts from the Agency for Social Information (ASI) e-mail
information bulletin. Translated from Russian by CCSI volunteer Alyssa
Deutschler. 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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ASI - No. 39
26 September - 2 October, 1997
In this issues:
* New Law on "Freedom of Conscience & Religious Associations"
Takes Effect on October 1
* Vice-Chairman of the Moscow Oblast Duma Supports NGOs &
the Creation of a Civic Charity Council
* International Birdwatching Days - October 4 & 5
* Consumer Protection Agency in Odintsov Helps War Veterans
* Ptchela Magazine Publishes a List of Organizations
Concerned with the Plight of Homeless Children
* * * * * * * * *
New Law on "Freedom of Conscience & Religious Associations"
Takes Effect on October 1
On October 1, a full-text version of the new law governing
religious associations in the Russian Federation was published in
the journal, "Russkaia Gazeta." The law was passed by the Duma on
September 19, approved by the Federation Council on September 24,
and signed by President Yeltsin on September 26 of this year. On
the day the law formally took effect the Committee for the
Protection of Religious Freedom, under the leadership of priest
Gleb Yakunin, issued the following appeal to the Federation
government, the media, and foreign states: "This is the first
instance in the 1000-year hsitory of Russian when religious
fundamentalism has triumphed over the state. The President of the
Russian Federation - the guarantor of the constitution - has gone
down on his knees before the powers of feudal clericalism,
flouting all generally accepted human rights and freedoms. The
new law is literally establishing apartheid in the religious-
spiritual sphere."
In the appeal hower, the Committee voiced objections to the
illegal actions of human rights groups in connection with the new
law's implementation. On September 29, even before the law was
officially accepted, a militia detachment burst into an Ukrainian
Orthodox church in Noginsk, beat up one of the priests, and put
the Archbishop in handcuffs. Representatives of various religious
groups opposed to the new law are convinced that such incidents
will continue to occur and called on "all civilized countries" to
raise their voices in support of religious freedom in Russia.
* * * * * * * * *
Vice-Chairman of the Moscow Oblast Duma Supports NGOs &
the Creation of a Civic Charity Council
A conference on the role of non-profit organizations in resolving
social problems in the Moscow oblast was held at the Russian State
Library on September 27. The conference was organized by the
analytical foundation "Moscow Oblast" and the "Family" regional
resource center from Dzerzhinsk. More than 100 members of local
NGOs participated in the conference, with representatives from
women's groups, veterans' associations, and children's
organizations taking part. In addition, experts on charitable
funds appeared at the conference, along with representatives from
the Eurasia Foundation, TACIS, and the Agency for Social
Information.
Valerii Gal'chenko, vice-chairman of the Moscow Oblast Duma,
delivered a paper on "The Situation in Moscow Oblast" iat the
conference. Gal'chenko stated: "Moscow oblast has been lacking a
budget for development for the past seven years. This budget
should be filled with resources for the non-profit sector, such as
government grants and direct financing for social projects.
Already civic organizations are implementing programs that are
cheaper and more flexible than those carried out by the
government; thus, it's necessary to support them on the basisi of
competition." Gal'chenko also stated he supports the creation of
a civic charity council, under the auspices of the Oblast Duma.
An attempt to form such a council was initiated two years ago, but
due to a lack of activity by its originators, nothing has been
completed.
Elena Yegorova, from the "Family" regional resource center, spoke
about the "Law on Charities" that was debated in the Duma last
year. The law called for the creation of a charitable council,
but despite the fact that experts supported it, the law didn't
pass the Duma. A working group is slated to meet on November 17th
to begin work on coordinating the creation of a charitable/non-
profit council. It is hoped that the working group will consist
of representatives from 15 different NGOs. The gorup will be
expected to resolve the question of the council's status - will it
be an independent structure or an affiliate of the Duma?
Contact Telephone: 6551-3216 (Elena Yegorova, "Family" regional
resource center)
* * * * * * * * *
International Birdwatching Days - October 4 & 5
This year marked the third time that the Russian Federation took
part in International Birdwatching Days. The primary goal of the
event is to draw the public's attention to the need for the
protection of birds and their natural environment. The event is
sponsored by Birdlife International, an association that is active
in promoting the protection of birds in over 70 countries around
the world. In Russia, Birdlife International worked in
conjunction with the Union for the Protection of Birds to promote
International Birdwatching Days. In 1996, more than 2,500 people
in the Russian Federation participated in the days, reporting
sightings of more than 200,000 birds. Organizers of this year's
observance hope that the even will be more widespread and invite
everyone to spend two or three hours outside of the city or in a
park, watching birds.
Contact Telephone: 283-1202
* * * * * * * * *
Consumer Protection Agency in Odintsov Helps War Veterans
O. Ivanova, a war veteran and resident of the Moscow suburb
Odintsov, registered a complaint in 1993 with the military section
that had done some repairs on her home. She was concerned about
the serious defects on her roof that could lead to a dangerous
situation. The military agency responded to the elderly woman's
complaints with the several years of red tape. But the Ms.
Ivanova appealed to the consumer protection agency in Odintsov,
who directed a request to the commander of the military section
responsible for the repairs. The request had an effect, and the
commander personally ordered that the roof repair be completed by
October 15.
The Odintsov consumer protection agency was founded in the summer
of last year by Vladimir Kalinin, who serves as both the agency's
director and its only permanent employee. He is aided by a group
of around ten volunteers from the Odintsov area, who gather
information on a variety of violations of consumer rights - from
schemes and frauds to swindlers and indifferent employees. he
agency is open to the public on Mondays, when citizens may come to
the office with their complaints and requests. There, they must
write out a statement of their case, which is then considered by
the agency's committee. By August of this year, 30 different
cases had been filed with the agency. The number of plaintiffs is
still small, since the agency's activities are publicized mostly
by its volunteers and Kalinin's infrequent appearances on local
radio programs.
"Everyone has a right to good, safe products and services, as well
as a right to complete information about them and defense of their
interests in court," states Kalinin. "The goal of our agency is
to arouse people's interest, show them that it is both possible
and necessary to challenge the laws. United, consumers can become
an influential force, on the scale of the country itself. After
all, each of us is a consumer."
Contact Telephone: 596-1581 (Mondays, from 10 am - 6 pm)
* * * * * * * * *
Ptchela Magazine Publishes a List of Organizations
Concerned with the Plight of Homeless Children
The latest issue of Ptchela magazine, entitled, "Homeless Children
of Petersburg & Their Saviours: Can they connect with one
another?" deals entirely with the topic of homeless children in
St. Petersburg. The issue features a series of articles on
problems that exist between the children and adults working in the
social services sector. Additionally, the issue contains a list
of addresses and telephone numbers for 47 governmental and non-
governmental organizations in St. Petersburg working in the sphere
of orphans and homeless children. In October, the list of
organizations will be available on Ptchela's web site. Material
for the issue was mainly taken from research gathered for a
project on the plight of orphans sponsored by the MacArthur Fund
and Psalm 23.
On-Line Version of Ptchela: http://www.spb.ru/ptchela
E-Mail: [email protected]
Telephone: (812) 325-8913 or (812) 325-8914
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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. Back issues are available |
| in both English and Russian language by following the |
| "Archives" link and choosing "ASI Bulletin Excerpts" |
| |
| http://www.friends-partners.org/~ccsi/ |
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