Center for Civil Society International ([email protected])
Tue, 25 Nov 1997 13:14:22 -0800 (PST)
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 Bulletin No. 44
31 October - 6 November, 1997
I. Revanchism and Extremism Are Undergoing a Rebirth
in the Russian Provinces
II. Glasnost Defense Fund Speaks Out Against Rights
Violations in Turkmenistan
III. Expose of Trade in Russian Women Angers All -
Except Russian Officials
IV. Center for Environmental Education and Information
Receives Grant
V. Soup Kitchen for the Homeless Opens in St. Petersburg
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Revanchism and Extremism Are Undergoing
a Rebirth In the Russian Provinces
On November 3, the Anti-Fascist Youth Movement (AFYM) held a press
conference in Moscow to report on the results of a tour of Russian cities
the group undertook from August to October of this year. The purpose of
the thirty-city tour was to evaluate the growth of both democratic and
nationalist/communist movements in the provinces, hold anti-fascist
rallies, and spread the word about the Youth Movement's activities via the
local media. Participants in the tour came to the conclusion that
"nationalist/communist sentiments and extremist forces are strongly
influencing the governments and societies of Russia's provinces."
The Anti-Fascist Youth Movement's chairman, Petr Kaznacheev, believes that
revanchism and extremism are undergoing a "second birth" in the Russian
provinces. The power of extremist groups is growing and many of them
present a real threat to democracy. Above all, in Kaznacheev's opinion,
it is the Liberal Democratic Party that acts as the leader of the
extremist pack. The party's regional offices are well-equipped and even
have their own internal transportation system. The Russian National Unity
party is another leading group, with the stated goal of "bringing fascism
to the local level." In the Russian Federation's southern oblasts, where
Cossacks have traditionally held power, many Cossack organizations are
joining with Russian National Unity. Representatives from the AFYM
believe that Russia's Communist Party, thanks to skillful camouflage of
their activities, no longer appears to be an extremist organization.
However Kaznacheev gave the following examples in an attempt to show the
extent to which the "red belt" is encircling certain regions: in the
Kuzbass region, Party cells are forming again at factories and industrial
plants; in Voronezh, lamp posts are decorated with swastikas; and in
Severodvinsk, the mayor refused to allow AFYM to hold a protest against
the autumn military conscription, on the basis that "the administration
doesn't see any sense in such an action."
However, in contrast with the "red belt" regions, AFYM activists label
provincial cities such as Tomsk, Saratov, Novgorod, Ekaterinburg and Perm
as "white belt" areas. These cities foster active human rights and
protest movements and encourage the development of democratic
institutions. In fact, in the latest local legislative elections held in
Saratov, not one Communist candidate emerged victorious.
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Glasnost Defense Fund Speaks Out Against
Rights Violations in Turkmenistan
On November 6, the Glasnost Defense Fund issued a statement signed by Fund
president Aleksei Simonov that contained information about the detainment
of journalist Evshan Annakurbanov in Turkmenistan. Annakurbanov, a
correspondent for Radio Freedom in Turkmenistan, was prevented from
boarding a flight to Prague (where he was to attend a conference) and is
now being held in Ashkhabad. According to news sources, a computer
diskette containing information from Turkmen opposition groups was found
in Annakurbanov's luggage, concealed among some cassette tapes.
Official charges haven't yet been brought against Annakurbanov, but he
remains in solitary confinement. His apartment was searched and his fax
machine and computer were confiscated by police. According to information
from the journalist himself, in June he was approached by officials from
Turkmenistan's National Safety Committee and told to stop working for
Radio Freedom. But Annakurbanov had lost the privilege of publishing in
the official Turkmenistan press (which is the only media source in the
country) after being previously incarcerated for more than six months on
charges brought by the National Safety Committee in 1995 and considered
his situation hopeless. He was unable to find other work and thus
continued to work for Radio Freedom. Annakurbanov insists that he has
never been part of any political organization and has never criticized the
government. His wife has stated that the diskette in question was
secretly placed in Annakurbanov's luggage by National Safety Committee
personnel while they were searching him.
The Glasnost Defense Fund has appealed to the Turkmenistan government for
Annakurbanov's immediate release and is calling upon all international
human rights organizations to join the protest against rights violations
in Turkmenistan.
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Expose of Trade in Russian Women Angers
All - Except Russian Officials
The results of a two-year investigation into the sale of women from Russia
and other former Soviet republics into prostitution in foreign countries
was presented at an international conference held in Moscow on November
3-5. The conference was organized by the "Sisters" Center (in Moscow),
together with the World Survival Network and the International League of
Human Rights. The conference attracted the attention of the Russian
public and press, as well as media organizations from around the world.
Government officials taking part in the conference included Deputy
Minister of Justice Lyudmila Zadavskaia, deputy chief from the Ministry of
Labour and Social Development Olga Samarina, and several representatives
from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. However, representatives from the
General Procurator's office, the Federal Immigration Service and the
National Guard all declined to attend the conference. Also absent from
the event were members of the presidential commission on human rights and
the federal Department of Human Rights.
A report given at the conference revealed that Russia and other countries
of the former Soviet Union (including Ukraine and Latvia) have become the
leading "exporters" of women in the international prostitution market.
Thousands of women from the Russian Federation have become victims of such
exploitation, but human rights organizations and the "importing"
governments have remained indifferent to their plight. The majority of
these governments underestimate the scale of the sex-trade problem in
their countries and characterize it instead as an issue of illegal
immigration, resulting in the women being treated as criminals rather than
victims.
Participants at the conference agreed that in order to halt the growth of
trade in women, certain measures must be taken immediately. First, the
government should strengthen controls over the activities of private
matchmaking services and modeling agencies, as it is usually through these
false enterprises that women are sent abroad. Next, the government should
set up special offices in its foreign consulates and embassies to which
women could turn for help if the need arose. Additionally, the
participants recommended that a public awareness campaign on the issue be
developed for young girls. One of the first steps that needs to be taken
is to create special centers for victims of the sex-trade. At present,
only one such organization exists in the countries of the CIS--"La Strada"
in Ukraine.
According to Yuri Gibladze, Russian Federation representative to the
International League of Human Rights, activists from several women's
groups and human rights organizations have already agreed to meet and
begin working on recommendations to present to the government on the
issue.
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Center for Environmental Education
and Information Receives Grant
The Center for Environmental Education and Information, located in
Sverdlovsk oblast, has received a grant from USAID under the auspices of
the ROLL (Replication of Lessons Learned) program. The Center has been
operating for three years, and specializes in developing educational
courses for NGOs on environmental topics. In preparing the courses,
Center staff use lesson plans given to them by the US Environmental
Protection Agency. But naturally, the American materials don't have much
practical application for Russian environmentalists since they focus on
American laws, economic principles and government structures. In response
to this problem, Center staff decided to adapt the materials for use in
Russia. They solicited help from lawyers, experts in environmental
science, professors from local institutes of higher learning, and
specialists on economic/industrial transition. In the course of the next
five months, the new, Russian-oriented course will be presented at
seminars in Ekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Kamensk-Ural and Surgut. The
Center hopes to publish a book presenting the results of the seminars.
Contact telephone: (3432) 51-0211 (Larisa Strukova or Aleksandr Yashin)
E-mail: [email protected]
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Soup Kitchen for the Homeless Opens in St. Petersburg
A new cafeteria for the homeless opened in St. Petersburg on November 4.
The project was organized by "Caritas," a Catholic charitable
organization, together with the Maltese Aid Service and a Franciscan
monastery. The cafeteria will be open from noon until 3:00 pm every week
day, and plans to feed up to 300 homeless people each day, serving hot
boullion, sweet tea, and bread with cheese and sausage. Fruit and yogurt
will also be offered when available. The names of the cafeteria's
homeless patrons will be entered into a registration book. To be eligible
to take advantage of the cafeteria's services, people must show a passport
(without a residence permit) or show proof that they are registered as a
homeless person.
The majority of the kitchen's resources were organized by German citizen
Doris Epple. On her own initiative, Ms. Epple took it upon herself to
solicit and collect donations for the cafeteria.
Contact telephone: (812) 272-7838
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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" |
| |
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