Center for Civil Society International ([email protected])
Wed, 14 Jan 1998 13:34:09 -0800 (PST)
With my apologies to list members, the last ASI Bulletin sent out under
the subject line: ASI Bulletin #52 was actually from 1996, not 1997. I
have since looked at a calendar. Below is the correct Bulletin #52
for 1997. ASI Bulletin postings will then take a short break and resume
in a few weeks time. Thank you for your support of this program in '97!
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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. 52
26 - 29 December, 1997
I. Organization Announces Competition
II. Third Sector Groups in Sochi Plan Joint Project
III. New Rehabilitation Centers Open in Ekaterinburg
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Organization Announces Competition
At the end of December, the national civic movement "For the Health of
Russia," headed by Duma deputy E. Pamfilova, held a conference at the
Civil Service Academy. "For the Health of Russia" is an organization
which focuses on peaceful conflict resolution and the maintenance of
government stability and democracy. One of the fundamental principles of
the movement is that social problems can be resolved by uniting diverse
elements of society-such as specialists in the areas of medicine,
education, culture, economics, and ecology-to work on projects dedicated
to the encouragement of man's moral and physical potential.
Many of the discussions at the conference focused on the problems of
alcoholism and drug abuse, as well as how best to rehabilitate and educate
mentally handicapped children, whose numbers are growing catastrophically
in Russia. Attention was also directed to the issue of "Chechen
Syndrome," which has affected both soldiers and civilians who were
involved the Chechen war. Participants at the conference resolved to hold
a competition among all regions in Russia, searching for the best
rehabilitation program for people adversely affected by armed conflict.
Members of "For the Health of Russia" hope that such a competition will
bring together the strengths of many people and organizations and will
become the first step in creating a federal office of rehabilitation for
the Russian Federation.
Contact telephone: 978-8298 ("For the Health of Russia")
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Third Sector Groups in Sochi Plan Joint Project
On December 23 a round table discussion was held in Sochi on the topic of
"Cooperation Between Civic Organizations and the Media." The round table
was sponsored by the Southern Russia Resource Center with the support of
the mayor of Sochi and the Agency for Social Information. Leaders from 15
local civic organizations took part in the round table, including
representatives from the children's group "Edelweiss," the Russian
Geographical Society, and the Sochi Environmental Center. Other
participants included journalists from local newspapers, radio stations
and the television company "Efkate," as well as a representative from the
mayor of Sochi's Department of Youth Affairs.
In connection with the round table, participants viewed a film on third
sector organizations in Southern Russia entitled "The New Ark" (directed
by Valerii Timoshchenko, produced by "Akvatoria" films of Novosibirsk).
The film served as the basis for discussion on the role of local civic
organizations in resolving problems in society. An important result of
the discussion was the realization that the third sector of Sochi is
fragmented. While the media is aware of the existence of individual civic
groups, there is no understanding of the "third sector" as a whole.
Particpants at the round table came to the conclusion that joint projects
and actions between Sochi's civic organizations are necessary in order to
demonstrate the strength of a united third sector. Several potential
joint projects were proposed during the discussion, one of which was an
anti-AIDS educational program.
Those gathered at the round table emphasized that the media frequently
ignores Sochi's civic organizations and their activities in favour of
scandalous or sensational news stories. However, media representatives
present at the discussion countered this by stating that the majority of
third sector organizations in Sochi have no contact with the media, which
explains the lack of media interest. Discussion participants then decided
to hold a series of training sessions that would teach NGO leaders how to
keep the media informed of their activities.
Telephone contact: (8612) 31-9444 (Svetlana Rubashkina)
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New Rehabilitation Centers Open in Ekaterinburg
Two rehabilitation centers for children opened in Ekaterinburg in the
final days of December-one in the Oktyaberskoi region and another in the
Verkh-Isetskii area. There are already 13 rehabilitative institutions for
children and adults in Ekaterinburg, two of which were also opened this
year. The "Courage" sanatorium for veterans and invalids is one of the
centers that opened this year. At the "Courage" center both adults and
children can receive medical care, as well as psychological counseling.
The center accepts low-income patients (charging them only ten percent of
the normal fees) and treatment is free for the destitute. The center will
be remodeled in 1998 and hopes to have a program dedicated to
rehabilitating patients with physical disabilties.
Currently, the mayor of Ekaterinburg is developing a program to develop a
network of social institutions in the city by the year 2000. In
conjunction with this plan, the city is dedicating a significant amount of
the municipal budget to the construction of rehabilitation centers and
children's homes.
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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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