Center for Civil Society International ([email protected])
Thu, 22 Jan 1998 10:42:43 -0800 (PST)
The following are excerpts from the "Sustainable Development"
newsletter, published by the Central Asian Sustainable Development
Information Network (CASDIN)
Issue No. 6, Nov/Dec, 1997
When NGOs Win, Everyone Wins
by Larisa Popova, "Family" Public Association
Today I propose to discuss with my fellow NGO colleagues a subject
that has nothing to do with my organization--even though we have
plenty of interesting news about our projects, publications, and
our work with at-risk social groups. However, today I want to
talk not about this, but about a problem shared by many NGOs. I
am referring here to public relations, or how we represent
ourselves to the public.
Of course, many of us have already heard of this concept.
Technically speaking, public relations is a management activity,
aimed at establishing a working relationship between organizations
and the public. Public relations combines aspects of
communications, psychology, sociology, political science,
management, marketing, advertising and etiquette. People in the
West have long understood that good communication with the public
is crucial for all kinds of organizations, including those in the
commercial and political spheres; and the experience of our
organization has shown that such communication is crucial for NGOs
also.
We prepared our program "Public Relations, or How to Succeed,"
(part of the Psychological Business Support series) for the
commercial sector, and were surprised when NGOs wanted to attend,
too. We were surprised because we assumed that, of all people,
social activists would possess the necessary skills and qualities
to establish their authority in the public milieu and that they
would already know how to operate the public relations "machine."
But, as it turned out, an intuitive understanding of public
relations is lacking here, and NGO leaders--just like many others-
-want to learn about it.
The "Family" association developed a seminar/training session--
"Public Relations Through the Prism of Practical Psychology." The
concepts and skills presented at the sessions enable organizations
to more effectively use their intellectual and creative resources
and to convert public support into monetary support (which is
particularly important in the face of constant financial
shortages).
Many of our citizens don't even know what an NGO is, never mind
what the particular projects of a given organization are. They
relate to NGOs in the same way that they related to public
organizations during the Soviet period. Due to the lack of
financial resources, the NGOs themselves view their partners with
a child's attitude: "will daddy give me that cherished gift, or
not?" But non-governmental organizations can become equals with
their partners in the commercial and governmental sectors when
they are working to resolve society's ills. A relationship needs
to be created that is based not on "what can you give us?" but
"when the NGO wins, the partner wins--everybody wins." Such
relationships are certainly feasible today.
Practical psychology can work only on a person who is willing to
make psychological changes. Similarly, members of NGOs who are
ready to improve their work and to increase their influence on
society can do so. It is among such people that we find true
leaders and well-organized groups. And, to help speed these
processes [of improvement], we offer our NGO colleagues "Public
Relations Through the Prism of Practical Psychology."
To participate in future training sessions, request application
forms from:
"Family" Public Association
480035, Almaty, 8th mkr.
dom 4, kv. 82
Larisa Popova
tel: (3272) 67-69-23, 25-29-07
fax: (3272) 40-96-31
* * * * * * *
Problem Grows Like a Weed
by Yuri Kalyuzhnyi, director of the "Help" Foundation.
[High school students from Kostanai, Kazakstan, along with their
parents and teachers, participated in a project aimed at
preventing drug use among teenagers sponsored by the"Help"
Foundation. The goal of the project was to educate teens on the
problems that drug use brings to society, families and
individuals.]
We started our work on our project several months ago. Today,
included among our 52 volunteers are doctors, students, and school
psychologists. With assistance from the Ministry of the Interior,
we have analyzed statistics and collected photographs and
videotapes of a serious nature that will help dispel the
"romanticism" of smoking marijuana. We conducted a survey at five
schools in the Kostanai area and learned that we need to start our
project at the peer level, with educational programs and lectures
and current facts and figures that convince kids how destructive
drugs can be to their lives. The lectures are frank and deal with
such themes as: signs of drug addiction, the dangers of social
alienation, problems associated with getting off drugs, and types
of social rehabilitation. At ten local schools we have put on
photo exhibitions and showed videos. Additionally, former drug
addicts, who were able to overcome their disease and leave the
criminal life, speak at our lectures so that teenagers can learn
about addiction first hand.
The chairman of the "Help" Foundation, Dr. Igor Vasilenko, is a
well-known figure in Kostanai who has long worked with youth. In
Vasilenko's opinion, there are not enough medical programs to
withstand the growing numbers of teenagers and children who are
using drugs. The number of marijuana users is growing as quickly
and easily as the weed itself...
* * * * * * *
Organizations working in the sphere of public health protection
in Kazakstan and Kyrgyzstan
Kazakstan
Society of Pharmocologists Charity & Health Foundation of
G.M. Pichkhadze/AGMI Kazakstan
480012 Almaty Alma Zhabagina
ul. Tole, bi 88 480083 Almaty
ul. Baitursynova 9, kom. 31
tel: (3272) 67-68-18, 22-31-68
tel: (3272) 31-63-03
Red Cross & Red Cresent Society "Charity" City Service--Almaty
Erkebek Argymbaev Olga Abdrakhmanova
480100 Almaty 480032 Almaty
ul. Kunaeva 86 ul. Shuberta 1, kv. 1
tel: (3272) 61-62-91 tel: (3272) 63-38-48
fax: (3272) 61-81-72
"Burn Center" Charitable "Mutual Aid" Association of
Cancer Foundation Patients
O.R. Nigmatullina Alla Kovalenko
480077 Almaty 480002 Almaty
ul. Papanina 220 ul. Baribaeva 8, kv. 37
tel: (3272) 35-39-45 tel: (3272) 30-19-38
Center for Public Health Voluntary Observation Union
Alia Uval'zhanova Boris Solovev
480091 Almaty 480091 Almaty
ul. Furmanova 103, kom. 910 pos. Kalkaman, GKB No.7
tel: (3272) 62-49-43 tel. (3272) 42-52-51
fax: (3272) 63-14-48
"Art Therapy" Center for Creative Rehabilitation, Social
Adaptation, and Prevention of Mental Illness
Oleg Pishchev
480091 Almaty
ul. Lebedeva 44
tel: (3272) 46-39-87, 69-96-25
fax: (3272) 61-61-32
"Boztorgai" International Center for Medical-Social Rehabilitation
of the Children of Kazakstan
Gul'nar Tazhigulova
480004 Almaty
ul. Furmanova 65
tel: (3272) 33-52-79, 33-16-08
fax: (3272) 63-12-07
"Idea-M" Association of Doctors and Patients with Pulmonary
Illnesses
Professor Lev Joffe
480072 Almaty
ul. Masanchi 92
tel: (3272) 60-41-81
Kyrgyzstan
Medical Association of Kyrgyzstan
Erkinbek Dzhamanbaev
720017 Bishkek
ul. Moskovskaia 141-4
tel: (3312) 28-72-98
fax: (3312) 62-15-35
e-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]
* * * * * * *
Additional stories from Issue No. 6:
* "I am a person who is in love with reform," an interview with
Alia Uval'zhanova, director of the Center for Public Health;
* Social Demands on the Government--Has the Time Come?;
* First Lady Hillary Clinton Appears at International Conference
on Women and Politics;
* Prisons & Work Camps.
* * * * * * *
Sustainable Development is a bimonthly publication of CASDIN. For
more information, or to subscribe, contact:
Central Asian Sustainable Development Information Network
480004 Almaty p/ya 104
ulitsa A. Moldagulovoi, 32, kv. 249
tel: (3272) 33-86-10
e-mail: [email protected]
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| Society International ([email protected]) |
| in Seattle, in association with Friends & Partners. |
| For more information about civic initiatives in |
| the former USSR visit CCSI's web site at: |
| |
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