Center for Civil Society International ([email protected])
Fri, 23 Jan 1998 13:11:50 -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. 1
1-15 January, 1998
I. "Rights & Dignity" Bulletin Will Start Free Circulation
II. Charitable Organizations in Russia Presumed Guilty
III. Ekaterinburg Government Answers the Demands of Activists
IV. "Dialogue" Center Aids Families
V. New Education Center Will Prepare Today's Citizens
VI. Free Consultations at NGO Library in Voronezh
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"Rights & Dignity" Bulletin Will Start Free Circulation
In January of 1998, the Civic Rights Protection Office in Voronezh, with
the support of the "Confederation of Free Labour" professional center and
other human rights groups, began publishing the monthly "Rights & Dignity"
newsletter. Daria Dikareva, a lawyer working with the Civic Rights
Protection Office (CRPO), explained that the publication will address
legal issues such as labour disputes, military service, and civil rights.
Over the past year and a half more than 600 people have requested
consultations from the Civic Rights Protection Office. The majority of
these people were seeking help about obligatory military service,
resolution of labour disputes, or questions of civil rights. CRPO has
helped organize more than 10 independent professional associations, with
the goal of changing the atmosphere at many industries and commanding more
respect for workers' rights from management.
Additionally, CRPO, together with the International Human Rights
Protection Group and the Independent Professional Association of Students,
has developed a training program for young human rights activists. The
program's focus is on educating students and draftees on their rights;
seminars will be held for leaders of student and youth organizations, as
well as for military rights activists. CRPO hopes to create a training
program for lawyers working on youth and human rights issues in the near
future.
Contact Telephone: (0732) 52-1401
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Charitable Organizations in Russia Presumed Guilty
An article published in the January 12, 1998 issue of "Moskovskii Komsomolets"
has elicited a thunderous reaction from Moscow's NGO community. The article,
entitled "The Power of the Kopeck," sharply criticizes current legislation
governing NGOs, as well as the activities of the NGOs themselves. An ASI
correspondent asked Valerii Borshchev to comment on the article. Mr. Borshchev
is the deputy chairman of the federal Duma's Committee on Voluntary and
Religious Organizations and chairman of the Consultative Committee of the
Council on Human Rights.
In the opinion of Mr. Borshchev the authors of "The Power of the Kopeck"
demonstrated basic incompetence. While criticizing legislation governing
NGOs and the work of voluntary organizations in general, the authors
failed to give even one concrete proposal of what should be done.
Moreover, they belittle the work of charitable organizations across the
country. And all because, according to Mr. Borshchev, they failed to read
the text of the laws they are critiquing. For example, the authors never
distinguish between the definitions of a "non- commercial organization"
and a "charitable organization." They label political associations such
as the "Strategy" Foundation, the Foundation of Liberal- Conservative
Politics, and the Gorbachev Foundation as "charitable organizations," and
they randomly cite the texts of two federal laws governing NGOs (the 1994
law "On charitable activities and organizations," and the 1995 law "On the
activities of non-commercial organizations"), even though very fundamental
differences exist between the two. In particular, the law on non-
commercial organizations allows for such groups to engage in political
activities and some commercial ventures, while the law on charitable
organizations forbids such activities. Thus, stated Mr. Borshchev, the
accusations leveled by the authors in regards to the "commercialization"
of charitable organizations are absurd since they are non-profit both by
nature and by law.
Mr. Borshchev is convinced that the negative opinions found in the press
about the charitable activities of voluntary organizations hinder the
establishment of civil sociey in Russia. "I would like to have a
constructive press that tackles issues such as the legislative process or
the politics of taxation in the non- commercial sphere, " he said. "But
instead, they publish poorly researched articles in which the tax category
for organizations for the disabled is assumed to be the same for all
charitable organizations, and make similar mistakes throughout." He also
pointed out that, in contrast with the West, people active in Russia's NGO
sector are working under conditions of "presumed guilt," without moral or
material support from the state.
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Ekaterinburg Government Answers the Demands of Activists
The city government of Ekaterinburg will implement a comprehensive program
to clean up the city's drinking water supply. The "Clean Water" program
is part of the city's plan to improve the ecology of the region and the
health of its citizens by the year 2000. The Sverdlovsk oblast government
has declared Ekaterinburg's drinking water supply "at risk" due to a
number of factors, including severe pollution of the Verkh-Isetskoe and
Volchikhinskoe reservoirs-- the water supply's main sources. Attempts by
the "Water Canal" municipal project to clean up the reservoirs came to
nothing since the city's water delivery system is so old that it actually
re-polluted the water. Local ecologists have long lobbied the city
administration to take concrete measures to improve the drinking water.
And finally, the government answered the demands of activists and began
developing a "business plan" to improve the water delivery system and a
multi-phased project to clean up the Verkh-Isetskoe reservoir. A portion
of the city's budget will be alloted to build storm sewers and install
cleaning devices at a local water station, as well as to ensure the
consistent quality of the city's drinking water sources and water delivery
system. Special consideration will be given to restructuring and
repairing the city's sewer system, which Ekaterinburgers have been
demanding for years.
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"Dialogue" Center Aids Families
The "Dialogue" Informational-Analytical Center in Irkutsk, together with
the Department of General & Professional Education, has announced a new
project, "Family Album," which they hope will direct public attention to
family issues. The project will continue until June, 1998. Included in
the project's goals is the creation of an analytical laboratory for the
study of family issues. Several round table discussions are already
planned on topics such as family planning, elderly family members, child
raising, etc. In February, project members will hold a city-wide ball,
and in May through June, an art exhibition.
Rimma Dorozhkina, director of "Dialogue", said in an interview with an ASI
correspondent that the center's volunteer staff includes sociologists,
psychologists, doctors, lawyers and journalists. In the future, the center
hopes to establish a "Baikal Family Institute." The center's studies
focus on the family institution, its history, and its traditions.
Additionally, the center conducts research on the "family as a school for
the social adaptation of children." Dorozhkina emphasized that "the
family, as a foundation of society, bears the brunt of social problems.
Crises on the government level are reflected in the family, who in turn,
needs support and aid."
Contact telephone: (3952) 23-8206 (Rimma Dorozhkina)
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New Education Center Will Prepare Today's Citizens
On January 5, a methodological center for civic education was opened at the
"Universe" School in Krasnoyarsk. The center was created under the auspices of
a joint Russian-American project, "Civic Education in the Information Age," and
a joint Russian-British project, "Teacher Retraining for Civic Education in
Krasnoyarsk." The goal of the two projects is to develop curricular materials
that will be oriented on contemporary social issues for the "new generation" of
school children.
Contact telephone: (3912) 43-7269 (Elena Prigodich)
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Free Consultations at NGO Library in Voronezh
The Center for the Development of Civic Initiatives in Voronezh has opened an
NGO library that will feature a consultation service as well as books. Every
Friday, lawyers and economists staffing the consultation service will answer
questions on the creation, registration and practical functions of NGOs.
O. Krasova and O Sturova, creators of the NGO library, believe that the
library will help make up for the deficit of information and materials
needed by voluntary organizations to structure their ventures. They also
hope that the library will act as a clearinghouse for information between
NGOs and the public, and the NGOs themselves. The library features
materials on the activities of voluntary organizations in the Voronezh
area (their projects, statutes, etc.); information on upcoming seminars,
conferences and exhibitions; NGO-related news items from the press; and a
telephone directory for local NGOs.
In the spring the NGO library is planning a book exhibition, "I Am a Citizen,"
with help from the Nikitin Library of Voronezh and the Independent Public
Library.
Contact telephone: (0732) 55-3947
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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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