I. Charity Organizations Working in Chechnya Struggle With Increasing Problems

II.Environmentalists Get Harrassed at Rostov Nuclear Power Plant

ANNOUNCEMENTS
III. Conference on Current Ecological Situation was held in St. Petersburg

IV. International Women's Forum in Washington, DC

V. Book on Journalism of the Post-Totalitarian Regime Has Been Published

VI. Database of Women's Organizations "ZhenSet" is Being Created

I. Charity Organizations Working in Chechnya Struggle With Increasing Problems

The situation for charity and grassroots organizations working in Checnya is worsening day after day. Out of 200 organizations helping refugees and victims at the beginning of the conflict in Chechnya only about 20 organizations still work there now. Gr egory Serikoff, representative of the international organization "Doctors Without Borders," said that it has become more difficult to find volunteers to work in Chechnya because of the elevated risk in the war zone.

In mid-August, a volunteer of the "Hare Krishna" charity organization, Andrei Savitsky, was killed in Chechnya. "Hare Krishna" is the only Russia-based nongovernmental nonprofit organization working in the war zone. Together with such international orga nizations as "Merlin" and "Doctors Without Borders" they distribute food and clothes and provide basic medical services to the local population. From the beginning of its work in Chechnya "Hare Krishna" has provided about 850,000 meals, distributing dail y up to 1,500 hot meals. All programs for providing food to the local population are sponsored by local authorities, businesses, and private donations. Foreign organizations' activities are financed mainly by donations and grants from charity foundation s of the European Union countries.

The difficulties of work in the region for international organization are intensified by occasional encounters with hostile attitudes of the local population. Some Chechnya citizens believe that foreign organizations work there for reasons of espionage o r to make a profit out of the conflict. The president of the Center of Hare Krishna Societies in Russia, Vadim Tuneev, emphasized at an August 22 press conference that this negative attitude can be overcome by a more active involvement in the region by R ussian charity organizations and by increased media coverage about international organizations' initiatives in Chechnya.

On August 23, leaders of human rights organizations discussed methods for ending the war in Chechnya at a press conference held at the Russian-American Press and Information Center in Moscow. Roman Tkach, leader of the Ultraradical Liberal Union "Youth S olidarity," said that right now it is important to bring Russian troops out of Chechnya and to bring in UN peacekeeping forces. The vice-president of the Georgian Community in Moscow, David Beritashvili, emphasized that talks about the status of Chechnya are premature and provocative. He suggested first to negotiate the cease-fire and then have a referendum about the status of Chechnya. Besides the options of either Chechnya's subordination to Russia, or its complete independence, there is a third opti on of an associated membership of Chechnya in Russia as, for example, of Monaco in France, and San Marino in Italy.

Anatoliy Shabad, former Duma Deputy and member of the political party "Democratic Russia," supported the idea of Chechnya's associated membership. However, he said that any referendum should be conducted not earlier than in ten to fifteen years, when peace will be completely restored in the country.

II. Environmentalists Get Harrassed at Rostov Nuclear Power Plant

According to the press center "Rainbow Keepers," on August 22 at 4 A.M., an ecological camp protesting the Rostov Nuclear Power Plant was attacked by a group of armed individuals who identified themselves as local OMON (special unit of local police force) , but did not present identifying documents. The group searched the camp and confiscated some cameras. A number of environmentalists were beaten as was later confirmed by a medical examination. Protest camps such as this one were organized in late 80s after the catastrophe in Chernobyl to resist the launching of Rostov Nuclear Power Plant, and led to halting the plant's construction in 1990.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
III. Conference on Current Ecological Situation was held in St. Petersburg

The conference titled "Methods and Means of Survival--Analysis of Today's Ecological Situation" was organized by a journal "Life and Security" and the Department of Environmental Protection of St. Petersburg. The conference is a part of the event "Enviro nmental Week of St. Petersburg," which is going on from August 31 to September 8. Contact tel.: (812) 119-5654, 276-1067

IV. International Women's Forum in Washington, DC

This forum will be held September 5-8, 1996, and is organized by the U.S.-based Association for Women in Development. The forum will analyse recent changes in the women's movement and consequences of the IVth International Women's Conference in Beijing, China. The event includes 120 topic discussions on economic and political problems of women. Russia will be represented by the Russian Consortium of Women's Non-Governmental Organizations (an affiliate of US-NIS Women's Consortium), Moscow Gender Research Center, and Independent Women's Forum. For more information, contact in Washington, DC:

Tel.: (202) 628-0440
Fax: (202) 628-0442
E-mail: [email protected]

V. Book on Journalism of the Post-Totalitarian Regime Has Been Published

This 300-page publication covers contemporary issues and problems of Russian journalism, such as self-censorship; journalism and ideology; the personal and political motivations of Russian journalists; and is written by Joseph Dzyaloshinskyi, chair of the Duma's Committee on Free Access to Information and President of the Russian Association of Independent Press. For additional information, contact: ul. Annenskaya 21, Moscow 127521, Tel.: (095) 219-6330 Fax: (095) 219-8244 Or for people outside of Russia: USIA Information Center in Moscow Tel.: (095) 290-4016 Fax: (095) 203-6831

VI. Database of Women's Organizations "ZhenSet" is Being Created

A women's information network, ZhenSet (WomenNet), has recently been established to collect and distribute information about women's organization activities in Russia and NIS. ZhenSet is a successor of ADL-Women Information Project and inherited ADL's "Women's Movement Database". According to ZhenSet's director, Tatiana Troinova, the first step of the network will be to publish a book containing profiles and contact information of women's organizations and organizations supporting the women's movement.

Organizations interested in submitting information about their projects and activities should contact ZhenSet:

Novyi Arbat, 11, Suite 1733, 17 floor.
Mailing address:
Tatiana Troinova,
per. Chernyshevskogo 11-15,
Moscow 103030.
Fax: (095) 291-2274
E-mail: [email protected]

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