I. Capital Punishment has Become a Subject of Discussion at Parliamentary Hearings
III. Do the Traditions of Orthodoxy Correspond to the Principles of Alcoholics Anonymous?
IV. A Nongovernmental Paper for the Third Sector in Nizhnii Novgorod
I. Capital Punishment has Become a Subject of Discussion at Parliamentary Hearings
Parliamentary hearings have been devoted to the issue of declaring a moratorium on carrying out capital punishment in Russia. Noted lawyers, representatives of the General Procurator's Office, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, deputies from the State Duma, members of the Russian President's Committee on Pardons, representatives of religious and social organizations, and journalists took part.
The views of the participants at the hearings differed. The arguments of the proponents of a moratorium on capital punishment came down to this: Capital punishment has no influence on the growth of crime; the number of judicial errors in carrying out death sentences is very high; a state that has chosen a democratic course of development should be humane and educate the younger generation, getting them accustomed to the principles and norms of international law. The most important and weighty argument is that Russia took upon itself the obligation of introducing a moratorium on capital punishment and replacing it with life imprisonment when it joined the Council of Europe.
The opponents of a moratorium put forward counter-arguments: judicial errors require not the abolition of the death penalty but the perfection of the work of inspectors in all areas of jurisprudence, and not all members of the Council of Europe have refrained from carrying out capital punishment. The death penalty as the highest form of punishment exists in 94 countries. According to data of the General Procurator's Office, which came out against a moratorium, the number of deliberate killings per 100,000 people is 22 in Russia but only 6 in Germany and 9 in the U. S.
The polarity of the opinions of the participants reflects Russian public opinion. Most citizens are law abiding. But the fact that an overwhelming number of serious crimes remains unresolved and the guilty often escape responsibility gives rise to a feeling of defenselessness and injustice. Many have the impression that a moratorium on capital punishment would protect the criminals and not the victims. Under conditions of violence, banditry, and terrorism the good intentions of the defenders of rights can seem incomprehensible and unwarranted to the majority of the population. The resolution of this complicated and delicate issue requires gradualism, care, and enormous educational work. The foundation of a new, law-based society should be built not on emotions but on principles of humanism, democracy, and the observance of universal legal norms.
II. The Environmental Movements "In the Name of Life" and "Greenpeace" call on Residents of Kostroma to Vote Against the Construction of a Nuclear Power Plant
On Dec. 8 elections will be held for Governor of Kostroma Oblast along with a referendum on the necessity of building a nuclear power plant on its territory. This is the first time there has been a referendum in our country in which local residents will decide the fate of an unfinished nuclear power plant. It will be considered valid if 50% of the population takes part in the election.
A bus full of activists from Greenpeace and In The Name Of Life is currently cruising the oblast. The activists tell the residents of the damage the construction of the plant would do to the environment of the Kostroma area. According to activists in the movement, at the present time the lack of objective information is keenly felt. In the oblast only radio and television speak with authority. There are few newspapers, and most of them express the interests of the administration. In this connection some social organizations held a press conference on Nov. 19 in Moscow the aim of which was, by means of the national media, to call the local people [of Kostroma] to active participation in the struggle for the environment.
Surveying the area for the construction of the plant began as early as 1976. Construction began in 1982, but in 1990 it was halted under pressure from the people, who did not want a repeat of Chernobyl. However, this decision was later reconsidered. Since according to the law "On the Protection of Nature" nuclear power plants may be built only with the consent of the local population, irreconcilable opponents of the construction created the social organization "In the Name of Life" in 1993, and several other environmental organizations began the struggle over the referendum.
Instead of building a new nuclear power plant, the representatives of the environmental organizations propose a more effective use of the oblast's energy resources, which, according to their calculations, would reduce the need for the plant to zero. The oblast is guaranteed a sufficient energy supply thanks to its local conventional power plants. Moreover, the nuclear power plant would not go on line until 2011, and it would not show a profit until 2020. According to official data, the construction of the plant would require 2 billion dollars. In the opinion of the environmental organizations it would require substantially more, since in the passing years the equipment already constructed has fallen into ruin.
In the words of the co-chairman of "In the Name of Life," even Moscow could suffer from the construction of the plant, since the water table in Kostroma Oblast provides water to Moscow as well.
III. Do the Traditions of Orthodoxy Correspond to the Principles of Alcoholics Anonymous?
On Nov. 21 there was a discussion at the Association of Orthodox Physicians about the possibility of using the spiritually oriented program [AA] for the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction.
The meeting took place at the initiative of the foundation "No to Alcoholism and Drug Addiction (NADA)." Representatives of the clergy, doctors, psychologists, and representatives of Alcoholics Anonymous took part. As a result of the sharp discussion that took place a conclusion was reached that it is permissible within the position of Orthodoxy to recommend to people who suffer from alcoholism and drug addiction that they begin their spiritual renewal in Alcoholics Anonymous. At the same time, some of the participants, especially from among the clergy, adhered to the position that this type of social rehabilitation is closer to Protestant thinking.
Contact telephone for NADA: 126-0451
IV. A Nongovernmental Paper for the Third Sector in Nizhnii Novgorod
Noncommercial organizations in Nizhnii Novgorod now have their own paper. It is published by the association "Service" with support from the Eurasia Foundation within the scope of a project on creation of a center for support of noncommercial organizations. In the first issue of the NCO Herald there is information on the activities and services of several Nizhnii Novgorod noncommercial organizations, and an interview about the cooperation of noncommercial organizations with governmental entities of one of the most socially active districts of the city, the Moskovskii. There is also an interview with the chairman of the Committee on Relations With Society and Social Organizations of the oblast administration. In addition, the Herald contains a discussion of the problems of creating a legislative basis for NCOs as well as offers of information services.
Further information may be obtained by telephone: (8312) 31-3564 (Victoria Nosova).
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