I. Parents of Hearing Impaired Children Seek New Approaches to their Rehabilitation

The Moscow Association of Parents of Hearing Impaired Children was created in 1991. It works with over 200 families raising hearing impaired children between the ages of 5 and 18. The association brings parents together for the purpose of assisting them in raising their children.

In an interview with an ASI correspondent, the chairman of the Association Irina Iurevna Ivanova said: "Having taken part in 1995 in the conference "Deafness and the Law" organized by the World Association of Parents of Hearing Impaired Children [Vsemirnaia assotsiatsiia roditelei detei s narusheniem slukha (Fepeda)], we became convinced that we lag behind our foreign colleagues by many years in the fields of teaching methods and speech techniques. In the European countries hearing impaired children study alongside healthy children of the same age in the general schools. The rehabilitative process is much easier for such children with common education [mainstreaming], since they do not feel like outcasts from society. The educational process of the children and the training of specialists to work with them in the general schools is under the control of the state."

As opposed to Europe, in Russia hearing impaired children and their families cannot yet count on significant support from the government. Therefore they must see to their own education and communication. It is hard to live in isolation, so families join the Association.

On the initiative of their parents, young people aged 10 to 16 have begun activities in experimental groups at the Specialized State Institute of the Arts [Gosudarstvennyi spetsializirovannyi institut iskusstv]. The kids' favorite teacher is V. A. Sazhin, an actor with the Stanislavskii Musical Theater. Exercise in stage movement, choreography, and sign language have produced great results and have convinced even the skeptics. The children have become more lively, more flexible, and freer. The exercises at the Institute have been a step on the road to higher education for some of the children. In the summer of 1996 one of the groups was invited by the Deaf Center of the Czech Republic to an international festival of stage arts .Our kids competed in the theater and representational arts competition with young people from Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Finland.

Working with E. I. Leonard, author of a work on teaching speech to hearing impaired children and a Candidate [post-graduate student] in psychology has been a great help to the Association. The children are now able to communicate through spoken language and not only through sign language.

The future plans of the association include a rehabilitation and consultation center, which would not only provide medical examinations but would be a meeting place for the members of the Association and their friends.

Contact telephone: 445-3718 (Irina Iur'evna)

II. Christmas Orthodox - Philosophical Readings in Nizhnii Novgorod

On January 10, on the initiative of the dioceses of Nizhnii Novgorod, the oblast administration, and the Center for Orthodox and Russian Culture, 5 Christmas orthodox-philosophical readings took place on the topic "Orthodoxy and Social Service." Well-known scholar clerics and philosophers discussed questions of the relationship between church and state and the influence of Orthodoxy on politics and the moral condition of Russian society.

The Father-Superior of the Monastery of the Annunciation Father Cyril believes that social service combines philanthropy and a consciousness of Orthodox culture...and the mutual feelings of the church and society. For this reason it is now especially important for the Orthodox church to establish ties to society so that it may help people discover their spirituality. Alexander Zamaleev of St. Petersburg University believes that Orthodoxy will play an important role in the creation of a new state order in Russia. But to do this the church must more clearly define its relationship to the authorities in order to be able to exert influence on them.

The Christmas Orthodox-philosophical readings are becoming a significant event in the cultural life of Nizhnii Novgorod and are facilitating a better mutual understanding between scholars and the clergy.

III. Barnaul - Creation of a Council of Social Organizations in Altai Krai
(From a report in the bulletin "The Third Sector in Siberia")

A round table took place at the Altai affiliate of the Siberian Center for the Support of Social Initiatives [Sibirskii tsentr podderzhki obshchestvennykh initsiativ] (SCSSI) devoted to the cooperation of the three sectors of the economy (governmental, commercial, and noncommercial). The directors of social organizations in Altai and representatives of SCSSI took part.

The participants in the round table exchanged experiences concerning cooperation with governmental and commercial organizations. While contacts with commercial organizations have already been established, they are practically non-existent with governmental entities. It was decided to create a Council of Social Organizations of Altai Krai in order to facilitate cooperation between the 3 sectors. An organizing committee is to develop a proposed charter for the Council of Social Organizations and prepare a conference of krai social organizations at which the charter will be adopted.

The address of the Altai affiliate of SCSSI is:

PO Box 661, 656038 Barnaul.
Contact telephone: (385-2) 22-53-97.
E mail: [email protected] (Sergei Kanarev).

IV. Doctors Without Borders (Holland) and Aids-Infotie (Spid-Infosviaz, Russia) Have Begun a New Health Project

One of the emphases of the project will be the publication and distribution of a resource book that will contain information on contemporary Russian and foreign organizations working in the health care field (women's health, drug addiction, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection and AIDS), news of their activities, and contact information. The resource book will come out in mid-1997.

All organizations that provide the necessary information or fill out an application in the next two months will be included in the resource book and will be the first to receive a copy.

You can order an application form by telephone: 110-2460 [Moscow]

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