I. The Moscow Helsinki Group Calls for the Dissolution of the Russian President's Commission on Human Rights

On March 7 the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG) sent an open letter to Russian Federation President Boris Yeltsin concerning the constant and massive violations of human rights in the Russian Federation. While recognizing that political arrests and the use of psychiatric repression for political purposes have practically been eliminated, the MHG noted that nonetheless lawlessness reigns in the country. Examples include the events in Chechnya, the systematic withholding of payment of wages, pensions, and benefits, the situation of refugees and those forced to leave their homes, etc. Iurii Orlov, Ludmila Alekseeva, and Lev Ponomarev, the members of the MHG who signed the letter, believe that the responsibility for all of these violations of the law lies first of all with the executive branch of the government of the Russian Federation. They have demanded a change of personnel at the highest level.

In addition, these human rights advocates have asked Boris Yeltsin to dissolve the current President's Commission on Human Rights and to form a new commission. The commission, which was formed in 1993 under the chairmanship of S. A. Kovalev, was supposed to be the connecting link between the president, his administration, and the human rights movement, which today includes thousands of organizations throughout the country. From the point of view of the signatories of the letter, the commission, currently headed by V. A. Kartashkin, cannot with its current characteristics be an intermediary between the human rights movement because the members of the commission "don't know and don't understand" the Russian human rights movement and forget that their primary purpose is not education but the defense of citizens from the government.

II. Women Voters Oppose Violence Against Women

A new social organization has been registered in St. Petersburg--the St. Petersburg League of Women Voters. One of the basic purposes of the League's activities is to help realize and defend the civil, social, economic, and cultural rights of citizens as well as to attract women into social and political life. The League will endeavor to improve the status of women by organizing information and consultation centers for the defense of women's rights, the creation of rehabilitation centers for women who are victims of domestic violence, and through the development of programs for the eradication of violence against women. In addition, the League proposes to work on the population's employment problems, supporting initiatives for the creation of new jobs in small and medium sized business, carrying out educational activities, and participating in the decision making process of state institutions and local administrations.

Telephone number: (812) 259-4932 (Svetlana Lepeshkina)

III. An Exhibit of Photographs of Young People from Nizhnii Novgorod at the Museum of the Moskovskii Region

An exhibit of photographs by young people from Nizhnii Novgorod titled "Successful Stills" opened on March 5 at the Museum of History and Culture of the Moskovskii region [of Nizhnii Novgorod]. The exhibit was organized by the social youth organization "Sokol" ["Falcon"] with sponsorship from the "Focus" chain of stores. Representatives of the administration of the Moskovskii region, guests from radio and television, students, and simple lovers of photography attended the opening.

Almost 200 works were displayed in the competition, from which a jury selected 70 photographs by 27 artists aged from 14 to 28. The results of the competition will be announced at the end of March, and anyone can be a member of the jury who has visited the exhibit and who expresses his or her opinion as to which photographs pleased them the most. The subjects of the photographs are quite varied--nature pictures and scenes from the life of the city.

"This exhibit is one of the first in the history of our organization," said Igor Lapshin, the president of Sokol. "This is a new thing for us. We basically are concerned with preserving social order and preventing juvenile crime. Therefore, the assistance of the director of the museum and of the administration of the Moskovskii region was most helpful to us."

IV. The Foundation "Counterpart" has Undertaken the Creation of a Handbook for Trainers of Nongovernmental Organizations in Russia

The Social Initiatives Support Program, which has been working under a grant from the United States Agency for International Development, has as it goal the creation of favorable conditions for the development of the third sector in Russia and its recognition as a full partner with the government and business.

Training, consultations, access to information and other methods assist the leaders, members, and volunteers of social organizations to obtain the necessary skills for the successful direction and preservation of their organizations and the broadening of the scope of their services.

In the past two years, the Social Initiatives Support Program has instructed around 50 trainers and consultants in the field of administration and organizational development of non-governmental organizations from Central and Southern Russia and Siberia. The availability of highly professional local trainers and consultants is an important condition for the creation of favorable circumstances for the development of the regions.

Issuing the handbook is the largest part of the preparation of a trainers conference that will take place in May-June 1997 and toward the creation of a professional Nongovernmental Organizations Trainers and Consultants Association.

Trainers and consultants working in the field of the administration and organizational development of NGOs may send information to be included in the handbook.

Fax: (095) 958-5130. E mail: [email protected] or [email protected].

V. The Russian Version of the New Noncommercial Publication "Aesop's Fables" to Come Out on March 20

The publication, put out by the center AESOP [which in Russian is an acronym for words "effective protection, education, and prevention"] contains information on the history of the creation of organizations active in the area of sex education and HIV-AIDS prevention, on their activities, and the current state of affairs in the area of sexual health.

The bulletin, which is published through the efforts of volunteers at AESOP, is scheduled to come out three times a year.

The Russian version of "Aesop's Fables" [an English version came out earlier this year. Trans.] is available as of March 20 at the Internet address: http://www.openweb.ru/windows/aesop.

Additional information is available by phone: 925-0444.

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