I. Creation of the All-Russian Union for the Support of the Democratic Opposition in Belarus

The liberal union "Youth Solidarity," the Independent Student Union, and the Union of Creative & Intellectual Youth "Skimen" announce the creation of the All-Russian Union for the Support of the Democratic Opposition in Belarus under the name "Freedom." The decision to create the Union was made as a result of numerous trips by representatives of these organizations to Belarus and of meetings with representatives of the leading opposition organizations in that country.

The campaign to support the Belarussian opposition will include broad based actions to attract a regional network of organizations, trips of activist to meetings of the Belarussian opposition in Minsk, distribution of information on the situation in Belarus, the staging of concerts, meetings and demonstrations, and meetings with the leaders of the Belarussian opposition.

"Freedom" calls on regional youth organizations to join the All-Russian Union for the Support of the Democratic Opposition in Belarus.

Telephone: 291-4355. Fax: 433-9440. E mail: [email protected]

II. Personnel of Penal Institutions Call for the Introduction of Clergy Services in Places of Confinement

On April 9 at the Foreign Literature Library in Moscow a seminar on "The Deaconate and Guardianship in Russian Penitentiaries" began its work. It was organized by the Russian Believers' Aid Foundation (Paris) and the Social Center for the Reform of the Criminal Law (Moscow). More than 30 representatives from 15 regions of Russia take part in the seminar. This is the second such seminar, called to unite the efforts of human rights and religious organizations that provide support to convicts and the accused in Russia with the goal of exposing the more troublesome problems of the Russian penal system and of finding possible ways to provide assistance.

Clergy from the Russian interior drew the attention of those present to the fact that they have practically no access to correctional institutions and that they lack the resources to provide spiritual literature to the penitentiaries or even to correspond with the prisoners. For their part, personnel from correctional institutions pointed out the insufficiency of spiritual and religious education not only among the prisoners but among the staff of the institutions themselves. They advocated the introduction of clergy services in the jails.

Telephone: 206-8684.

III. Women's Social Organizations of Saratov Oblast Will Present a Report on the Condition of Women and Children in 1996 to the Authorities

An open meeting of the Women's Parliament of Saratov took place on April 10, with the support of Governor D. F. Aiatskov. It was devoted to a discussion of the preparation of the first annual report "The Situation of Women and Children in Saratov Oblast in 1996."

The aim of the meeting was to acquaint organs of the government with the initiatives of women's nongovernmental social organizations as well as to work on the creation of the report, in the preparation of which 28 women's social organizations took part.

The report will contain 15 sections dealing with the basic status of the condition of women in society.

The presentation [at the meeting] of Lidia Svirodova, the chair of the Union of Soldiers' Mothers (city of Balakovo, Saratov oblast), dealt with the problems of the Russian Army and the means of resolving them proposed by this social organization of mothers of soldiers. Tat'iana Inozemtseva, president of the charitable foundation "Aid to The Family and Children," told of several aspects of the informational resources available to the women of the region, in particular, the publication of the specialized journal "Footsteps of the Third Sector." This foundation has also organized a monthly teleconference called "The Saratov Third Sector" for broadening the exchange of information.

As a result of the discussion it was decided to carry out an action to assist the mothers and wives of builders killed or missing in action in the Chechen Republic, and to conduct meetings with oblast Governor D. F. Aiatskov aimed at obtaining support for specific programs for improving the status of women and children.

(From a report of the journal "Footsteps of the Third Sector," Saratov.)

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