I. Human Rights Activists Call on Patriarch Aleksii II to do Everything Possible to Stop Torture in Russia

On April 21, Valerii Abramkin, director of the Social Center for the Reform of the Criminal Law, and Mar'iana Katsarova, an expert from Amnesty International on the countries of the former USSR, sent an appeal to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Aleksii II. The appeal says: "Remembering the traditions of sanctity and charity that have always formed the basis of the Russian Orthodox Church, we appeal to you with a call to expend all efforts available to you to stop torture, which in recent years in our country has become wide-spread and scandalous." It is not a coincidence that he third week of April was chosen [for this appeal]. This is Holy Week [according to the Orthodox calendar--Trans.], "when the Church and all Orthodox Christians remember with especial grief the horrifying torments and suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross. But as the Savior said in one of His sermons: What you have done to one of the least of these my brothers you have done to me. This means that now, not 200 centuries ago, thousands, or even tens of thousands, of our countrymen torture and crucify Christ." "Torture in Russia is a man-made hell" that has created a sensation in other countries but which has received virtually no clear reflection in the Russian media. The text of a report [on torture] was also given to the Patriarch together with the appeal.

The appeal further says: "In a situation in which it seems all human possibilities for stopping this madness have been exhausted, we appeal to you, Your Holiness, and ask you to call on the staffs of all Orthodox institutions, on the government, and on the President of Russia to do all they can to stop torture."

L. Alekseeva, the chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group, A. Arutiunov, the International Human Rights Assembly, V. Bakhmin (a member of the Moscow Helsinki Group), E. Bonner, M. Kirbasova, the Russian Soldiers' Mothers' Committee, S. Kovalev (a State Duma deputy), and S. Sorokin, "the Movement Against Violence," joined the appeal.

II. Ekaterina Lakhova: Women Should Participate in the Construction of Civil Society at All Levels

A scientific-practical conference titled "Prospects for Equal Democracy in Russia" took place in Moscow on April 22-23. It was organized by the social-political Russian Woman's Movement. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the contradiction between the legally guaranteed equality of women and men proclaimed in the Constitution and the actual discrimination against women in the family, daily life, and at work. In addition the participants were to develop a strategy for attaining true equality between all members of society regardless of gender.

On the first day of the conference for representatives of the country's regions there were group discussions. The most interesting was considered to be the group on "The role of Social Organizations in Resolving Issues of Work and Jobs for Women." It was led by Emiliia Chugunova, the president of a foundation on women's work and assistance to industry.

Representatives of the regions from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok [i.e., from across the entire country--Trans.] told of the difficulties with which the process of creating small business enterprises offering social services to the public is proceeding in the provinces. The basic problem is insufficient resources. In many regions women make up more then 50% of the unemployed, and small enterprises can employ at best 10-20 people. Nonetheless, there have been distinct successes. Marina Solnyshkina from the Dubna information and education center "Stimulus" told of how with the cooperation of the Dubna work center a group of women learned the profession of landscape design. They all now have jobs in the city. And in Pskov women entrepreneurs created their own association and, by combining their own collections and a small amount contributed by the local work center, organized 12 small enterprises--a small bakery, a wholesale firm, etc. In many cities, at the regional affiliates of the Russian Women's Movement and other social organizations, child and elder care services are organized, assuring work for the "secret" unemployed.

"Today we can see how the stereotypes are falling," concluded Emiliia Chugunova. "Women used to think that finding them work and paying them was the government's duty. Now they are more actively involved in the area of social services, in the work of the third sector." "In order to overcome the patriarchal principles of state organization, women must not only aspire to positions of power but must also participate in the creation of civil society at all levels, including in the resolution of social problems," emphasized the chair of the Russian Women's Movement Ekaterina Lakhova in her presentation.

Telephone: 206-8652

III.The Charitable Center for Aid to Victims of Sexual Violence "Sisters" is Three Years Old

"Sisters" is one of the first centers of its type in the former USSR. Before 1994 such a service did not exist in Russia. The state did not see the need for such organizations. The staff of the charitable foundation "Human Spirit" were the initiators of the creation of Sisters. They developed Russia's first specialized program of psychological support for victims of sexual violence. Then, in 1994, the center started a confidential phone line, and since 1996 it has conducted art therapy groups for women who have experienced sexual violence.

"We see our basic task as being to provide psychological help to victims of violence, who often become "outcasts" in our society, and also to change the relationship of society to violence in general and to the victims of sexual violence in particular," says center director Irina Chernen'kaia.

The staff of the center consider their educational program to prevent sexual violence among youth, with the cooperation of the law enforcement authorities, and the development of networks of crisis centers to be their most promising work.

The results of Sisters' work in the past year were presented at the anniversary of the center, which was marked on April 18 at the A. Sakharov Museum. In 1996 there were 1, 730 calls on the confidential telephone line from people needing expert psychological help. 480 of them concerned sexual violence. 18 calls came from men. The other victims of violence were women and children. According to the center's statistics, the violence most often occurred in the street or in a park (10.4%), at the home of the victim (7.9%), or at the home of the perpetrator (7.1%). However, the staff of the center consider most significant the fact that only 11.9% of the victims went to the police, and only 2.9% of all cases of violence went to court.

Telephone number of the center: 141-7226

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