I. Provincial Population is Receiving More Information About Civic Organizations

The independent research firm Vallidata recently conducted a survey of citizens in Krasnodar, Stavropol and Omsk concerning the activities of civic organizations. More than 3000 people took part in the survey. This survey was the second of its kind; the first was conducted in 1995, allowing surveyors to compare the results.

The survey revealed that citizen in Russia's regions are currently receiving more information regarding the activities of civic organizations. While in 1995 only 27 percent of respondents could name even one such organization without prompting, in 1997 33 percent were able to answer the question. In Stavropol, 80 percent of those able to name an organization cited Committee of Soldiers' Mothers; in Krasnodar the majority of respondents had heard of the Foundation for Veterans and Invalids; while in Omsk respondents knew about the Group for the War Against AIDS. Local and national newspapers and television were named as the primary source of information about civic groups by more than 80 percent of survey respondents (as compared with 60 percent in 1995). In the opinion of researchers, this figure indicates that Russian media is devoting more attention to the activities of NGOs and non-profit organizations: in 1995, many survey respondents said they knew of such organizations' existence only through conversations with friends and acquaintances.

However, the survey also revealed that the opinion of the public towards civic organizations has worsened a bit. The general director of Vallidata, Maria Volkenstein, believes that the reason for this can be found in the paternalistic relationship between the Russian government and its people -- a relationship which has been automatically transferred onto civic organizations as well. Survey respondents indicated that the activities of civic organizations on the whole were ineffective and that they didn't help enough people, particularly children, teenagers, or the disabled. However, a majority of those surveyed (80 percent) responded positively about the activities of specific organizations, such as the Committee of Soldiers' Mothers.

Surveyors noted that an interest in participating in civic groups is growing among the provincial population. While in 1995 only 13 percent of respondents indicated an interest in such activities, in 1997 the number had grown to 20 percent. Nearly 81 percent of survey participants expressed their support for a regional union of local civic organizations. 49 percent of those surveyed were able to clearly state why civic organizations were necessary (as opposed to 37 percent in 1995). But surveyors believe that the change in the public's attitude over two years towards civic organizations is insignificant. "In order to change the attitude of the majority of the population, the country must implement important reforms."

II. Glasnost Defense Fund & Belarus Association of Journalists Worried by Attempts to Limit Press Freedoms

On October 15 the Glasnost Defense Fund and the Belarus Association of Journalists issued a joint declaration in which they expressed their deep concern about new attempts to limit freedom of the press in Belarus. The declaration stated that the results of the first draft of a bill to modify the Republic of Belarus' law on press and media were perceived as negative by journalists in Russia and Belarus, as well as by international human rights organizations.

An excerpt from the statement reads: "The second draft of the bill will only further our alarm. The proposed modifications to the law will infringe on the constitutional rights of citizens to receive and distribute information. The changes and additions to sections 5, 6, 25, 31 and 50 [of the constitution of Belarus] will, in essence, legalize censorship. Granting the government extralegal rights to halt media activities represents an attempt to control the media. Additionally, the proposed registration of all publications with a circulation greater than 500 will essentially establish total government control over the distribution of printed materials."

The declaration also states that the proposed bill isn't in accordance with international norms or with the current laws governing the media in the Russian Federation. Furthermore, the bill violates articles 3, 6 and 13 of the Belarus-Russia Union Statutes, which provide for protection of press freedoms and media organizations, as well as for greater rapprochement between the legal systems of Belarus and the Russian Federation.

III. New Religious Law Already Provoking Rights Violations, States Civic Council of Christian Organizations

Following the adoption of the federal law on "freedom of conscience and religious associations" on October 1, 1997, human rights organizations in Russia are receiving complaints of rights violations from members of various religious confessions. Thus states the Civic Council of Christian Organizations, which expects a flood of complaints from Moscow and other regions of Russia. A significant number of rights violations have already been reported; for example, in Khakassia a Lutheran church was closed, and in Moscow Hare Krishnas have been harassed. In connection with these events Pyotr Abrashkin, chairman of the Civic Council of Christian Organizations, gave the following statement to an ASI correspondent:

"The crisis started more than a year ago, when different regions began instituting their own laws regarding religious associations. Following this, the federal government created the new law in order to 'limit the influence of destructive sects.' The results of this law are even worse than those from the Stalin era. Those who believe that this law was implemented in the interests of the Orthodox Church are incorrect. The law is anti-religious in its very essence, and to the Church it grants only the functions of a performer of ritual services.

Concrete results of the new law are illustrated by the experiences of a group of Pentecostals in Moscow. After the new law came into effect on October 1, the Pentecostals were turned out of the Palace of Culture, where they had held services, and from the piece of land they had intended to build a church on. When the group of evangelical Christians then attempted to hold services in a local park, they were thrown out by policemen. The Pentecostals then appealed to the local administration for help, but were told to hold their services "in the woods." On October 6, the pastor of the church was approached by policemen, who rudely demanded some sort of 'necessary' documents from him. The pastor extended his hands in an attempt to halt the unlawful action with prayer, but the gesture was interpreted as aggression by the policemen, who then placed the pastor in handcuffs."

IV. Jobs to Be Set Aside for Youth in St. Petersburg

On October 10, in conjunction with the international exhibition "Employment 2000," a press conference was held by St. Petersburg Governor Vladimir Yakovlev and the chairman of St. Petersburg's Committee on Employment, Dmitrii Cherneiko. The governor stated that job creation is one of the most pressing issues today, while noting that St. Petersburg is one the few areas in Russia that has reported a drop in unemployment. According to Yakovlev, at the beginning of 1997 49,000 people were registered as unemployed; by September, the number had dropped to 34,000. However, preliminary analysis shows that "hidden unemployment" affects nearly 400,000 city residents. During 1996, the city's employment center received over three million requests for work. Nearly 1000 people each week found jobs through the center. Dmitrii Cherneiko stated that the center is currently trying to focus on finding jobs for the disabled, the elderly and single mothers.

At the press conference it was also revealed that the governor had recently signed a law regarding job quotas for youth in St. Petersburg. The law is one of the first in Russia to be created specifically for the purpose of stimulating youth employment. 8,000 jobs in St. Petersburg will be set aside yearly for young people.

V. Anti-AIDS Group and Teachers' College Collaborate on AIDS Education Project in Kaluga Oblast

A series of of anti-AIDS educational materials prepared by the Kaluga-based Center for the Fight Against AIDS was reviewed and evaluated by senior students at the Meshchovsk Teachers College in Kaluga oblast. Despite Meshchovsk's distance from Moscow, or even from the oblast's capitol city, the problem of AIDS is a reality here. 144 cases of AIDS/HIV have been registered in Kaluga oblast; one of those cases lives in Meshchovsk. Students at the Teachers College are already required to take an AIDS education course, and it is quite popular.

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