I. International AIDS Awareness Day

This year Russia rose to first place in the world for the rate of HIV infection. According to data from the Russian Center for the Prevention and Fight Against AIDS, from January 1, 1997 to November 27, 1997, 6,448 cases of HIV infection were registered in the Russian Federation.

Specialists at the Russian Center for the Prevention and Fight Against AIDS predict that the number of reported cases of HIV infection will grow by the end of the year, possibly up to 8,000. But that figure doesn't include the number of unreported carriers of the virus, which experts fear could be four to five times greater. The greatest incidence of infection is in Kaliningrad oblast (1639 cases), Krasnodar Krai (1059), and Rostov oblast (651), followed by Moscow, Tver, Nizhegorod and Saratov oblasts.

The primary cause of HIV infection in Russia is intravenous drug use-- 93% of all reported cases connected to drug use. HIV is a youth disease; today 2.4 million children across the globe are infected with HIV. Accordingly, the theme for this year's International AIDS Awareness Day was "Children Living in a World with AIDS." Organizations in Russia observed the Day in a variety of ways-- UNICEF and the Russian Federation Ministry of Health organized a charity concert in Moscow on December 1 and teamed up with the international organizations "Doctors Without Borders" to start a safe sex campaign. A music video promoting safe sex practices was broadcast more than 250 times on commercial and government television channels. Additionally, copies of an AIDS prevention booklet were included in the December issue of "Cosmopolitan" magazine as well as being distributed to schools, clinics, bars, and composed short "jingles" on the topics of AIDS prevention and safe sex that were broadcast on radio stations throughout the Russian Federation and CIS countries. Radio stations also hosted informational programs where callers could ask experts questions about AIDS and HIV. Three groups-- "AIDS Info-Connection," "Women for the Health of the Nation" and the Red Cross Youth Center-- distributed condoms and AIDS prevention booklets to young people at night clubs and movie theaters in Moscow.

II. Weekly Environmental Program to Be Broadcast on the "Kultura" Channel

Ecological association "Nakanune" will soon host a half-hour weekly program on the "Kultura" television channel. The president of "Nakanune" is Dilbar Klado, a professional television journalist. For the past 10 years, she has specialized in stories on the environment and the ecological movement. Several years ago, Klado began producing her own short films on environmental issues that she now plans to show on the new program. The films include "The Area of Chernobyl" (which won the first prize at the Minsk Film Festival) and "When the Ice Opens," a film about hunting and trapping. Klado also recently finished a series of short films on the subject of urban ecology.

"Nakanune" was formed by a group of television journalists who wanted to present ecologically-themed films and televisions programs to a wider audience. The association is non-commercial and exists on donations from sponsors. In the future, "Nakanune" plans to launch a project producing nature films for educational purposes. Videocassettes containing nature films and television programs would be distributed to schools as a teaching aid. However, because the organization is relatively new, it has yet to obtain the tools for such a project and is soliciting help.

III. Disabled Children Get a Chance to Try Karaoke

Residents of a southeastern Moscow neighborhood had the opportunity to hear their favorite tunes from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s performed by members of the "Maria Plus" association, and organization for disabled children. The high level of vocal and artistic preparation made the audience forget that the performers were afflicted with diabetes, autism, cerebral palsy, and leukemia. Aleksandr Srapyan, director of the "Children's Karaoke Club" (organized by "Maria Plus" earlier this year), believes that it is possible to circumvent the psychological barrier that exists between the disabled and the non-handicapped. It is necessary to draw the attention of the public to the artistic talents of children, rather than dwelling on their handicap.

In an interview with ASI, Marina Astashkina, co-director of the "Children's Karaoke Club," noted: "We are not attempting to prepare these children to be professional artists. Only a small portion of these children, who come to us from all around Moscow, will be ale to appear on a real stage. The goal of the club, rather, is to teach them how to move more freely, pronounce words more clearly, and control their bodies and moods, or even just learn a new song." In the opinion of Aleksandr Srapyan, a singing person can improve not only their mood, but their health also. "Vocal therapy" can't replace a medical course of treatment, of course; however, singing is an easily accessible hobby that allows children the chance to leave the limitations of their disability behind and socialize with other kids. The idea for a children's karaoke club came about after members of "Maria Plus" attended a taping of the television program "Karaoke in Russian." They decided that disabled children could perform songs just as well as the adults on the show--and the "Children's Karaoke Club" was born.

Contact telephone: (095) 351-9491 (Aleksandr Srapyan and Marina Astashkina)

IV. Program for the Disabled in St. Petersburg Fails to be Realized

The celebration of the International Day of the Disabled (December 3) in St. Petersburg continued until December 10. During this period, disabled residents of St. Petersburg had the opportunity to attend theater performances for free. The free tickets were distributed by 21 theaters in St. Petersburg. And starting on January 1 of 1998, the handicapped will receive another present-- free use of public transportation within the city. However, the widely publicized program, "The City and the Disabled," which would have made urban transport more accessible to the disabled, has failed to get governmental support or sufficient financial backing. Thus, buses, trams and trolleys in St. Petersburg lack the equipment that could aid handicapped passengers. Currently the city is conducting a trial use of two Italian-made buses with lower floors and moveable platforms for wheelchair access. But the decision to buy more such buses will be made only after it is proved that the buses can operate in severe St. Petersburg winter conditions.

V. Volunteers in Tomsk to Meet with Representatives from Local Government and Business

On December 2 a round table discussion was held on the topic of the non-profit sector and its relationships with other elements of society. The goal of the round table was to help develop volunteer initiatives in Tomsk and to encourage people working in different sectors to participate in such projects. Representatives from 19 different NGOs took part in the discussion. The meetings was lead by Galina Popova, director of the Tomsk branch of the Russian Children's Foundation, and by Andrei Beloglazov, director of the Tomsk oblast fund, "Siberia-AIDS-help." In the opinion of the round table's participants, the main problem of he volunteer movement is poor public relations. The media, as a rule, doesn't give much coverage to events in the non-profit sector, while civic organizations lack the professionalism and publicity tools of the media. However, those gathered at the meeting agreed that many successful civic projects have been carried out in Tomsk, including the establishment of youth centers in the villages of Kislovok and Loskutii. Participants at the discussion resolved to hold a seminar on volunteer initiatives, to which they will invite representatives from the local government, and a seminar on corporate support for the non-profit sector, aimed at local business people.

Contact telephone: (3832) 46-4532 (Nikolai Slabzhanin)

VI. Young People Picket the Local Government Offices in Rostov-on-Don

The Rostov chapter of the Russian youth movement "New Course" plans to picket the offices of the Rostov oblast government on December 5. The protestors are demanding that "youth politics" be given an independent allotment within the 1998 budget and that the Rostov government support the draft legislation "On the foundations of youth politics in the Russian Federation." The picket was part of a larger project carried out by youth groups across Russia, entitled "We want to live by the law!" "New Course" members sent letters to oblast government officials in conjunction with the protest and met with Duma representatives Ishchenko, who is supporter of youth initiatives.

Contact e-mail: [email protected] (Victoria Sablina)

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