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United
Nations Development Programme |
On
the eve of the completion of his assignment as UNDP Resident Representative
in the Russian Federation Mr. Philippe Elghouayel was awarded Medal of Honour
of the Moscow State Institute (University) of International Relations (MGIMO).
While opening a ceremony at MGIMO, its Rector Professor Anatoly Torkunov called
this award a recognition of Mr. Philippe Elghouayel’s considerable personal
contribution to the development of friendly cooperation and partnership between
the leading Russian higher education institution in the field of international
relations, and the UN system’s organizations in Russia.
At the initiative of the UNDP Resident Representative the first University Ombudsman (commissioner for the rights of MGIMO students and employees) was established in Russia and this was followed by other Russian universities. The UN in Russia newsletter is also the result of UNDP and MGIMO joint initiative. It is published with support of UN Association of Russia, headed by Prof. Torkunov. For three years the UNDP Office in Russia and MGIMO have been implementing a number of joint projects, which have allowed both to strengthen working and cultural contacts and promote development of bilateral relations between Russia and the UN.
In accepting the high award, Mr. Philippe Elghouayel noted that he primarily attributes it to the high appreciation of UNDP activities in the Russian Federation.
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A
real New Year’s party with a Christmas tree and gifts from Grandfather Frost,
with toys and bright decorations was organized for Moscow Orphanage ¹ 12 for
abandoned children from 0 to 5 years of age. This wonderful celebration, which
will remain in memories of the little orphans for a long time, became possible
thanks to the efforts of the UNDP Moscow Office. The kids will also remember
this day thanks to a videocamera presented by the UNDP Moscow Office. Now the
children can maintain a daily record of their life.
It isn’t the first charity action for the benefit of the Moscow orphanage. In December 1998, the UNDP Office and the UN Association of Russia organized a charity concert in which famous Russian musicians, actors, singers took part. The concert was a great success, helping to collect over 20 thousand US dollars, spent on the improvement of living standards of the children as well as on clothes and equipment.
Everyone who cares about these children and who would like to help, please address:
Olga Bogdanova,
ph. + 7 (095) 787-2100, e-mail: olga.bogdanova undp.org.
We thank you in advance for your assistance.
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The
prevention measures against coronary artery disease and the public awareness campaign in this field are envisaged by the UNDP project
"Educational Programme in the Area of Cardiovascular Disease" for
therapeutists and cardiologists. The purpose of the project is to reduce the
number of cardiovascular diseases in Russia. The ishemic heart disease holds
the first place among the mortality reasons in 20th century.
Why is the public awareness camaign needed? Too often people aleady suffering from coronary artery disease can not properly diagnose their disease for a long time. They start self-treatment from osteohondrosis, neuralgia and other diseases, thus damaging their own health and losing precious time. Another objective of the public awareness campaign is to inform people about preventive tools and methods available to cardiologists these days.
The project is implemented by a team of experts of the Cardioang ology Centre, headed by Prof. Dav id loseliani. The seminars on the latest methods of diagnostics and treatment are regularly carried out here within the framework of the project. The patients can get acuainted with brochures on coroary angiographic method as well as booklets on modern methods for treating ishemic heart disease. They can also receive advice on what to do and where to go if they feel the first symptoms of disease. Besides, the information materials are distributed among cardiologists and general practitioners in polyclinics, hospitals, and the mass media.
In 1999, seminars and public awareness actions within the framework of the project were carried out in 10 Russian regions: Volgograd, Ekaterinburg, Ivanovo, Krasnoarsk, Nizhni Novgorod, Novosiirsk, Orenburg, St. Petersburg, Syktyvkar, Tyumen.
Project Manager
Lanssa Kuhkova
tel: (095) 925-31-91
The
last ten years have not only aggravated economic instability in Russia, but
have also brought many social diseases, which for a long time were considered
to be non-existent. Impoverishment of the majority of population was accompanied
by a dramatic growth in criminality, including child crime, drug abuse and suicide.
Who could imagine in the beginning of the twenty first century Russian society
would start to discuss again the problem of homeless children! Today their number,
according to various sources, is from 500 thousand up to 2.8 million.
The reasons for increasing number of homeless children as well as many other issues were discussed at an opening ceremony of the «Street Children» photo exhibition which was held in the office of the Moscow magazine «Our Heritage». The exhibition was organized by the UNDP and the UNESCO in Russia. According to UN statistics, from 20 to 30 percent of murders are commited in families with children annually. About 2 thousand children commit suicide; every year more than 50 thousand young children and teenagers run to the streets from insecure families. More and more children quit school, not being able even to read and write. Juvenile crime is also increasing. In 1999 children and teenagers commited over 208 thousand crimes. 80 percent of children who have commited a crime, then repeat it.
It is impossible to stay indifferent when you see pictures of a bare-footed girl with the doll, at teenagers drinking vodka at the rail way station, or other kids warming themselves near the Eternal Flame at the Second world war memorial in Volgograd. Many visitors expressed sharp criticism towards the authorities who too often ignore these problems. The homeless people in the streets of Russia indicate a social disease, even a threat to the nation’s stability and future. And there can be no future for a state that does not care about its growing generation. Those were just a few of the comment of the participants.
Speaking at the opening exhibition, Mr. Wolfgang Reuter, Director of the UNESCO Moscow bureau stressed that the problem of homeless children exists everywhere. But in Russia it has become one of the most acute. That is why it is necessary for all of us to join efforts in eliminating it. Last year the UNDP and the UNESCO launched the “Street Children” campaign in Moscow, St.-Petersburg, Irkutsk and Syktyvkar under the general slogan “Help the Child!”
This mobile exhibition is part of the campaign. The women’s regional centres which were created with the UNDP assistance in the Republic of Komi and Irkutsk organized a mobile exhibition of the works of the best Russian photographers devoted to homeless children in order to attract the attention of the public and authorities. The photo exhibition has already travelled through Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Sayansk, Syktyvkar and further from the capital will set off to St. Petersburg.
Everywhere the exhibition was accompanied by discussions on the problem of homeless children, Mrs. Galina Kalinaeva, the project’s consultant says that in every city doctors, teachers, journalists and officials discussed what the local authorities and the civil society could do to help homeless children. One of the concrete results of the campaign in the Republic of Komi was the decision to create new children homes of a family type. In December 2000 the Syktyvkar Women Centre and the “Street Children” project participated in the TV Marathon “Help the Child!” which allowed to raise more than 480 thousand roubles within 3 hours.
The opening ceremony in Moscow was attended by many officials,
including representatives of the State Duma, Ministry of 
Labour
and Social Development and the Moscow City Government, who directly deal with
the street children problem. One of the visitors addressed her question to them.
She asked whether it is possible to solve the problem, if the majority of parents
can not ensure normal lives for their children because their salaries as well
as the salaries of the child ensuring staff are hardly enough for them to survive?
In this regard it is worth mentioning an alarming statement by Professor Valery Elizarov of Moscow State University at a recent Internet conference at the Russian Government’s headquarters. He said that today not every young Russian family have the courage to have a second child, because this happy event at the same time would inevitably bring the family down below the poverty line. According to the Institute of Social Economic Problems, almost one third of the Russian population lives in poverty.
Today the officials, researchers and public all agree that the main root of the homeless children’s problem is poverty. And aslong as this main problem is not resolved, thousands of children will remain on the street.
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“Stomatology
for all” is the motto of a private stomatological clinic “N-DENTAL” that operates
in Naro-Fominsk town of Moscow region. The clinic was organized by two officers,
A. Osipovsky and N. Gorshkov, stomatologists by profession, who had served in
the army in Naro-Fominsk and then had been transferred to the reserve. Upon
termination of their contracts they decided not to leave the military camp and
to organize their own business there.
The first assistance to the former military men and their families was rendered by the local administration which has given rooms for rent. Then they worked out a detailed business plan through the social business centre created with UNDP assistance in Mytishchi, another Moscow region town. Thanks to the business plan each of them succeeded in a competition to receive a 7.5 thousand dollar microcredits. The money was consumed in the purchase of advanced stomatological equipment.
Today “N-DENTAL” is one of the best stomatological clinics in Naro-Fominsk area, though its staff is only eight people. As a matter of fact, it is a family enterprise, since participation of the members of families of the former military men have been one of the main requirements for organization of a similar business.
As a result of the current reform of the Russian army, many military men have found no business for themselves. And finding a new business or job has become their main problem. To help them is the target of the project on adaptation of the former military men which the UNDP has carried out since 1998 in the Moscow area, where there are a lot of military units.
Twelve social-business centres have been created and successfully work as structures of Moscow Area Department of the Federal State Service for Employment of the Population. Citizens wishing to start their own business can receive consultations and study some bases of enterprise activities at special training courses. Since 1999, future business people can also get one year loan as a financial assistance. As a rule, the size of the microcredit does not exceed ten thousand dollars, but it is quite enough for some former officers to believe again in their abilities and to start their own business. Till now such loans are given to six former military men.
Project Manager
Leonid Tretyak
tel.: (095) 283-18-64