Moscow orphanage will benefit from charity concert The current financial and economic crisis has badly effected Russian social organisations. The UNDP Office in the RF and the Russian UN Association within the UNDP Programme in support of Democracy, Governance and Participation (DGP) decided to organise on December 9, 1998 a charity concert with the participation of leading Russian musicians. The concert will benefit the Moscow orphanage No. 12 for abandoned children from birth to 5 years of age. The list of contributors will be made public in the Russian Federation and world-wide through UNDP Headquarters in New York, as well as through national and international mass media. |
The city of Vladimir leads energy saving drive in Russia Tenants of multi-family residential buildings and industries in the city of Vladimir, Central Russia, soon hope to pay less for utility bills. But this does not mean that tariffs will be lowered. Cost savings will be achieved with a three-year $5,6 million UNDP programme to stop wasteful use of energy, while simultaneously reducing dangerous greenhouse gas emissions. The project envisions the introduction of new hot water metering and billing systems, as well as installation of autonomous heating facilities in residential and public buildings. Experience gained in Vladimir will be carefully monitored by other cities in the Russian Federation through a network of energy efficiency demonstration zones and two associated projects. |
| Poverty examined in light of
financial crisis A letter with proposals on ways and means to fight poverty in Russia will be soon sent to Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov. The proposals emanated from about 40 leading state, research and academic figures who took part in a joint UNDP and ILO-sponsored a Round-table discussion on growing poverty in Russia. The participants agreed that though, according to a Russian saying, «poverty is not a vice», it should not be tolerated because it means hunger, serious illnesses, low birth and high mortality rates, an increase in suicides, a degradation of education and a deterioration in health and science programmes. |
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Academician Ualina Sillaste was one of the main speakers at the discussions on poverty |
Poverty problems are not only intensified by the current financial and social crisis but also by the lack of any sustainable national programme to minimise its impact. Yet even in Russia with today's difficult conditions constructive steps could be made to fight poverty in the country by means of drafting and adopting clear-cut legislation and measures which can provide incentives to small and medium enterprises, assisting NGOs that work in social and human development areas, etc. The conclusions compiled by the ILO representatives in Moscow may give additional ideas for the government, federal parliament commissions, and other bodies when they consider new social and economic programmes. |
