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Friends House Moscow Newsletter |
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| FHM celebrates ten years of service | In traveling across the US to promote Friends House Moscow, there were 2 recurring questions, one skeptical and one astonished: How many people have you actually helped? and How can you accomplish so much with such limited staff and resources? My answer to both questions is really the same: No one can say how far a ripple travels when a pebble is tossed into a lake. Although I am one of the founding members of FHM and have been on the board continuously from its inception, I am nevertheless as amazed at its accomplishments as one who is learning of our work for the first time. Listing the hundreds of small projects that we have supported would take several pages. Summarizing them would lump them into categories that put the emphasis on the clients -- orphans, disabled children, COs, refugees, etc. Certainly we are gratified that we have been able to bring some improvement to the lives and situations of these individuals who are often "throw-aways" in their own society. However, I would like to talk about the broader picture. The key to our work is Listening rather than telling; Most of the staff time is spent listening to the individuals and groups that come to us, discerning what they want to accomplish, helping them to express that desire, and showing them how to organize their work so that it can be funded and successful. In the early days of FHM, much of the time was actually spent attending meetings, networking, finding these people and discerning which ones had visions ready to blossom into reality. One of our early projects was the support of a small School for Chechen Refugees that sprouted from one college student whose only plan was, "I want to help the children who aren't admitted to the schools." This school still operates today and has expanded many times. Another project began with a woman who told us of an orphanage whose staff had no training to work with the children all of whom were mentally challenged in one way or another. This resulted in the connection between that orphanage and a nearby training college, a cooperation that benefited both institutions and continued for many years. With the emphasis on doing the minimum so that others can do their best and help the most people, the work of a small staff can go a long way. Friends House Moscow has supported the development of Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) since the early 1990s. This process of teaching a creative and nonviolent way to respond to challenging or threatening situations was developed by Quakers and is often used in prisons in the US, but its effects go far beyond the individuals who take the trainings. One young woman said, regarding how she would use the new skills she had learned in the AVP training, "This will completely change the way I look for a husband." Obviously the new ways of communicating can be applied to family, work, and school and will, in return, have a positive impact on those relationships. One person trained in AVP may touch and affect the lives of hundreds of others. This is a seeding process that reaps great rewards from each person trained. Although there have been thousands that our work has touched directly, the effect does not stop there. Every person who is empowered to make a difference in a society that operated on self protection, suspicion and fear for centuries touches the live of many other friends, neighbors, coworkers and family. Each of these may also learn something about a different way of thinking about community, a different and effective way to respond to the needs of others. In addition, each person helped by a program that we have supported -- each orphan, refugee, disabled child, CO, battered woman, child of the street, abused teenager, prisoner, ex-convict, soldier -- also sees his/her society in a different light. Each individual who was given caring, unselfish help may be better able to respond to others in a similar way. They become more healthy and productive citizens but also more caring, more responsible -- more able to respond to the needs of others.
This is the kind of civil society |
| Friends House Moscow's Tenth Birthday by Mark O'Neill, staff |
On the 1st of January 2006 Friends House Moscow (FHM) celebrated the ten year anniversary of its opening. FHM was founded on the initiative of Friends worldwide. In the last ten years Russian society has seen many changes, but FHM is still carrying out its mission by providing a stable presence in Russia to express the unique faith and practice of the Religious Society of Friends. FHM was set up to encourage spiritual growth and the development of a civil society based on mutual trust and community in Russia.
Over the last decade money raised by FHM has been used to support hundreds of projects in different regions in Russia. Most of these projects are run by groups or individuals who simply want to help solve the problems they see in their community. Often they have little experience of grant writing and the sums they ask for are too small to be able to get help from other charities with budgets of millions, however the work these groups carry out is still of great importance. Following is some information about how FHM’s projects are working now to solve problems in Russian society today. Military Service Russia still requires military service of men between eighteen and twenty-seven. A significant number of men are able to avoid the draft by remaining in full time education or by having to look after a dependent. Others escape the draft by paying a bribe to an official or to a doctor to get a medical certificate saying they are unfit to serve. Such a bribe in Moscow will cost more than $2000, so this is not an option for many. A large number of men simply hide from the authorities. A former intern at FHM spent five years working in a forest away from his family but also from the reach of the draft commission. Although the official figure states that only around ten per cent of Russian men serve in the army, this does not mean one should not be concerned by the situation. Bullying or dedovshchina is what the new conscripts can expect. The second year conscripts abuse the first year conscripts, who then in their second year go on to abuse the new intakes. A recent report by Human Rights Watch described the situation as ‘horrific’ and reported that hundreds of conscripts are killed or commit suicide because of the bullying, thousands run away and even more are left psychologically scarred. Since the 1st of January 2004 a new law was introduced allowing civilian service, but it is possible that some of those who choose to take the civilian option can still end up serving their time working in a non-combat role at a military base, and therefore staying in the same barracks with the regular conscripts and are subjected to even worse abuse than the soldiers.
In addition, several AVP groups have been holding AVP workshops with conscripts in the army (as pictured doing a "blind trust walk"). Feedback from these workshops has shown that the conscripts found this work useful in helping them deal with the difficult situation they find themselves in. Several conscripts said that the workshops allowed them to ‘remain human’. Domestic Violence Often domestic violence and alcoholism go hand in hand. The situation in Russia is no exception. The level of alcoholism in Russia is high and so is the level of domestic violence. The official figures are alarming; one in four women has suffered from domestic violence at some point in her life, although support groups argue that the real figure is even higher. Although the extent of domestic violence is high, there is little support for the victims. Often the police are very reluctant to get involved in what they see as a private affair between the individuals. In most cases the woman is too embarrassed to get help and is forced to suffer alone. FHM has funded, and continues to fund, two projects which help women who suffer from domestic violence. One is a women’s crisis centre in Gatchina, near St Petersburg. At this centre women and children can stay overnight if they are in danger. The centre also runs support groups and a confidential phone line. Volunteers from the centre accompany women to see a doctor if needed. A lawyer gives his time and advice to women at the centre on any legal issues. The second project is in Dzerzhinsk, near Nizhni Novgorod. This centre provides the same services as the one in Gatchina, but also offers psychological help to the women and children. In addition, sessions are held here with the violent partner and a psychologist. Children
FHM has helped several orphanages in Russia. One of our projects was an orphanage in Volgodonsk, South Russia (pictured). This project was especially beneficial as it did not just involve donating supplies to an orphanage. A group of local school children helped distribute the supplies, which not only helped the orphanage but also encouraged the children to take a role in solving the problems in their community. The school children also performed plays for the orphans and expressed their pleasure at helping others. A major problem orphans face is that the education they receive at the orphanage does not get them a certificate of secondary education (equivalent to a high school diploma) and without this they cannot continue further education. The Moscow project called ‘Big Change’ also funded by FHM, works to change this situation. Here, young adult orphans are given the opportunity to study at the centre to get their certificate. Another group of underprivileged children FHM supports is disabled children. According to figures released by the Russian Ministry of Health seventy per cent of Russian children are born with health problems. This is caused by a poor standard of living, inadequate medical care, alcoholism, and an unhealthy environment: an estimated twenty per cent of Russian children born today have a disability or defect caused by pollution. Disabled children in Russia very often do not receive the support they need from the state and often parents are left to cope alone. FHM has funded several organisations that work with disabled children. One such group is Raduga (Rainbow) in Moscow. This group receives no funding from the state; it is run by the mothers of the children, who volunteer their time and skills. Several classes are taught in math, music, nature, and handicrafts. These children would not receive these lessons otherwise, as they have been labelled as ‘unteachable’. As well as providing the children with interaction and learning, the centre also allows the parents to have a well-earned break from caring for their children. Alternatives to Violence Project
AVP workshops are now being held with conscripts in the army in Moscow and Lipetsk, and AVP Moscow is currently negotiating with the prison authorities to be able to hold workshops with prisoners and prison psychologists. The AVP group in Chechnya (pictured on page 3) works with refugees from three Russian republics, Chechnya, Ingushetia and North Osetia. Since the school siege in Beslan, tension and anger between the three republics has increased. These workshops help participants to overcome prejudices and help to reduce aggression between the three ethnic groups. Quaker Outreach As well as supporting charitable and social action organisations in Russia, another FHM priority is to support Friends and seekers interested in Quakerism in Russia. FHM supports Moscow Monthly Meeting in many ways including spiritual sessions held monthly at FHM for members and seekers who wish to discuss the Quaker faith. FHM holds a yearly gathering for seekers from Russia and its neighbouring countries. In 2004 a gathering was held in Elektrostal, about an hour’s train ride from Moscow. Seekers from several regions of Russian and Belarus were able to meet with Friends from Russia, Britain and the US to get an insight into Quakerism and experience first hand Quaker Meeting for Worship. Workshops were held on various themes, depending on what the seekers wished to learn more about. Last year's themes included the Message of Friends, Experiences of Quaker Meeting for Worship, Evangelical Quakerism, Meetings for Clearness as an example of Quaker practice and an AVP mini-workshop. As well as learning though the workshops, holding a gathering provides Russian seekers with an opportunity to meet with experienced Friends who can share their experiences and answer questions. FHM also has a library where people can access books about Quakerism and FHM has been involved in many projects to translate Quaker literature into Russian. A Quaker website is run by FHM where people can find out more about Quakerism and read or order Quaker literature which has been translated into Russian. FHM relies on funds from individuals and Meetings in order to continue its task. Please help FHM through the next decade by donating or by asking your Meeting to support FHM. If you as an individual or your Meeting would like to receive electronically a quarterly report from FHM please send an email with the heading 'Quarterly Reports - subscribe' to info@quakers.ru..
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| Newsletter Notifications | If you'd like a convenient notification when new issues of the Friends House Moscow Newsletter are posted at this site, we would be glad to send you an e-mail. Write to the editor at the address on the contacts page. As always, you can choose to receive printable files for distribution on paper or the Web version for reading online. If you also receive a paper copy of the newsletter and would prefer that we save the paper and printing costs, let us know that you only want the online access to the newsletter. The same content will be online; the only thing you will miss is the contribution envelope that is included with the paper newsletter. We count on your continued support even without the envelope. The newsletter is the only solicitation of funds that we issue. |
| Projects Completed in 2005 |
AVP Chechnya [spring 05] ... 23,100 Russian Rubles (RUR) ~ $810 It is the first time that many of the participants have taken part in such workshops which widened the AVP programme within the Chechen Republic where it is most needed by both adults and young people. As a result of these workshops the young people started to communicate and leave behind fears and stereotypes which existed earlier. AVP Lipetsk [spring 05] ... 31,493 RUR ~ $1,105
They also established and strengthened contacts with military sectors by holding Basic and Advanced workshops there, held one Basic and one Advanced workshop in Lipetsk, held two one-day workshops and one presentational training session, increased the number of participants at the workshops to fifteen, and increased the qualifications of three facilitators and made them more active in the work of the project. The presentational session interested socially aware young people and attracted them to the project. AVP Moscow [spring 05] ... 110,722 RUR ~ $3,885 Two new joint-coordinators were elected and started working. At the T4T (Training for Trainers) in Odessa, eleven facilitators were trained, several of which gained experience in holding basic workshops with experienced Muscovite trainers. We started plans for workshops in Lithuania and have prepared an application to hold workshops there. We received positive responses from the administration of the club Yupiter in Kingispe about holding workshops with teenagers from deprived families in the St. Petersburg region at the city’s children’s camp. We arranged continuing work with the soldiers from the Dzezhinsk division in Moscow. In the future we would like help in bringing facilitators from Russian regions, the Ukraine and Chechnya to Moscow to exchange experiences in holding AVP training sessions and help in re-establishing contacts with international facilitators. We, as previously, are trying to widen the area of activity of AVP, by establishing contacts with organisations and individuals. Together Summer Camp [summer 05] ... 30,000 RUR ~ $1,052 Refugee children in Moscow experience much discrimination and verbal abuse. Resting at the summer camp together with Muscovite children was a valuable experience for both groups. They learned useful information and skills in protecting one’s rights and got to know about the theme of human rights. The camp promoted the growth of tolerance and the lowering of xenophobia. The results of the project were more or less as expected, but even we were surprised by the children’s high interest in human rights and their wish to learn. The group of Moscow children demonstrated a high level of tolerance and willingness to communicate with the refugee children. |
| Projects Approved November 2005 |
AVP Moscow ... 63,600 Russian Rubles (RUR) ~ $2,240 Plans include two Basic workshops in Moscow (40 hours), Basic workshops with soldiers and prisoners (4 days), three Basic workshops outside of Moscow, three one-day workshops outside of Moscow, one Advanced workshop in Moscow (20 hours), one Advanced workshop outside of Moscow, one T4T workshop (20 hours), four one-day workshops with soldiers (32 hours), four one-day workshops in Moscow (32 hours), two workshops for facilitators (8 hours), four AVP council meetings, two presentational training sessions (8 hours), and one AVP round table. They will also cooperate with other organisations by participating in round table meetings and update and add to the website. AVP Odessa ... 27,930 RUR ~ $980 This project addresses the high level of violence and social tension especially among the vulnerable sections of society, working particularly with children and adults who have committed criminal acts, social workers, prison workers, and victims of domestic violence. The Odessa Regional Mediation Group will develop AVP in Odessa, the Crimea, Lvov and problematic areas in the southern region and deepen the atmosphere of trust in the community of facilitators. Those to be served include teenagers at school, up to 15 students at higher education institutes who have committed crimes, up to 12 supervisors at a women’s penal colony, up to 50 educational workers and pupils, plus prisoners, former prisoners and society in Odessa as a whole. Plans include five Basic workshops with teenagers, women susceptible to domestic violence and with social activists, two Advanced workshops with facilitators from Moscow, one T4T workshop, four one-day workshops, and four meetings for facilitators. They will also extend a library of psychological literature, cooperate with other organisations and take part in round table events. Training Specialists at a College to Work with Teenagers with Behavioural Problems ... 27,800 RUR ~ $975 At Polytechnical College №2 they aim to teach teenagers, from thirteen to seventeen years old, who are incapable of studying in ordinary general-educational establishments because of psychological and social features (a lack of attention, aggressiveness, addictions or criminal behaviour). One can see the inability of the teachers at the technical college to make open, sincere, personal contacts and relations with these children. The relation between the teachers and children is tense and aggressive. For the most part, secondary special education is not highly paid and the teachers consider the teenagers to be ‘delinquent’ and don’t believe in the student’s capabilities. Nevertheless, the students are very responsive to good relations and capable of changing. The trainings will be conducted by four professional psychologists and trainers each having two to three years’ experience of holding training seminars on various forms of socio-psychological adaptation and four to seven years’ experience of training work with teenagers. Goals include changing the negative psychological position in relating with the students, increasing the professional level of the teachers in the field of preventing social-psychological deprivation, learning methods to work with teenagers, and lowering the level of aggression and tension in the relation between the teachers and teenagers. The teenagers will be able to experience cooperation with adults, a responsible relation to their own life and learn to rely upon their own resources which will improve the students’ attitude to studying at the polytechnic college. Raduga (Rainbow) ... 20,000 RUR ~ $705 Disabled children have a problem with socialisation and adapting to the surrounding world. The parents also have problems in overcoming the stressful situation. Plans include lessons with the children on ecology and flora, working with natural materials, , going on excursions, and working with speech therapists and child psychologists with the goal of developing the creative imagination and the coordination skills of the children. Fourteen children will take part in the group work and six in the individual activities. Ten parents will receive help learning relaxation skills. Captains of Destiny ... 27,700 RUR ~ $975 Children left by their parents in the care of the state and brought up in children’s homes show increased aggression and anxiety, a victim status and justification for their aggression, as well as an over-dependence on others which makes it more difficult to adapt to an independent life. Most are from deprived families and have experienced living on the street. They often have tendencies to smoke, use drugs and drink. There are also children who have come from a prison colony for underage offenders. Plans include two training sessions for teachers and five training sessions for one group of children at the orphanage Nash Dom [Our House] aimed at personal growth, increasing the culture of communication and developing the ability to project and conduct oneself. Other activities focus on preventing dependency on nicotine, alcohol and drugs. Programme of Psychological Help ... 51,000 RUR ~ $1795 Up to thirty-five children of refugees and forced migrants and from thirty to fifty volunteers at the centre will be served. The programme is designed to improve the psychological well-being of the children who need long term emotional support and to increase the competence of the volunteers. Plans include bringing two psychologists to organise individual sessions with the children most in need, organising consultations with the volunteers who work with traumatised children, testing potential volunteers with the aim of determining their abilities to work with children, and testing the children’s level of cognitive process development. |
| Russia News Highlights |
Repressive NGO Law Proposed MosNews, St Petersburg Times, Reuters, and BBC, Dec 6, 2005 The proposed legislation would bar foreign human rights groups, green organizations and medical charities from working in Russia, and require local non-profit groups (there are about 450,000 in Russia) to re-register and make it harder for them to take foreign cash. Duma deputy Alexei Ostrovsky defended the bill: “We have seen what happened in Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova and how these local branches of foreign NGOs(Non-governmental Organizations) funded by the CIA functioned.” Putin said the measure would “help protect our society from the spread of terrorist and misanthropic ideology.” However, the Public Chamber, the Kremlin-initiated public oversight body, said the bill contradicts Russia’s constitution and international law and could lead to corruption by giving officials too much power over NGOs. In response to this and heavy criticism from the West, Putin has ordered a draft of amendments taking into account concerns of Russian NGOs and advice from European Union experts. [editor: FHM is a registered Russian NGO and how it would effect us is unclear.] Lutheran Church Reopened St. Petersburg Times, Dec 6, 2005 The Swedish Evangelical-Lutheran Curch in St. Petersburg has reopened for full religious service after more than 70 years. Swedish and Russian Lutherans had been conducting services in a smaller room in the building since 1991. In celebration, the city’s Swedish Lutheran’s conducted a special service, delivered in Russian, Swedish, English and German languages. It was a sign that Christian culture in the city is flourishing where in previous decades it was swept aside. Putin Orders Military Reforms St. Petersburg Times, Dec 6, 2005 President Vladimir Putin has ordered the cabinet to draft a bill reducing compulsory army service from two years to one starting in 2008. Other amendments would abolish many exemptions from compulsory service and would allow contract soldiers who have served at least three years to enter colleges and universities without taking entrance exams. [editor: It is unclear if this bill would affect the alternative service requirement which now stands at nearly 4 years.] Putin Pledges $6.3 billion for Social Projects in 2006 Mosnews, Nov. 30, 2005 President Vladimir Putin trumpeted pledges Tuesday to channel $6.3 billion of Russia’s massive oil earnings into social projects in 2006. If approved, spending on education and agriculture would rise by more than 30%, health care would increase by 60%, and spending on new housing would be quadrupled. “The favorable economic conditions in Russia today allow us to make considerable investments to raise the quality of life of our citizens,” he said in televised comments. However, economists have warned that the extra spending could fuel inflation, which is forecast at 11.5% for the year. |
| June 2006 Tour; openings for service |
June 2006 Quaker tour to And we are always accepting applications for interns, staff, and Friends-in-Residence. For more information contact Julie Harlow at the e-mail link below. |
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The ‘house’ in Friends House Moscow is actually a flat situated in central Moscow. It serves as both office and living space for the staff. FHM has two full-time staff members at the present time: Sergei Grushko from Volgodonsk, Russia, and Mark O’Neill from Southampton, Britain. Decisions on FHM’s activities are taken by a board of fourteen Quaker volunteers with members from Britain, Germany, Norway, Russia, Japan and the US.
At FHM we have worked with Sergei Sorokin, a CO activist, for several years helping him to defend Russian men who seek to implement their right not to serve in the army. We have also funded a project in Pskov, near St Petersburg, where seminars were held in villages in the surrounding area to inform young men of their right not to serve in the army. We are currently funding a project in Kazan where a group of people who have just finished their alternative service are setting up a website to advise others.
FHM works with groups helping deprived children. Orphans are just one category among these children. Many children run away from home due to abuse, alcoholic parents or neglect. These children often end up on the street which can lead to criminality, drug abuse, violence and prostitution.
Currently FHM is funding Alternatives to Violence Projects (AVP) in different regions of Russia -- Moscow, Lipetsk (about 500km south of Moscow), Dzerzhinsk (near Nizni Novgorod) and Chechnya, and AVP Moscow is sending facilitators to begin trainings in Lithuania.
These workshops served to develop the skills to constructively resolve conflicts and violent situations among the residents of Lipetsk, to develop the qualifications of facilitators in holding workshops with various categories of participants, such as soldiers, and to strengthen and develop contacts with the army, universities and the organisation 'Parents against Drugs'.