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UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund |
On November 8 UNICEF published the MONEE Report “Young People in Changing Societies”, which examined the generation of the transition period, 65 million young people in 27 countries of the CIS, Eastern and Central Europe.
The international launch of the MONEE Report took place in Geneva, where it was submitted by UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy. The Russian presentation was held in the State Central Museum of Modern History of Russia, in a hall, where a photo exhibition of UNICEF devoted to the problems of children in Russia was opened. Rosemary McCreery, UNICEF Representative in the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Belarus; John Micklewright, Head of Research at Innocenti Centre; and representatives of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, and the Moscow City Government were present at the event. In discussions dedicated to the problems of Russian youth – today they are about 22 million – and possible ways of improvement of the actual situation, representatives of other governmental and non-governmental organizations and mass media also took part.
The UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, based in Florence, Italy prepared this regional monitoring report, as well as six previous reports. The statistical data and results of the work of focus groups consisting of young people have served as key material in these reports. The report is devoted to the generation that has grown up after the fall of the Berlin wall and perestroika. The transition from the communist system to market economies opened new social and economic opportunities for youth living in the region. The rates of illness and unemployment considerably increased during this period, as did the number of young people who left school. So, for example, an average level of unemployment among youth in the region is 30 percent, which is double the average. The rate of unemployment among Russian youth does not lag behind an average parameter.
“Young people are clearly benefitting from an array of economic and social reforms”, – considered the UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy, – “But we are worried about the fate of thousands of young people, who are forgotten – drug users, street children, young prostitutes, jobless and HIV-infected people. Their number grows”.
Today the situation of the youth of the transition period in Russia develops as follows. The number of mothers between 15 and 19 years increased 20 percent in 1998 in comparison with 1989. Almost each hundredth Russian girl between the ages of 18 and 19 years have contracted syphilis. The level of suicides among young men of ages 15 to 24 years has almost doubled in the last ten years. Literally, in the last few years the number of girls who smoke doubled. According to the evaluation of public health services, social services and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the number of drug users is about 1.5 – 3 million and is growing steadily.
The HIV/AIDS-epidemic, which began in Russia, first of all affects young people. In November, in the Russian Federation there were almost 70,000 HIV-infected people officially registered while the total number may be about 400,000. The dynamic growth of this illness shows, that a share of young people between the ages of 17 and 23 among the HIV-infected considerably increased and continues to rise. Three quarters of the HIV-infection new cases registered in 1998 were connected to the use of injected drugs.
Opportunities missed by the society inevitably lead young people to personal dramas, and these dramas and all successes and the failures of the state are reflected in statistical figures. In each figure of the MONEE Report “Young People in Changing Societies” there is an answer to questions of whether reforms go the right way, they are in vain or are justified efforts of politicians…
But the most important conclusion contained in the report, confirmed by the participants of the presentation, is that Russian young people are enthusiastic about the reforms in the country. Despite obvious difficulties and disappointments of the transition period, the young people see their future in a good formation, getting qualified professions and self-development. And it gives hope that the youth of the transition period will become a basis for the post-transition society and can achieve their goals working both for their own benefit, and for the benefit of the country.
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UNICEF is developing connections with the representatives of business of Russia. Recently a contract was signed for cooperation between UNICEF and Sheraton Palace, a five star hotel in Moscow that is part of the network Starwood Hotels. Thus, Moscow Sheraton Palace has joined the international program “Check Out for Children” to fundraise for UNICEF.
This program was launched five years ago in November 1995 with a very simple essence and management. On the arrival at Sheraton Palace every guest is informed about the project “Check Out for Children” and is invited to participate in it freely. If the visitor agrees, one dollar is added to a joint account for staying in the hotel. A visitor can refuse, or can, on the contrary, increase the sum of the donation. One dollar for a typical guest of the Sheraton Palace chain is an insignificant amount of money, but as a result the solid means are collected.
The program was launched in Great Britain by UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, actor Roger Moore, and later expanded into Asia. In recent years the hotels of Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America have joined the programme, and now Russia has joined. In 5 years, US$5 million was collected for immunization programmes. The cost of one immunization against basic childhood infectious diseases is approximately US$17. As a result of this programme more than 275,000 children were immunized against diphtheria, polio, tuberculosis, tetanus and measles. The means assembled in June 1999 were directed to vacination of all children from Kosovo in IDP camps.
The employees of Sheraton Palace have decided to contribute their strength to the fundraising campaign for the benefit of UNICEF. A special project for the hotel staff, called “Give Me Five”, is beginning now. Robert Scott, Vice President General Counsel for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, considers that this project makes it possible to expand business relations of the employees with local business community, and will result in the expansion of UNICEF programmes.
The employees of Moscow Sheraton Palace actively have joined the realization of the new program. In the lobby of the hotel there is a mobile exhibition, provided by UNICEF Moscow Office about UNICEF activities in Russia. The goals and tasks of the programme were designated during a meeting of the general manager of the hotel and its most important corporate clients. In two months from the beginning of the project about US$7,000 were transferred to the account of UNICEF in the Russian Federation.
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In
the State Central Museum of Modern History of Russia a photo exhibition “Russia.
Transition period. 34,000,000” was opened. It was prepared by UNICEF and devoted
to modern problems and the prospects for the future of Russian children.
The exhibition represents the project, the overall objective of which is the creation of a socially valuable “visual documentary” about Russian children in need of special protection. Over several months Russian photographers took pictures in children’s orphanages, centres of socio-psychological rehabilitation for the disabled children, maternity houses, IDP camps and other sites of UNICEF program activities.
There are 80 works of Russian photographers presented at the exposition, among those whose work are shown are: I.Gavrilov (the winner of the Gold medal of KODAK, issued on the 150th anniversary of the photo), O. Nikishin (the prize-winner of the All-Russia competition of reportage snap shots InterPhoto), V. Suvorov, A. Shemlyayev, A. Khasanov, O. Kochubey and other photographers.
