News
Tatyana Panyusheva, specialist of the ANO Pro-Mama Center for Comprehensive Family Guidance, to make a presentation at PROFLAB
On 14 and 20 March, Tatyana Panyusheva, specialist of the ANO Pro-Mama Center, will dwell on loss and identity, which are critical areas for those who work with orphans, within the framework of the PROFLAB educational course. For more than five years, Tatyana, who is a child psychologist and psychotherapist with a degree in psychology, has been working with children directly and advising adoptive families.
International Conference Focuses on Deinstitutionalization of Orphans: International and Moscow's Experience
On 17 and 18 March 2014, the Russian capital will host an international conference titled "Deinstitutionalization of Orphans: International and Moscow's Experience." The head of the metropolitan Department of Social Protection, specialists from guardianship agencies and organizations for orphans and children will take part in the Conference. Experts from the USA, the UK, France, Bulgaria, Belarus and Ukraine are also expected to attend it. During the Conference, our Foundation employees intend to look into international best practice in the family placement of orphans and parentless children, to assess its applicability in Moscow and explore forms and methods for involving substitute families. Items for discussion embrace innovative forms for selecting guardians and curators, the training of prospective adoptive parents, and those who foster children with disorders, disabled children, teenagers, and siblings.
Refresher Courses "Social Entrepreneurship: From Idea to Business Idea" Target NCOs
1. Between 12 and 21 March 2014, our Foundation employees are going to attend the course titled "Social Entrepreneurship: from Idea to Business Idea" to be held at the Institute of International Socio-Humanitarian Relations. The course will focus on
· the basic concepts of social entrepreneurship;
· entrepreneur in the social sphere: formula of an ideal NCO head;
· portfolio of a social entrepreneur;
· key competences of a successful organization: product uniqueness, personnel exclusiveness, flexible business culture;
· social sphere marketing: needs, resources, tools for interacting with target groups;
· assessment of initial costs and risks;
· principles of effective presentation of an idea;
· protection of business ideas of trainees.
Round Table Focuses on "Musical Volunteership in Russia
1. On 7 March 2014, we attended a round table devoted to "Musical Volunteership in Russia" hosted by the Union of Voluntary Organizations and Movements. The gathering brought together volunteer musicians, organizers of musical events in social institutions, and event coordinators from volunteer communities. Though music therapy is not taught in Russia, volunteers play and sing in children's hospitals, hospices, and homes for elderly and are keen to enlarge their experience and participate in new events! http://www.miloserdie.ru/articles/posadit-lezhachuyu-babushku-i-usypit-bujnogo-chto-mozhet-muzterapiya
Members of the Russian Government Council on Guardianship in the Social Sphere have attended the Opening of the 2014 Winter Paralympics
1. On 7 March, Council members have attended the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics. Dmitry Medvedev said: "The Council was established a little more than a year ago. You represent diverse public, voluntary organizations, large companies, or not very large ones, foundations, and social institutions. By and large, all of you are not apathetic people, that is why you are with our Council and do what you consider appropriate: help sick people, orphans, the disabled and elderly." http://government.ru/news/10927
Aleksandr Kolmanovsky at PROFLAB
Aleksandr Kolmanovsky, who has been a school psychologist for a decade. He is engaged in the rehabilitation of survivors of the Beslan school hostage crisis, and runs "Our Life", the Center for Socio-Psychological Rehabilitation. On 6 and 13 March, Aleksandr is conducting a workshop titled "Psychological Characteristics of Children" within the framework of the PROFLAB educational course. He is going to tell about factors affecting the psychological stability, adequacy and successfulness of a child, and about such an important concept as "self-acceptance."
"THEY" Exhibition at FOTODOC
On 6 March, a show titled "THEY" was launched at FOTODOC, the Documentary Photography Center. The show displays twenty top Russian photographers and journalists focusing on the life of foreign migrant workers in Russia over recent years. They are people coming from various countries, mainly to support their families. We need them and they need us, otherwise they would not have come. They sweep streets, build houses, do digging, care for old people and children, work as petty traders or even managers. They teach children, marry, or play basketball. They fear walking alone at night and ride in commuter trains. They can look and speak differently, and sometimes commit crimes. They are an ideal hate target in the country, where the word "tolerance" is frequently used as a curse. The "They" show is an attempt to take an unbiased look at the life of migrants and answer questions asked by society about the mass arrival of foreign workers. The show will be open until 30 March from 1.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m., except Monday and Tuesday at the Sakharov Center, the FOTODOC Documentary Photography Center, which is located at 57, bldg. 6, Zemlyanoy Val St. (Kurskaya, Chkalovskaya, and Taganskaya Metro Stations).
Charity Auction for the Center for Curative Teaching, a Regional Charitable Social Organization
The evening of 3 March 2014 saw a traditional auction held at Chaika, the ship-styled restaurant on Krasnopresnenskaya Quay, by the Vladimir Smirnov Foundation (www.smirnovfond.ru) in favor of the Center for Curative Teaching (www.ccp.org.ru) that helps children with development disorders and their families. The event was attended by some 70 guests. This year, Ivan Urgant conducted the auction together with Vladimir Pozner. The auction raised over 7, 000, 000 roubles. These funds will allow children with multiple complex developmental disorder to continue their training in 2014 at the Center for Curative Teaching and stay with their parents at the Center's summer integrative camp in Valdai.
Session of the Russian Federation Government Council for Guardianship in the Social Sphere
1. On 28 February 2014, Elena Beregovaya, our foundation director took part in a session at the Russian Federation Government Council. Presentations made at the session covered:
- development of a system of early aid to disabled children under programs of the Foundation to Support Children in Difficult Life Situations.
- necessity of early identification of and early aid to children
with autistic spectrum conditions;
- establishment of an integrated system of early aid services
in Russia and possible solutions to them;
- early aid guidelines and standards. Experience of the Early Interference Association;
- finalized proposals to develop early aid services.
