AGENCY FOR SOCIAL INFORMATION

Provides information support and promotes civic initiatives.

ASI covers news with a "human face", featuring the work of non-profit organisations (NPOs), charitable and social activities of business companies, as well as events that have an impact on society and affect individual lives. As a rule, ASI does not report on politics, business or crime.

As well as gathering and disseminating information, ASI initiates and manages a wide range of social projects, provides non-profit organisations with information support and collaborates with them in organising special events. Through the media, ASI plays its part in shaping public opinion and helps people to understand their role in society.

ASI was founded in 1994 by the charities Human Soul House and No to Alcoholism and Drug Addiction (NAN), the Rainbow education group and a number of like-minded individuals. At that time, the independent voluntary movement in Russia was only just beginning to gather momentum.

Today the number of registered non-profit organisations is approaching the half-million mark, and their increasingly professional work is making a real impact. This has been accompanied by an increase in demand amongst NPOs for information support.

ASI is a specialist agency reflecting the interests of a third sector which comprises hundreds of thousands of non-governmental organisations (NGOs): human rights and environmental groups, charitable foundations, women's and youth groups, academic collectives, and associations for employees from the culture, heritage and education sectors.

ASI runs its own network of correspondents in Moscow and has representatives in a large number of Russian cities.

PUBLISHING

§ ASI publishes books, reviews and brochures on social issues

§ ASI is the co-founder of the journal Vestnik Blagotvoritelnosty (Charity Magazine)

SOCIAL RESEARCH

ASI works in collaboration with a social study group conducting research on current social problems.

ADVICE AND TRAINING

ASI offers consultations, workshops and training programmes in public relations, journalism.

ASI NEWS - FREE ACCESS

· On ASI's updated websites:

· Subscription by email

Daily news

Subscription on the website through the "news subscription" link. Here the subscriber can choose from a selection of headings, including news headlines (with hyperlinks to full text reports). News is sent in a daily text letter containing up to 50 reports. Receipt of news can be on an hourly, daily or weekly basis. A text letter containing all reports for the day is sent between 7 and 8 pm (Moscow time).

Weekly bulletin

Subscription requests to asi-weekly-on@asi.org.ru. The bulletin is delivered via an inserted MS Word.zip archive file of approximately 40-50 pages

ASI ANALYTICAL BULLETINS (1999-2002):

· "Women's Employment during the crisis period", March 1999

· "Children Set Free", May 1999

· "White Slavewomen: Trafficking in Women from Russia and CIS Countries", June 1999

· "The Atypical Family: Problems and Solutions", July 1999

· "The Public Demand for Legal Information", September 1999

· "Mental Health in Russia at the turn of the 21st Century", October 1999

· " Young People and Community Activities", October 1999

· "The Older Generation in Modern Russia", November 1999

· "Social Activity: Will the Future Belong to the Young?" January 2000

· "Gender Issues in Today's Voluntary Movement", April 2000

· "Public Environmental Campaigns", April 2000

· "Children and AIDS", May 2000

· "Refugees from remote areas of Russia," January 2001

· "Domestic Violence," February 2001

· "The social adaptation of child orphans," February 2001

· "Tolerance in Russia: ourselves and foreigners," March 2001

· "Veterans and children of the Second World War," April 2001

· "Youth building a society of equal opportunity," December 2001

· "Volunteers in the ecological movement," January 2002

· "Prevention of social orphanage among dysfunctional families," March 2002

· "The situation of families with disabled children," May 2002

· "Youth participation in the acceptance of decisions at the authoritative level," June 2002

· "Youth and extremism," June 2002

· "Small press in a big town" November 2002

· "The right of social service" December 2002

· "Inter-ethnic marriage", April 2003

SUBSCRIBERS TO ASI INFORMATION SERVICES INCLUDE:

more than 2500 NGOs; about 300 state authorities of different levels; more than 650 media, among them -

Newspapers and magazines:

Ё Vremya

Ё Gudok

Ё Izvestia

Ё Komsomolskaya Pravda

Ё Kultura

Ё Literaturnaya Gazeta

Ё Mockovskaya Pravda

Ё Moskovskii Komsomolets

Ё Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Ё Novaya Gazeta

Ё Pervoye Sentarbrya

Ё Rossiskaya Gazeta

Ё Trud

Ё Advokat

Ё Sotsialnaya Zashchita

Ё Sotsialnoye Partnerstvo

Radio and TV

Ё Radio Russia

Ё Radio "Mayak"

Ё Radio "Govorit Moskva"

Ё FNR

Ё VGTRK

Ё ORT

Ё TVC

Ё REN-TV

Ё TV company "Stolitsa"

Ё TK BKT City News (Channel M1)

2002:

· "Logistical legal problems in the development of non-profit organizations in Russia" - organisational and informational support to the Russian conference of lawyers for non-profit organisations

· The launching of the website "Our children," devoted to the problems of child orphans (http://www.nashi-deti.ru)

· "Youth for a society without barriers," an informational meeting run jointly with "Perspective," the regional NPO for the disabled

· "A childhood of loneliness" an art exhibition in the Central House for Artists

· "Families in crisis and neglect," an informational meeting

· Organisation of trips for journalists to become familiar with the work of non-profit organisations working in the sphere of prevention of social orphanage in Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Arzamas, Tomsk and Novgorod Veliky

· "SUPER STARIK," a youth competition of non-professional photographs with an open exhibition at the movie theatre Kodak Kinomir. The winner's photo was made into a poster.

· Informational support for the conference "Civil society for Russia's children"

· "Special child, special family," an informational meeting

· Press conference of the organisation "Prison Reform International (PRI)" - "Alternative sanctions in Russia - Labour instead of the deprivation of freedom: reality or utopia?"

· Round table discussion "Youth and extremism. Preventing violence and aggression in the youth environment"

· Seminar "PR for human rights organisations"

Begun in early 2000, this is a joint project with ASI, the Fund for Independent Broadcasting, the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), and the initial BBC "World Service Trust." The goal of the project was to alter the dialog between mass media and the "third sector." Seminars conducted in eight Russian cities - Murmansk, Kaliningrad, Barnaul, Perm, Penza, Ulyanovsk, Yaroslavl and Vladimir - allowed journalists and activists of NPOs to meet one another and to discuss and identify those problems which keep them from effective co-operation. On completion of the project, there was a competition among journalists and social activists from pilot regions working in pairs in a joint effort, directed by editorial standards, to establish publications or radio reports on the operations of the third sector. The winners of the competition (a pair consisting of a journalist and a representative of a non-profit organization) received formal training at the Worldwide office of the BBC in London.

In sum, the project had two positive results: journalists learned what NPOs are and how to write about them, and NPOs learned how to work effectively with the mass media.

"HELPING THE POPULATION WITH THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION THROUGH MASS MEDIA"

ASI runs this program in collaboration with the most popular radio company "Radio Russia" from July 2002 through May 2003.

The project includes the preparation and broadcast of 32 radio programs throughout the year, grouped into four thematic blocks: freedom of expression, freedom of religion, right to self-determination, and the right to travel freely and to choose a place to live, and also includes the organisation of thematic round-table discussions and the publication of analytical bulletins.

The radio program "Citizen Practicum" (15 minutes in length) is broadcast on "Radio Russia" once every two weeks within the framework of the social-political channel "Reflection," at prime time, from 17:00 to 19:00 Moscow time. Questions and letters from listeners are answered by a qualified lawyer. At the end of every thematic block an arrangement is made with participating journalists who publish a special analytical bulletin. Two thematic cycles have already been completed in 2003 - freedom of expression and freedom of religion.

"JOURNALISTS AGAINST AIDS" CONTEST

"Journalists against AIDS" is an annual contest initiated by ASI in 1997 with the support of the Russian Ministry of Health and the Focus Foundation. Its aim is to support publications and journalists that help to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) while also promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Regional journalists are welcome to participate in the competition along with their national and Moscow-based colleagues.

Entries are judged by a jury composed of representatives of government and voluntary organisations involved in HIV/AIDS preventio n and treatment. The winners earn diplomas and substantial prizes, as well as awards in the following categories: "Best Russian Journalist"; "Best Regional Journalist"; "Best Russian Publication"; "Best Regional Publication"; and special awards for journalists in ten other categories. All contestants who pass the preliminary selection stage are honoured as Laureates.

SCHOOL OF "SOCIAL JOURNALISM"

ASI runs this school in collaboration with the Faculty of the Theory and Practice of Periodical Printing at Moscow State University, Lomonosov, from September to December 2002. For the first time, the study of social journalism was considered fundamental to higher education at Moscow State University, and it was based on the work of non-profit organisations.

THE "YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN RUSSIAN SOCIETY" PROJECT

ASI ran this program from July 1st, 2001 through June 30th, 2002 in four cities: Moscow, Barnaul, Irkutsk and Murmansk. During the running of this project, ASI discovered striking and effective examples of participation among youth non-profit organisations, and gave them informational support. ASI also attracted the attention of the local population and, most importantly, of the youth, to the path of information dispersal about themselves through local media.

"CHANGING THE WAY SOCIETY VIEWS THE PROBLEM OF ORPHANS"

ASI ran this program in collaboration with the radio company "Radio Russia" from December 2001 to August 2002.

Several events happened within the framework of this project: the launching of the website "Our Children," dedicated to the problem of child-orphans; the exhibition of "A Childhood of Lonliness;" the organisation of philanthropic acts for children from orphanages; informational meetings for journalists entitled "Families in crisis and neglect" and "Special child, special family;" the preparation of the analytical bulletins "Preventing orphanage among dysfunctional families" and "The situation of families with disabled children;" and the issuance of jingles about the problem of homelessness and preventative measures to social orphanage in Russia. Likewise, excursions for journalists were organised to bring them in contact with non-profit organisations working in the sphere of preventative measures of social orphanages in Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Arzamas, Tomsk and Novgorod Veliky. For the duration of the project the radio program "The Science of Helping" was aired monthly on Radio Russia.

· CAF Russia

· LUKOIL

· The Compassion Humanitarian and Charitable Centre

· The Centre for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights

· Focus Media Foundation

· AIDS Foundation East-West

· The Foundation for Independent Radio Broadcasting

· Community Foundation "Moscow Charitable Reserve"

· The No to Alcoholism and Drug Addiction (NAN) Charity Foundation, Russia

· The Peace, Progress, Human Rights Sakharov Memorial Museum and Civic Centre

· Radio Russia

· RF Ministry of Health, HIV/AIDS Department

· RF Ministry of Labour and Social Development

· The Social Partnership Centre for State-NGO Relations

· The Socio-Ecological Union's Press-Centre

· The State History Museum

· UN Joint HIV/AIDS Programme UNAIDS

· US Agency for International Development

ASI DONORS:

· Press Ministry of the Russian Federation

· C. S. Mott Foundation

· Eurasia Foundation

· Ford Foundation

· National Endowment for Democracy (USA)

· Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation)

· The United Kingdom Community Fund

· Henry M. Jackson Foundation

· European Commission

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Mail: Agency for Social Information,

Russia, Moscow, Miusskaya sq., bldg. 6, unit 3

Postal Address: 127006, Russia, Moscow, P.O. box 58

Telephones: (095) 250-6276, 250-6258, 250-6143

Fax: (095) 250-6276, 250-6258

E-mail: asi@aha.ru

Internet: www.asi.org.ru

Director:

Elena Topoleva

elena@asi.org.ru

Co-Director:

Andrei Topolev

asi@asi.org.ru

Finance:

Elena Fedorova

Public Relations:

Maria Propper

maria@asi.org.ru

Chief Editor:

Liubov Gribanova

redactor@asi.org.ru

Editors:

Elena Kryuchkova

Elena Zaligina

Elena Dubchenko

Nina Baliasnikova

Natalia Pushkina

Programme Managers:

Anna Vasilyeva

Darya Kosareva

Denis Antonov

Ekaterina Volkova

Liubov Alenicheva