1. Charitable hospital in Dagestan
The League for the Protection of Mother and Child is a Charitable Dagestan NGO, registered in 1993.
The activities of the League are focused at defending the rights and providing assistance to women and children, especially from low-income families.
A major focus of the League is rendering medical and psychological aid. For this purpose the League was able to open a charitable hospital for women. Many of the women in the hospital who are receiving psychological aid have lost relatives in violent conflicts or as victims of abductions and other criminal activity.
The League also provides medical consultations to women, helps them in getting necessary medicines, offers psychological support. The League maintains contacts with women who suffered during wars and military conflicts.
The League participated in organizing a conference with women - refugees from Chechnya. Also it organizes lectures on conflictology.
For low-income families the League organizes charitable lunches and it organized a shelter for the homeless.
Representatives of the League participated in different conferences, such as:
- "For the elimination of landmines";
- "Peace to the Caucasus";
- "Women against violence and war";
- "White scarf on the Don", etc.
The League actively cooperates with a number of Russian and international organizations, such as:
- "Friends House", Moscow;
- "Union of Women of the Don";
- "Women of Armenia";
- "Women’s Union of Dagestan";
- "Aid to the sick" (Kuwait), etc.
Address: Ermoshkina Street, house 3,
Mahachkala, Dagestan Republic, Russian Federation
Tel.: (8722) 67-29-74
Head of the League: Magomedova Aishat Shoyubovna
Plans to picket government offices in Moscow.
The Ingush NGO "Union of the Deported from north Ossetia" is planning to set up pickets in front of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Federation Council and the State Duma of Russia during the summer of 1999.
This plan came as a reaction to the unresolved problem of the Ingush people – refugees from North Ossetia and the lack of substantial progress in ensuring their return to their homes – 7 years after the Ossetian – Ingush conflict in October of 1992.
In this conflict which broke out in the Prigorodny (Suburban) district of North Ossetia many hundreds were killed, others were taken hostage. Nearly 70,000 people became refugees, the bulk of them – Ingush who lived in the Suburban Region. Most of their houses were destroyed and only a small part of these people was able to return since.
The nongovernmental organization "Union of the Deported from North Ossetia" was organized in 1993 and since then has been lobbying for the return of the Ingush.
However, the activities of this organization have been hindered by the lack of attention on the part of government structures and by inadequate level of cooperation with other human rights organizations.
Address: Itazova street, house 58
Ingush Republic, 366720, Russian Federation
Chairman: Kotiev N. S.
3. Chechen activist abducted.
In the March issue of the North Caucasus NGO Monitor we wrote about the activities of the Chechen Social – Charitable Fund "Berkat", that was working in the field of religious and cultural education in Chechnya.
On April 29 Abuzar Sumbulatov, the head of the "Berkat" Fund and a leading specialist on religious and cultural issues in Chechnya was abducted from his house in Grozny. Abuzar’s brother and a college Andrei Sharmanov, who worked in the same organization, were severely beaten by the attackers.
The next day many hundreds of people gathered in front of Abuzar’s house to protest the abduction.
The goal of the people, responsible for the abduction remains unclear. Though Abuzar has previously held some important positions (for a while he was the Minister for Religious Affairs) he could not be considered a wealthy not a wealthy person. He was, however, widely respected as a serious intellectual and person of high moral statue.
He had working relationships with both the Moscow-backed government of Solambek Hadjiev and the current pro-independence government headed by Aslan Mashadov. He was, however, strongly opposed to various extremist movement which have currently been spreading throughout Chechnya and actively worked toward giving people in Chechnya a better understanding of Islam and other world religions, showing the interconnections and common values, shared by different faiths. These activities are seen by many as possible reasons that may have triggered his abduction.
We would like to stress that Abuzar Sumbulatov and his organization was one of the most active NGO’s in Chechnya and a good partner of Nonviolence International.
In the summer of 1998 Andrei Sharmanov, Abuzar’s collegue spent two weeks in Moscow working with our organization, designing projects to expand the work on religious and cultural education in Chechnya. The "Berkat" Fund was also instrumental for the publication of this "Monitor". We will certainly do everything possible to continue providing information about NGO activities in the North Caucasus, including Chechnya, but we must admit that such events seriously hinder our ability to gather valuable and genuine information about the activities in the region.
We pray for the safe release of Abuzar Sumbulatov and we asked all readers of our "Monitor" to use every opportunity they have to raise this issue with Russian and Chechen officials. In today’s grim situation in the North Caucasus and especially in Chechnya the activities of such people as Abuzar Sumbulatov and his colleges is the only source of hope.
Address: Nagornaya Street, 8
Grozny, Chechen Republic
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