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Fall 2000 (Sections appearing in green text are expanded information additions to the Fall 2000 Newsletter) ARCHANGEL CITY ORPHANAGE Archangel Committee member Steve Cowperthwaite spent some time in Archangel this summer. While there, Steve visited the new City Orphanage and met with the Director, Dr. Victor Pavlov. Steve has written the following report for us: "I went to Russia with several very substantial gifts for the City Orphanage in Arkhangelsk from friends in this country. I had heard wonderful things about Dr. Pavlov, the director of the orphanage, but I went to the facility with great reservations. I had watched a heartbreaking report on American television about horrible orphanages and similar institutions in Russia and feared I might find a similar place, a place like those found in the time and works of Dickens. I was more than pleasantly surprised; I was profoundly moved; I was astounded. The orphanage was in a very fine, new, brick building designed for 130 children, infants through age four and a half. There were sixty children in the new facility because it had not been completely furnished. Dr. Pavlov is a friendly man with boundless energy and total devotion to his children who love him dearly and call him Papa. He is a man with a mission, and that mission is to find homes for the children under his care and not simply warehouse them. He invited us to his office and began to take albums from the shelves and to show us pictures of children who had been adopted, letters from adoption agencies, letters from appreciative parents, artwork of children. He remembered them all and had stories about each. About 80 had been adopted in the United States in the Washington, D.C. area. Most of the children are adopted in Russia. Pavlov grieves when a child is not adopted and must go to another facility. He believes there is little for that child to look forward to today in Russia. The facility is large and very impressive; there is a small swimming pool, a large sun room, and even a sauna. There are suites with ten or twelve to each. Each suite has a sleeping room, small kitchen, bathroom, playroom, and dining room. Food is prepared in a central kitchen. The staff numbers two to every child because they must have round the clock care. Dr. Pavlov assured me that all are devoted to the children and love them in spite of the fact that they receive little pay. There is a great sadness about any orphanage, but I was very impressed by the condition and behavior of the children, and the devotion of those caring for them when we stopped by. When I think of the great hardships and inconveniences suffered by the people of Arkhangelsk and the decrepit condition of so many public facilities, I am truly surprised, impressed, and profoundly moved to know that they have given so much for the care of orphans. They are marvelous people, and I respect them greatly. There are heartbreaking things in Russia, but there are truly wonderful things as well. It seems that most Americans see and hear only of the bad." INTERNET NEWS The Archangel Committee extends our gratitude to Great Works Internet, 9 Pomerleau Street in Biddeford, for hosting our Website. Please check out our improved Website at www.arkhangelsk.org. Finally, if you have an e-mail address, send us an e-mail at: gpmaine@arkhangelsk.org. We want to send out information by e-mail to as many members as possible. LEGAL EXCHANGE NEWS Eight Russian Judges from the Archangel Oblast were hosted here in Maine by the Maine Law School and the State and Federal Judiciary in August 2000. They had an excellent program here and have suggested a reciprocal visit to Archangel in March 2000. Committee members Caroline Glassman and Judy Potter visited Archangel in September 2000 to help plan for this reciprocal visit and to work on the written decision precedent project. FMI, see the immediately following green section. LEGAL EXCHANGE The Maine-Archangel Legal Exchange is part of a larger exchange program coordinated by the Russian American Rule of Law Consortium (RAROLC), a non-profit corporation founded and based in Vermont. The Founder of RAROLC is Justice John Dooley, a Judge who sits on the Vermont Supreme Court. The Consortium pairs the legal systems of five U.S. states with the legal systems of five Russian Oblasts: (1) Vermont and Karelia Significant funding is provided by the U.S. Government to conduct meaningful and productive legal exchanges and projects. The Executive Director of the Consortium is Ms. Karin Bourassa. She can be reached at: Russian American Rule of Law Project Justice Dooley has provided us with the following historical overview of the Consortium: RULE OF LAW DEVELOPING LEGAL PARTNERSHIPS IN NORTHWEST RUSSIA Since its inception in 1994, the Consortium worked almost exclusively with Vermont and Karelia for nearly three years, concentrating on supporting the new bar association training judges and curriculum development at Petrozavodsk State University Law Department. With concrete achievements in Karelia, USAID and ARD/Checchi began to redirect the project from continuing to support the development of the Karelia legal system to rolling out the Karelia model to other regions of Russia, partnered with other states. Thus, in 1996, we began the process of establishing new legal partnerships when we invited representatives of the Maryland legal community to meet with representatives of the Leningrad Oblast legal community to observe our programs in Petrozavodsk. Under the leadership of Maryland Court of Appeals Judge Alan Wilner, the Maryland/Leningrad partnership took off, and Maryland judges and lawyers have continued with their Leningrad partners to put on high quality programs in diverse areas of the law. In 1997, we established a partnership between Maine and Archangel. In 1998, we developed two new partnerships between New Hampshire and Vologda, and Rochester, New York and Novgorod. Each of the new partnerships has its own identity. Maryland/Leningrad developed out of a sister state relationship that focused on commerce between the regions. As a result, the partners have focused on seminars in commercial and business law and the legal partnership has become an integral part of the overall sister state relationship. The Maine/Archangel partnership grew from an existing Sister City Relationship between Greater Portland and the City Archangel. The legal partnership had its initial focus between the law schools largely because the leader of Archangel legal community for the project was the Dean of the law school, Tatiana Zykina. The law schools have established a legal clinic at Pomor State University law department. Meanwhile, the judges are working on establishing a system of precedent in the Arkhangel Regional and Arbitrazh Courts and Justice Caroline Glassman of the Maine Supreme Court is seeking funding for a demonstration system. While we may have started as the Vermont/Karelia program and its "flock", we have grown into equal participants in the process of assisting in the development of the rule of law in Russia. To bring us all together on a common agenda, representatives of the legal partnerships meet annually in the summer of each year. We find as we talk that we have tremendous strength in
a unified and cooperative approach to our work. We can bring tremendous
expertise to bear on any problem and have the local contacts and working
relationships necessary to implement projects effectively. We also have
the skills to find the resources to support our solutions. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EXCHANGE NEWS Oleg Gerasimov, an engineer from the Archangel Regional Transportation Administration ("Autodor"), was hosted by the Maine Department of Transportation in August 2000 where he focused on municipal services, technology transfer and bridge construction. As this newsletter is being written, three officials of the Maine Department of Transportation are putting on a "Snow and Ice Control Workshop" at the Regional Transportation Administration in Archangel (November 13 to 16, 2000). FMI, see the immediately following green section. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EXCHANGE The Maine-Archangel DOT Exchange is part of a larger exchange program coordinated by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and the Russian Federal Highway Agency. The Director of International Programs at the U.S. Federal Highway Administration is Ms. Tracy Bush. She can be reached at: Federal Highway Administration She has provided us with the following description of her Russian program: HIGHWAY COOPERATION In 1998, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) refocused its Russia program to involve Russian Oblast organizations as well as Russia's federal agency, the Russian Highway Agency. Russia resembles the U.S. in that the majority of road maintenance and operation takes place at the state level. In order to reach Russia's states, the FHWA invited several U.S. states to participate in "Sister State" relationships with their Russian counterparts. The purpose of these partnerships is to provide Russia's Oblasts with the technology and management information they need to carry out free-market reforms in the highway sector and to improve their highway networks. The states presently involved in a "Sister State" relationship are Maryland (with the Leningrad Oblast), Kentucky (with the Perm Oblast), Pennsylvania (with the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast), and Maine (with the Archangel Oblast). The criteria used in selecting Russian Oblasts for partnerships with U.S. states include (1) a reform-minded governor, (2) a progressive highway administration, (3) a willingness to co-finance partnership activities, and (4) an interest in establishing a Technology Transfer Center (TTC). We work closely with the Russian Association of Highway Administrators (RADOR) to determine which of its members are best suited for partnerships with U.S. states. The joint efforts of Maryland, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Maine with their Russian partners has generated a great deal of enthusiasm within the Russian highway community. Several TTC's have been created in Russia and others are in the formation process. Our experience has shown that here are three essential components to a successful "Sister State" highway relationship: (1) the political support of state and Oblast governors, (2) the sharing of management practices between Russian and U.S. Departments of Transportation, and (3) the creation of TTC's in the Oblasts. Oblast and state delegations have been visiting one another on a regular basis in order to learn first-hand about the management structures and road technology used by their counterparts. In 1999, Pennsylvania and Maryland both hosted high-level delegations from their "Sister States". Kentucky hosted an intern for a month, and Maine welcomed a high-level delegation from Archangel in February-March 2000. This past spring and summer, each state sent a return delegation to Russia. Also, North Carolina is reactivating its partnership with the Krasnodar Highway Administration by hosting a delegation in October 2000. These delegations are co-financed by the states, the FHWA and the Russian Oblasts. A major goal is to connect all of the Russian
Technology Transfer Centers with the larger Technology Transfer community.
In 1999, two technology transfer coordinators from Russia participated in the
Annual LTAP meeting in Washington, D.C., and in 2000, one coordinator attended
this meeting. In 2001, we hope that each Russian "Sister State"
will send its representative to this important venue for the exchange of ideas
amongst technology transfer practitioners. WORLD HEALTH CONFERENCE Three American doctors from the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia attended a World Health Organization conference in Archangel in September 2000. While there, they met with 20 Russian doctors on the topic of "non-communicable disease intervention" in Russia. The Americans stayed at the Dvina Hotel, toured Malye Karely and met with Svetlana and Sergey Zhukov (who have visited Maine a number of times). FMI, see the immediately following green section. WORLD HEALTH CONFERENCE Three American doctors from the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia attended a World Health Organization (WHO) conference in Archangel in September 2000. The American delegation was led by Paul Siegel, a medical epidemiologist; at the conference, they networked with 14 doctors from various Russian regions, 6 doctors from the Russian Ministry of Health in Moscow, and one doctor from the United Kingdom. The conference was part of WHO's countrywide non-communicable disease intervention program (CINDI), which has the goal of improving a nation's health and quality of life by reducing premature death, disease and disability. CINDI's overall objective is to enable member nations to: develop integrated disease prevention and health promotion measures as part of their primary health care system for preventing non-communicable diseases (NCD) by simultaneously reducing the common risk factors (smoking, unbalanced nutrition, alcohol abuse, low physical activity, psychosocial stress), and thereby reducing morbidity caused by the corresponding major NCD (including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, accidents, diabetes and mental disorders); establish effective collaborative mechanisms and methodologies for integrated, intersectoral NCD prevention and control; and provide participating countries with a framework for activities to preventing and controlling such risk factors as smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, as well as to addressing their social and environmental determinants. CINDI is active in 23 nations and has 14 sites within Russia. For more information about CINDI, go to the WHO website at www.who.dk/zoro/inv/cindi01.htm. CDC Atlanta is also involved in a major project in Russia focusing on chronic disease prevention. The pilot site for this project in Russia is Chelyabinsk, where Paul Siegel traveled after leaving Archangel. While in Archangel, Paul distributed written materials about the sister city relationship to the attendees and led a toast at the conference banquet at a restaurant near the Dvina Hotel (pictured below).  FUTURE PLANS As this newsletter is being written, Committee members Carol Lestock, Dennis Marrotte, Carol-Lynn Rossel Waugh and Mike Whitcomb are in Archangel to visit with old friends and to plan for future educational and humanitarian activities between our two communities (November 9 to 19, 2000). We hope to do more with Archangel orphanages and maternity hospitals, and we plan to host 5 Russian students at an "Outdoor Leadership and Ecological Camp" next summer in cooperation with the Paul Petzoldt Leadership School in Raymond, Maine and with the Maine Lakes Conservancy Institute in Nobleboro. We wish our travelers the best and look forward to learning about their adventures! |
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