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Calendar of Events April 4, 2001 
A training, "Foundations of Telephone Counseling and Supervision" for domestic violence help line counselors was held at the Center for Social Work and Psychotherapy (Resource Center) in Petrozavodsk. The trainers, well-established professionals in this field, came from the St.-Petersburg- based Social and Legal Services for Victims of Violence. Larisa Kopneva and Elena Zabadykina introduced the participants to the concept of telephone counseling. They also discussed relaxation techniques for the counselors, an essential aspect of this extremely difficult work.
The format of the training was interactive, with many role-plays, relaxation exercises and elements of art-therapy. Among the participants were help line counselors from a local crisis center, law enforcement professionals and social service employees from Petrozavodsk and four regions of Karelia.
Natasha Andreeva, Coordinator Project Harmony, Petrozavodsk n_andreeva@petrodtd.karelia.ru March 26 - April 4, 2001 A group of experts from the United States arrived in Irkutsk to offer a series of seminars as part of the second stage of the Domestic Violence Community Partnership Program. The group was comprised of: Edward Cronin - Program Director Sydney Hanlon, the First Judge, the administrative head of the Dorchester District Court Judge, MA Donna Bergeron, Director of Battered Women's Resource Center in Leominster, MA Juan Carlos Arean, Batterer's Intervention Counselor/Director Men's Resource Center in Amherst, MA Doreen Gallagher, Victim Advocate, TDV Prevention Coordinator, MA PD, Shawn McDermott, Law Enforcement Police Sergeant, Westbrook, Maine PD During the 10 days, March 26 through April 4, 2001 American trainers presented the following seminars: 1. Art/Music/Psychodrama around addiction & trauma 2. Batterer's Treatment Program 3. Brookline Substance Abuse Prevention Programs 4. Teen Dating Violence Prevention Program 5. DV certification program All participants received certificates of successful completion. All in all, 156 professionals from the city of Irkutsk and the nearby regions, have gained new information and skills in their field through participation in the seminars. Local experts who work in the field of domestic violence prevention and victims assistances services also attended the seminar. In addition to offering seminars, the trainers have participated in numerous meetings with students and faculty of the law departments at several Irkutsk universities, as well as with individual judges and law enforcement officials. Especially memorable was a visit to the "Sosnovaya Gorka" rehabilitation center for disabled children. Here, a professional training was held for the staff of the center, with some of the trainers giving individual consultations to the children. April 5, 2001 April 5, 2001 "The Right to Life" project, winner of Project Harmony's mini-grants competition is being implemented in Volozhsk (Volgograd region). The project organizers held a roundtable on the subject of domestic violence for approximately 50 professionals who encounter this problem in their work. Medical crime lab experts, lawyers, psychotherapists, police officers who work with juveniles, school social workers and concerned parents attended the round-table. The roundtable began with a viewing of a documentary film "Family Business" produced in Petrozavodsk. After discussing the film participants arrived at the conclusion that their region faces similar problems and similar footage could easily be obtained in Volozhsk or Volgograd. All participants agreed that the first step in confronting the problem of domestic violence was to form an alliance of concerned individuals. They also acknowledged that the problem of domestic violence in Russia is compounded by an unstable economy, a worsening socio-economic situation, and resulting rise in crime and violence especially among teenagers, substance abuse, AIDS epidemic, etc. However, taking into account successful experience of the US colleagues in addressing the problem of domestic violence, participants felt that the challenges can ultimately be overcome. The organizers of the roundtable invited the director of Volgograd's domestic violence Resource center and the chairman of the newly created community organization "Volgograd's Alternative." The colleagues from Volgograd shared their experience of working in a coalition, and offered to collaborate with Volozhsk. Specifically, they offered to make it possible for victims of violence in Volozhsk to use the hotline established at the Volgograd resource center, as well as informational support for the Volozhsk colleagues. Masha Pesikova, Volgograd phvolgo@projectharmony.ru March 28-30, 2001 March 28 through 30 the Volgograd Resource Center hosted another domestic violence seminar organized by the staff of the Domestic Violence Community Partnership. Professionals from three districts of the Volgograd region took part in the seminar. They received informational materials, handbooks and videotapes. One of the workshops focused on grant-writing to help prepare participants for the mini-grants competition that will be held in Volgograd region. Other workshop focused on treatment strategies for the Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), dating violence and child therapy. Masha Pesikova, Project Harmony, Volgograd masha@projectharmony.ru March 22-23, 2001 
March 22-23, 2001 a seminar "Child Abuse: Identification, Prevention, Social Protection" took
place in Petrozavodsk, under the auspices of the Domestic Violence Community Partnership program.
Dr. Safonova, MD, Ph.D, director of the Moscow-based "OZON" - a psycho-social and medical rehabilitation
center for abused children led the seminar. Dr. Tsymbal, who serves as a consultant at the center co-facilitated.
The two experts shared their considerable expertise in providing assistance to the families that encountered violence. They spoke about their experience of obtaining legal protection for children - victims of violence, as well as about the center in genral - its goals, guiding principles, and structure. The participants of the seminar saw a film about the center. Effective strategies for client therapy, collaboration with law enforcement officials, social service agencies and educational institutions were among other topics discussed at the seminar.
Natalya Andreeva, "Project Harmony", Petrozavodsk n_andreeva@petrodtd.karelia.ru March 2, 2001 A psychological training for social services employees took place in Segeizha February 25-28, 2001. The city officials together with Project Harmony organized the training. Elena Popova and Ekaterina Bazarova, psychotherapists from Petrozavodsk, addressed some of the most challenging aspects of client therapy, such as working with families afflicted with substance abuse and domestic violence, and helping teenage clients overcome age-specific challenges. In addition the trainers discussed methods of self-rehabilitation and burnout prevention for the therapists. All the participants received individual consultations and recommendations. Natalya Andreeva, Program Coordinator in Petrozavodsk n_andreeva@petrodtd.karelia.ru February 25 - March, 2, 2001 Domestic Violence Community Partnership seminar for law enforcement professionals took place in Volgograd February 25 through March 2, 2001. Charles Black, a retired judge from Massachusetts and detective Paul Porter led the seminar. Among attendees were students and instructors from the Law Academy, Internal Affairs Training Center, local court and police officials, psychologists from the domestic violence resource center, members of the coalition, and representatives of the media. Maria Pesikova, Program Coordinator in Volgograd masha@projectharmony.ru February 27, 2001 
A collaborative effort of two Project Harmony programs: Internet Access and Training Program and Domestic
Violence Community Partnership, made possible a web-chat: Your Family: a Prototype for Relationships,
for high-school students, which took place on February 27. High-school students from Irkutsk, Petrozavodsk, Omsk and Ryazan discussed the issue of relationships within the family, talked about what a family should be like, and how they see their future family. Among those who helped prepare the chat are the psychologists from Petrozavodsk and Irkutsk, some of whom are teaching in the Date Rape Prevention Program. 
We have posted some of the most interesting comments and questions from the chat on our website. Many participants expressed interest in continuing the virtual discussion on this subject, and we hope that we will be able to
offer an opportunity for the students to do so.February 22, 2001 A telephone hotline providing information and counseling on the issues of drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, and domestic violence is now being operated at the Volgograd Domestic Violence Resource Center. A graduate of the Volgograd Pedagogical University with a degree in Social Work, and an active member of the coalition is providing phone consultations related to the issue of domestic violence. Her senior thesis focused on services to the victims of domestic violence. The hotline is advertised in the local media, through flyers, and informational leaflets. Masha Pesikova, Project Harmony, Volgograd February 2, 2001 
A seminar on the subject of domestic violence took place on February 2 in Pitkyaranta, a small town
located in southern Karelia.
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January 24-26, 2001 A seminar entitled Deviant and Delinquent Behavior Prevention Methods: Practice and Theory was held at the Alternative Resource Center in Volgograd, January 24th through the 26th. Psychologists from local secondary schools, specialized schools, and the institutions of higher learning attended the seminar, along with school counselors and representatives of youth organizations. A seminar featured a workshop on the problem of domestic violence, while domestic violence prevention work in schools was one of the featured themes. Participants received a packet of printed materials and videotape on the subject of domestic violence to be used in prevention workshops. January 18-25, 2001 January 18th through the 25th a training entitled Psychological Aspects of Domestic Crime was held at the Department of Internal Affairs' Training Center in Volgograd. Olga Chalikova, a psychologist and a member of the Coalition conducted the training. The participants were surveyed and most report that they consider domestic violence to be an issue in our society. Most often women and children become the victims of domestic violence. Participants also reported that they encounter the problem of domestic violence in their work. The participants found the training to be beneficial and informative and would welcome an opportunity for further cooperation. December 27, 2000 A Domestic Violence Resource Center has opened its doors in Volgograd as part of Project Harmony's Domestic Violence Community Partnership. The new resource center is housed at the Alternative, a Center for Prevention and Psycho-Social Assistance to Teenagers and Youth, affiliated with Committee on Youth Issues. The center offers information and materials concerning the problem of domestic violence, as well as the services of a psychologist, a social worker and a lawyer. Maria Pesikova, Program Coordinator, Project Harmony, Volgograd. e-mail: masha@projectharmony.ru December 27, 2000 In Irkutsk, the coalition is conducting a sociological survey, designed to investigate attitudes towards the problem of domestic violence in different sectors of society. Six types of questionnaires are being used, and it is estimated that 11,000 people will take part in the survey. The survey is being administered by the members of the coalition, in cooperation with the Irkutsk City Government Department of Education, the division of Childhood and Family, as well as the Sociology and Psychology departments of several Irkutsk universities. 8 volunteers will be processing the filled-out questionnaires. Two of the volunteers plan on discussing the findings of the survey in their term papers. Elena Bukovskaya, Program Coordinator, Project Harmony, Irkutsk. beg@projectharmony.ru December 6, 2000 Another meeting of the Irkutsk Initiative for the Prevention of Domestic Violence took place on December 6th. Present at the meeting were representatives from community organizations Siberia without Drugs, Dialog, East Siberian Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Irkutsk State Technical University, Family center, and the East-Siberian Customs Department. more >> Nastya Khrustalyova, Project Harmony, Irkutsk nastya@projectharmony.ru November 30 - December 2, 2000 
In Petrozavodsk winners of a mini-grants competition held in the context of Domestic Violence Community Partnerships Program gathered to take part in a conference.
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November 23-25, 2000 A training session for crisis center counselors, Forming and Supervising Support Groups, was held in Petrozavodsk on November 23-25 in the context of the Stop Abuse national campaign (led by the Anna Association). Psychologist trainers Natalya Abubikirova and Marina Regentova from the Falta Center in Moscow worked together with the counselor participants on issues of personality, critical for successfully working with clients. The training session was a great success! Vera Litvinenko, petrodvrc@onego.ru November 22, 2000 
November 22 saw the second meeting of participants of the Coalition on the Problem of Domestic Violence in the framework of the Domestic Violence Community Partnership Program in Irkutsk. The first meeting was held on October 28, 2000 to follow up on the results of a two-week series of seminars led by American trainers in the city of Irkutsk.
A general strategy for the coalitions activities was developed during this first meeting.
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November 16, 2000 
November 10, 2000 saw the last in this year's series of traveling training seminars held in the
city of Kem. This regional center in Karelia is an award recipient of the mini-grant competition.
In August of this year a branch crisis center for women in difficult living situations was opened in this city. The seminar was a success, and included representatives of the education, health, law enforcement and social spheres of the city.
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October 30-31, 2000 A seminar for instructors on preventative education for teens was held October 30-31 in Volgograd. Ten teachers of the Dzerzhinsky Region of the city took part in the seminar, which was held with at the Alternativa Center for Preventative and Social Work of the Dzerzhinsky Regional Administration. Project Harmony staff took part in the proceedings, along with the regional non-profit organization Peace in the Family, and together these groups initiated a discussion of the problem of domestic violence and gave a presentation on a course entitled '"Preventing Date Rape Among Teens." Participants received brochures with an outline of this course. October 23, 2000 The second psychology training seminar in the Domestic Violence Community Partnership program (the first was in June), designed for specialists working with domestic violence victims, took place from October 19th through the 22nd in Petrozavodsk's Center for Psychological and Social Work. Trainers were faculty members of the psychology department of the Karelian Pedagogical University and practicing psychotherapists Elena Popova and Yekaterina Bazarova. In four days of intensive work, 15 female participants received a base of knowledge in the psychology of abuse, mastered effective behaviors for dealing with victims, increased the their level of sensitivity and empathy and worked on their own personal issues. Among those taking part in the training session were psychologists and social workers from medical institutions and schools, social centers, hotlines, juvenile affairs inspectors and fifth-year psychology students. Additionally, two recipients of mini-grants from Project Harmony were invited from social centers in Kem and Kostumuksha. October 18-27, 2000 From October 18-27, the first-stage seminars of the Domestic Violence Community Partnership Program were held in Irkutsk. A team of five American instructors (from Massachusetts and Maine, including women's shelter director Donna Bergeron, Police Instructor and Consultant Doreen Gallager, Prosecutor Tanya Karpyak, Juan Carlos Arean, a counselor for perpetrators of domestic violence, and policeman Sean MacDermott, as well as Program Director Edward Cronin) held seminars for various audiences of students and specialists from Irkutsk. more >> October 18, 2000 
The first stage of Project Harmony's Domestic Violence Community Partnership program was officially opened in Irkutsk. American specialists, including a police officer, judge, social worker, teacher and a women's shelter director, were introduced at the opening, and will be conducting seminars on various topics related to domestic violence for the next two weeks in Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude. 
Among conference partners and organizers were the women's crisis center, the Dialog Center for Psychological and Social Help for Children and Adults, the Regional Center for Psychological, Medical and Social Assistance to Children, the East Siberian Internal Affairs Ministry Institute, the Irkutsk Legal Institute of the General Prosecutor's Office, the Irkutsk branch of the Russian Law Academy, and the Education Department of the City of Irkutsk, among others. October 16-20, 2000 In Volgograd the staff of the sexual abuse survivors' center "Sisters"from Moscow will conduct a training for the staff of the hotline "Help to sexual abuse survivors". October 17, 2000 
The latest in a series of seminars for the Domestic Violence Community Partnership program took place October 13 in Segezha, where the Center for Social Assistance to Families and Children is working on the
program Increasing Public Awareness of Domestic Violence in the Segezha
Region.
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October 5-6, 2000 
From October 5-6 a seminar on domestic violence was held in the village of Muezersky by specialists from Petrozavodsk in the framework of the Domestic Violence Community Partnerships Program. This region received a mini-grant to conduct surveys of the population to study perceptions of domestic violence. more >> September 30 - October 13, 2000 The Volgograd program participant trip to the US includes: 5 specialists - psychologist Olga Chalikova; the Chief of the City Law Enforcement Training Center Vasily Rudenko; the main medical and social service specialist of the regional center "Family" Olga Andreeva; the head of the Prevention and Social Help for Youth Center Dmitry Eliseev; and the head of the Social Work department in the Committee of Youth Policy and Patriotic Work in the city administration of Volzhsky Taisia Mikhailichenko. The participants will travel to Rochester, NY, to participate in the DV training program. They will meet their American colleagues and visit state and non-governmental organizations dealing with the domestic violence problem and providing help for the victims of DV. September 21, 2000. In Petrozavodsk, a seminar on fundraising entitled entitled "The Search for Resources: Necessities, Possibilities, Mechanisms". " was held. It was conducted within the framework of the Domestic Violence Community Partnership Program administered in Karelia by Project Harmony. Elena Merzova - the Crisis Center "Maiya" director and the chairperson of the Karelian Gender Research center - was invited as a seminar facilitator. more >> August 2000 Please see the following information about the organizations which won the mini-grants competition in order to administer projects on the topic of DV in the regions of Karelia. Kem On a local radio station, information aired about the goals and the activities of the department and the types of psychological help it offers (psycho-diagnosis, psycho-correction, counseling). more >> Segezha The work of collecting data on DV in this region through a questionnaire continues. The program to analyze the results of this questionnaire has established and the questionnaires are currently being analyzed. Muyezerka A questionnaire was conducted among the unemployed, the forestry enterprise administration staff, the regional hospital patients and health care professionals, law enforcement officers, victims and batterers. At the end of September, a seminar for school staff, social workers, health care professionals and law enforcement officers is planned. Kostomuksha The specialists from the Center "Nadezhda" (Hope) made presentations DV in youth camps on the subject of DV, conducted a poll among children and adults and analyzed the data. An article about the problem of DV was published in the "Novosti Kostomukshi" newspaper (Kostamuksha News). Verkhniy Olonets The building for the children's social club was repaired; the recreation rooms and psychological help room were opened. more >> Pytkyaranta Social research carried out among teenagers and children was analyzed and the project partners and participants were informed of the results. more >> "Rebirth" Center, Petrozavodsk Thirty-four people stayed in the Crisis Center for Children Without Parental Care in July and August. more >> July 22, 2000 Volgograd. The FM-radio station "Serebryanyi Dozhd" (Silver Rain) aired a live broadcast with Masha Pesikova (regional coordinator of the "Domestic Violence Community Partnership Program) and Olga Chalikova (an active member of the local coalition and experienced psychologist-consultant). In a traditional five-o'clock "Tea and Coffee" program the participants discussed the problem of DV and the role of Project Harmony in this field. more >> June 2000 Please see the following information about the organizations which won the mini-grants competition in order to administer projects on the topic of DV in the regions of Karelia. Kem At the Social Service Center the department for women in crisis was opened. A psychologist is in charge of this department. Information about the types of help provided for women was published in the local newspaper. more >> Muyezersky A Public Council for administering the project was formed. The members of the Public Council include the assistant of the head of the regional administration for social issues, the vice-principal of a high school, a school psychologist, the chief-physician of the regional hospital, the chief of the municipal police, the director of the Center of Social Services, the head of the government employment department and a representative of the education administration department. more >> Pytkyaranta The coalition for solving the problem of DV was founded in June. Representatives of a broad range of institutions are members. The coalition was formed, in part, in order to provide help to victims of DV. Members include specialists from the Psychological-Medical-Pedagogical Help Center and psychologists and social workers from municipal and regional schools. more >> Kostomuksha In May, the Center of Social and Psychological Help to Families and Youth organized round table discussions in order to discuss the project with psychologists and social workers of schools and other institutions for children. more >> Verkhny Olonets The building where the Children's Social Club is located is currently under repair. An agreement of cooperation was signed with the city administration. more >> Segezha Social-Help Center staff took part in the training seminar for specialists working with victims of DV. A computer was purchased, questionnaires were developed and a sociological poll on DV problems was begun. more >> June 26, 2000 
From June 19- 24, with the support of the Peace Corps, a psychological training seminar was held for specialists working on the DV problem in the Petrozavodsk Resource Center. The facilitators were psychiatrist E.Bazarova and psychotherapist E.Popova, well-regarded professionals with an extensive counseling expertise. Both are professors of the Karelian Pedagogical University
Psychology department. more >>June 9, 2000 The city public radio station in Volzhsky started airing the series of broadcasts entitled "Complicated Problem" devoted to the problem of DV. The audience is offered questions and topics for discussion followed by the commentary of psychologist T.Medvedeva. The radio program lasts 10 minutes and airs once a week. June 8, 2000 A rally entitled "A Healthy Lifestyle" took place in Volzhsky in the Volgograd region which was organized by the Youth Affairs Committee. Booklets on DV were handed out and a Q&A session followed. June 6, 2000 
The film "Domestic Violence," created by the producer's group "Criminal Medium," premiered on television in Karelia. A camera crew filmed the material for the documentary on a visit to the USA during one of the phases of the program.
Project - Edward Cronin, Alexander Smirnov Author - Yuri Smirnov Editor - Pyotr Kholostov May 24, 2000 
"Nadezhda" (or "Hope"), a Social and Psychological Help Center for Families and Youth in
Kostomuksha, one of the Karelia region's winners in the Small Grants Competition, organized their
city's first seminar to acquaint representatives of various organizations
with the problem of domestic violence. more >>
May 2000 Project Harmony's Small Grants Competition ended for the Karelia region. Social centers, representatives from regional administrations, schools, representatives from the local press, and private individuals sent 10 different applications for the program. Six of these projects were chosen for funding by the selection committee, a group of experts from various specialties who are active participants in the program. Now that the winners have been chosen, the program administration is working on contracts, clarifying estimates, and making seminar schedules. Click here to learn more about the grant winners and their projects. May 2000 The autonomous NGO "Internews" gave the state radio and television company "Karelia" financing to make a film about the problem of domestic violence. May 15, 2000 Project Harmony received a grant from the Peace Corps to hold an educational seminar for specialists from various organizations that help victims of domestic violence. These seminars will be held for seven days at the Resource Center in Petrozavodsk. Highly qualified psychotherapists and psychiatrists will give lectures on domestic violence and teach participants concrete methods for supporting victims. About twenty-five workers from social centers, medical establishments, schools, participants from our programs in the regions, and winners in the Small Grants Competition will be invited. "The Peace Corp" gave us $600 for the program; any additional funding will come from our own programming budget. A huge thanks to Peace Corps volunteer, Jennifer Haluptsok, for all of her help and cooperation. April 25-25, 2000 The coalition in Volgograd held a cooperative action with the center "For Alternatives." On both the 25th and 26th, participants picketed at three bus stops from 3:00 to 5:00 PM and distributed palm cards, created by the NGO "Peace in the Family" entitled "If You are Abused by a Family Member, You are not Alone." About 300 palm cards were distributed. April 22-29, 2000 Two meetings were held in Volgograd's Gorki Library, at the American Club for students. Amanda Gibson, a participant in Project Harmony's program for young teachers (a teacher in a law lycee), and Tanya Ivakhenko, the program coordinator, led the meeting. Participants discussed the problems of domestic violence, as well as the possible solutions to domestic violence in Russia and in the United States. Participants received various materials, including a diagram of "The Cycle of Power and Control," describing various types of violence. The library hosted an exhibition of books, about the problem, given to them by "Project Harmony" and the American Embassy. April 13, 2000 
- A seminar entitled "Legislating for and protecting the Rights of Women and Children in Situations of Domestic Violence" was held at the Center for Social and Psychological Work (the Resource Center in Petrozavodsk).
more >>- A meeting about the problem of domestic violence was held in Volzhski, in the Volgograd region. Twenty-two people attended, including representatives from Volzhski's local Police Department (psychologists), the Center for Creative Children and Youth, the regional "Family" Center, the city administration for medical workers (head pediatrician), the commission responsible for the affairs of minors, the community organization "Children in Trouble," the educational administration, the social protection administration, the main government administrator's office, and the youth centers "Orion," "Volna," and "Istoki". more >> April 5, 2000 Elena Merzova, director of a women's crisis center in Petrozavodsk, gave a lecture on domestic violence to future nurses and social workers at Petrozavodsk's medical college. more >> March 2000 The first portion of the website was posted March 6-10, 2000 
A team of specialists from the United States led a seminar "Domestic Violence is a Crime"
at Karelia's MVD Training Center. Participants in the seminar included teachers and students
from the Training Center, representatives from various regions of Karelia, district inspectors
from the Petrozavodsk City Police Department and the Petrozavodsk region, representatives
from the municipal police, and the inspector for troubled families.
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March 2, 2000 In Petrozavodsk, Project Harmony's "Domestic Violence Community Partnership Program" gave a presentation to the deputy directors of self-managed and chaired committees dealing with the family affairs for various regions of Karelia. more >> February 29, 2000 A seminar entitled "The Government and Community Organizations working together against Domestic Violence" was held in Petrozavodsk. more >> February 28, 2000 The local NGO "Peace in the Family" was founded in Volgograd in order to combat domestic violence. February 16-26, 2000 
The seminars for the second phase of the program were held in Volgograd. American participants included a social worker, a psychologist, a police officer and a nurse.February 2000 Work was begun on the Russian-language website for the program. February, 2000 - A documentary film was released about a woman from Volgograd- a survivor of domestic violence (originator of film idea and writer of screenplay - Larisa Fomenko). - A group in Volgograd compiled and printed a palm card about domestic violence for women, including telephone numbers of organizations who can offer them help and guidance. - A series of public service announcements began to be translated (made by the autonomous NGO "Internews" in Moscow) for television release in the Republic of Karelia. November 29 - December 13, 1999 
A group of twelve program participants from Petrozavodsk, Odessa, and Kiev traveled to Massachusetts.
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November 5, 1999 With the help of the city of Petrozavodsk, a Domestic Violence Resource Center was opened at the center for creative children and youth. The center has a psychologist and a social worker, collects literature on domestic violence in its library, holds seminars, organizes free consultations, and carries out methodological work. October 19-27, 1999 
The seminars for the first phase of the program were held in Volgograd. American participants
lead seminars for social workers, representatives from governmental and non-governmental
organizations, law enforcement officials, lawyers, and healthcare officials. During these meetings,
the initial group of people was formed to continue to work against domestic violence.June 1999 Thanks to the work of "Project Harmony" and Karelia's Center for Gender Studies, the Republic of Karelia's Legislative Assembly developed a plan for a federal law "About Preventing Domestic Violence" (leader - Deputy of the House of Representatives Galina Nikolaeva Pogudalova) and sent it to Russia's Federal Assembly. May 1999 Groups of specialists from Petrozavodsk, Volgograd, and Irkutsk participated in an international conference on domestic violence in Arzamas (in the Nizhni Novgorod region). The conference was coordinated by the American organization Connect US-Russia and by the local department of labor administration for the Nizhni Novgorod region. Participants in the conference were acquainted with the region's problems with domestic violence and the work of the center for social and psychological help for families. Additionally, they had the opportunity to gather information and exchange experiences with participants from other cities in Russia. April 25 - May 7, 1999 
A group of American specialists lead the second phase of seminars and training in Petrozavodsk. Participants represented various organizations and specialties.
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April 1999 - The film "Family Affairs" was nominated at the first interstate film festival "Law and Order and the Community" held by the NIS and the Baltic States. - The curriculum "Preventing Teen Dating Violence", used in the state of Massachusetts (created by Carole Sousa), was translated into Russian. Translated, as well, was a leadership plan for schools to help them to administer a domestic violence prevention curriculum for teens and a domestic violence prevention curriculum for police academies "Domestic Violence is a Crime". - Through Karelia's center for gender studies, a women's group from Duluth gave a series of seminars on domestic violence in Petrozavodsk and several other cities in the Republic of Karelia. March 1999 - The documentary film "Family Affairs" was released by the press group MVD from the Republic of Karelia (film idea - Aleksander Smirnov, Edward Cronin, author - Yuri Smirnov, director and editor - Peter Kholostov). - In Petrozavodsk, information was gathered about governmental and non-governmental organizations and specialists who are willing to offer help with the problem of domestic violence. The group in Petrozavodsk compiled a handbook about domestic violence for women, including telephone numbers of organizations who can offer them help and guidance. March 3, 1999 
"Center for Independent Living 'Harmony" was officially registered by the Ministry of Justice in the Republic of Karelia. Valentina Fyodorovna Makhova was elected the presiding representative.February 3, 1999 The community organization "Center for Independent Living 'Harmony'" was officially opened to deal with the problem of domestic violence. This organization is comprised of members of the initial coalition group: teachers, psychologists, social workers, police workers, and representatives from other community organizations. The center's main functions will be: - To hold informational and educational activities. - To organize consultations for victims of domestic violence. - To work with governmental organs and legislators to change the way the problem of domestic violence is handled officially. December 1-9, 1998 
The seminars for the first phase of the program were held in Petrozavodsk. American
participants conducted seminars for social workers, psychologists, teachers,
representatives from NGOs, law enforcement officials, healthcare workers, and
students. They also met with judges and deputies from the Legislative Assembly
and representatives from the ministries and from the Government of the Republic of
Karelia.
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