Volunteerism Development in the Privolzhsky Federal District

About this grant

For the most part, Russian youth today are not engaged in mainstream society. In past decades, the Communist Youth League offered young people a platform for social activity. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, however, few organized outlets for youth activity have been established. For the past several years, the Center for the Support of Democratic Youth Initiatives has been engaging high school and university students from the city of Perm in volunteer activity.Multiyear funding will enable the center to develop youth volunteer opportunities by organizing voluntary social aid services for lonely and ill elderly citizens; planning two, two-week "Memory River" search expeditions each summer whereby youth groups travel on rivers in the areas of former GULAG political prisoner camps and work as volunteers on the Perm-36 Memorial Center’s reconstruction and maintenance; and providing volunteer training through four, one-day seminars. The center, created by the Perm regional branch of the Memorial Society, facilitates volunteer, charitable social aid to aged and ill individuals and conducts educational activities for youth based on non-violent democratic principles.