April 12, 2020

Welcome to our April newsletter. All of us at The BEARR Trust send our best wishes to all partners and supporters in these difficult times.  Under COVID-19 restrictions, our work is more vital than ever. We at BEARR are trying to carry on normally as far as possible.  Self-isolation is aggravating existing problems of domestic violence everywhere.  This issue therefore focusses on the twin themes of COVID-19 and domestic violence in our region.  On COVID-19 we haveAn overview of how the virus is affecting Eastern European and Central Asian (EECA) countries.A report on how some recipients of 2019 grants are coping with the restrictionsOne UK NGO’s account of how its projects in Tajikistan are faringVarious news itemsOn domestic violenceAn in-depth report on the situation in Ukraine and MoldovaA book review covering this topicReports from BEARR-funded domestic violence projects in Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.Also: latest information on the 2020 Small Grants Scheme, Annual Lecture and Annual Conference.    We’d be glad to have your feedback on our new format.  Please emailinfo@bearr.org

Coping with COVID-19, challenges in the region

BEARR volunteer Nathan Dampier offers us an overview of the situation and a report on how NGOs and partners in the region have been affected.

Some NGO regional partners update us on how COVID-19 has affected their work and ability to operate.

COVID-19:  a UK NGO’s experiences in Tajikistan. Analysis of the situation from our UK NGO partner Healthprom

Other articles

New research from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Ipsos reveals that 80% of women in Moldova and 75% of women in Ukraine have experienced some form of gender-based violence in their lives. Robert Wragg from Ipsos MORI explains.

BEARR Trustee Janet Gunn reviews The Return of the Russian Leviathan by Sergei Medvedev

Project reports from some of our 2019 Small Grants Scheme; for projects dealing with Violence Against Women and Girls.

Crisis Center Sezim, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, reflects on the successes of their project ‘New Beginnings’ set up to establish club meetings for women of 55+, with legal services, counselling, art therapy and computer literacy.

Tolerspace, Kyiv, Ukraine, offers a mid-term report on the progress of their project, combatting violence and harassment of young women (ages 13-15) through peer-to-peer seminars and comic book stories.

NGO Parastor, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, reports on their project to open a rapid response centre in Dushanbe to assist victims of violence, plus training for NGO and crisis centre staff, police, judges and doctors.

BEARR News 2020 Small Grants Scheme – statistics on applications received New volunteers at BEARR – Nicholas Cornforth and George Leech 2020 Annual Lecture, now scheduled for 22nd September The BEARR Trust Annual Conference will be held on 20th November on the theme of ‘Supporting Migrant Workers in the EECA region’

News from the region  Russian Prime Minister offers to support NGOs in crisis situation NGOs support medics during the pandemic, in Russia  COVID-19 in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Ukraine  Research study of COVID-19 in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine Impact of COVID-19 on the work of NGOs: CAF survey  Coronavirus in the South Caucasus and Central Asia People with disabilities describe quarantine Help for self-isolating elderly people in Moscow