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IATP News from Western Eurasia

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March 18-31, 2005

MOLDOVA

In his online course, Vadim Vasiliev
motivates consumers to learn and
assert their rights

Lawyer Conducts Online Course on Consumer Rights Protection in Moldova
During the second half of March, four new online students registered for a second round of a distance learning (DL) course created by IATP DL Consultant Vadim Vasiliev, a lawyer for the Astra Association for Consumer Rights Protection in Chisinau, Moldova. The course is in Romanian and is hosted by IATP. The DL course has ten modules, each module containing theoretical material and a test. The course is targeted primarily for Moldovan consumers, and thoroughly explains the legislation protecting their rights as consumers. Transitioning to a market economy, Moldova's market of goods and services is flooded with new products, making consumer rights protection a priority for potential customers, and for all businesses that cherish their reputation and strive to stay competitive on the market. During the first course, which lasted from January 24 to February 28, a group of 13 attendees learned about the consumers’ role in the market, consumer preferences, their numerous rights, and ways to protect them. Demonstrating the flexibility and reach of the DL format, two of the participants took the course while pursuing their studies in France. College student Irina Remezova, based in Moldova, remarked, “The course trained me in the many ways to resolve conflicts that arise in the marketplace, as I assert my rights as a consumer.” The IATP DL server at www.dl.iatp.md currently hosts 89 distance learning courses on various topics, ranging from advanced information technologies to nongovernmental organization management to cooking, and has over 1,100 registered users to date.

Angela Solcan (CC 04) delivers a
presentation on business planning

IATP Partners Attend Sustainability Conference in Chisinau, Moldova
On March 25 and 26, the IATP access site in Chisinau, Moldova, hosted a second sustainability conference for IATP staff and partner representatives from different parts of the country. Programmatic and financial sustainability of the program has become a priority for IATP, given uncertain long-term funding prospects. During the first sustainability conference held in July 2004, participants developed a standard model for IATP site sustainability with the prospect of its further adaptation to local conditions. This time, the conference included training and open discussion sessions, during which participants learned about public relations and business fundamentals and shared their experience in various aspects of day-to-day program management. Journalist Cornel Mihalache trained the participants on working with the media by giving tips on how to write high-impact press releases. Diana Vrabie from the consulting firm Pro-Era Group, introduced the audience to the basics of marketing, placing emphasis on the practical side of marketing research, and suggested how to promote training services in each local community. Angela Solcan (CC 04), deputy director of the Moldovan-American Center for Private Initiative, explained the importance of business planning in setting prices, achieving profitability, and applying for bank loans and grants. Accountant Natalia Curagau explained the basics of bookkeeping in accordance with Moldovan law, and guided the audience through a series of practical tests. At the end of the conference, IATP country coordinator Corina Samciuc moderated a discussion on various aspects of collaboration between IATP staff and partners. Samciuc stressed the importance of continuous information flow and accountability. As a result of the discussion, the partners agreed to appoint a specific contact person responsible for relations with IATP at each access site. Larisa Nisterenco (CC 02), who manages youth and sports programs at the Cahul City Hall, commented, “The conference was primarily useful in its training aspect, and I only wish it were longer so that participants could learn even more and apply this knowledge to ensure the sustainable development of the IATP network in Moldova.” Throughout the conference, participants also had time for informal meetings, during which they reflected on opportunities to involve local communities in contributing their resources to IATP to increase the program’s impact throughout Moldova.

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UKRAINE

Oksana Telep searches for
information at the request of a
library visitor

IATP Partner Library in Uzhgorod, Ukraine, Implements Sustainability Plan
On March 18, Hanna Bandurko, director of Uzhgorod City Library, sent IATP a report on the progress of the local IATP access site toward financial sustainability. Bandurko signed an agreement with IATP to implement a sustainability plan beginning March 1. In the first 18 days the agreement was in force, the library earned the equivalent of $62 by providing paid services for use at IATP facilities outside of regular hours of operation. The access site continues to provide all services free of charge during its normal hours of operation, Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. In order to prepare for the sustainability effort, library employees took part in an IATP Step-by-Step training series the fall of 2004, in which they mastered computer basics, Internet basics, and Web design basics, visited websites of other libraries in Ukraine and abroad, developed concept for their own Web representation, and created an official website for their library. Thanks to the skills they obtained in the IATP trainings, the librarians are able to add value to the operation by providing paid services such as typing and directed information searches. Revenues raised by the library using IATP facilities must be spent on the access site, so the librarians used the revenue to acquire several new technology-related books, such as “Adobe Photoshop CS / ImageReady CS for the Web,” “Hands-On Training,” and “??? and MySQL Web Development.” IATP’s partner in Uzhgorod made the first step toward ensuring continuing operation of the IATP access site for the benefit of local community after the eventual end of IATP funding. Currently IATP partners throughout Ukraine are contributing 30% of the program’s budget, through cash expenditures and in-kind contributions.

Vadym Chumachenko explains the
Ukrainian legislative system

ECA Alumni Explore Legislation Online in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine
On March 30, the IATP access site in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, hosted a seminar for eight alumni of US government-sponsored programs entitled “Legislation on the Internet,” conducted by local lawyer Vadym Chumachenko, a member of the Advisory Council of the IATP access site. The seminar was organized by Nina Yanchenko (CC 03), a member of the Chernobyl Union of Ukraine, a national nongovernmental organization (NGO) working with people whose health and livelihoods have suffered as a result of the meltdown of the reactor at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986. The seminar was targeted at alumni who work and volunteer for local NGOs, concentrating on legislation relevant to their work. The participants were given an overview of the Ukrainian legislative system, and learned which laws take precedence over others. Chumachenko advised participants on the types of legislation (laws, decrees, or instructions) that have direct bearing on NGO operations, and gave a summary of the Law of Ukraine on Associations of Citizens. The participants then searched online for information on the most recent laws, lingering at the website of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, which contains the full text of all laws passed by the chamber. Chumachenko gave the participants practical instruction on how to search the Rada website for laws based on date of publication, key words, and type of regulation. As a result of the seminar, the alumni armed themselves with the legal knowledge necessary to protect the rights of their organizations and work more effectively to develop civil society in the region.