Problems of inequality and Violence in Russia: Trend for Social Work

Abstract

In the first place I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to the International Council on Social Welfare and Vilnius University for the given opportunity to take part in this very representative European Conference. Problems of equal opportunities for individuals, groups and nations are of extreme impor­ tance for the fonnation of civil society in Eastern European countries which have realized deep social and economic transformations in a very short period of time. My speech deals with a topic in the center of which are two controversial, even incompatible concepts: lack of equal opportunities and violence in Russia. In other words, violence might be considered as a result of inexistence of equal opportunities in the Russian society. I'd like to start from the opposite from the concept of equal opportunities and prerequisites to fulfill them in real life. I. What do we mean while speaking about equal opportunities') 2. Which documents contain the right for equal opportunities? 3. Who and how represent them'J 4. Who can take advantage of them and to which extent? 5. Which conditions are needed for their implementation') Let us try to answer these questions. So, what do we mean while speaking about equal opportunities'? We part from the necessity to fonn a just society, every member of which possesses the right to work, the right to use the results and products of his work as we part from the double nature of a human to be a producer and to be a user, or consumer. We also mean the right to decent education, shelter, health care, security and right to express freely one's opinions. These rights can be realized only in secure social medium, without any hint of possible persecution or violence towards dissidents. Which documents contain the right for equal opportunities? First of all, these are international documents. The main and the most important is Word Dec­ laration of human rights and other documents approved by UNO (United Nations Organization). Some documents of regional character are of no less importance, such as European social Charter and so on. At the national level these arc mainly national Constitutions. As far as Russia is concerned, the human rights are depicted in the Russian Constitution. The article 7 says that Russia is a social State. Such declaration by a State means that it assumes responsibility to set up conditions for implementation of these rights and its citizens are given op­ portunities to take advantage of them. In other words. any State and its institutions are the main subjects to guarantee equal rights and to create conditions/or equal opportunities. Who and how represent them? One of the most significant instruments to realize equal right and opportunities is the State social policy.