Project: Restoration Russia
Helping Russians Save Their Children, Their Families and Themselves
Russia experienced the devastating loss of twenty-seven million persons in Worth War II. In addition, the Soviet system, ruling with deceit and fear, deliberately destroyed the family structure and annihilated the personal worth of the each individual. This destructive government also denied that any type of abuse or addiction ever occurred within their country, and thus health professionals and clergy were not trained in the treatment of these serious issues despite the fact that every Russian family was affected by trauma, abuse, and addictions.
Unfortunately, traumatic situations continue daily in Russia with corruption, terrorist acts, kidnapping, murder, and bombings being regular occurrences in many areas.
Russians constantly are dealing, not only with the past in which they lacked the necessities for survival and for freedom, but they also are concerned with the great uncertainties of today posed by unending political, financial and safety issues.
Thus in Russia today, there is huge demand and need for assistance in all the areas of health: emotionally, spiritually, intellectually and physically. But tragically, the resources for such help are infinitesimal in comparison to the enormous need.
As a result of not having the major emotional wounds of this entire population acknowledged and addressed, many Russian citizens learned to bury their pain and anesthetize their psychological trauma with addictions. Today the average life expectancy for a Russian male is age fifty-seven, and over seventy percent of those deaths are alcohol related. Alcohol and drug use continues to grow daily as does the use of nicotine — seventy-five percent of Russian males smoke and approximately fifty percent of the females. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis is increasing daily. Russia is one of the few countries in the world with a negative growth rate, registering a population loss of approximately 700,000 persons per year. Casinos are multiplying noticeably and sexual addiction is intensifying with the availability of pornography as more Russians obtain computers and access to the Internet — thus more possibilities for addictions are added to this already addictive society.
When addictions are present in a family system, the incidence of physical, emotional, verbal and sexual abuse rises significantly. In order to enable healthy families and healthy children both prevention and treatment must be addressed. Thanks to the supporters of Health Restoration International, Ltd., many of these critical needs now are being provided through the Murray Method training seminars being given throughout the former USSR.
As of the end of 2007, over 1600 professionals and clergy from 147 cities in the former USSR have attended the training sessions. Many of these participants also have attended Level I and Level II Instructor Training seminars where they are being trained to teach this method to other professionals and to the general public. These instructors now have taught portions of this method to approximately 4,000 persons and as a result, requests are being received for additional sessions from multitudes of persons eager to become healthy personally and in their relationships.
The Department of Health in the American Embassy in Moscow presently is consulting with Health Restoration International, Ltd. regarding sending Murray Method teaching teams to cities in Russia to work with their local governments regarding training clinician in their areas. With the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1991, many agencies from America and other countries brought professional and financial resources and helped cities throughout the former USSR establish orphanages, abuse shelters for women and children, family counseling centers, health clinics, and a few chemical dependency rehabilitation centers. These centers and clinics now are operating throughout many cities (but not in the vast rural areas) in Russia. However, the clinical staffs of these facilities usually are poorly trained in the areas of trauma, abuse, neglect and addictions (the areas in which knowledge and expertise is most needed) as a result of the past radical denial of these issues. The Murray Method training which Health Restoration International, Ltd. offers specifically addresses these issues, and consequently is in significant demand. Financial support is greatly needed to enable Health Restoration International, Ltd. to respond to the urgent needs of these children, adults and families.
It truly is a miracle that so many doors are opening daily for this project. Hope for healing has been a life-time illusive dream for the deeply hurting persons of the former USSR, but now they know there is an answer, and a possibility for personal and relational healing. They deeply desire to have an opportunity to change and to grow; to become healthy. Please help us provide that healing opportunity for them.
Also know that —
a healthy Russia means a healthier world —
for you, your children and generations to come.
Helping Russia helps all of us.
