A Brief History of 12 Step Work in Russia
An Introduction to the Director, Vladimir "Bushy"
A Brief Overview of the Work of Unity Foundation
List of Needs
How You Can Support Unity and the Work of Boneem

Just email us at info@boneem.org to request a copy.

When Boneem first started work in Samara, there was only one 12 Step group, and for the most part it had no real leadership or example. Today there are nearly four dozen 12 Step groups including AA, NA, AlAnon, and CODA. Bushy (the gentleman pictured above) has been an aggressive advocate and a staunch student of substance abuse recovery since it was first introduced into Russian culture and has been more than instrumental in its propagation within the Samara Region.

Few official statistics exist with regard to the alcohol or drug problem in Russia. However, depending on which statistic you look at, many stats show that as much as 70% of the male population is alcoholic (and even higher than that in some places) and as much as 40-60% of the female (depending on location). In one of the cities where Boneem works, some put the drug addiction and/or alcoholism rate amongst the teen population fully at 50% or more!! Add to this the fact that no form of treatment has existed (until recently) other than various methods of detox. However, methods of learning how to manage life in ways that provide other alternatives besides alcohol didn't exist. Keep adding----add to this what has been a very desperate economy in Russia for many years now (as much as 40% unemployment at some early points after the fall of the Iron Curtain). Add to this a long functioning philosophy by government officials in old communist Russia that as long as you were producing for the state then whatever other problems you might have had were no concern of theirs. Add to all of this the reality that with this high of an alcoholism rate, then within one generation every citizen within that society is affected directly by issues of addiction, alcoholism or serious codependency (a concept, by the way, richly supported by communist doctrine). So even if someone did want to find help, where would they go to find even the smallest example of "healthy"? Most certainly this has not been an easy atmosphere into which to introduce new concepts.

At the outset of Boneem's work with alcoholics and drug addicts, a great deal of resistance was delivered by various groups within Russian society. Not unlike the medical community here in the US over 60 years ago and the resistance they offered to the 12 Step movement, Russian medical professionals have even used air time on the radio to deride the concept of one addict or one alcoholic helping another. "How," they would ask, "can one addict help another when he/she can't even help him/herself?" Boneem volunteers have even met with opposition from public officials in public meetings over this very issue. Not only that, but in one community the medical professionals even produced an article for the local paper after one of Boneem's meetings with alcoholics and addicts in that community. The article openly blasted the futility of a western philosophy that would never work in Russian culture. Tell that to the hundreds of alcoholics and addicts in Samara (and those whose lives they've gone on to touch) who have been helped by each other through the application of the 12 Steps. Indeed, gradually a foundation has been built.

Another group that openly challenged the work of Boneem volunteers and addicts wishing to attend 12 Step meetings, was/is those who sell the drugs. Some of the stories by Boneem volunteers about the "thugs" that would stand at the doors of a 12 Step meeting place, are quite intriguing. Although nothing violent ever occurred at these meetings, the "intimidation factor" was flagrant.

Enter the pioneering few. Those of the first generation of 12 Step veterans began to blaze some trails. Boneem volunteers in their early trips met with disbelief regarding their own testimonies, as well as they heard testimonies within group meetings of alcoholics who had been dry for 4 months or for 6----"But is there anyone who has been clean or dry longer?" they would ask. To one meeting they even invited a man who had been dry for almost a year and in that same meeting another man stood to tell the group that it wasn't possible to truly quit and that everyone was working on an effort in futility. Back in 1996 and 1997, Boneem was asked to try to find a recovering addict or alcoholic here in the USA who had been clean and/or dry for longer than a year---they wanted to see him/her. Subsequently, we brought one guy (Walt) over from one of America's largest company's Employee Assistance Programs to talk with companies and 12 Step groups in Samara---Walt had been clean for a number of years. Upon his departure from Russia, Boneem's Director was approached by folks in the drug community and medical community and told that they believed that this must be the only person in ALL of America who has stayed clean this long. They absolutely would not believe that it was possible for them (or for anyone else for that matter). But through all of this, a few men trudged on, determined to make a difference in their own lives first and, as they cautiously took one day at a time, to begin to help others make a difference in their lives and the lives of their families. Among these pioneers are several stand-outs, one of which you're about to meet.

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AN INTRODUCTION TO THE DIRECTOR

Meet Vladimir, known to most of his friends merely as "Bushy". Boneem's first introduction to Bushy was nearly 7 years ago. This man is one of the first generation AA 12 Step participants in the Samara area. Bushy is a very direct individual with a lot of "moxxy" and a vision to help others like him who were trapped in the grips of alcoholism or other addictions. He attended ever workshop and seminar he could get into. He networked with 12 Steppers outside of his own country. He was a tireless encouragement to others of his comrades as they worked to stay dry, one day at a time. Bushy is a man of deep loyalties and a friend's friend.

The one thing that has been noticeably absent from the 12 Step efforts in Russia is any measure of printed literature. Although AA had some materials in Russian, it was very difficult to get those materials into Russia in any appreciable quantities. Bushy kept looking and hoarding any material he could get his hands on. A "non-authorized" NA booklet was produced and a Boneem volunteer, George Pettus, took in numerous copies--reproduced at his own expense. Boneem also introduced several other concepts of recovery into the Samara area, of which Bushy has presented in many forums and to many groups. By his words, some of these concepts are now integrated into virtually every recovery effort through out the Samara Region.

Through his journey over the past several years, and with his vocal nature, and with the recent introduction into Russian law of guidelines for and recognition of indigenous non-profits, Bushy managed to attract some indigenous support to begin a charity with one focus---getting the message of hope and recovery out to the masses. Thus was born Unity Foundation.

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A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE WORK OF UNITY FOUNDATION

Unity only recently obtained office space, and still more recently obtained some additional space in the same old building, in which they could begin to build their outreach. You are encouraged to request a copy of our video that documents a recent interview with Bushy from within the offices of Unity. This short 5-10 minute segment is part of longer one hour video in which another recovery effort is documented---Drug Center, "Salvation" (STC). However, it can be viewed as a stand alone interview and the video images tell a lot.

Back to the work of Unity. . . Unity is managing to piece together an office in which 12 Step groups can meet and grow. It seeks to be a place where literature can be obtained (book stores and mass distribution of literature does not exist in Russia as in America) and disseminated through out the community. This agency also seeks to address companies and community officials in efforts to help them understand the depth of the problem and ways the problem can be addressed. Some are beginning to listen.

The main office is presently comprised of three small rooms (maybe 500 sq. ft. total). Unity has also obtained some additional space, small that it is, with which they are striving to develop a small short-term recovery center in which 8 or 9 clients may be serviced. This growth effort will still take some time because money comes in VERY slowly and as yet, Unity has virtually no outside support.

As the video tells, Bushy, with the help of a couple other individuals, is putting together a "curriculum" with which people coming into the center can be helped through Step 1 in a holistic, purposeful and productive way. Bushy himself is working to help get materials translated out of English into Russian for use in this developmental effort.

Unity's outreach to the Samara Region is growing but it needs help. Although the groups that meet there pay a small token (about $10/mth per group) charitable revenues in Russia are virtually nonexistent. Indeed, $10/mth is a lot of money in Russia when measured against an average annual income of less than $2000. Unity is in some upstairs rooms where the air is stale in the summer months and the need for some sort of air conditioning is great. There are some priority repairs that need to be made and some essential modifications. You can help.

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LIST OF NEEDS

The list of needs is long but, frankly, boils down to a very simple request----the need for funds. You have already read in the previous paragraph about some of the needs, here are a few more:

• Supplies for remodeling
• Relevant literature in Russian
• Office furnishings
• Some basic medical supplies as will be used when they begin providing detox services
• A couple air conditioners
• Money to be able to produce literature on the local level
• Money to be able to produce radio and/or television spots on local channels
• Money to help make it possible for Bushy to be able to devote himself to Unity as a full time job, not just as an overworked visionary
  

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If you would like to give directly to Boneem, please feel free to forward your check to us at the following address. We thank you for your support and your input.

Boneem International
P. O. Box 36260
Richmond, VA 23235
Phone: 800-475-6963
Fax: 804-897-1160

If you would like to make Boneem the beneficiary of an insurance policy or endowment gift, please contact us directly. We would most certainly welcome such generosity.

If you own your own business and you would like to add an employee to your payroll---an employee for Boneem International---please contact us directly and we will map out how your commitment to a specified period of support (i.e. two years) could greatly help Boneem move toward having a full time staff person. We have a Russian national we would like to hire. We only need now to secure funds to sponsor her position.

If you have unused cemetery property in a NON city-owned, perpetual care park in your area or city, and you would be willing to donate those arrangements to Boneem, please contact us for information.

If you have real estate that you would like to make available to Boneem for use or for resale, please contact us directly.

All donations are acknowledged immediately. Additionally, at the end of each year Boneem sends out a year-end summary of donations received during that year. Boneem operates on a calendar year.

One note on Boneem finances---after a year or two of "rest" in an effort to structure Boneem more effectively so the administrative responsibilities of the agency would be better distributed among its volunteers---Boneem is once again operating in an affirmatively upward mode. Just in the past year Boneem's receipts have gone from $9K to over $64K plus tens of thousands of dollars in medical supplies and humanitarian aide. Won't you help in Boneem's efforts to reach a needy world?

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