From october 2000 to march 2003 the project has been coordinated by the institute of social work and welfare studies of the TU Dresden and financed by the European Commission (INCO-COPERNICUS-Programme). It was an international cooperation between the TU Dresden (Germany), the University of Internal Affairs and the National Technical University in Kharkiv (Ukraine), the research institute AREA in Valenciá (Spain) and the Belgorod Juridical Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Russia) which was established for improving the knowledge base of drug prevention activities by the East European partners. The overall aim of the project was the analysis and elaboration of approaches to drug and addiction prevention. Under consideration of the specific conditions within the East-European countries this work should contribute to the development of pluralistic approaches towards health promotion which are embedded into an intercultural, European horizon.
As a first step the analysis of the international development in addiction prevention in connection with critical check of regional prevention approaches and structures in their countries was in the foreground for the East-European partners. These researches were supplemented by empirical observations of the characteristics of selected target groups for drug prevention: pupils, street children and prisoners. As a second step suitable prevention strategies and concepts as well as methodical and didactical material were developed, tested, party realised and respectively disseminated for the target groups. This work has been supported by the West-European partners who themselves developed and evaluated prevention approaches (at schools, communities and internet) and empirically examined types of co-operation and networking.
Problems were mainly caused by the fact that it was not possible to manage a solid financial base for the planned prevention centre in Kharkiv (Ukraine). The institutional structures in the Ukraine proved to be especially problematical points particularly the lack of co-operation beween government and non-government organisations. Because of this the efforts were first of all focused on the creation of network structures. Researches on this topic in Germany gave valuable input. As a result an advice group for addiction prevention could be initiated in the town of Kharkiv. Moreover, the evaluation of school programmes for addiction prevention in Spain could support the production of brochures, leaflets, a video and programmes for the prevention work with pupils, parents and teachers in the Ukraine.
Due to an active publication activity it was possible to provide the results of the project for scientists and experts. So the attention of administrators, politicians and general public was called to the subject of drug and addiction prevention. Therefore it can be assumed that the project has contributed to a continuating improvement of prevention approaches and prevention work by the East European partners.
Rushchenko, I. P. and Sting, S. 2000: Cannabis goes East, in: hochschule ost, 3-4¸ pp. 223-234.
Sobolev, V. A. and Rushchenko, I. P. (eds.) 2000: Youth and Drugs. Kharkiv: Torsing.
Rushchenko, I. P. (ed.) 2002: Drug Abuse Prevention: Organizational and Methodical Aspects. Kharkiv: Finart.
Author´s Address:
Dr Stephan Sting
TU Dresden
Institute of Social Work and Welfare Studies
D-01062 Dresden
Germany
Tel: + +49 351 463-36141
Email: Stephan.Sting@mailbox.tu-dresden.de
urn:nbn:de:0009-11-4061