Russia to host "Giving Tuesday" for the first time

On November 29, Russia will host for the first time the International charity action entitled "Giving Tuesday", designed to remind the society about the need of mutual aid and support for people in difficult situation, as reported during the press conference in the TASS News Agency.

Member of the RF Civic Chamber, Director of the Agency for Social Information Elena Topoleva-Soldunova underlined the importance of Russia's engagement in the "Giving Tuesday".

"We believe that it is very important. It is a way to engage people in the charity, and we are all interested in turning charity from fashion into something ordinary so that it would be a shame not to be engaged in charity. In our opinion, the "Giving Tuesday" contributes to the implementation of this idea", - she said.

Elena Topoleva-Soldunova also noted that the Agency for Social Information had also launched the Media Confessions Week in order to support of the Confessions Week project.

"We also proposed journalists to tell about how they support those who need help, and a lot of media in regions answered the request" — she said.

According to Maria Chertok, Director of the Charities Aid Foundation, which initiated the engagement of Russia in this event, stated that it would be attended by artists, politicians, employees, NGOs, and anyone who is ready to do a good deed.

As said by Chertok, by now about 600 partners from 100 cities from Kaliningrad to Kamchatka registered at the website www.givingtuesday.ru. On the last Tuesday of November, they will hold hundreds of events - exhibitions, concerts, flashmobs.

One week prior to the event in social networks the Media Confessions Week event was launched on the website www.givingtuesday.ru and in social networks. The flashmod will involve people sharing stories about helping persons in need. According to research of the CAF there are 52 million people engaged in charity in Russia as for today, and 43 million among them do not mention any charity activities.

The international campaign for charity promotion #GivingTuesday was first held in 2012. More than 300 thousand participants in 75 countries joined the project.