One of the most terrible tragedies is a lost child. According to the official statistics over the past five years, there are about 55,000 children missing all across Russia every year. More than 15,000 children disappear each year and 10% of them stay in the lists of missing persons forever.
The Commonwealth of volunteers “Search for missing children“ is a voluntary organization of individuals independent of political and religious views. The Commonwealth does not belong to any political party or political movement. The Commonwealth is working since May 2009.
Priority objective of the Commonwealth is to unite the efforts of volunteers search initiatives and search teams (SAR) in Russia searching for missing children. Members of the Commonwealth do not overtake the functions of the Ministry of Internal affairs, Ministry of Emergency Situations and other special public services but cooperate with them. The Commonwealth with its members, volunteers and initiatives provide all possible help and assistance in finding missing children. Volunteers spread information about missing children on the Internet and mass-media, hand-out leaflets and support the search by interrogation of local inhabitants. The Commonwealth is in contact with the military and police force and assists them in search-and-rescue activities in accordance with the Russian legislation.
The International Centre of the Commonwealth of volunteers “Search for missing children” is represented by groups and search teams in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The Volunteers of the Commonwealth take part in searches for missing children in cities of 24 regions of Russia such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Lipetsk, Omsk, Tyumen, Orenburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude etc. At the moment Commonwealth is also searching for missing children in other cities and regions of Russia.
As part of the International Centre the News Agency of Commonwealth of volunteers “Search for missing children” was officially registered and operates successfully. Its main tasks are media coverage and information support the search of missing children; to develop volunteerism in Russia; to prevent of crime by/against juveniles.
Only persons over 18 years old are allowed to take part in search actions. There are no other restrictions for the participants of information-analytical groups. Search-and-rescue activities are carried out by the volunteers with aid of their own personal gear, equipment and means of transportation. The volunteer work is not paid and the only reward is the gratitude of the people they saved.
The basic work of the volunteers is shown on the forum of our website. More than 100 children were found in 2011 year with the help of the volunteers of Commonwealth.
