(About some outcomes of workshop “Prevention of manifestations of extremism, ethnic, religious hostility and terrorism in SFD and NCFD”)

On May 27-28 in Kislovodsk inter-regional scientific-practical workshop “Prevention of manifestations of extremism, ethnic, religious hostility and terrorism in SFD and NCFD” took place. Its organizers were Center of support of human right protection (Moscow), Moscow bureau for human rights, Center of conflicts settling (Krasnodar) with support of Commission of the Public chamber of Russian Federation on interethnic relations and freedom of conscience, Department of Ministry of home affairs (MVD) of Russian Federation on counteraction to extremism and administration of city-resort Kislovodsk. The workshop was participated by about 100 persons – employees of public authorities and municipalities, law-enforcement bodies, non-government public organizations of SFD and NCFD, representatives of Public chambers and Staffs of Commissioners on human rights, leaders of ethnic and religious communities of SFD and NCFD, and scientific-expert community.

The following workshop participants spoke who accentuated the attention on legal, social-economic, political and ideological aspects of the problem under consideration: V.I. Mukomel, director of Center of ethno-political and regional studies, Doctor of sociology (Moscow), with the subject: “Xenophobia, migrant-phobia and extremism: social context”; A.P. Gorbunov, rector of Pyatigorsk state linguistic university (Pyatigorsk), with the subject: “Strengthening of intercultural and interethnic cooperation, prevention of extremism: experience of PSLU”; M.A. Astvatsaturova, head of North-Caucasian branch of Network of ethnological monitoring and early prevention of conflicts, Doctor of political science (Pyatigorsk), with the subject: “Prevention of “diversified effect” of nationalism and xenophobia in local communities of NCFD”; M.Yu. Filippov, head of department on the problems of home policy of staff of the plenipotentiary of the President of RF in SFD (Rostov-on-Don), with the subject: “About some problems of arrangement of work for counteraction to extremism”; I.P. Chernobrovkin, professor of department of conflictology of faculty of sociology and political science of Southern federal university (Rostov-on-Don), with the subject: “Nationalwide counteraction to terrorism in the South of Russia: strategical aspect”; M.A. Zakharova, head of Chief Directorate of the Ministry of justice of RF for Stavropol region (Stavropol), with the subject: “Activity of territorial bodies of the Ministry of justice in the field of prevention of extremism manifestations in North-Caucasian federal district”; M.Ye. Ushakov, head of staff of anti-terrorist commission of Rostov region (Rostov-on-Don), with the subject: “About increase of efficiency of counteraction to extremism in youth environment”; T.V. Pinkevich, senior research fellow of Stavropol Center of social, social-political and criminological studies (Stavropol), with the subject: “Problem of counteraction to extremism in NCFD”; E.T. Maiboroda, senior research fellow of Southern scientific center of RAS (Stavropol), with the subject: “Systemic conflict-management under conditions of growth of interethnic tension in the North Caucasus”; D.E. Ozdoyev, Commissioner on human rights in Republic of Ingushetia (Magas), with the subject: “Experience of cooperation of state and non-government institutions in prevention of terrorism and extremism in republic of Ingushetia”; Kh.A. Yakhikhanov, chairman of Committee on regulations, interethnic, inter-religious relations, extrenal ties and informational policy of the Parliament of Chechen Republic (Grozny), with the subject: “Informational counteraction to terrorism and extremism at the example of Chechen Republic”; A.F. Mukomolov, chairman of council of inter-regional public organization “Peace-making mission named after general Lebed” (Moscow), with the subject: “Overcoming of consequences of armed conflicts in the North Caucasus”; Z.I. Salbieva, secretary of Public chamber of Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (Vladikavkaz), with the subject: “Role of the Public chamber of Republic of North Ossetia-Alania in prevention of manifestations of ethnic hostility”; I.M. Skvirenko, executive director of Kavkazskiye Mineralnye Vody regional center of peace-making, conflictology and social development “Friendship-North Caucasus” (Kislovodsk), with the subject: “Experience of cooperation of civil society institutions with municipal self-government bodies in counteraction to extremism”; K.S. Grigoryeva, senior lecturer of branch of the Southern federal university (Kizlyar), with the subject: “Post-conflict anf post-crisis adaptation of rural population of Chechen Republic (at the example of Cossack village Dubovskaya of Shelkovskoy district)”; V.A. Timchenko, analyst of center of ethno-political studies of Pyatigorsk branch of North-Caucasian academy of public service (Pyatigorsk), with the subject: “Prevention of extremism manifestations in youth environment in NCFD”; I.V. Lazarova, coordinator of projects of autonomous non-commercial organization “Planet” (Vladikavkaz), with the subject: “Role of peace-making education in prevention of ethnic conflicts and development of tolerance in the North Caucasus”; I.M. Kishukova, director of charitable foundation “Development” (Nalchik), with the subject: “Prevention of radical nationalism, xenophobia in youth environment of SFD and NCFD – complex approach (enlightenment and education, development of civil society, cooperation of government bodies and NGOs)” and other experts, representatives of government bodies and Office of general public prosecutor of RF.

The following spoke within the discussion devoted to the problems of role of education, enlightenment, mass media in improvement of interethnic and inter-religious dialogue, prevention of extremism: B.N. Panteleyev, legal expert of the Public chamber of RF, executive director of Agency of legal information “Man and law” (Moscow), with the subject: “Role of experts in settlement of informational conflicts connected with accusation of mass media of verbal extremism”; M.A. Melnikov, analyst of Center of extreme journalism (Moscow), with the subject: “Professional media environment as an unused resource for counteraction to extremism, language of hostility”; Yu.N. Kulik, executive officer of Staff of Commissioner on human rights in Stavropol region (Stavropol), with the subject: “Legal education as the fundamental factor of prevention of radical nationalism, xenophobia in youth environment”; L.R. Bostanova, chief specialist of regional executive committee of the party “United Russia” on work with environments (Cherkessk), with the subject: “Integration of Caucasian young people into culture of Russia, creation of positive image of a Caucasian among Russian youth”; V.I. Cherevatenko, head of regional public organization Union “Women of Don” (Rostov-on-Don), with the subject: “Role of women-peacemakers in arrangement of dialogue between peoples basing upon universal values”; V.V. Sukhov, chairman of board of founders of regional public organization “International non-violence” (Moscow), with the subject: “Consolidation of efforts of state and non-government sectors of society as the most important resource for achievement of civil consent and provision of public safety in NCFD”; R.Yu. Yegorov, charman of Council of inter-regional public organization “All-Caucasian youth alliance” (Pyatigorsk), with the subject: “Strategic resource of youth in prevention of interethnic tension and extremism manifestations”.

During the speeches of experts and discussions the following subjects were touched upon:

• new risks and factors of safety in SFD and NCFD;

• practical experience of prevention and overcoming of consequences of extremism, terrorism in SFD, NCFD;

• prevention of radical nationalism, xenophobia in youth environment of SFD and NCFD;

• implementation of ethnic policy in subjects of RF of SFD and NCFD in present time;

• realities and prospects of migratory policy and adaptation of migrants in SFD and NCFD;

• role of enlightenment and education in strengthening of intercultural cooperation, of traditional Russian values of civil identity;

• development of civil society institutions and support of civil initiatives in SFD and NCFD;

• cooperation of government and administrative bodies with Commissioners on human rights, NCOs, and mass media in SFD anf NCFD.

The workshop participants determined the situation in the North Caucasus as very complicated one. Incessant terrorist acts in North-Caucasian region cause universal anxiety. According to Doctor of political science Maya Astvatsaturova, “…ethno-political time-out of 2005-2007 that was characterized by some stabilization of social-political situation in the North Caucasus was sequentially superseded by ethno-political stagnation with pronounced accentuation of ethno-political risks. In 2008-2011 not just terrorist acts became more frequent but also daring sallies of illegal armed units, attempts of capturing of territories and human settlements, murders of symbolic persons from political and managerial elite of subjects. Armed conflicts take place in human settlements and capitals of RF subjects in NCFD (Daghestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachai-Cherkess, Stavropol region, Chechnya), murders and explosions are executed in centers of municipal units, in places of big concentration of people (some auls, central streets of cities, markets).

It is notable that during above-mentioned period the “ideological terrorism” and “world outlook terrorism” more and more often close up with direct gangsterism having primitive goals: plunder, raidership, elimination of competitors and those disliked, intimidation of population, strengthening of influence and spreading of territory of impact. The “tying products” of terrorism and extremism are nationalism, migrant-phobia and xenophobia. For many reasons these phenomena make “diversified effect” upon local communities of NCFD regions.

But in the opinion of the workshop participants the situation in the North Caucasus can’t be analyzed out of touch with all-Russian problems of building of civil society in the country. The prevailing theme of discussion was reduced by the workshop participants to the fact that implementation of one of directions of social-political and socio-cultural development of modern Russia that is one of priorities, met some challenges. The threat of dissemination of numerous trends of extremist and terrorist orientation both in regional socium in general and in youth environment in particular (as it is the part of society that is most susceptible to radical ideologies) became the most important of them in NCFD and SFD of RF. Ethnic and religious hostility, terrorism and extremism as adherence to extreme views and actions under today’s Russian conditions became an everyday reality of our existence and turned into brake of democratic development of society and threat to safety of both country as a whole and NCFD and SFD in particular. Under such situation the problem of counteraction to these pernicious phenomena becomes a nationalwide complicated and multiple-aspect task. The state ethnic policy implemented by public and local authorities with participation of NCOs, ethnic-cultural autonomies, youth public associations, religious organizations etc, is the forefront of combat against terrorism, extremism and xenophobia as it is via activity of civil society institutions that the basis of interethnic relations and inter-religious cooperation is formed.

Efficiency of combat against religious-political extremism in RF depends in many respects on the fact how consistently and strictly the demands of federal legislation are fulfilled; the legislation prohibits: propaganda and agitation inciting ethnic and religious hatred and hostility; creation and activity of public associations the objectives and actions of which are directed at incitement of social, racial, ethnic and religious dissension; creation and activity of public associations the objectives and actions of which are directed at violent change of fundamentals of constitutional system and infringement of integrity of RF, undermining of state security and creation of armed units. According to deputy chairman of the Committee on affairs of nationalities of the State Duma I. Gorkova, “at present several regulative legal acts are in force in Russian Federation that touch upon the problem of counteraction to ethnic and religious intolerance, xenophobia, racism and other forms of extremism directly or indirectly. During recent years a tendency can be seen to more strict application of these acts towards the persons who committed crimes motivated by ethnicity and religion. But in general the executive power and courts show abstruse indulgence towards pro-fascist, extremist nationalistic groups. Analysis of law-enforcement practice demonstrates serious discrepancy of legislation and real situation in this sphere. The problem is that existing norms should be applied systematically and properly without attempts to bring manifestations of ethnic and religious extremism to pure hooliganism like this still unfortunately happens pretty often. It is also of principal importance that combat against this evil should be executed not within periodical campaigns but upon permanent basis”.

Specificity of situation in the North Caucasus that is more critical in comparison with other Russian regions is aggravated by a complex of factors the workshop participants spoke about. Maya Astvatsaturova noted that “in NCFD subjects content of safety of interethnic relations has economic, social, political as well as moral and ethical constituents. Correspondingly threats for safety of interethnic relations are also manifested in multi-level system of internal and external impact. Modern ethno-political situation in the North Caucasus is characterized by aggravation of regional risks, and terrorism and religious extremism stand out among them having direct projections into the sphere of interethnic relations”.

Deputy chairman of commission of the Public chamber on interethnic relations and freedom of conscience Alexander Brod noted in his speech: “North-Caucasian federal district that was created not long ago includes the subjects of Russian Federation where “hot spots” still exist during two decades. Preserved tension in the region is caused to a great extent by difficulties of economic situation that were available as long ago as in Soviet period and especially aggravated after collapse of former economic ties and decline of production level. Interethnic and military conflicts that followed collapse of the USSR also aggravated the situation in the region, and during recent decade new factors of interethnic and inter-religious proneness to conflicts appeared. Tension in evident and latent forms is preserved up to the present practically in all the republics included into NCFD”.

Deputy chairman of Committee on affairs of nationalities of the State Duma Irina Gorkova marked out several important reasons for existing situation. According to her, “…tension in interethnic relations is caused by general decline of culture in the society after collapse of the USSR including decline of general level of education. Lack of spiritual, civil, international upbringing also leads to degradation of cultural level in the society. The deputy considers “stratification of society into the poor and the rich” and the problem of “unsettled situation with migratory process on the territory of the country” interconnected with this, to be the second reason that is as important. “This is first of all characteristic for big administrative centers of Russia”, I. Gorkova said.

Unsettled situation with many problems of North Caucasus and conditions that formed there and that are often extreme, process of coercive settlement of conflicts are accompanied everywhere by breaches of human rights. According to A. Brod, “… richness of region with arms under conditions of high level of officials’ corruption, non-transparent judicial system, unemployment, needy standard of life led to the fact that North Caucasus turned into a leader by number of breaches of human rights in Russian Federation. One of the biggest errors of judgment of federal and regional authorities of NCFD is poor support of non-government organizations, mass media and often obstinate pressure upon them, turning them into obedient cogs in the machine. There is an impression that it is necessary for bureaucrats to create a fine-looking picture but not to correct abnormal distortions for improvement of life of the people. And people are quite tired of terrorist acts, poverty, and uncertainty. People in the Caucasus mostly live “not feeling a country under their feet” when every day is like a bulletin – we survived, and that’s all right”.

In their speeches the participants proposed very different ways of solution of pending problems in the North-Caucasian region. According to A. Brod, “…there is a limit for everything. Murders, beatings of human rights activists, journalists, peaceful civilians may threaten somebody. But not forever. Cheerful programs of prosperity of the region will remain useless scraps of paper, Manilov’s plans if the authority does not begin hearing people, solving their everyday problems, until it begin to think about their safety and worthy life. About salaries and pensions, houses and apartments, hospitals and schools, theatres and libraries”.

It is well-known that terroristic activity in the North Caucasus is often executed under radical Islamist slogans so the speech of high-ranking representative of Islamic clergy, First deputy chairman of Central spiritual directorate of Moslems of Russia, Chairman of Spiritual directorate of Moslems of Chechen Republic, chairman of Spiritual directorate of Moslems of Moscow and Central region, member of the Public chamber of RF, mufti Albir-hazrat Krganov attracted special attention. The mufti stated that “characteristic feature of Islamic faith is the fact that it always expressed and expresses openness and readiness to vivid both interethnic and inter-religious dialogue. In this sense Islam not just distinguishes itself by tolerance towards any world outlook opinion but also is the active supporter of conduction of purposeful, scientifically objective exchange of opinions that rouses the world community to mutual approximation constructively”. He also stated his resolute conviction that “later on we would be able to continue the steady advance along this way of civilization progress basing upon common humanistic postulates of our beliefs, rejecting conditionality and narrow-mindedness of thinking”. Not so much theological disputes as practical steps should be put into the basis of spiritual development of the country: “… it’s time to pass on to the dialogue from purely theological discussions – dialogue that is held within comparison of inter-religious values for the sake of solution of intellectual and practical problems of the present, burning problems of our time … we would not just be able to become a democratic country any time but would also find ourselves in the margin of civilized community if we look indifferently at such historically chronic problems as - manifestation of intolerance towards other cultures, ethnic dissension, and racial and religious hostility. Flashes of manifestations of these abnormal vices cause serious anxiety of all the traditional Russian religions … it is necessary to eradicate any manifestations of xenophobia and ethnic hatred once and for good, inculcate high moral values in young generations, put solid fundamentals of civil self-consciousness into them. It is such approach that would, in our opinion, promote strengthening of democracy, spiritual and cultural pluralism, preservation of civilization identity of Russia and its geo-cultural space”. The mufti joined the demands of human rights activists to the authorities concerning paying special attention to the growth of neo-Nazism and to appearing of numerous skinhead groups: “…dozens thousand skinheads number in Russia today, big amount of editions of radical orientation is published and disseminated. Representatives of practically all the social groups as well as sub-cultures become the forces of aggression. Unfortunately only law-enforcement bodies are responsible for solution of problems of activity of youth ultra-right sub-cultures in our country. At the same time this is an important task relating to broad civil public because building of democratic state does not accept manifestation of indifference or inactivity towards “crime of hatred” of many faces. And so far we have no either complex state youth policy or efficient measures for prevention of xenophobia in this environment on the federal level. Though it is desirable that the state would determine its attention towards its young citizens that are almost one third of population of Russia, as its priority and – what is most important – as systemic task”.

A. Brod summed up the broad range of speeches at the workshop specifying further directions of work: “Workshop in Kislovodsk is a diagnosing of disease and joint search for remedies. We will first develop recommendations for authority, NGOs in the South of Russia. Then, with the efforts of our commission of the Public chamber, we will start the audit of legislation on the subjects: youth policy, education, culture, counteraction to extremism and terrorism, and after this we will attract attention of heads of republics and federal leaders to the deficiencies of laws, programs, to the problems of law-enforcement. During the workshop we saw bright personalities of activists, journalists. We will rely on them in our further work, conduction of trainings for leaders of non-government organizations, editors of mass media, and in development of regional programs and recommendations. Our task is to open the eyes of people and explain them once again the sense of words of one of heroes of the play by M. Gorky: “Rights are not given, rights are taken… A man should strive for his rights himself”. It is only due to active civil position, building of a system of public control, dialogue with authority, creation of strong civil society institutions that one can hope for the change of situation in the South of Russia. We are going to work also with human rights activists of Moscow and other regions of Russia, with expert community directing them to support of SFD and NCFD, overcoming of Caucasian-phobia. We plan the hearings on these subjects in the Public chamber, in the State Duma, in the Federation Council. Basing upon the results of the workshop we will issue the collection of reports and recommendations that we heard here”.