Problems of tolerance were discussed at a meeting of the Moscow government

On November 7, 2006, at a meeting of the Moscow government, measures to improve the efficiency of the city hall’s actions in the field of interethnic relations were discussed. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov admitted that these relations are deteriorating. “Over the past two years, we have increasingly had to make law enforcement and strong-willed decisions to combat xenophobia,” he said.

The head of the Moscow City Internal Affairs Directorate, Vladimir Pronin, noted that since the beginning of the year in Moscow, people from neighboring countries have committed more than 25 thousand crimes. V. Pronin also believes that “the biased coverage of conflicts on interethnic grounds in the media is what causes the growth of xenophobia.” The mayor called on the media to “strengthen the propaganda of tolerance.”

The head of the Committee for Interregional Relations and National Policy of the City Hall, Alexei Alexandrov, said that a draft resolution “On measures to improve the efficiency of the activities of city executive authorities in the field of interethnic relations” is being developed.

According to him, it is necessary to create a “favorable information environment” in the city by promoting educational programs “aimed at establishing interethnic harmony” on the Moscow TV channels TVC and Stolitsa.

Let us recall that such proposals have already been discussed by the Moscow government. In August 2006, a resolution was adopted “On the medium-term city target program “Multinational Moscow: the formation of civil solidarity, a culture of peace and harmony (2005-2007).”

During the meeting, issues of teaching the course “History of World Religions” at the school were also discussed.

Voronov A. Yuri Luzhkov increases tolerance in Moscow // Kommersant. 2006. November 8.

Sources

• Tolerance will cost Moscow 59 million rubles // Human Rights in Russia. 2006. November 8.