Translated material
New age of tolerance
Russia and pan-European values
“European Tolerance Week,” which began on November 9 in Brussels and ended on November 16 in Kaliningrad, became the starting point for a new program to develop tolerance and mutual respect in Europe. Russia, in which interethnic harmony serves as the basis of its existence, is one of the active participants in this process."Week of Tolerance in Europe" was organized by the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe with the participation of the European and Russian Jewish Congresses. The beginning of the events was timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht - the first wave of mass pogroms against Jews in Nazi Germany, and the end - to coincide with the International Day of Tolerance established by the UN. Thus, the organizers, on the one hand, recalled the importance of preserving historical memory and countering any forms of xenophobia and extremism, on the other hand, they emphasized the importance of tolerance and mutual respect, regardless of cultural characteristics and religion.
The initiators of the “Week of Tolerance in Europe” and the program of action that began with it proceeded from an understanding of tolerance as a complex, complex phenomenon, therefore their concept of the development of European tolerance involves active work in several areas at once. This, in particular, includes large-scale legislative and educational activities, the implementation of historical, memorial and cultural and educational projects with the active participation of the media.
The main events that outlined the priority areas for the implementation of the program took place on the European Day of Tolerance on November 10 in Brussels, the capital of united Europe. On this day, at a special session in the European Parliament, a draft pan-European Convention on strengthening tolerance was presented. The draft “White Book of Tolerance” was also made public, a periodical that will publish typical examples of interethnic mutual respect in European countries.
There are such examples, and there are many of them. In Poland, the Institute of Europe is actively involved in the problems of preserving historical memory, where, on the anniversary of the events of Kristallnacht, lectures were given on the history of the events of 70 years ago. The importance of preserving the memory of the tragedy in his address to the world was also emphasized by the Pope, who spoke out against all forms of anti-Semitism and expressed solidarity with Jews around the world. The Latvian Anti-Fascist Committee, which organized commemorative marches on November 9, is actively working to counter manifestations of neo-Nazism in the Baltic countries. In Germany, all socio-political organizations hold mourning rallies and processions, and a special plenary session is held in the Bundestag.
Russia is no exception to the pan-European process. Starting this year, tolerance lessons are being held in all Moscow schools and in a number of schools in Russian regions . They were first held on the initiative of the Russian Jewish Congress and with the support of the Moscow government on January 27, 2008, International Holocaust Day, and in the near future tolerance will be taught on an ongoing basis. Education is the main tool for preventing xenophobia among young people. Therefore, in light of the political rhetoric of the authorities and taking into account the completely unambiguous direction of state policy in this area, the introduction of tolerance lessons was quite predictable.
Another significant decision in the implementation of such a policy, which a few years ago set the vector for strengthening tolerance in society, was the establishment of a new holiday - National Unity Day on November 4. The reason for the holiday - the expulsion of the invaders from Moscow in 1612 - clearly expresses the unity of all classes and all nationalities. The important message that was contained in it is, of course, very useful for society: a call for unity, to end the division into “us” and “strangers”, to overcome interethnic differences.
Finally, the most recent example: the requiem evening in memory of Kristallnacht, which took up the baton from the World Holocaust Forums and ended on November 16 a series of events within the framework of the “Week of Tolerance in Europe.” The Holocaust Remembrance Forums in Krakow in 2005 and Kyiv in 2006 were held with the participation of heads of state and government and other high-ranking participants and were dedicated respectively to the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the 65th anniversary of the Babi Yar tragedy. Unlike the forums, it was held with the support of the Russian Jewish Congress in Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad is located in the only region of Russia where the events of Kristallnacht took place (in 1938, the territory of the current Kaliningrad region was part of East Prussia and was part of Germany).
For the first time, a Holocaust remembrance event was held in Russia at the federal level. At the evening, an address from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, prepared specifically for the guests of this event, was read out. It said, in particular: “We are obliged not only to remember the past, but also to clearly understand the threats to the modern world that ethnic hatred, racial intolerance and disregard for human dignity pose.”
Vyacheslav Kantor, President of the European and Russian Jewish Congresses, who became one of the initiators of the “Week of Tolerance in Europe,” is convinced that without the participation of Russia and Russian society, the new policy of tolerance in Europe is initially doomed to failure. “It is obvious that Russia’s dominant European orientation does not allow it to remain aloof from such a pressing issue as tolerance between nationalities and faiths,” says Kantor. “At the same time, tolerance in Russian society should become an integral part of pan-European tolerance.”
Russia's active participation in the process of strengthening European tolerance is primarily beneficial for itself. On the one hand, this will bring foreign policy dividends to it, will contribute to its further integration into the European community and will remind political elites and mass audiences abroad of a long-known but still questioned truth: Russia is an integral part of Europe. On the other hand, strengthening the principles of interethnic tolerance will become another factor of stability and social harmony.
The fundamental definition of Russia is a multinational country. In this sense, as much as nationalism is an anti-Russian policy, tolerance is a manifestation of patriotism. The only question is to what extent our society will be able to get rid of previous stereotypes and rebuild its standards of thinking. By consolidating the efforts of the authorities, public organizations and the media, we have every chance for this.