The Caucasus is Our Common Home

Click to enlarge images. Pictures from the Youth Forum, 2007.
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The social-ethnic composition of the Caucasus is amazingly diverse and fascinating by its harmonious combination of the cultures of more than 110 peoples residing in this land.

Within the framework of the Russian-American program "Climate of Trust", the Northern-Caucasus Academy of State Service organized a youth forum under the motto "Entering into a dialogue today - keeping peace and friendship tomorrow". About 200 young people, representatives of many diasporas in the Don region, including representatives of the Association of Koreans of the Rostov region, participated in the forum.

"Climate of Trust" is a Russian-American program directed at counteracting ethnic and religious xenophobia in Russia and the United States. The program's goal is the formation of mutual trust among members of the society so that the emerging social problems were resolved peacefully, and the citizens' rights and freedoms were secured by laws, as well as by informal norms of community life.

[The organizers rented a tour boat in order to go to the capital of the Don Cossacks Starocherkassk.   A large group of young people consisted of representatives of many different ethnicities. At the beginning of the two-hour trip, they talked only to those they knew before. Gradually, they started talking to those around them, meeting people they had not known before.]

At the same time a round-table started its work. Its participants - leaders of youth organizations of ethnic diasporas - discussed how Russia's move on the road to civil society is accompanied by many social problems of economic and political nature. Peoples of the Russian Federation have gone through difficult trials, while having preserved one of the main values of the state's centuries-long history - the experience of peaceful coexistence and ethnic and religious tolerance among various ethnic groups.

[The organizer of the event Olga Rodchenkova from the Northern-Caucasus Academy of State Service said:] "Our main goal is helping the young generation to form firm life principles in accordance with high moral ideals, to counteract spiritual corruption, impoverishment and the intolerance in resolving interethnic and religious conflicts.

In order for our round-table to become a dialogue, making us all more understandable and open to each other for a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional communication, we need to realize our goals through joint events. Each diaspora will invite representatives of other diasporas to familiarize them with its history and traditions. Today, we are going to learn about history and life style of the native residents of the Don region, the Cossacks, in their capital Starocherkassk".

Olga Rodchenkova invited a tour guide from the Armenian tourist company "Nakhichevan'". The four-hour tour around Starocherkassk allowed the participants to learn a lot about the Don Cossacks, the people who long since have loved and defended their freedom.

Elena Titova, an activist of the Tatar diaspora "Yaktashlar"
"On this trip, we got to know better the representatives of the Armenian, Korean, and Ingush diasporas, and the Cossacks. We learned how communities in the Oblast live, what activities have been conducted and planned in Rostov-on-Don. We also learned about existing challenges".

Anzor Aushev, the Ingush diaspora
"In fact, we - the peoples of the Caucasus, historically and geographically bound to each other with cultural and kindred ties. Our ancestors taught us to live in friendship and peaceful accord with all humanity, with all peoples, and first of all, with our neighbors. Our respected writer, Leo Tolstoy, used to say "Anything that connects people is good and beautiful, and anything that disconnects them is evil and disgrace". Today's event helps unite people, therefore it is beautiful and good.

I want to express my gratitude to the founders of the Climate of Trust program for the much needed and urgent work. We, the youth of our diaspora, will take the most active part in the events that are planned for the round table "Entering into a dialogue today - keeping peace and friendship tomorrow".

Polina Khachkinayan, the Armenian diaspora
"It is necessary to note that the aspiration of the Armenian people to revive its national culture led to the creation of different societies and organizations. They have been forming during the whole period of existence of the Russian state.

The Caucasus is our common home. We must keep it from enmity, violence, and terrorism in the name of peaceful neighbor relations, brotherhood, and love".

Gennady Shamonin, the Ukrainian diaspora, Krasnii Luch, Ukraine"I want to thank the organizers of this excursion to Starocherkassk. This trip was remarkable: both educational and interesting. Sailing on a ship in the company of wonderful people - members of different communities, in a tight-knit collective, in spite of racial hatred that still exists in our society! I think everyone among us have found a good friend here and learned something new".

Ivan Petrushko, Head of the Department on Youth Policy of the Office on Ideology of the All-Great Don Host
"We have always been following an ancient custom of hospitality, and we show it to a good, local person irrespectively of his or her ethnic origin. For different reasons, in different periods, people of more than 110 ethnicities have settled in the Don region and consider this place their motherland

In order for the Don land to be strong and rich, it is necessary to have interethnic accord, peace, and mutual understanding. I fully support the Climate of Trust program. The Caucasus is truly our common home, and each one of us is responsible for keeping it peaceful".

Korean diaspora
Mild climate, fertile soil, beautiful steppes, forests full of animals and birds attracted many peoples who chose this place as their permanent home. And today, hearing the word "the Caucasus", many people immediately imagine a territory, where Russians, Armenians, Ossetians, Chechens, Germans, Ukrainians, and not a few Koreans live side by side. It is not simple for different peoples to live together, but everyone wants our common home to be peaceful, that representatives of more than a hundred of different ethnic groups live in friendship, work and celebrate together, and share joys and sorrows".