Цитаты
Спасение человечества заключено в сердце человека, в способности человека к самопознанию, в человеческой кротости и в человеческой ответственности. Вацлав Гавел |
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 On November 16, 2011 Moscow bureau for human rights, ANO “Center for support of human rights protection” together with Regional public organization “Regincenter-Law” arranged and held the Festival of ethnic cultures “Harmony of diversity” in Moscow cinema “Molodezhny”.
The festival was devoted to the International Day for Tolerance which is marked annually on November 16. The holiday was participated by children’s and youth creative teams of Moscow, students, senior pupils and teachers, representatives of sports, cultural and leisure clubs, ethnic-cultural centers and expatriates’ communities.
The activity participants familiarized with history of appearing of the International Day for Tolerance, took part directly in contests and presentations aimed at familiarization of children and youth with cultural traditions of various peoples.
The head of city municipal unit “Textilshchiki” V. Platonov addressed himself to the activity participants with a welcoming speech. Representatives of human rights and public organizations spoke during the activity: experts of Center for support of human rights protection O. Salpanova, N. Shchulkin, G. Belyakov, director of Regional public organization “Regincenter-Law”, lawyer T. Duginova, creative leader of children’s-youth dance ensemble “Grand Jete” Ye. Anseyeva, chairman of Moscow anti-fascist center Ye. Proshechkin.
The activity program included holding of presentation-contest on the subject “Visiting friends”; master-classes of folk arts (costumes, ethnic foods, traditions and customs, folklore of various nations); contest of photos, pictures, craftwork, video reels, posters on the subject “Harmony of diversity”; contest of wall newspapers on the subject “Culture of peace”.
Video lesson was held in showing room for the activity participants on prevention of extremism and aggressive xenophobia in youth environment, and educational video films and animated cartoons were shown.
More than 500 people took part in the activity. Gala concert completed the festival. After the completion the festival was summed up and awarding of participants with memorable souvenirs and diplomas took place.
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Executive director of Moscow bureau for human rights Natalia Rykova took part in International conference “STOP HATE CRIME!” that was held on November 23-24 in Berlin. German Fund EVZ “Memory, responsibility and future” was the organizer of the conference.
Organizers of the conference in Berlin defined their principal task as creation of international cooperation of non-government organizations in the field of monitoring of crimes motivated by hatred. During the conference Fund EVZ presented its program “Stop hate crime!” being a part of international program for combat against crimes motivated by hatred and invited to an open exchange of opinions of the project participants from Poland, Czechia, Ukraine and Russia. An exhibition “Victims of right-wing violence in Germany after 1990” was also arranged within the conference.
The program “Stop hate crime!” is aimed at support of projects of NGOs from Ukraine, Czechia, Russia and Poland on monitoring of hate crimes and support of their victims as well as at strengthening and coordination of international projects for combat against crimes motivated by hatred. In long-term prospect the program is intended to promote reduction of crimes motivated by hatred in participating countries and securing of rights of oppressed minorities.
In two-day meeting more than 65 NGO representatives from various countries took part working in the field of prevention of crimes motivated by hatred and combat against their consequences, rendering of assistance to those who suffered from violence. The conference participants representing numerous NGOs had a unique chance for practical exchange of opinions on the issues of support of victims of crimes motivated by ethnic belonging, skin color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity in Eastern and Western European countries.
Well thought-out response to crimes motivated by hatred requires profound knowledge about character and scope of the problem so various approaches of non-government organizations towards legal and psychological aid to victims of crimes motivated by hatred were discussed during the conference considering diversity of points of view about these problems in European countries. The meeting of experts concentrated itself upon development of strategies that would permit NGOs attracting attention of state and political structures successfully to results of their work and securing adequate response to crimes motivated by hatred on local, national and international levels.
The following spoke at the conference: chairman of Fund EVZ Dr. Martin Salm, Floriane Hoenberg (Bureau for democratic institutions and human rights, Warsaw), Prof. Barbara Jon (European commission against racism and intolerance of European Council, Berlin), Irina Fedorovich (center “United intercultural action”, Kiev), Kati Lang (Consulting center of regional Saxon organization RAA for victims of legal and racist violence, Dresden). Dr. Brita Grel (Berlin Scientific center of social studies) presided over a discussion.
During the conference much time was devoted to discussion of Russian problems. In particular, the bill of Legislative assembly of St. Petersburg was broadly discussed directed against “propaganda of homosexuality”. The conference participants signed an appeal to Vadim Tyulpanov, head of Legislative assembly of St. Petersburg, and Vladimir Lukin, Commissioner on human rights in Russia, with request to reject this bill as it breaks the rights of sexual minorities of Russia. Moscow bureau for human rights made a statement earlier condemning the bill as it does not correspond to general legal norms of European community.
The experience of Germany in overcoming of recurrences of Nazism was also discussed as well as possibility of application of this experience in Russia. In particular, it was especially noted the Basic Law of Germany contains several norms suppressing specific extremism manifestations. Thus, in clause 9 paragraph 2 that regulates “ban of associations”, ban is envisaged for those of them which “break the criminal legislation or oppose the constitutional order or idea of mutual understanding between peoples”. It is specified at the same time that the ban is imposed by executive authority – as represented by federal and territorial ministries of home affairs.
The conference participants paid special attention to the fact that legislators in Germany pay serious attention to threats connected with popularity of extremism in youth environment. The law on dissemination of editions being dangerous for youth imposes sanctions for “dissemination of publications that are morally depraving, induce to perpetration of violence and criminal deeds, and incite racist hatred and eulogize war”. “Propaganda of national-socialism and its racist doctrine” is included into the crimes envisaged by the law. The law is directed against editions casting doubt on “principle of historical truthfulness”, for example on reasons for the World War II.
All the editions of this kind are included into a “special list”, and this causes ban for their advertisement, doubles value added tax and leads to “social boycott” of authors and limitation of sales. Decision of the Federal Administrative court about inclusion of literature that is “undesirable” from the legal point of view into the “special list” is actually equivalent to its prohibition. For example, the notorious book by Arthur Butz from Great Britain “The Hoax of the Twentieth Century “ was withdrawn from book market in 1976 in this way; it disputes the historical fact of elimination of Jews with toxic gas in Nazi death camps.
N. Rykova voiced the data of monitoring of Moscow bureau for human rights, and told about programs of the organization aimed at prevention of racism, anti-Semitism and extremism in Russia.
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On December 1 in Moscow Jewish community center (MJCC) the meeting took place with MBHR director Alexander Brod who presented the documentary film “Unconquered Nazism” shot after his screen script; its heroes, former juvenile prisoners of ghetto – playwright Alexander Gelman, producer Kama Ginkas and writer Matvey Geizer – reflect on lessons of the Holocaust and neo-Nazism manifestations today.
About time, about myself, about us (it was the meeting slogan) various people told from the MJCC stage: President of Congress of ethnic associations of Russia Vladimir Khomeriki, chairman of Spiritual directorate of Moslems of Moscow and CFD Albir-hazrat Krganov, People’s Artist of Russia Zaur Tutov, co-chairman of Scientific-educational center “Holocaust” Ilya Altman, president of Federation of migrants of Russia Madjumder Muhammad Amin etc. |
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