Meltha Magazine Online

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Meltha 2000, No 10 pages 37-39

ETHNO-DIALOGUES

In Moscow were published proceedings of the city's scientific conference dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the national cultural movement ill Moscow. It was held on December 10 and 11, 1999. The conference had a very big agenda including exchange of experiences and discussion of movement's perspectives. It was a very representative forum gathering over 100 nationalities from the residency <?( Moscow. The conference was put on by the Moscow government's committee on public and regional relations run by Dr. L I. Shvetsova (now she is Moscow mayor deputy) and; On the other hand, by the Moscow International Convention. The organizing committee was run by the professor Tofik Melikov, the president of the Azerbaijan Cultural Center "Odjag". Moscow's mayor Mr. Yu.M Luzhkov was there to address the participants of the conference.

The agenda of the conference was as follows,

1. National and cultural movements and power. Perspectives for national and cultural movements' ill Moscow. National and cultural associations and international and regional relatio11.~..

2. Multinational of Moscow and Mass Media. Perspective-s. of collaboration.

3. Contribution national autonomies to the social, political and cultural life in Moscow. Ethno cultural, formation and collaboration in the metropolitan Moscow.

The Moscow Assyrian Association "Khajadta " delegated Mr. Vladimir Zaja, Mr. Roland Bidjamov and prof. Sargis Osipov to this conference. Another delegation was formed by the international Assyrian Congress headed by Dr. V. A. Kalamanov. From Assyrian community presentations at the forum were made by representatives of "Khajadta" only, chief editor with the radio program "Kala Atturaya " R Bidjamov and vice-president of the Assyrian National Collgre1}'s .S. G. Osipov.

Here below the summaries of presentations made at the conference and published in "Ethno-dialogues ",

R. T. Bidjamov:

The transition from the old traditional model of relations (power and ethos) to anew three-member relation model (power, national organizations and people) has been a. remarkable feature of the past 10 years. In the latter model all of its three elements are designed to interact very closely and balance one another. In this layout a few steps must first be taken.

First, however difficult the economic situation in the country the federal policy in the field of national and cultural movement must envisage funding of national culture of every ethos or ethnical group with the Russian people in the centerfold. In this respect every national organization can be highly instrumental especially in the dimension of a national autonomy.

Anyway what is very important here is the proportion of the ethnic population in the regions. This suggestion can only be implemented in the case of establishment <?f federal and local funds for cultural development of nations. These funds might be established from payments of a certain percentage from the payroll list. Anyway it was a procedure in Moscow until recently that a tax was collected from payroll payments, and one percent from ~t went to the needs of educational institutions. For now this tax is lifted.

Second, now it is a very touchy thing here with us. It is the legitimacy of national organizations. It is not a big secret that most of these organizations are just nothing else than a club circuit, I mean, quasi structures which apparently have so little to do or have at least very unstable links with the ethnic environment and yet they are mostly run by nonprofessional, ill competent, ambitious people who fall short of any democratic tradition. .

As a consequence, national movement is trying to get a legitimate mold through a l:1ational autonomy. In fact it looks like national autonomy is on other than a public organization format just like it always has been. In other words, these "umbrella" organizations did not meet our expectations

In our opinion these national autonomies must be set out by the rank and files of the nations in question by way of an inexpensive and albeit simple democratic election procedure. Ice.; Normally the reference standard for this measure can be found in Europe. For now I should " like to give a citation from the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to its constitution ""' Assyrians may have legitimate presence in the Parliament of Iran. Moreover they may have "Motva" or the national council for themselves out of 12,000 Assyrian residents of Teheran and its environs and 5,000 residents of Urmia. As a conclusion, I must say that a positive moment with this might as well be sought equally in the West and in the East sometimes.

Assyrians in the USSR had every chance of their national development unti11938, and no chance ever since. As of 1989 it has been a transition from the old model to a new model. Yet we are only half-way there. I just believe that we will live to see a better standard yet in years to come.

S.G. Osipov:

My own interest in regional and international relations can be explained by the two reasons. One reason is too easy to see, because every organization is liable to seek contacts, while the other is just my own vision.

In 1990 Assyrians established a structural organization which was registered with the USSR Ministry of Justice as the Assyrian Congress of the USSR. Anyway I was elected its Vice-President, and one year later I, too, was elected Vice-President at the 5th regular convention meeting of the Assyrian National Congress in California. Therefore I can say that I have a good experience in work with regional and International organizations.

Generally it was a well-thought step that Assyrians initially were molded into an all- ", Union format for it is a promise of considerable results as compared to what could have been expected from the split of regional organizations.

When the restructuring period in Russia began, we managed to find contacts with Assyrian communities in the USA, Germany, and Sweden. This has pushed the national culture to a very high pitch in general and literature and art in particular. In the process there have been an intensive cultural exchange programs on various public, communal, political, sport and cultural levels.

Within these two years the Assyrian communities of the CIS countries became universally Recognized and maintained their positions very high. It is a shame that after the fall of the USSR we have found ourselves laid back. The shattered hopes, anyway, it is like the disadvantage of the whole country, Russian Federation, as well. In terms of relations between power and national organizations we draw from our mutual interests and entirely count 0n our civic stance. Generally Assyrians have always supported the statehood through out their history from bygone days.

The serious drawback of Assyrian national organizations as well as powerful structures is disregarding the benefit of regional and international relations. As the energy of national communities builds up inside of them, it must be released somehow in the form of discussion, interaction and collaboration. Otherwise this energy will be translated into a kind of disarray.

International scale of activity is a method to overcome controversies of multinational relations timely and expertly. In case it never happens there is always a way of some negative forces. It is well-known that some national associations in this country are used as "umbrella" structures for a variety of foreign missionaries which just add mustard and pepper to the present situation.

Russia's representatives of national minorities must be more active abroad when they speak or act for our nations in different international organizations. And as a consequence Russia's democratic profile in the world would be much higher. Naturally it is simply useless to seek to obtain more funds from the federal budget. Anyway a considerable breakthrough would be possible if national associations would get more rooms for work.

Generally the city authorities may have more opportunities in the outbuilding sector of the housing. In case the authorities are able to let these spaces to national organizations they will eventually be turned into national cultural centers for the benefit of the mutual cause.