Slyunyaev’s view on inter-ethnic problems

By Vestnik Kavkaza

Growing tension in relations in Russia between the local population and migrants, both internal and external, became a tendency of recent years. Numerous inter-ethnic incidents in Russia made experts say that the authorities inspired such conflicts to deflect public attention away from urgent socio-economic problems. Russian top officials tried to prove that it wasn’t so at the session of the Inter-Ethnic Problem Council, which took place on October 22 in Ufa.

The Minister of Regional Development Igor Slyunyaev voiced factors of success of the ethnic policy: the joint work of regional and local administrations, law-enforcement agencies on monitoring and early prevention of inter-ethnic conflicts, intensive work in universities and schools, cooperation with ethnic cultural autonomies and religious organizations, a well-knit management system for inter-ethnic relations, reasonable economic and migration policy, quotation and settlement of migrants, and a control over employment of migrants.

According to Slyunyaev, the complex approach to the ethnic policy includes:

First of all, monitoring, early prevention and detection of possible conflicts. The federal automatic information system will include public opinion polls, analysis of the mass media and social nets, information from expert, social, and religious organizations. The regional level will be logic continuation of the measures. Due to the monitoring, we will detect centers of inter-ethnic tensions and migration activeness, which will enable us to form forecasts and make right decisions.

One of the elements of the monitoring system will be call-centers which will receive information on conflicts and relevant situation. Call centers will operate, using one of emergency numbers. The regulations of emergency respond will clearly determine cooperation of all executive officials. Emergency respond and responsibility should be key elements of the regulations.

Interdepartmental commissions under heads of the Russian regions will be responsible for coordination of work on prevention of inter-ethnic conflicts. In many regions such commissions have already been founded. An example for such a system can be the integrated system of prevention terrorism: the top structure is the National Anti-Terrorist Committee, and every region of the Federation has a subdivision of the committee.

Secondly, work with the mass media and implementation of a complex information campaign. Interethnic conflicts are often exaggerated and stirred up by the media. There should be strict responsibility for spreading false information at the federal and regional levels.

Thirdly, granting support of social initiatives.

Fourthly, constant improvement of skills of state and municipal employees who are involved into the sphere of inter-ethnic relations. The Minister of Regional Development of Russia and the Academy of National Economy and State Service under President of Russia develop special programs on training and personnel development.

Slyunyaev is concerned about the fact that “in recent years notions of “compatriots” and “migrants” are in confusion in the national mindset. We created a special definition for mobile internal labour resources – internal migration, i.e. we equaled our Russian citizens to migrants, foreigners. Of course sometimes tensions appear between our citizens from time to time, but these problems have nothing in common with illegal migration and nationalization of foreign migrants. The problem is in the degradation of culture, morals, mutual respect, and tolerance. We have forgotten that a moral person ends before law-abiding person starts.”

The minister thinks that “destructive forces try to impose on people the idea that inter-confessional conflicts lie in the foundation of inter-ethnic conflicts. The ideology is alien for multinational Russia. The Russian state was multinational from its very beginning; the role of traditional confessions in raising of a citizen and the society are essential. However, words “culture” and “cult” have similar etymology, they are cognates. Ivan Ilyin proposed the formula of a fair stated: church, mosque, synagogue raise, the power rules, the people create.”

According to Slyunyaev, “today we are undergoing a very important stage of establishing the state ideology; and excessive pathos of social convention and formal perception of statehood can ruin the influence of the authorities and its good image. Social attitudes directly depend on well-being of the Russian people.”