Ilyas Umakhanov, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council, has commented on the Baku International Humanitarian Forum “21st Century: Hopes and Challenges”.
The term “multiculturalism” is turning into a common word, Regions.ru reports.
All leaders of European states say that the principle fails as a political strategy. The principle says that people of any ethnicity, religion and race can live together. Umakhanov says he suggests Europe study the experience of Russia and Azerbaijan.
At the forum Russian President Dmitry Medvedev noted the importance of humanitarian cooperation, calling it a “soft force” that allows barriers to be lifted.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that multiculturalism has a future and only self-isolation can be an alternative.
Umakhanov noted that the first day of talks emphasised peaceful co-existence of religions and ethnicities. Any conflict over national and religious issues could become a catastrophe.
The forum’s significance is emphasized by presence of such officials as Mevlut Cavusoglu, PACE Chairman, UNESCO Director General Abdelaziz ibn Osman al-Tuveizhri, officials from the UN and UNESCO, former presidents of Turkey, Estonia, Slovakia, heads of world universities, including Moscow State University rector Victor Sadovnichy.
Discussions concerned humanitarian aspects of economic development models, modern technologies for world changes, traditional values of post-modern culture, multiculturalism with its achievements and problems, social journalism and high technologies, convergence of sciences.
