Yaroslavl � Real Russian Hospitality From 25 to 27 October in Yaroslavl� a training for youth representatives from ethnic organizations was held. This training was part of a series of trainings held in the framework of the project �Developing a Network of Ethnic Organizations in Opposition to Xenophobia in Russia.� The project was carried out by the Center for Interethnic Cooperation in partnership with the organization UNITED, the European network against nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of migrants and refugees. The training was lead by trainers from the Center for Interethnic Cooperation, and 27 people from different regions of Russia took part. Geert Ates (director of UNITED, Amsterdam) and Miroslav Prokes (Prague) played the role of experts. Workshops for Young People in Central Russia The training sessions in Yaroslavl took place immediately after the training in Tolyatti (see http://79.174.72.86/~intereth/EngNews/231106_1.html) This was arranged so that it would be convenient for our European partners, Geert Ates and Mirek Prokes to travel across Russia from one venue to the next. We traveled from Samara to Yaroslavl by train, which allowed us to fully appreciate the wonderful Russian countryside. In Yaroslavl we were met by the head of the Yaroslavl branch of the Peoples Assembly of Russia, Nur-El Khaiev. We have experienced a great deal of hospitality among the local residents of the regions in which we have organized workshops, but in Yaroslavl Nur-El Khaiev really pushed the boat out. Thanks to his efforts we were placed in a lovely boarding house and the number of participants from the Yaroslavl area surpassed all expectations. Participants from Voronezh, Smolensk and Moscow, and also a representative of the Ivan administration were also present. We carefully chose the Network of Ethnic Organizations in Yaroslavl as the venue for our training because of the extensive work carried out by both the local community and local authorities of Yaroslavl to ensure tolerant interethnic attitudes (please see http://79.174.72.86/~intereth/News/070706_2.html ) Part of the reason for our decision was so that we could show our western colleagues and our friends from other regions that there are cities in Russia which take the need for interethnic tolerance seriously. I hope that we achieved this. The aims of these workshops were similar to those we have previously undertaken. Firstly, we tried to understand why young people are drawn towards extremist groups. Then we considered how we can attract young people to take part in antifascist activity. How to involve young people: � Youth camps � Interethnic events (holidays, discos etc) � Influence of youth mass-media (TV) � Influence of famous journalists � Tolerance lessons in schools and high schools � Interethnic exchanges � Offer incentives � Increase the social status of participants and prestige � Offer the opportunity for self-realization, including career growth � Educational work � Work in families and with families � Offer opportunities to learn about the life of people from different ethnic backgrounds � Try to engage young people in volunteer work for interethnic organizations � Organize joint activities for different ethnic groups focusing on interests such as ethnic heritage, traditions and culture As with the previous trainings, our European partners explained the different types of activities young people are taking part in abroad. The trainers from the Center for Interethnic Co-operation Ashot Ayrapetyan and Victoria Shuhat, asked participants to discuss what benefits organizations in Russia could receive through cooperation with their European counterparts. These were the answers we received: � Solidarity with other organizations. The prestige of work carried out in your own region � Widening of the target audience � Opportunity to share experience � Carrying out of joint actions to combat xenophobia etc. � Ethnocultural dialogue � Opportunity to use internet and the mass media (international communication) � International ties and mutual respect � Financing of projects � Sharing of cultural experience � Increase of authority for young people, raising of their social status � Expansion of the circle of communication and the founding of ties of friendship We discussed the question �What exactly is tolerance?� at great length. We see the active promotion of this concept in Russian society as one of our most important tasks. We asked the participants of our training session to consider the question �why is tolerance necessary and in what ways is it positive for the state, society and the individual. The answers given by the groups were very interesting: Why Tolerance is positive for the State: Social and cultural Security and Integrity of the country Stability and development of the state Demographic growth, the strengthening of the family Foundation of a civil nation Civil Patriotism International Prestige of country Demographic development of the country, maintenance of human rights and ethnic rights Self-realization Economic development Social development Development of economic links Integration into the global community Interaction of the private sector with the state Why Tolerance is positive for Society: Cultural development, intercultural interaction Development of economic links Sharing of experience Stability Social experience Development of Civil Society Development of democracy Resolving demographic problems Increase in standards of living Increase in cultural levels Why Tolerance is positive for the Individual: Confidence in the future Psychological well-being Maintenance of personal development Patriotism Security Respect for the rights of the individual Broadening of horizons and expansion of personal opportunities Self confidence Freedom of Belief Integration into society Personal security But what are probably of the greatest value for the future undertakings of community youth organizations are concrete practical events which young activists can use to manifest civic stands and to attract mass attention to the importance of tolerance for our society. EVENTS!!!! Interethnic Disco Interethnic Art Festival Flash Mob (street gathering with flags and slogans) Interethnic Film Festival �Springs of Culture in Russia� International camp Joint celebration of holidays (general and national) Sports day with national sports Beauty Contest (Interethnic) Creation of internet sites Publication of newspapers, books, magazines Reinforcement of national values National cookery and costume competition Work on reconstruction of cemeteries C.I.C events (for example Tolerance Day on November 16th) �Epigraphs� in the city streets e.g. anti fascist slogans Hold events on certain days, lessons, other events Interethnic Disco Intellectual games (what? where? when?) Sports games (planet basketball, football) Holiday events (in connection with national dates) Festival of national cultures (market) Literary and Poetic events We asked for particular attention to be paid to those events occurring on 9 November, the International Day of Opposition to Racism and 21 March, the Day of Opposition to ethnic discrimination and xenophobia. At the same time we asked that they should not aspire to large scale grandiose undertakings, but rather propose things that lay within the capabilities of their organizations. What resulted was the following: 9 November � Cinema show followed by discussion � Press conference � Picket � Silent Procession from Sovmestnoi Ploshadi Street to the eternal flame. Picket with slogans at the eternal flame � Distribution of leaflets � 7 November � Film festival of ethnic films, viewings, discussions about the works, a meeting with the maker of the documentary film �Scorched by War� (A film about the fate of Russian and German prisoners of war during the 2ND World War) � A tower of banners!!! 21 March � Making a banner �No to Racism� � Interethnic Disco ( D.J contest) � Football tournament including an interethnic disco with elements of various national traditions To conclude it should be added that at our training session in Yaroslavl we managed to give the young participants the opportunity to take a civic stand. At the end of the seminar a press conference was organized for us in Yaroslavl town hall, this was organized with the help of Nur Elu Khasievu together with the city administration. At the press conference young participants had the opportunity to tell journalists about the seminar and about their other activities. To begin with the young people were a little hesitant, but they soon overcame this and confidently passed this test with honor. And so the participants of the training session not only received theoretical knowledge, but also gained practical experience of how to show their peers their own attitudes to other nationalities, how to define tolerance and express their understanding of why young people should be tolerant.
Yaroslavl � Real Russian Hospitality
The training was lead by trainers from the Center for Interethnic Cooperation, and 27 people from different regions of Russia took part. Geert Ates (director of UNITED, Amsterdam) and Miroslav Prokes (Prague) played the role of experts.
Workshops for Young People in Central Russia
The training sessions in Yaroslavl took place immediately after the training in Tolyatti (see http://79.174.72.86/~intereth/EngNews/231106_1.html)
This was arranged so that it would be convenient for our European partners, Geert Ates and Mirek Prokes to travel across Russia from one venue to the next. We traveled from Samara to Yaroslavl by train, which allowed us to fully appreciate the wonderful Russian countryside. In Yaroslavl we were met by the head of the Yaroslavl branch of the Peoples Assembly of Russia, Nur-El Khaiev.
We have experienced a great deal of hospitality among the local residents of the regions in which we have organized workshops, but in Yaroslavl Nur-El Khaiev really pushed the boat out. Thanks to his efforts we were placed in a lovely boarding house and the number of participants from the Yaroslavl area surpassed all expectations. Participants from Voronezh, Smolensk and Moscow, and also a representative of the Ivan administration were also present.
We carefully chose the Network of Ethnic Organizations in Yaroslavl as the venue for our training because of the extensive work carried out by both the local community and local authorities of Yaroslavl to ensure tolerant interethnic attitudes (please see http://79.174.72.86/~intereth/News/070706_2.html ) Part of the reason for our decision was so that we could show our western colleagues and our friends from other regions that there are cities in Russia which take the need for interethnic tolerance seriously. I hope that we achieved this.
The aims of these workshops were similar to those we have previously undertaken. Firstly, we tried to understand why young people are drawn towards extremist groups. Then we considered how we can attract young people to take part in antifascist activity.
How to involve young people:
� Youth camps
� Interethnic events (holidays, discos etc)
� Influence of youth mass-media (TV)
� Influence of famous journalists
� Tolerance lessons in schools and high schools
� Interethnic exchanges
� Offer incentives
� Increase the social status of participants and prestige
� Offer the opportunity for self-realization, including career growth
� Educational work
� Work in families and with families
� Offer opportunities to learn about the life of people from different ethnic backgrounds
� Try to engage young people in volunteer work for interethnic organizations
� Organize joint activities for different ethnic groups focusing on interests such as ethnic heritage, traditions and culture
As with the previous trainings, our European partners explained the different types of activities young people are taking part in abroad. The trainers from the Center for Interethnic Co-operation Ashot Ayrapetyan and Victoria Shuhat, asked participants to discuss what benefits organizations in Russia could receive through cooperation with their European counterparts. These were the answers we received:
� Solidarity with other organizations. The prestige of work carried out in your own region
� Widening of the target audience
� Opportunity to share experience
� Carrying out of joint actions to combat xenophobia etc.
� Ethnocultural dialogue
� Opportunity to use internet and the mass media (international communication)
� International ties and mutual respect
� Financing of projects
� Sharing of cultural experience
� Increase of authority for young people, raising of their social status
� Expansion of the circle of communication and the founding of ties of friendship
We discussed the question �What exactly is tolerance?� at great length. We see the active promotion of this concept in Russian society as one of our most important tasks. We asked the participants of our training session to consider the question �why is tolerance necessary and in what ways is it positive for the state, society and the individual. The answers given by the groups were very interesting:
Why Tolerance is positive for the State:
Social and cultural
Security and Integrity of the country
Stability and development of the state
Demographic growth, the strengthening of the family
Foundation of a civil nation
Civil Patriotism
International Prestige of country
Demographic development of the country, maintenance of human rights and ethnic rights
Self-realization
Economic development
Social development
Development of economic links
Integration into the global community
Interaction of the private sector with the state
Why Tolerance is positive for Society:
Cultural development, intercultural interaction
Sharing of experience
Stability
Social experience
Development of Civil Society
Development of democracy
Resolving demographic problems
Increase in standards of living
Increase in cultural levels
Why Tolerance is positive for the Individual:
Confidence in the future
Psychological well-being
Maintenance of personal development
Patriotism
Security
Respect for the rights of the individual
Broadening of horizons and expansion of personal opportunities
Self confidence
Freedom of Belief
Integration into society
Personal security
But what are probably of the greatest value for the future undertakings of community youth organizations are concrete practical events which young activists can use to manifest civic stands and to attract mass attention to the importance of tolerance for our society.
EVENTS!!!!
Interethnic Disco
Interethnic Art Festival
Flash Mob (street gathering with flags and slogans)
Interethnic Film Festival �Springs of Culture in Russia�
International camp
Joint celebration of holidays (general and national)
Sports day with national sports
Beauty Contest (Interethnic)
Creation of internet sites
Publication of newspapers, books, magazines
Reinforcement of national values
National cookery and costume competition
Work on reconstruction of cemeteries
C.I.C events (for example Tolerance Day on November 16th)
�Epigraphs� in the city streets e.g. anti fascist slogans
Hold events on certain days, lessons, other events
Intellectual games (what? where? when?)
Sports games (planet basketball, football)
Holiday events (in connection with national dates)
Festival of national cultures (market)
Literary and Poetic events
We asked for particular attention to be paid to those events occurring on 9 November, the International Day of Opposition to Racism and 21 March, the Day of Opposition to ethnic discrimination and xenophobia.
At the same time we asked that they should not aspire to large scale grandiose undertakings, but rather propose things that lay within the capabilities of their organizations. What resulted was the following:
9 November
� Cinema show followed by discussion
� Press conference
� Picket
� Silent Procession from Sovmestnoi Ploshadi Street to the eternal flame. Picket with slogans at the eternal flame
� Distribution of leaflets
� 7 November
� Film festival of ethnic films, viewings, discussions about the works, a meeting with the maker of the documentary film �Scorched by War� (A film about the fate of Russian and German prisoners of war during the 2ND World War)
� A tower of banners!!!
21 March
� Making a banner �No to Racism�
� Interethnic Disco ( D.J contest)
� Football tournament including an interethnic disco with elements of various national traditions
To conclude it should be added that at our training session in Yaroslavl we managed to give the young participants the opportunity to take a civic stand. At the end of the seminar a press conference was organized for us in Yaroslavl town hall, this was organized with the help of Nur Elu Khasievu together with the city administration. At the press conference young participants had the opportunity to tell journalists about the seminar and about their other activities. To begin with the young people were a little hesitant, but they soon overcame this and confidently passed this test with honor. And so the participants of the training session not only received theoretical knowledge, but also gained practical experience of how to show their peers their own attitudes to other nationalities, how to define tolerance and express their understanding of why young people should be tolerant.
