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TOLERANCE, COMMUNITY RELATIONS, AND
MINORITY RIGHTS
program
From: Kazan, Tatarstan On July 12, 2007 a group from the city of Kazan left for Ames, Iowa to par-
Dates: July 12 - August 02, 2007 ticipate in a Community Connections - Russia program entitled “Tolerance,
Host Organization: Iowa Resource for Community Relations, and Minority Rights.” The delegation was made up of
International Service ten specialists: representatives from the Ministry of Tatarstan Republic, the
Host Community: Ames, Iowa Committee of Human Rights Protection, state educational establishments,
ethnic-cultural associations, a lawyer from the Inter-republic Lawyer
Colleagues group, and the imam from the Kul-Sharif mosque.
During the program, delegates from Kazan learned about civil society organ-
izations, business, and religiously affiliated organizations; the provision of tol-
erance activities and community support for minority groups.
During the program, Russian participants were introduced to the work of
the Iowa State government. Iowa senator Darrell Bill, in a meeting that took
place at the Capitol building in Des Moines, told participants about the
mechanism of legislative activities that take place at the State level and about
the partnerships between the government structures and the third sector
of the American economy. According to program participants, a meeting
with William Engrich, ombudsman for the State of Iowa, was fruitful and
interesting.
Another interesting aspect of the program were meetings with ethnic com-
munities, a Mexican one in Marshalltown and a Native American one
(Meskwaki tribe) on their reservation in Iowa. After returning from the U.S.,
alumni continue to meet with one another as they share their creative plans
and work on joint projects that are the direct results of their participation
in the program.
Community Connections – Russia, Annual Report / 2007
41
AMERICAN CHAPTERS
100 meters, with a comfortable temperature and evening, over a cup of tea, we talked until all hours,
humidity constantly maintained within them - as going to bed very late.
indeed they are in every building. And there's You might ask, what could possibly surprise us, res-
everything you need for personal hygiene. Cold, idents of major, contemporary Russian metropo-
clean drinking water at every step: drink as much lises, with access to the latest communications
as you want. Apart from which, I was helped in my technology and the fruits of American scientific
acclimatization by the fact that our flight to Des achievement? As it turned out, the greatest
Moines was delayed by two hours, and after arriv- impressions came from simple human pleasures -
ing at our destination, being told that our baggage an ideal ecological atmosphere, with water you
had already left for Canada. As compensation, could drink straight from the tap; in residential
Delta Airlines gave us a set comprising a razor, a areas it was not uncommon to come across squir-
Arsen Savva, President of the Tatarstan toothbrush, soap and other personal hygiene rels, raccoons, swans swimming in lakes and
Assyrian National and Cultural necessities. The delay of the flight, the loss of our streams, and deer, living quite amicably alongside
Association, was one of ten delegates tak- baggage, and our fatigue after more than enough humans. In all the time I was in America (almost a
ing part in the Community Connections - flying made us a little down in the dumps. But a month) I never once cleaned my shoes - because
Russia:Tolerance, Community Relations fabulous room at the Fort Des Moines hotel there was simply no reason to! The good medical
and Minority Rights program. Following (where Nikita Khrushchev once stayed while services enjoyed by the American population are
completion of his trip he shared some of examining agriculture in Iowa), as well as making also heartening, as is their long life expectancy: I
his impressions with us. the acquaintance of managers from our host have not seen so many active old people in a very
organization IRIS Inc., returned us to our habitual long time - an age of 100 and older elicits no par-
Introduction optimism. The aim of the program in which we ticular response one way or the other - it's simply
I'm flying!!! Flying to America! Right to the very last were participating is the encouragement of diplo- the norm. Attitudes to old people and the dis-
moment I waited anxiously to hear whether I was macy through people through various cultural abled are highly solicitous; everything is arranged
among the finalists to participate in the connections, and through establishing friendly so that everyone feels comfortable, regardless of
Community Connections - Russia program, relationships with both our host families and spe- age or physical difficulties. The Mayor of
through a cultural exchange and training program cific individuals.We were participating as delegates Marshalltown, Jean Beech, explained the United
on tolerance, community relations and minority of a highly prestigious program, and we were given States' attitude to its citizens thus, "It's not the for-
rights. I was worried because the quality of the a unique opportunity to meet with senior special- est that's important! What's important to us is
candidates competing for a place in the program ists in various areas of American public adminis- every tree within it!"
(financed by USAID), was so impressive. But, hav- tration and government, and with non-govern-
ing got through the four-month finalists' selection mental organizations. Birthday!
process, all that remained was to go through an The magic of numbers followed us throughout
orientation meeting at the Moscow office of Aimes the whole trip. We left Kazan on 07.07.07 - and
Project Harmony, and an interview at the United The city in which our host families met us is called were billeted with our host families on Friday the
States Embassy….. Aimes. It's a relatively small town, created around 13th. But the best news for me was the coinci-
the world-famous university: practically half the dence of the numbers 20.07.2007.This date is my
Atlanta, Des Moines population (which numbers about 60,000 peo- birthday, which I celebrated in the United States
An eleven-hour flight with Delta Airlines, and we ple) is made up of students. We were completely in Aimes. We spent a fabulous day among our
were in America! And on to customs seduced by its cleanliness, orderliness, and of friends, host families and host organizations. We
control…the customs officer, after a quick glance course, its good people. held a barbeque, ate the very best of American
in my direction, was probably convinced I was car- I was uncommonly lucky: together with Rustam cuisine and Tatar specialities, drank Russian vodka,
rying a great amount of food, and asked me about Zinnurov I was hosted by the wonderful family of played volleyball and swam. I was given presents
something or other. I, naturally, didn't understand Robert and Svetlana Mortensen. Svetlana is a and was the center of attention.This was probably
a thing and asked group comrade Alfis, an English native of Kursk - a doctor, who met Robert in the most unusual birthday of my life!
speaker, to translate his question for me. At this Spain, while they were both there (separately) on
point Vladimir Gusev joined the conversation, vacation. Sveta simply smothered us with care and Chicago
explaining that the customs officer was interested attention, understanding that our timetable was We visited many American cities: Cedar Rapids,
in whether or not I was bringing salami into the very full, and that we wanted to see and learn Masonville, Iowa, Ankeny, Waterloo, Davenport
country. As a result, the customs officer sent all everything about America, while at the same time and others, and visited the last reservation of the
three of us to an additional screening. realizing it was essential to give us some personal native Indian Mesquaki tribe in Tama on the
Adapting to our new environment wasn't even space. She organized our stay so tightly that we Mississippi river. But I suppose the most unforget-
necessary: America has everything you could pos- had to dash between cultural establishments, table impression for the whole group was
sibly want in terms of creature comforts, and all of cathedrals, beautiful architectural districts, stadi- Chicago, Illinois - that city of skyscrapers. On the
it very well organized. Airports have toilets every ums, concerts, shops and restaurants. And in the very first evening of our arrival, we found our-
Community Connections – Russia, Annual Report / 2007
42
selves at a "Venetian Evening" on Lake Michigan. abundance (something our American friends also Epilogue
Mass public celebrations, a festival concert, an avi- recognized), I, together with my colleague Marina Did our trip turn out to be useful? We gained a
ation and water show, celebratory gun salutes and Khukhunashvilli, talked at practically every meeting degree of knowledge about American society and
fireworks, and a melting-pot of an audience about the work of the Association of Ethnic and its people, which would have been impossible to
plucked from all possible races and peoples, was Cultural Communities of the Republic of Tatarstan acquire through American literature and history
enjoyed by the whole group. And for me, the visit (ANKO RT); about the longstanding tradition of alone.Taking into account the effectiveness of the
to Chicago was made all the more interesting by peaceful coexistence of the various peoples of program in which we took part, we not only
the fact that some 90,000 Assyrians live in the city our Republic; and about the programs carried out extended our horizons, but also gained an insight
- one of the strongest Assyrian communities in by our country's leaders to ensure every nation's into the political party and electoral systems, law
the world. Many of my Assyrian friends and right to its full development. enforcement agencies, and educational institu-
acquaintances live in Chicago; for example, Illinois We handed out a free ANKO RT booklet, tions. The program was intended to train special-
State Senator John Nimrod, who is a personal Multifaceted Blossoms, to Senators and city may- ists. Having studied the rich American experience
acquaintance of the President of Tatarstan, ors, as well as copies of the Current National- in the defense of the rights of ethnic minorities, all
Mintimer Shaimiev. Senator Nimrod headed a del- Cultural Review and the Assyrian National- participants of our group have now become
egation of international observers during the Cultural Review. Both America and Russia are cur- more competent specialists in this field.
1992 referendum in Tatarstan and has played a rently facing the urgent question of illegal immi-
major role in the history of our Republic. Not for- gration, which both sides are struggling with, as
getting Norman Solkha, Director of the private well as trying to master the complexities of immi-
"Mesopotamia" museum; Vasilliy Shumanov, gration law. Both sides are fighting against poverty,
Director of media holding company Atranews which is often the cause of many social evils.
(the CIS-wide Assyrian news network); university Notwithstanding the differences in the national
lecturer Anait Khosroeva, and many others, with mentality of our two countries, leaders in both are
whom I have long sustained warm and friendly trying to establish a good quality of life for their
relations. It was very pleasant to see that my circle citizens.
of friends had now grown significantly.
In Chicago I was lucky enough to visit the most Iraq
important of the ten cathedrals of the Eastern As an Assyrian, I cannot ignore the subject of the
Assyrian Church - the cathedral of Mar Gevargiz, war in Iraq, which is taking place on the historic
which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. On territory of Assyria, and where the last center of
account of my visit, and through a happy coinci- the close-knit Assyrian community in its historic
dence of circumstances, Vasilly Shurmanov, my homeland is now collapsing; where the most fun-
main guide in Chicago, managed to organize an damental human right - the right to life - is being
evening for me among Chicago's Assyrian com- systematically violated. In 2006, I put this question
munity. to the International Commission on Human
They welcomed me with open arms, as I Rights at the "Civil G8" forum, a question I often
explained that Tatarstan has a community of raised in America, concerning Americans' atti-
Assyrians, developing as a separate nation, made tudes to the war in Iraq. It was immediately appar-
up of a total 150 members, and that we feel com- ent that this is by no means an easy subject, a large
pletely comfortable in our country. I added, fur- majority of those replying having extremely unfa-
ther, that should serious problems arise, we have vorable attitudes to the war in Iraq. In response to
the opportunity to take them to the highest level the question "Why?" however, they replied,
in our Republic, and that on more than one occa- "They're wiping out our boys over there!" And
sion President Shaimiev's general all-round sup- asked whether they were not also worried that
port has played a major role in the fate of hundreds of thousands of citizens of other coun-
Assyrians in Tatarstan. tries were also dying, they replied, "Of course
we're worried. And we, and our government, bear
The Association of Ethnic and Cultural full responsibility for what's happening in Iraq!"
Communities of the Republic of Tatarstan Many view the war as having opened up a serious
(ANKO RT) problem, which can now never be resolved pain-
Since the program of our stay envisaged not only lessly. All Americans feel quite unambiguously for
the raising of participants' professional qualifica- those people who find themselves in today's
tions, but also the exchange of experience in the unstable Iraq. Which says much about the
protection of the rights of ethnic minorities in our American public's rejection of the war, since ordi-
Republic which, regarding the protection of the nary Americans are not usually drawn to politics,
rights of ethnic minorities, our republic has in but this subject is being covered everywhere.
Community Connections – Russia, Annual Report / 2007
43
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