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Euroasian Jewish News
The Conference "Overcoming xenophobia, racial discrimination and development of an interethnic dialogue in the Ural federal
02.06.2004
Russia, Ekaterinburg May 30, 2004.
The Conference "Overcoming xenophobia, racial discrimination and development of an interethnic dialogue in the Ural federal district of the Russian Federation" was held in Ekaterinburg, in the Director's House on May 30.
The conference was organized by the Moscow Human Rights Bureau (MHRB), the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), and the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews (USA) within the framework of the three-year project, "Public campaign to counteract racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and ethnic discrimination in the multiethnic Russian Federation", with the help of the European Commission.
T.Merzlyakova, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Sverdlovsk oblast, and Mikhail Oshtrakh, EAJC General Council member, President of the Jewish national-cultural autonomy in the Sverdlovsk oblast, also rendered support in organizing and holding the conference. The administration of the governor of the Sverdlovsk oblast, City Administration of Ekaterinburg, EAJC, and the VAAD of Russia welcomed participants to the conference.
Alexander Brod, MHRB director, addressed the audience in an extensive report on the Project and its initial results. T.Merzliakova reported on the cooperation of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Sverdlovsk oblast, with public organizations securing the rights of ethnic and religious minorities. Mr. Oshtrakh delivered a speech on counteracting racial intolerance and the development of interethnic cooperation in the Sverdlovsk oblast, and Ural federal district. V. Nifontov, head of the MIA Migration Department of Sverdlovsk oblast, delivered a report on "Forms and methods of overcoming interethnic conflicts in the Sverdlovsk oblast".
Rights advocate M.Gvozdetskaya informed of the efforts to fight xenophobia in the mass media, and she pointed out the fact that the court of arbitration shut down a newspaper, Russian community of Ekaterinburg, which published bigoted and anti-Semitic materials.
Representatives of national and religious unions of the region reported on manifestations of xenophobic sentiments concerning ethnic groups and the faithful. At the same time, representatives from the Ural region pointed to a high level of democracy in the region, unity of national and cultural groups, and efficient interaction with central and local governing bodies.
During the discussion, Mr. Oshtrakh talked about the work being done on the creation of a Tolerance Council of the Sverdlovsk oblast, of which the statutes have already been worked out, and invitations have been sent calling on interested parties to join in the formation the Council.
EAJC Public Relations and Media Department
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