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schools and universities. And the new generations of bellig-

erent tribes and nations will realize that there is no reason to

preserve the walls between peoples.

That’s our goal. But its formal beginning looked like this: in

2008 at the General Conference of UNESCO, the Permanent

Mission of Kazakhstan to UNESCO proposed to proclaim 2010

as the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures.

The conference voted for the proposal. Subsequently it was

supported by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

The results of the 2010 celebrations have demonstrated

that one year was not enough to achieve the goal. So, during

the UNESCO General Conference in 2011, we broadened

our proposal and the United Nations proclaimed the

International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures.

The launch of the Decade took place in September 2013

in Astana – the capital of Kazakhstan.

Question:

What do you expect once the International

Decade has passed? How can the results be expressed?

Answer:

If, during this period, the expected conflicts do not

explode, the ‘unsolvable problems’ are solved peacefully and

new ones do not emerge, then we will assume that some of the

main objectives of the decade have been achieved. But since the

major problems in the world are many, 10 years is not enough

to manage them. So, the whole century must be devoted to this

cause. The Age of the Rapprochement of Cultures – this is a

project worthy of UNESCO’s stature!

When all the people on Earth call good, good and evil,

evil – then we will not worry about the future of humanity.

and collaborate; we can also explore the reasons that forced

them at one time – decades or centuries ago – to disperse,

confront and sometimes hate each other.

Science should help us to discover and denounce these

reasons. Education will help to spread this knowledge in

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] 40

Kazakhstan’s way

Arystanbek Muhamediuly, Minister of Culture and Sports

Kazakhstan’s experience is a unique example of building an effective

state policy to enable a sustainable model of interethnic harmony and

dialogue of cultures. Peace and tranquility, civil harmony, religious

tolerance – these principles provide a framework for the development

of Kazakhstani society. The ideological inspirator and architect of

Kazakhstan’s way of peace and harmony is Nursultan Nazarbayev. “One

nation - one country - one destiny” – these words of the head of our state

became the leitmotif of Kazakhstan’s success.

Today the most important centre of intercultural dialogue in Kazakhstan

is the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan (APK), established in 1995 on

the initiative of President Nazarbayev. The APK is a unique sociopolitical

institution that unites all ethnic groups living in Kazakhstan and ensures

the representation of ethnic groups in the Kazakh Parliament, where

it has an independent electoral quota of nine members. Its activities

are aimed at implementing the state ethnic policy and increasing the

efficiency of interaction of state and civil institutions in the sphere of

interethnic relations.

There are 1,035 Councils of Public Accord under the APK that act

as advisory bodies in local state bodies and the workforces of large

enterprises. Departments of the assembly have been opened at 11

universities of the country to educate the younger generation in the spirit

of ethnic and religious tolerance.

The APK consists of regional assemblies acting in all regions of the

country. Houses of friendship work in the regions with multiethnic

composition of the population. Thanks to these, each ethnic group living

in the country has the right to form ethno-cultural centres and Sunday

schools, which contribute to the revival and development of the languages,

culture, traditions and customs of ethnic groups. Today there are 820

ethno-cultural associations across the country, with 190 Sunday schools.

Among the most important projects implemented through the active

participation of the APK is the doctrine of national unity, which was

elaborated in 2010. Today, the doctrine is the basis for a holistic system

of legal, socioeconomic, political, governmental and administrative

measures aimed at strengthening the unity of the people, democracy,

cultural dialogue and civilizations.

Harmony in interethnic relations can be achieved only with mutual

understanding and mutual enrichment of ethnic groups. In this sense,

cultural dialogue is one of the main factors in the development of

tolerance; indeed, in the diversity and uniqueness of our culture. This

principle is clearly reflected on the cultural policy adopted in 2014, which

defines as the most important goal the formation of a competitive cultural

mentality and high spirituality of the people of Kazakhstan, including

spiritual continuity and self-identity among generations on the basis of a

common national idea.

In this regard, one of the most important tasks of the cultural policy

is the preservation of diversity and harmonious development of the

culture of the people of Kazakhstan. The desire of all living ethnic

groups to preserve their language, culture, traditions and customs

is supported in Kazakhstan with the creation of all conditions for

realization of the full cultural life.

For the people of Kazakhstan tolerance, interethnic peace and harmony

are not just words – they are a lifestyle.

National cultural centres, ethno-cultural associations, religious associations

and theatres help preserve language, culture, traditions and customs

Image: APK

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