Bay Area Council - 09.26.2004

Bay Area Council for Jewish Rescue And Renewal

What is Happening in Russia

By Pnina Livermore

When Vladimir Putin announced his plans to eliminate direct elections in Russia, I was in Brussels with several Bay Area colleagues, speaking at an international conference about the Climate of Trust program for combating ethnic and religious hatred. We were on our way to Russia, to conduct a Climate of Trust conference there.

The atmosphere in Russian society is heavy and unsettled, and ethnic tension is brewing. A wave of recent terror attacks has stunned the country bombs at a Moscow train station and a bus stop, two planes simultaneously blasted out of the sky, and the barbaric carnage in Beslan School #1. But the terror began even before that. Over the past few years in Moscow alone there was an explosion in a busy downtown underpass, a deadly metro bombing, an attack at an outdoor music concert, and the Nord Ost theater siege.

As a result of the attacks, many people are gripped by a deep sense of grief and vulnerability. They are wary of others, especially people who appear to be from the Caucasus, where the terrorists are said to have come from. In the wake of this fear, the country s leadership is strengthening its grip on control and undoing many of the democratic changes that have been put in place.

And then, there are the patriots ; neo-Nazis and skinheads, who feed on people s fears to stir up ethnic and racial hatred. Their primary objects of attack are Jews, and they ground their hate-filled campaigns on familiar, vile, anti-Semitic propaganda to spread their message.

But the reaction to all of this within Russian society is not black and white. There are people who willingly swallow and spread the hate. Russian society certainly has ample practice in anti-Semitism, ethnic hatred, and xenophobia. But there are also those who realize that inter-ethnic tension poses a serious threat to Russia s stability. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there has been significant migration of diverse ethnic groups into Russia. These people understand that the stability of their society depends on those ethnic groups being able to coexist with each other. They understand the need not to give in to hate, and to promote tolerance.

Current conditions are making that task particularly difficult. I saw evidence of this two days ago here in Russia, in the region of Novgorod. A vice-governor of the region had attended a Climate of Trust conference last year, and asked if we could bring the program to Novgorod. We agreed and began making arrangements. A few days ago, we received notice from that same vice-governor that, in light of the current situation, it would be unadvisable to conduct a Climate of Trust program in Novgorod.

We were astonished, and immediately sought a meeting with the Governor of Novgorod, Mikhail Prusak. We managed to succeed in arranging a meeting with the Governor thanks to help that we got from the head of the Governor s Commission on Human Rights. The fact that there is such a commission should not be discounted. 

Two days ago, Leonid Lvov and I traveled to Novgorod for an hour-long meeting with Governor Prusak. He told us that his region has large numbers of different ethnic groups who migrated from former Soviet Republics, and that he understands how important it is to maintain an atmosphere of tolerance. He also acknowledged that there are people who think otherwise, and who are trying to undermine our collaboration.

Then, Governor Prusak paused for a minute and asked Leonid what his nationality was, knowing full well that he was Jewish. When Leonid answered, the Governor said that he, too, was not Russian, and that the situation is very complex. He went on to express concern over how under-populated his region is, and how it lacked industrious people who could help the city grow. He said he would like to attract newcomers, but that inter-ethnic conflict kept them from coming. In the end, Governor Prusak expressed his commitment to promoting tolerance, picked up the phone, made the necessary call, and our plans to conduct the Climate of Trust in Novgorod are now going forward.

Russia has been shaken, and it is not clear to what extent it will continue on a path toward democracy and civil society. Civil society means that people participate in shaping the form and direction their society will take. President Putin s decision to eliminate direct elections will cut off one important avenue of public involvement. People who are already feeling helpless will now also be made to feel insignificant. Since political appointments will depend on the central authority, a layer of bureaucracy will swell up in between that center and the regions. And since politicians fortunes will be determined by their relationship with the central authority, their fate will depend on the good will of the bureaucracy that stands between them. The public will not even factor into their consideration.

Participation can also mean being involved in organizations or issues of concern. In the years since the Soviet Union s collapse, a host of non-government organizations have sprouted up in Russia, focusing on issues such as religious and cultural expression, human rights, the environment, women s concerns, and others.

These groups and individuals are continuing to persist in their work, in spite of the challenges that surround them. They represent a new generation, who understand the importance of civil society, and expect to have input into matters of concern to them. Under present conditions, what is needed is a long-term approach that will support their efforts.

As I mentioned at the outset, I have come to Russia to conduct a Climate of Trust conference. Since the events of the past few weeks, this conference has taken on added significance. It will now include several representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development and from President Putin s office. At the end of the conference, we will meet with U.S. Ambassador Vershbow to share our observations.

These are interesting times.
 
Pnina Levermore is Executive Director of the Bay Area Council for Jewish Rescue and Renewal.