Journalists from Ingushetia and South Ossetia call their nations to dialogue

Journalists from Ingushetia and South Ossetia have adopted a joint address to the nations of both republics calling them to dialogue. Reaction followed from the youth and Internet community; however, the authorities remain indifferent, said Maria Pilon, a journalist from the South-Ossetian newspapers "21st Century".

The three signatories of the appeal - Vissarion Asseyev, a human rights defender; Maria Plion, a journalist of the "21st Century"; and Timur Tskhurbati, the editor-in-chief of the above newspaper, - are extremely concerned of the tension between the two nations, which became even more visible after the explosion on September 9 in Vladikavkaz. The authors put the main responsibility for the continuing conflict on the federal authorities and call the civil society of both republics to active dialogue and cooperation.

According to Ms Pilon, only a peaceful and constructive dialogue may overcome the negative perception of her fellow countrymen by certain radically set up Ingushes.

"Traditionally, they view South-Ossetians as people, who only help North-Ossetians in their war. But we want to let know that we can be not opponents but parties in dialogue. I think that our letter had a real effect on the Ingush youth. In fact, we did not call to go with pogrom on Kartsa, as recent conflict instigators did," she said.

Ms Pilon has noted that neither she not her colleagues had anticipated any reaction from the authorities of North Ossetia, South Ossetia and Ingushetia. And this was really the case.

Magomed Toriev, a journalist from Ingushetia who is now in Austria, was one of the first to support and disseminate in blogs and forums the initiative of his Ossetian colleagues. He asserts that until now all the contacts of public figures - Ossetians and Ingushes - were initiated from above. Mr Toriev has emphasized that the appeal became extremely popular in LiveJournal and was supported by many Ingush bloggers.

"The official websites, and even oppositional portals, have ignored it, having shown the absence of any desire to try to find the common language with their neighbours," the journalist has concluded.

In his opinion, the reason is in the myths, still alive in both republics. "The reason is in the policy of enemy diabolization and unleashing the nationalist hysteria. Alas, it results in the situation, when after terror acts committed by the Islamic underground appeals are heard not to wage war on militants, but to go and pogrom houses of Ingush peasants in Kartsa village. The voice of reason remains unheard," Mr Toriev regrets.