In Dagestan, meeting within project "Peace to Caucasus" signs memorandum on combating violence

The Dagestani city of Izberbash hosted a meeting within the cycle of public debates "Peace to Caucasus", after which a memorandum of joint resistance to violence, extremism, interethnic hatred and support of the peace process in the Caucasus was signed.

The text of the memorandum was developed under the project of open discussion platforms "Peace to Caucasus" and was already signed by the republic's clergy and leaders of public associations and movements of Karachay-Cherkessia in December 2010.

The event was organized by the Working Group of the Russian Public Chamber for promoting social dialogue and civil society institutions in the Caucasus.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent from the venue, the meeting was attended by the following journalists: Ilya Peresedov; Nadezhda Kevorkova; Ivan Sukhov; head of the Working Group that had organized the forum Maxim Shevchenko; coordinator of the Expert Board under the Council of Muftis of Russia Ahmed Azimov; a member of the Public Chamber of Russia Anatoly Libet; Russian political scientist and journalist Orkhan Jemal; a member of the Scientific Board of the Moscow Carnegie Centre Alexei Malashenko; director of the scientific and educational centre "Al-Vasatyja" Farid Asadullin; and editor-in-chief of the Internet medium "Caucasian Knot" Grigory Shvedov.

In total, about 150 persons took part in the meeting in Izberbash. The main topics raised there were inter-ethnic relations and unemployment, especially among the youth.

The speakers also highlighted the topics of religious interrelations, corruption, lack of jobs and social justice. It is for these reasons, according to speakers, that young people often "go into the forest."

Also, the debaters talked about the lack of public organizations in the republic, aimed at due defence of the interests of the population.