OREANDA-NEWS. April 23, 2012. The session of the Government of Karelia considered results of implementation of the regional target program Harmonization of National and Confessional Relations, Formation of the Civil Accord in the Republic of Karelia in 2007-2011 also known under the short name Karelia – the Territory of Harmony.

The meeting was chaired by Valentin Luntsevich, Deputy Head of the Republic of Karelia and Minister of Economic Development. State Duma deputy Valentina Pivnenko, Chief Federal Inspector in the Republic of Karelia Alexander Hynninen and others took part in the meeting. Andrei Manin, Chairman of the State Committee of the Republic of Karelia for National Politics, Relations with Public and Religious Associations, and Evgeny Shorokhov, First Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, Physical Training, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Karelia, reported on results of the program implementation.

According to Andrei Manin, the primary intent of the program was creation of conditions providing ethnopolitical and ethnosocial stability in Karelia, formulation of a policy of tolerant consciousness and behaviour in the society, prevention of various kinds of extremism and interethnic and interconfessional conflicts. Karelia – the Territory of Harmony has become the first program of this kind adopted in the republic.

To perform the program in 2007-2011 the budget of Karelia had assigned more than 20 million roubles. Additional funds in the amount of almost 59 million roubles, mostly from the federal budget, were also involved for implementation of the state national policy.

The system of goals and tasks of the program assumed work in several directions. One of them was improvement of professional competence of experts of authorities, as well as social competence of their partners – leaders and activists of national public associations. During the program it has been held 75 actions in which more than 5000 people have taken part. Within the scope of the second goal of the program on preservation of Karelians and Vepsians as unique original ethnoses, actions focused on support and development Karelian and Vepsian languages were implemented. Altogether within the framework of this goal it has been implemented 109 projects and activities. Among the complex long-term projects there were The Land of Our Ancestors, competitions of Karelian and Vepsian families, festivals of national printed media, etc.

The state support was rendered to publication of books within the program Karelia – the Territory of Harmony. During the program it has been published 63 books. These are information collections on the activity of national and cultural autonomies, methodical recommendations to institutions of local government, fiction in Karelian, Vepsian and Finnish languages, dictionaries. For example, the unabridged Russian-Karelian dictionary was published.
With a view of development of interethnic relations, preservation of peace and stability in the region the work was conducted on social and cultural adaptation of migrants. In 2007 centers of social and cultural adaptation of migrants were founded in Petrozavodsk, Kondopoga, Sortavala and Olonets. Next, such centers were founded in Kostomuksha and Pudozh. The Ministry of Education is developing methodical recommendations on teaching Russian to children of migrants, programs of their integration into educational environment.

Within the scope of the third goal of the program support was rendered to socially significant activity of religious and national associations. It has been implemented 105 projects focused on national development of peoples, formation of culture peace and harmony in the society, spiritual and moral development of a personality, preventon of extremism. Projects From the White Sea to Onego, Russian North through the Eyes of Children, The House of Friendship of Peoples of the Republic of Karelia, Spirituality of the Native Land, Formation of the Culture of Peace and Harmony in Youth Environment, Route of Friendship on Regions of Karelia, etc. were implemented.

To evaluate efficiency of the program experts of Petrozavodsk State University held opinion polls. If in 2006 in Karelia the level of tolerance of the population made 60%, and the level of satisfaction with enforcement of their ethnopolitical, ethnosocial and ethnocultural rights was 50%, then by the end of the program in 2011 these parameters have grown to 74% and 79%, respectively.

On results of consideration of the program members of the Government of Karelia observed that was possible to achieve its primary goal focused on creation of conditions providing ethnopolitical and ethnosocial stability, formation of a policy of tolerant consciousness and behaviour in the society.

– Karelia – the Territory of Harmony is a slogan according to which all of us should live and work in the republic, – Valentin Luntsevich, Deputy Head of the Republic, summarized the discussion.

The long-term target program Preservation of the Unity of Peoples and Ethnoses of the Republic of Karelia in 2012-2016 (Karjala Is Our Home) was launched in the republic in 2012. The new program will allow to consolidate achievements and to master high technologies of implementation of the state national policy.