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UPF-Russia Programs Counter Extremism
Written by UPF - Russia
Friday, November 5, 2010
Novosibirsk, Russia - An all-Russia scholarly conference on “Extremism as a Philosophical Problem” took place on November 25 in in the Architecture and Construction University in Novosibirsk. Discussions of ethics and values as aspects of religious extremism evoked special interest of the scientists.
“Radical Islam is trying to denounce everybody for everything. Radical Islam is oriented towards an ascetic lifestyle and over-exaggerates the value of the life beyond. However this contradicts traditional Islam, which does not reject the importance of the physical life,” said Chudinov Sergei Ivanovich, a Ph.D. in philosophy.
Also scientists praised traditional folk art as a way towards peacemaking. “God endows each person with talents. In order to carry on the tradition of our forefathers one must obtain peace of mind. Peace of mind is the foundation of creativity that generates positive energy within a community. Peace is the state of mind, a spiritual harmony, that prevents disorders of the mind; but modern paintings tend to emphasize mental anguish and suffering,” said a postgraduate student of the philosophy department of Novosibirsk University, Bazhenova Valentina Vasilyevna.
Participants included not only scientists but also public leaders. UPF-Russia spokesman Dmitry Oficerov spoke on the theme of “Positively directed activity dissolves extremist inclinations of youth." Since 1990, the rate of family breakdown and divorce has grown significantly in Russia. Many young people were raised by a single mother or in a children’s homes. An obvious source of extremism is the resentment accumulated in broken families and a lack of parental care. The current "migrant phobia" is often due to a wish to compensate for a deficiency of love. How to overcome extremism and aggression? The most effective way to prevent asocial behavior among youth is through developing volunteerism and promoting the family values of parental love, purity, and conjugal loyalty.
With these goals in mind, UPF-Russia offers programs such as Youth Peace Ambassador, Play Football Make Peace, the Baikal Project, Mister and Miss University, and City Helps Village.
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