Message delivered to a conference on "Russia towards the UN International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures"
Moscow, Russia - December 21, 2013
Culture is based on the values that have accumulated with historical experiences of entire generations over centuries. The present time with its highly developed science and technology, economics and communications creates many opportunities, on the one hand, but also carries some risk if we neglect the moral norms underlying the culture of entire peoples.
In many nations, moral norms and national traditions are being revised and the features of national and cultural distinction have become blurred, with some of the most fundamental institutions of society being abolished. In these conditions, the Russian Federation draws on its cultural and spiritual roots, where the family is considered the foundation for traditional values, lasting peace and harmony of civilizations, the primary and most important unit of society, the instrument for achieving reconciliation and harmony.
In his annual address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on December 12, 2013, the Russian Federation President, Vladimir Putin, said that "the coming year of 2014 is declared in Russia the Year of Culture. It is intended to become a year of true enlightenment and appeal to our cultural roots, to the issues of patriotism, morality and ethics." We hope that the new year of 2014 will be a year of renaissance in our country, a year to revive the cultural achievements of the Russian Federation.
In his speech, Vladimir Putin also stressed: "We know the overarching, unifying role of culture, history and the Russian language for our multinational people, and with this in mind we should build our public policy, including in the field of education." Today people often speculate about cross-cultural differences, oblivious to the fact that culture is actually able to bring people together. Therefore, we must teach our citizens not just tolerance for people of different nationalities but also respect and providing equal opportunities for all citizens of our multinational country.
Historically, Russia is a multinational country with a deep cultural heritage. In the Russian Federation there are currently people from around 180 nationalities, who for centuries have learned to live together respecting other cultures. Of course, today we are faced with serious challenges in this regard: the national issue is very serious. There are many examples to corroborate this. Therefore, I believe that the way to address the problem of national extremism lies primarily in the field of spiritual and cultural values. So I hope that the Year of Culture, announced in Russia in 2014, will help people of different nationalities living in the Russian Federation to appreciate and respect the culture of others.
Intercultural dialogue is essential for the development of humanitarian cooperation that is becoming increasingly important. Competence in conducing intercultural dialogues is often an important tool for national diplomacy and a decisive factor in the prevention and resolution of many conflicts, even on the global level. I see a big role for UPF in creating such a dialogue in our country.
I would like to emphasize that, speaking about rapprochement of cultures, we need to remember that we are not talking about mixing together different cultures and denying the importance of traditional values; we rely on the ability of people who represent different cultures, religions and nationalities to build a constructive dialogue on the basis of universal values.
I extend best wishes for a constructive discussion of the various issues associated with the beginning of the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures. I am confident that the partnership you are creating of organizations to support the Year of Culture in the Russian Federation and the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures will be of great support to the government in implementation of our common goal - establishing a culture of peace in Russia.