Chechen intellectuals discuss prospects of restoring humanitarianism in Chechnya

On March 24, members of the Chechen intelligentsia and NGOs attended a conference organized by the Lam Cultural Center in Grozny. The main topic of the discussion was the role public organizations should play in restoring humanitarianism to the republic.

Taus Serganova, a Lam employee, noted at the onset, "This topic is important because when we talk about restoring the republic we usually mean its rehabilitation, but we forget about humanitarianism ? about the soul of our nation."

According to political scientist Edilbek Khasmagomadov from Lam, first of all, it is necessary to designate positions - what parts the state and public organizations should play in restoring the human factor.

"Three years ago, the governing bodies of the republic were created, but they have tried to undertake too much and have not always been able to handle the difficult jobs. Whereas public organizations, on the other hand, frequently aspire to act politically," he added.

"And this has been going on since the beginning of the 1990s. The National Congress of the Chechen People, which proclaimed Chechnya's independence, was originally a public organization. Although co-operating with the authorities is necessary, it can only be done up to a certain point," Mr Khasmagomadov said.

"Meanwhile, there are many public organizations whose activities are simply not visible. And unfortunately, the intellectuals are not visible either. They work basically for the government - in state institutions," he concluded.

Mr Khasmagomadov believes the government would not allow itself to be controlled by the NGOs. "The government is too corrupt to let that happen. Public organizations should just show an alternative to the government, a good alternative," he said.

Sharip Tsuruyev, a member of the Cultural Revival Fund of Chechnya, thinks that some attributes of autocracy are necessary during the first stages of establishing a republic. "Authority should be strong. And with the Chechen government firmly established, now is the time the public should begin voicing its opinions," he said.

Ganga Elmurzayeva, Deputy Minister of Education of the Chechen Republic, regards the situation more optimistically. "Since our people have survived till now, then everything else will surely work out," she said.

She suggests that public organizations should change some of their priorities, stating they ought to be more directed toward the younger generation: "Our youth, with its overwhelming patriotism, and our intellectuals with their vast knowledge, could do a great deal. And perhaps it wouldn't hurt to learn something from the revolutionaries; it's not always necessary to rely on the authorities, we should turn to the people instead."

In the opinion of political scientist Nadirsolt Elsunkayev from the Center for Humanitarian Studies, the Chechen society is not yet capable of reacting to the challenges that arose after the referendum and elections in the Chechen Republic "and the xenophobia that emanates from the Russian society represents one of them."

"Ethnic conflict is deeply seeded in the Russian national identity. The recent anti-Chechen fascist meeting in Moscow is just such an example, so our job must be to minimize its consequences," Mr Elsunkayev said.

He believes the republic has entered into a phase of humanitarian collapse. "The intellectual potential of Chechnya was eroded, and today we no more have the critical mass of people able to revive the Chechen ethos," he said.

He suggests a kind of liberal modernization of the Chechen society. "This should include a uniform information policy geared towards the younger generation. And as an alternative to Osama bin Laden, we have Sheikh Mansur, the Chechen leader of the 17th century who called for the Chechens to unite," concluded Nadirsolt Elsunkayev.