Round table in Nazran (Ingushetia). Meeting of NGOs with the High Commissioner of CE for human rights Thomas Hammarberg

On September 8, 2009, press-hall of hotel "Assa" (Nazran, Ingushetia) hosted round table "Ways to achieve peace and harmony". The organizers of the meeting were Coordination Council of Ingush NGOs, human rights organization "Mashr" and branch of the party "Yabloko" in North Ossetia. Members of HRC Memorial also participated in the meeting. Head of Moscow Helsinki Group Lyudmila Alekseeva, member of expert council under the Russian Ombudsman Valery Borschov, head of the Committee "Civic Assistance" and member of the Council of HRC Memorial Svetlana Gannushkina took part in the discussion.

The participants talked on Ossetic-Ingush relations, ways of cooperation between NGOs of the republics, possible peacemaking projects.

Svetlana Gannushkina told about the program of HRC Memorial carried out for Ossetic and Ingush children from the so-called "problem villages" in 2006. In 2007 a seminar was organized for teachers of some schools. In 2008, with direct collaboration of HRC Memorial Center of teaching of small-scale business for residents of Prigorodny district of North Ossetia-Alania. The main mission of the Center's work was to have both Ossetic and Ingush teachers and students involved in the work.   

The High Commissioner of Council of Europe for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg and Russian Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin and Ingush president Yunus-Bek Yevkurov took active part in the work of the round table.

Lukin said that such measures to regulate relations between two peoples have to be taken more often. He promised to support such initiatives but he added that his possibilities were limited.

Hammarberg spoke about the importance of such round tables, that work in this direction had to be done in spite of other factors. "Success depends on us", - said Hammarberg.

Hasan Atigov, head of Ingush public organization "Daimohk", pointed tout hat the most part of responsibility for the fact that the conflict hadn't been solved lied on the authorities. He criticized Lukin's work because the Russian Ombudsman didn't have tough position in the process of regulation of relations.   

Yunus-Bek Yevkurov said that it was essential that people had to return to their houses and to live in peace. "We work effectively in this direction", - said the president.

Also at the meeting relatives of abducted people told their stories. They asked to help them find the abducted. Relatives of the killed demanded fair investigations of criminal cases.

The participants of the round table decided to organize such meetings repeatedly. The next is to be held in Vladikavkaz (North Ossetia-Alania).

September 15, 2009