Bashkortostan-UNESCO: new edges of dialogue of cultures and cooperation

The UNO General Assembly declared 2010 the International Year for cooperation between different cultures and it will be held under the aegis of UNESCO – a specialized UNO agency re education, science and culture, standing for worthy development of all nations and for preservation of their cultural and natural heritage.

The necessity of reaching mutual understanding and international and inter-religious dialogues is the main leitmotif of the projects, organized by UNESCO this year and Bashkortostan will actively take part in these projects.

This international organization displays special interest in Republic of Bashkortostan, inhabited by the representatives of more than 100 nationalities. The international presentation RB has taken place in Paris at the UNESCO headquarters two years ago and it has created great impression on the leadership and the active management of UNESCO in Paris, especially on the first deputy UNESCO General Director Marsio Barbosa, who unconditionally admitted our region was of special interest for UNESCO: “We have to learn fr om you: more than 130 nationalities live in your Republic in friendship. We will take your Republic for the example and will spread your experience all over the world”.

2010 is the special year for our Republic: we are going to celebrate the 20th anniversary since the renewal of its official status and preservation and augmenting of the variety of cultures in the region was one of the first independent steps of Bashkir authority.

The main principle, declared in sphere of development of national cultures was: everybody has to have a chance to study his own language irrespective of his residence and it concerns both the aboriginal languages on the territory of Bashkortostan and support of Bashkir language beyond its territory. At present time pupils are studied at local schools, using 14 native languages and 73% of pupils study their own languages. Bashkortostan is the only place in the world wh ere Bashkir nation may figure on state support on preservation and studying of Bashkir language and development of Bashkir culture at state level. The World Bashkir Kurultay (Congress) plays special role in this process – it unites the congresses of Bashkirs in 30 Russian regions and in 12 CIS and foreign countries and the geography of its activity in the world is widening all the time.

The III World Bashkir Congress will take place in Ufa in June 2010. Within the frames of the international project “The Dialogue of the world nations’ cultures” the delegation of the UNESCO Affairs Committee RB will visit several European countries – Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy in March, 22-31.

The presentation of Bashkortostan within the frames of the Republic Year, the attendance of the UNESCO headquarters in Paris and meetings with the representatives of Bashkir diaspora are scheduled and similar actions will be held not just in France but in Germany, Switzerland and Italy.