HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD

 

Initiators and partners of the project: Crimean branch of the A. E. Krymsky Oriental Studies Institute of the National Ukrainian Science Academy, Taurida Mediation Group, Integration and Development Center for Information and Research, Taurida National University, State TV- Radio Company "Krym".

Financial support: National Ukrainian Science Academy, contribution of the partner organizations. Propositions of project development are now under consideration.

Project terms: was started in 2002 and was finished in 2004. Now the project is closed because of the absence of financing.

Project manager: Aradzhioni Margarita Project purpose: to promote the formation of the tolerant community in Crimea by revelation and dissemination of the historical experience of neighborhood, peaceful coexistence and intercultural cooperation of Crimean people of different nationalities and confessions.

Target group: students, youth, Crimean inhabitants of different nationalities and religions, national and cultural organizations, teachers of history.

Project description: One of the factors which escalate conflict situations is the absence of experience of coexistence in poly-ethnic and poly-confessional society among Crimean inhabitants. Especially this Ukrainian region differs by big migration activity and considerable change in ethnic and confessional population composition. Almost for 50 years negative attitude towards "public enemy" - Armenians, Bulgarians, Greeks, Germans and Crimean Tatars which were deported in 1944 according to national sign has been formed among Crimean population. These negative stereotypes remain today in consciousness of the Slavonic population of Crimea. In this connection special significance takes not only research of the historical neighbourhood experience which existed in Crimea but its dissemination, comprehensive ethnic education of children and adults as it is the most effective prevention of ethnic and religious intolerance. Since 2002 a great deal of work by the staff of the Crimean Institute of Oriental Studies was done in research of written sources which reflected the historical experience of neighborhood in Crimea. A special questionnaire list was elaborated. A group of students was educated to conduct questionnaire design in the humanitarian departments of Crimean universities. During the conduct of field research the approbation of the developed instruments was done, about 50 questionnaires, descriptions and interviews were collected among representatives of different national groups.

In the present moment: During the further project realization students of different nationalities and confessions from Crimean universities will learn the broad world experience of neighborhood and co-existence which was accumulated by elder generation of Crimeans in 20th century. Such as: conduct of common holidays, cooperation in every-day life, life-saving of representatives of other ethnic and confessional groups during the occupation and deportation, and other examples. During conversations the project participants will become mediators between Crimeans of different generations, they will illustrate examples how people remained human in difficult situations no matter what nationality and confession they were. The continuation of the project will give possibility to widen the number of its participants, to conduct research work in different Crimean regions, to collect about 200 interview which will be further published as a guidebook for teachers and placed in Internet. Positive experience of neighborhood will be demonstrated in TV programs on "Krym TV" and national Crimean TV companies. The analysis and dissemination of the positive experience of the culture of neighborhood mutual help and intercultural cooperation on the peninsular will allow to shift accents from the issue of nationality to the issues of common problems decision and positive cooperation no matter nationality and confession.

Materials:

• Questionnaire to conduct an interview;

• Enlightening activity of Ylija Kazas at the end of XIX - beginning of XX century: the example of interethnic cooperation/ Prokhorov D. A.

Contacts and additional information: Ukraine, Crimea, Simferopol: 95007, 4 Vernadsky Avenue, Crimean Institute of Oriental Studies of Ukrainian National Academy of Science Tel: +38 0652 482352, 573024, 274508, 505812 e-mail: office@home.cris.net, arama@list.ru