#Kazakhstan: A model of inter-ethnic tolerance and social harmony

With the continuing turmoil in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East, the West is searching for allies and countries of stability to fight violent extremism. Step forward Kazakhstan, a country that has actually been promoting a “dialogue of civilizations” for some years. While it only gained independence in 1991 Kazakhstan inherited a unique system for managing the needs of ethnic minorities, writes Colin Stevens.

Over the years it has fashioned a multi-ethnic civic nation and also established the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan to oversee the work of creating a uniform national identity.

Kazakhstan is certainly multi-ethnic: 59.2% of the population is Kazakh, 29.6% is Russian, while 10.2% comprises Germans, Tatars, Ukrainians, Uzbek and Uyghurs. Representatives of more than 140 ethnic groups live in Kazakhstan and some 818 ethnic and cultural associations operate under the auspices of the Assembly. Importantly, all ethnic groups have a single civil and social status.

Their representatives are not considered as national minorities but enjoy the full rights of the citizens of the single nation of Kazakhstan.

Few states are as deeply rooted and as vitally interested in peace as Kazakhstan, one reason it became a UN Security Council non-permanent member on January 1. Worth recalling that the chief criterion for Security Council membership is a state’s contribution to the maintenance of peace and, on this, Astana gets top marks.

Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of Kazakhstan, was one of the first to draw attention to the need to build a model of inter-ethnic tolerance and social harmony.

His strategic vision and forward looking policy helped to shape Kazakhstan’s modern multi-ethnic society, making the diversity of the country one of its biggest strengths.

Every three years since 2003, Kazakhstan has hosted the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, a key effort in the promotion of multi-religious dialogue and testament to Kazakhstan’s commitment to strengthening human rights and universal freedoms at home and around the world. The Congress promotes a narrative on peace and culture of tolerance as a solution to violence exercised in the name of religion.

The Fifth Congress took place in June 2015 and the Sixth Congress will take place in 2018.

Iveta Grigule, a Latvian MEP who chairs the European parliament’s EU/Kazakhstan delegation, says the creation, in 1995, of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan was important as it "ensured respect for the rights and freedoms of Kazakh citizens, irrespective of their ethnicity”.

She believes Kazakhstan has made “notable” contributions to global peace and security in several key areas, including strengthening international dialogue, inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony.

The deputy notes that Kazakhstan promotes the belief in the “importance of inter-ethnic, inter-religious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and non-discrimination.”

“Kazakhstan is certainly contributing to the world’s broader trend of cultivating discussion among many different religious and cultural identities.”

It is one reason why China, Turkey, Germany, France and Poland are each studying Kazakhstan's model.

It is not just the European Parliament that has praised the country’s efforts to promote inter-religious dialogue. International bodies, such as the OSCE, have also praised Kazakhstan as a model of tolerance and social harmony. An OSCE spokesman described it is a “successful international example of building peaceful international relations.”

With EU capitals currently facing a renewed terror threat, Kazakh efforts in this area have helped avoid internal ethnic conflicts.

Kazakhstan’s initiatives have also been welcomed by other organizations such as the United Nations, UNESCO, the World Islamic League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

But Kazakhstan is not complacent and, looking to the future, the UNESCO Office in Almaty will host the First Youth Conference on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue in Almaty on 21 September. The main idea is to bring together youth researchers and activists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to discuss main challenges and determine possible solutions for the prevention of intercultural and interreligious conflicts in the region.

MEP Grigule believes such efforts will help elevate Kazakhstan’s importance as a valued member to the EU, saying: “In recent years, relations between both sides have improved, becoming more intense and pragmatic, and hopefully this will continue."

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