Press Release, November 12, 2013

The first meeting of the Committee for Joint Action Against Xenophobia established by the Forum Against Xenophobia and Nationalism conducted  on YABLOKO’s initiative  on November 4 took place at YABLOKO office on November 12.

Secretary of YABLOKO Political Committee Galina Mikhaleva called the members of the Committee for Joint Action Against Xenophobia to work out the main areas of urgent actions and the rules of the Committee’s work. “We should decide what to do in the first place and how we are going to work”, she said.

Galina Mikhaleva

YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin greeted the members of the Committee. “I hope the Committee will gain a serious political heft. But everything depends on us. I’m ready to assist in the work of the Committee and support all the initiatives”, said Sergei Mitrokhin.

Sergei Mitrokhin

According to Mitrokhin, one of the main tasks of the Committee is to obtain new members so that it could express the stance of as many citizens and organisations as possible. “We are doing a historic job because we are trying to stop the destruction of the society”, he concluded.

Members of the Committee

Head of the Moscow Helsinki Group Vadim Karastelev, municipal deputies Grigory Semyonov and Mikhail Menshikov, leader of the Open Shore environmental movement Sergei Mensheritsky, President of the Interregional Uzbek Expat Community Usman Baratov and representative of the Uzbek Community Akmal Baratov, head of the all-Russian movement For Fair Market Ilya Khandrikov, YABLOKO member Artur Teryan, civil activists Marina Popova, Lilia Gorskaya, Tatyana Vinogradova and Yuri Nazarov took part in the first meeting of the Committee.

Members of the Committee

At first the participants of the meeting discussed the possible name for the Committee. Different variants were proposed as the name should show the essence of the Committee. It was decided to discuss the final variant of the name with all the members of the Committee.

The members of the Committee discussed the plan of their activities for a short term. The Committee decided to conduct pickets against nationalism in different regions of Russia on December 10 and discussed their participation in the Social Demonstration at the beginning of December. The members of the Committee will start collecting signatures under the Appeal to the society and the authorities on counteraction to the growing cross-ethnic tension.

Mikhail Menshikov will coordinate the work of the Committee. He will chair a working group on migration laws.

Yulduz Ataniyazova will deal with the problems of migrants in Sochi who worked at the construction of Olympic facilities, but didn’t get their salary.

Lydia Grafova and Grigory Semyonov will conduct a workshop for journalists on on coverage of cross-ethnic relations.

The meetings of the Committee will be monthly. The next meeting will be conducted at the office of the Moscow Helsinki Group.

Grigory Semyonov

Usman Baratov

Vadim Karastelev

Ilya Khandrikov

Ulduz Ataniyazova

Mikhail Menshikov

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