Although Russia occupies an impressive one sixth of the world's land, it's still terra incognita for many people inhabiting the planet Earth. To a foreigner, Russia is mostly about vodka, freezing cold weather, and funny fur hats. Lately, however, the face of the world's largest country is changing dramatically, reflecting war in Chechnya and frequent terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, the recent events in Russia force us to talk about terrorism again. Much is said, much is to be said, but the main idea being repeated over and over is that we must altogether fight terrorism.
I think there's no use of fighting terrorism and terrorists in Russia or anywhere else. Their main weapon is unexpectedness: nobody knows where it'll happen next: in a small town school or in a big city subway train. The only way to prevent such events from happening is to deal with the very cause of terrorism.
In Russia, the governmental committees have come to the conclusion that most terrorist training camps are located in Chechnya and nearby regions; the future assassins are also recruited there. The youth of Chechnya, tired of ongoing war, poverty and decay, sees no light in this never-ending tunnel, and hatred grows in their hearts. The terrorists craftily take advantage of such feelings, corrupting even religious dogmas to justify their inhuman actions. As a result, young men and women, nursed by the terrorists, understand their destiny as taking revenge on the "enemy," which usually means slaughtering innocent civilians. And what's most frightening, the majority sees no alternative.
Instead, the youth must be given confidence in their future. Investing into the educational system is the first thing to do. Teenagers must obtain education not in terrorist camps, but in schools, perceiving democratic values and learning to make decisions for themselves. Their teachers must not be outlaws, but professional educators who care and take pride in their students. Developing sports and activities available to their peers in other regions will get the kids involved in the life of their communities; they will feel responsibility for what they do together with their teammates. Obtaining useful skills and knowledge at an early age will not only help to find a good job and discover new opportunities but also make a difference to their community, their region and their country. Each of us should make these young people welcome and needed in their own country and not turn away, showing fright or defiance of them, claiming all the Caucasians "terrorists", as it unfortunately happens nowadays.
I believe that the people of our diverse nation, most of all, want to live in peace. This is true for the Chechnya and Moscow region, Far East and Osetia. So, what I'd like to tell the world about Russia is that this country is not about vodka and fur hats, and neither is it about terrorism. It's about 145 million people who want their motherland to be a nice and safe place to live in, their children to go to school or play outside without being afraid of kidnapping, and of course, to have a future in this country. I don't want to rhapsodize a lot about people uniting to make the dream come true; I just hope some day it will be real.
Elena Khrulyova, 19 y.o.,
Novosibirsk,
phone: (3832) 515049
e-mail: sataalunta@hotmail.com
(registered at TIG site as Lennie)
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