4th annual conference of the Middle East Dialogue of the Valdai International Discussion Club, titled “Islam in Politics: Ideology or Pragmatism?”, will take place in Marrakesh, Morocco, on May 14-15.
Issues of commonalities and differences in the Muslim communities of Russia and Canada, as well as problems of their integration into the legal frameworks of their respective countries, were the main topics of discussion at the conference Muslims in Russia, the CIS, and Canada: Cohabitation and Cooperation
The conference Muslims in Russia, the CIS, and Canada: Cohabitation and Cooperation presented by Carleton’ Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, the Department of Political Science, the Carleton Centre for the Study of Islam, and the Valdai Discussion Club is to be held on March 8, 2013 at the Carleton University, Ottawa.
The analytical report “Russia’s Economy: after Transformation, before Modernization” was prepared after discussions at the Valdai Discussion Club Summit held on October 21–22, 2012. The report incorporates many of the conclusions on Russia’s political development contained in the 2011 Valdai report “Russia Should Not Miss Its Chance: Development Scenarios”.
The Russia Development Index (Valdai Index) reflects the combined opinion of the world's leading experts on Russia as regards Russia’s political, economic, social, cultural and international performance. The annual poll aims to study changes in Russia’s development trends over a year. It is important that respondents assess not the current situation, but changes.
The analytical report “Military Reform: Toward the New Look of the Russian Army” summarizes the results of the conference of the Valdai Discussion Club Defense and Security section titled “Modernization of Russia’s Armed Forces and Cooperation in International Security” which was held on May 25-27, 2011 in Moscow.
Today’s Moscow has lots of job and education opportunities to offer, but it’s no longer a place you really want to live in. The capital has become a mere collection of functions, lacking in humanity. With its many rings of defence, it looks like a town bracing to repel an enemy attack.
A huge number of myths have surrounded Russian education over the past few decades. These myths have come about largely because almost all the country’s citizens have come up against the problems associated with secondary and higher education, meaning they are in a position to give their own particular slant on them and make demands on officials on education matters.
It is clear that sports facilities in Sochi and London have different pay-off periods and that in London the return on investment is faster. Sochi may have problems in this respect but we are ready to provide financial backing. In terms of prestige the Olympics in Sochi mean probably even more for us than the London Games did for the UK.
Regrettably, politics are coming back to big-time sport. The Olympics are first and foremost a celebration. There are no defeated or losing countries by definition. The achievements of a national team will not make the life of ordinary people easier or better in any country.
The Church’s unwise actions and its inability to think several moves ahead have led to this scandal over Pussy Riot, which is now being discussed in public and political circles of the world’s leading countries.
If Russia's government was more gender-balanced, politics in this country would have a more human touch to it, with more money allocated for medicine, education, science and the like. The predominance of men in politics results in unreasonably high spending on defense and the oil & gas industry, leaving public services in the backseat.
Russian authorities do not understand what Islam means for Russia as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country. Their logic is too simplistic. They believe that there is a good Islam that is loyal to them, and there is a bad Islam that is aimed at destabilizing the country. No attention is paid to the profound processes that are taking place in Russia’s Muslim community.
The failure of the Islamist political parties who came to power in the dramatic events of the Arab Spring would allow the military to reenter the political arena. Political Islam was successful in the opposition, but it could fail in power, as the negative experience of Egypt and Iraq have shown.
In light of the present situation in the Middle East, Russia and Israel find themselves facing common challenges. Under these newly emerging situations, Russia sees its partnership with Israel as a potential asset in resolving acute regional issues. From a Russian perspective, the compatibility of Israeli and Russian interests could contribute to such a partnership.
The Arab Spring has dramatically changed the alignment of forces in the Middle East and North Africa. What are the long-term consequences of these changes and how can relations be established with the new political elites? Politicians and leading experts on Middle East studies discussed these issues at the Valdai International Discussion Club conference, “Islam in Politics: Ideology or Pragmatism?” in Marrakesh, Morocco, on May 14-15.
Nader Bakkar, an official representative and one of the founders of the influential Egyptian Salafi political party al-Nour told RIA Novosti that its delegation plans to visit Russia in the near future.
