Mechanisms of Managing Regional Ethnic and Political Processes (on the Example of Saratov Region)

Abstract

Russian Federation is one of the largest states of the world, which has ethnically diverse population. 193 nations with their own material and spiritual cultural backgrounds inhabit the territory of the country. Saratov region is developing due to emergence of new cultures and new ethnicity within already existing multiethnic organization of regional community. Dilemma of local authorities is to improve demographic situation in Saratov region due to migration policy being the only source of finding economically active population. Migrants fill in the niches on the local labor market and modify socio-economic and political situation at the regional level. In this situation it is necessary to work out the formula of integration. To manage the region it is necessary to differentiate the attitude to different migration groups provoking conflicts, to provide their access to information about their rights, possibilities of recruitment, system of healthcare. To solve the whole complex of problems of nation building at the regional level we need political, social and cultural instruments. First of all it is necessary to train the personnel capable to solve the issues of ethnic and political relations in the region, as well as to block the potential conflicts among such groups; to regulate the problems of ethnic groups at the corresponding levels of authorities; to develop the form of integration with respect to regional specifics; to modify the current practices of political integration into a unified civil Russian nation and to form civil identity; to balance the efforts of nation building with the groups of majority and minorities; to stimulate minority representatives to participate in the political system of a region not as independent actors but as actors included in the active political mechanisms; to consider the special role of nation building programs implementation at the level of local authorities and local administration; to support initiatives and projects of municipalities and villages to develop ethnic culture on the way of formation of Russian civil nation.