Mutual respect is the basis of the country’s unity
On the eve of Republic Day, a scientific seminar “Territory of Mutual Respect: East and West” was held at Shakarim University. The event was dedicated to the issues of preventing discrimination on linguistic and ethnic grounds, increasing the legal literacy of citizens and strengthening social harmony.
The seminar was organized as part of a social project implemented by the public foundation “Institute of Contemporary Politics” with the support of a state grant from the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The main goal of the project is to increase the legal literacy of residents of the eastern and western regions of Kazakhstan in matters of preventing linguistic and ethnic discrimination, as well as strengthening interethnic harmony.
Vice-Rector for Strategy and Social Affairs of Shakarim University Askar Kasymov addressed the participants with a welcoming speech.
Project coordinator, deputy director of the Institute of Contemporary Politics PF Kazbek Maigeldinov touched upon the issues of preserving the unity of the country and preventing interethnic violence conflicts and responsible behavior in social networks. He called on young people to responsibly publish information and express their opinions online, emphasizing the importance of preventing actions that could harm social harmony. According to him, according to the results of the monitoring, in the first nine months of 2026, 425 materials with signs of inciting hatred were identified on the Internet, 198 complaints were sent to law enforcement agencies.
Lawyer of the Institute of Contemporary Politics PF Azamat Bishenov explained the concepts of discrimination and linguistic hostility, and also familiarized the participants with the legal basis for their prevention. He paid special attention to the levels of responsibility for offenses and the distinction between criticism and illegal actions. Based on statistical data, the speaker emphasized the importance of legal literacy and civic responsibility in preventing discrimination on linguistic and ethnic grounds.
During the seminar, participants discussed the issues of preventing social conflicts, observing the norms of communication in social networks, as well as respect for the honor, dignity and rights of every person.
As part of the seminar, intellectual quest games were organized among students, aimed at a deeper understanding of the content of the topic, increasing legal literacy and promoting the values of mutual respect.
