There are only a few days left before the beginning of the final BRICS summit in Kazan. Therefore, it is absolutely natural that BRICS became the central topic of our conversation with the adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights Valery Aleksandrovich FADEYEV.
Read about this and much else in our exclusive interview.
– Valery Aleksandrovich, currently public figures from BRICS countries are developing a Declaration of Civil Society, which will be presented to the leaders of member countries of the association in October at the summit in Kazan. In your opinion, what should constitute its foundation?
– We see how cynically and consistently the West departs from the principles of humanism laid down centuries ago. It is obvious that Western civilization is completing its development cycle. It has given mankind tremendous achievements, but now we are seeing clear signs of the disintegration of Western civilization. Even 70 years ago, the great Russian-American sociologist Pitirim Sorokin foresaw such a finale. And his forecast coincides (in many details) with what is happening today: the degeneration of capitalism, the cult of consumption and pleasure, low culture. Plus digitalisation with its serious threats and risks…
Today, BRICS, in my opinion, is the very union of different civilizations that could bring back, renew the meaning of the values that were laid down at the creation of the United Nations. We are talking about values shared by everyone: peace, security, justice and other basic concepts.
Now it is very important to answer the question of how to form a new view of the unity of countries of the world that meets modern conditions. Because without unity, without universal values, it will be impossible to overcome the split and create a more just and safer world.
– Today, it is already clear to many that most countries do not want to be evaluated according to Western criteria. In one of the interviews, you said that you saw how the evaluations given Western organisations to countries do not coincide with the economic growth of these countries. Maybe it’s time to develop your own assessment criteria, for example, within the framework of BRICS?
– I raised this issue at the meeting of the President of the Russian Federation with the Council of Human Rights in December last year. The network of Western non-governmental organisations plays a significant role in interfering in the internal affairs of states. Their number is large, many of them are engaged. Especially those who just give countries these ratings of freedom, democracy and so on. Based on these ratings, political decisions are made, including military interventions, as was the case with Libya.
No political principles and models should interfere with the development of countries and peoples. It is necessary to create a counterweight: non-profit analytical organisations greenlighted, for example, within the framework of BRICS.
They would conduct objective studies of the human rights situation in different countries, without excluding social rights as they do in the West. Without placing countries back-to-back, according to the ranking, where the Western system is the standard. I would like to note that the methods should be accepted by all participants and the experts should not be ‘classified’.
– Valery Aleksandrovich, you head the Presidential Council of the Russian Federation for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights. How closely do you interact with BRICS member countries in this area?
–This year, we have been meeting and discussing our cooperation at various venues in different cities in Russia. We are currently discussing the creation of a BRICS humanitarian centre at the Russian State University for the Humanities. In the near future, we will prepare a concept for the development of the centre. We need to provide a model for others in this direction.
Our Council has also previously made proposals to create an International Court of Justice with BRICS, SCO and CSTO countries. Currently, the only working tool remains the International Court of Justice of the United Nations, which rightly found that Russia’s actions did not violate the Convention on Terrorism and refused to recognise the DPR and LPR as terrorist organisations. Unfortunately, the ECHR and other international courts have long discredited themselves and only broadcast the will of the West.
– At the IX BRICS Civil Forum, held in Moscow in early July, you once again made a proposal to create a common educational space for the BRICS countries. What should it be and how, in your opinion, can it help in integrating our countries?
– This kind of common, albeit small, educational space for all BRICS countries could include the best examples, examples of the peaks of literature, poetry and fine art of these states. The more educated a person is and the broader his worldview, the better he feels and understands the values of other peoples and the more he is ready to interact with them.
What foreign literature is studied in our schools? European and American. It is necessary to know it, but there is great medieval Arabic poetry (when I talk about it with various representatives of Arab countries, I am warmly supported here), the heritage of China, India and Latin American countries. The Universal State Exam codifier for literature includes mainly Soviet and Russian poets, there are Western European authors, but there are no references to Eastern ones.
I have previously called on BRICS member countries to offer the works of their outstanding artists for study in schools, and this work has already begun.
– Last year, following the results of the scientific and practical conference “Army and society. Mental Security Strategy” during the Army 2023 forum, you stated that, in the context of confrontation with the West, it is necessary to discuss with society the increase in the professional army in the Russian Federation. Is this necessary, among other things, to preserve our sovereignty, to resist external interference, one of the tools of which is the ideology of human rights?
– Yes, I have already said that it is necessary to spend as much on defence as is required. Currently, we spend more than 8% of GDP on defence, previously it was 3%. In the USSR, defence spending reached 13%. Skeptics will say: Why, you want guns instead of butter again! But if there are no guns, there will be no butter.
– Valery Aleksandrovich, thank you for an interesting and relevant conversation.
Interview conducted by Yulia NOVITSKAYA, writer, correspondent of “New Eastern Outlook”
