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The Russian youth branch of the Atlantic Treaty Association promotes basic European values in Russia and seeks to do so explicitly in the North Caucasus. We propose an entirely new approach to North Caucasus based on an all-out public diplomacy effort. For the Euro-Atlantic community, the North Caucasus makes an instructive test case of how to reconcile the world of Europe and the Islam. It serves to illustrate the difficulties inherent in resolving the confrontations arising from the so-called clash of civilization with the Muslim world. Our investigation of the topic has revealed that the anti-Americanism prevalent in Russia encourages anti-Western sentiment in the North Caucasus. There is a certain irony to this fact contributing to the rise in terrorist attacks within Russia, supposedly perpetrated by activists from this mountainous region.

The demographic situation in the North Caucasus plays an important role in the context of the escalating tensions: 55% of the population are Muslim and 45% Russian. A public diplomacy effort is needed to defuse the situation - one that is inspired by NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue as well as NATO's Istanbul Cooperation Initiative. It is an approach that could also be applied to politically explosive regions such as the Middle East and conflict zones such as Nagorno-Karabakh. In our opinion, experiences made by this new Caucasus Initiative could be informative even to the Quartet on the Middle East. The Israelite-Palestinian conflict is a crisis of trust as well as one of perpetual misunderstanding between the rapidly growing Muslim populace and the Israeli nation that seeks to introduce European values to the Arabic world.

What ingredients would make a public diplomacy effort in the North Caucasus and hence the Caucasus Initiative successful? Four areas in particular deserve attention if peace and security are to be achieved in a society that combines Muslim and European population groups: 1. young generation, 2. economy and international investment, 3. ideology and media, 4. counterterrorism prevention measures, especially those that concern the recruitment of women into terrorism. A comprehensive public diplomacy approach is needed in all of these areas.

First, the demographic aspect is crucial in the Muslim world that has the highest birthrate. It necessitates the dedication of more funds to education and the promotion of a more tolerant attitude, in particular by studying in the West. This means building more schools and creating new job opportunity for young Muslim and especially to provide a creative approach for personality development and a "can-do" attitude.

As far as the economy and international investment in such societies are concerned, the situation on the ground resembles a vicious circle. The less economic growth, the more tension and confrontation. The more tension and confrontation, the less investment  by big business into what is considered a dangerous region. The less investment activity, the less economic growth. In this point the solution is to promote investment in the region.

With regard to the mass media and ideology, the issue is even more complex. The mass media continuously frightens the West with horror stories about awful Muslims. The Euro-Atlantic community must understand the Muslim world and countries of the third world are to a certain extent creations of  Europe. By constantly placing both concepts in opposition to one another, the media makes the matter worse. There is no such thing as a clear dividing line between cultures and societies. The transitions are fluid. There is no use in engaging in all this near hysterical rhetoric about Islamic terrorists. That does not improve the situation in societies made up of groups with a European and with a Muslim heritage. By means of cultural development, civil society can be advanced in Muslim societies, which will then become more accepting of European values. In this context the solution is to lay the foundation for an understanding of basic communion between European and Muslim groups. Thus, the advancement of civil society in the Islamic world is the best measure to prevent the rise of terrorism.

Our fourth point concerns counterterrorism prevention measures targeted at the prevention of the recruiting of young women into terrorism. It was not until the year 2000 that Muslim women began to be noted for their involvement in terrorism as suicide-bombers. This is a new al-Qaeda strategy that sullies Islam. In this respect, Muslim society would due well to promote a more correct understanding of the Koran and issue modern fatwas that condemn terrorism. Moreover, further sectarian divisions among Muslims need to be discouraged. The in-fighting between Shiites, Sunnis, and Wahhabis merely serves as an additional trigger for terrorism.

Russia and its North Caucasus can be compared to a European mother and her difficult but talented Muslim son. Safe under her wings, the child can slowly learn to accept and value European ideas. We believe this approach can be seen as a silver lining in the clouds: As members of the same human family, the European mother and her Muslim son must learn to overcome their differences. Only in this manner can a peaceful coexistence of the various population groups in the North Caucasus and beyond come about.

Anton Grishanov is the President of the Russian Youth Atlantic Treaty Association (Russia-YATA).

Olga Kolesnichenko is the Press Attaché for the Russian Youth Atlantic Treaty Association (Russia-YATA).

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