[Travis Henry, "Solving Burning Conflicts through the Separation of Culture and State", 2014. (http://www.socialself.org/article/solving-burning-conflicts-separation-culture-state-travis-henry/)]
The Threefolding/Tri-Sector Movement [based in the USA, but with global outlook] offers a practicable political solution to the problem of the rapid eradication of the Circassian language and culture in Circassia, stemming from a deep and thorough understanding of the situation in Circassia. The ideas proposed by the Threefolding Movement are an essential read to thoughtful Circassians, and should be carefully considered, and perhaps adopted, by social and cultural organisations in Circassia and the Diaspora. In a kernel, the Circassians would have total autonomy in the cultural sphere, including a totally independent education system, and would be absolutely immune from the deleterious policies of the Russian central authorities regarding issues relating to their national language and culture.
The Threefolding/Tri-Sector Movement aims to enact the separation of nation and state, whereby all the nations (the cultural identities) are embodied in non-profit, non-governmental cultural organisations entirely independent from the States (the political identities).
The national-cultural territories will be free to overlap, just as the ecclesiastical provinces of the various religious denominations have freely overlapped since the separation of religion and State.
Russia and Circassia will overlap. Individuals will be free to participate in the cultural offerings of either or both national identities. There will be an independent Circassian national school system. Circassia will participate in any international cultural/sports organisation, such as the Olympics.
Regardless of their cultural nationality, individuals will remain citizens of a single political state. There will be no national identity or language or school system attached to the political governance.
Threefolding/Tri-Sector scheme for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic.
State culture in the Republic is divided into autonomies.
The Kabardians can pursue a pan-Circassian cultural agenda to preserve
and promote the national language and culture. Leeway is given to the Kabardian elements
[perhaps a small minority] who would rather maintain a separate "Kabardian" identity.
The Russians and Balkars would have their own autonomous cultural institutions and bodies.
The most pressing cultural issue in Circassia (the three “Circassian” republics, “Shapsughia”, and regions and areas in the Northwest Caucasus with substantive Circassian presence) is the precipitous loss of national language and rapid assimilation into Russian culture. Complete cultural autonomy would allow the Circassians to enact measures to stop the degradation in the Circassian language and culture for those Circassians who want to preserve them as markers of national identity, but without affecting those who would prefer to identify with Russian language and culture, in which case they will be catered for by the Russian cultural institutions for the Russian residents in Circassia.
Threefolding/Tri-Sector scheme for the Karachai-Cherkess Republic.
State culture in the Republic is divided into autonomies.
The Cherkess can pursue a pan-Circassian cultural agenda to preserve
and promote the national language and culture.
The Cherkess language is indistinguishable from Kabardian --
the nominal differentiation being the result of Soviet-era divide and rule policies.
The Russians, Karachai, and Abaza would have their own autonomous cultural institutions and bodies.
The Circassians will have an independent school system in which they could ordain the Circassian language to be the language of instruction from pre-school to post-graduate research at higher education institutes. As such, the implementation of cultural autonomy for Circassia could potentially save the unique national ethos of the Circassians. Politicians and activists in Circassia should become aware of this concept and should be convinced to advocate for its implementation. The Threefolding Scheme would also allow for the establishment of cultural bodies to cater for those amongst the Kabardians/Adigeans who want to maintain separate Kabardian/Adigean cultural identities [as opposed to a pan-Circassian cultural identity; the authors of the Threefolding ideas are aware that there are elements amongst the Kabardians/Adigeans who want exclusive national identities].
Threefolding/Tri-Sector scheme for the Republic of Adigea.
State culture in the Republic is divided into autonomies.
The Adigeans can pursue a pan-Circassian cultural agenda to preserve
and promote the national language and culture.
Leeway is given to the Adigean elements [perhaps a small minority]
who would rather maintain a separate "Adigean" identity.
The Russians would have their own autonomous cultural institutions and bodies.
The scheme offers independent avenues for the Circassians who follow traditional/ancient Circassian beliefs (фIэщхъуныгъэ; f’eschx’wnighe) and the Islamized Circassians who adhere to Muslim traditions. The Russian manipulators of the Circassian Issue on the ground should also be prevailed upon to adopt this concept and to make them understand that they have no business imposing their diktats on the Circassian nation in the linguistic and cultural spheres. Perhaps they could also be convinced of the subtle idea that human culture would lose vital parts of its constitution with the loss of the national cultures of the non-Russian nations entrapped in the Russian Federation.
Cultural autonomy, coupled with informed policies on the national language and culture, would give the Circassians a very good chance to perpetuate their civilisation. Despite the accelerated rate of loss of language and culture, there is still a substantive core of Circassians that have maintained their language and culture. Through the Circassian cultural organisations, assimilated Circassians would have the opportunity to re-acquire the national language, or they could be co-opted by the Russian cultural institutions.
Young Circassians who are left as orphans in the national linguistic and cultural spheres perhaps would start to push for changes to be made so that the cultural institutions in Circassia and the Diaspora would begin to take account of their situation and to do something about it. This scheme, or a modified version thereof to take account of real issues on the ground, is infinitely more productive than the futile, and even destructive, campaigns pursued by the nihilists amongst the Circassians who curse the darkness and make sure that no candles are lit at the same time.
Overview of the Threefold Idea
Book:
Solving Burning Conflicts: Through the Separation of Culture and State
[If you want a pdf copy of the book, please send us a message]
Contents
Introduction: A Kingdom without Bridges
The Bridgeless Kingdom: A Metaphor for our own Reality?
Part I: The Evolution of Human Consciousness and the Nation-State
Part II: What Happened in Yugoslavia
Part III: Ethnic Cleansing and Sectarian Violence—A Curse of the Nation-State System
Part IV: Cultural Freedom Requires Freedom of Education
Part V: Humanely Ending the Chaos in Ukraine
Part VI: Israel, Palestine and the Holy Land
Part VII: Implementing the Separation of Culture and State
Part VIII: Into Action—Prospects for Manifesting the Idea
Appendix: Other Voices for the Separation of Nation and State