THE NATIONAL DAYS OF CIRCASSIANS!

WE ARE ALL ADYGHE, WE ARE ALL CIRCASSIANS,                                                         WE ARE ALL CİRCASSİAN PATRİOTİCS!

We are hopeful! We are looking ahead full of confidence!

The Circassian national problem is no longer only ours but on all the world's agenda. And if the problem is on the agenda, the solution is on the agenda as well.

This is a historical opportunity for us!

As we love our Homeland we want to built our Nation in the historical Homeland Circassia and take our place among all the reputable nations of the world. We are in a rough time, but it is possible to realize our dreams.

For this we ;t the power for! And we rely on ourselves!

Small successes will lead to victory, final victory will be the sum of small victories. Our first challenge ist to organize our institutes in diaspora with the national identity.

In 2011, we surely have to carry this off, we have to organize in diaspora the “Association of the Circassian-Adyghe Xase”; better to say, we have to change the names of our associations in diaspora from “Caucasian and North Caucasian Culturel Associations” into “Association of the Circassian-Adyghe Xase”. This change-transformation will pave the way for getting more and more circassian and to strengthen and consolidate the internal structure.  

Of course merely changing the "signs" is not enough. In parallel we have to rethink and reorganize our institutions in order to meet the needs of the Circassian people and to ensure the unification of the circassian people all over the world under the “Vision of Building a Nation in our Homeland Circassia”.

The developements in the Russian Federation, which is a part of the world and to which our homeland belongs to, is a great and historical unique opportunity for us and is forcing us to make new policies. In 2011 we have to raise our national interests louder to the world as well as our nation struggle. 

A common identity and language of people builts a Nation, a Homeland. All this is possible: The Building of a Circassian (Adygean) Nation; the unification both in the homeland and in the diaspora, the strengthening of the ties between the motherland and the diaspora; the eductaion of our future -our children and youngsters- in awareness of a nation, as Circassians loving their homelands. 

 “Circassia is the Homeland of Circassians”. As the nation cannot be thought seperated from the homeland, Circassia also can not be separated from Circassia. We have to raise the flag “Homeland Circassia” to our consciousness  and always have to keep it up high, in order to educate young patriotic Circassians who will reach our ;als in the future, 

Our institutional activities for “conservation of the culture, language, customs and tradition” till today failed to give a future-oriented perspective and hope to our people. It did not take into account the fact of Diaspora and assimilation. Each passing day the activity of re-producing or protecting of what we have, does not appeal to anyone else than to a shrinking ”steel core”; it does not bring an additional value!

The point we are standing today is: there are on one side the “Clubbers” expressed by a few faces and characterized by an inward struggle; and on the other side yet the thousands, even hundreds of thousands which could not be reached yet!

The coming period we have to be able to reach these “hundreds of thousands” and to creat a political opening; at least we have to be able to step in this direction. The people in our institutions sitting in responsible positions bear a major responsibilty. 

They have to be able to see the truth: “I know the line”- attitudes and efforts to keep everything under control are the reason why our institutions has ceased to be democratic and why they have become "Komsomol" organizations. To overcome this, especially an open policy should be done, mechanisms for a broader participation in decisions need to be created. All our people should have the chance to express their thoughts whether we like or dislike them. Our institutions should be able to represent different and even contrary opinions. 

To provide a diversity of opinions there has to be organized meetings, conferences, discussions and platforms illuminating important, current agendas, open to all members as well to everyone wishing to participate. 

In the same way elections in our institutions should be more professional: as in other democratic organizations, all the programs should be prepared, electionlists should compete, competitive and the account of what have been done or not done should be apparent on the next elections.

The most important thing: general decisions concerning the people of Circassian should be taken by Circassian People's Congresses (Adyghe Lhepkh Zefes). This congress will have to embrace all our policies and our institutions and in this congress our people should determine both the short-and long-term ;als; our “red lines” should be drawn here.

Likewise, our activities are still too “introverted”. In fact, the people joining our activities are often people we exactly know and who are aware of their Circassian roots. But in the grip of assimilation there are thousands of people who can contribute  to the national movement with their intellectual and social relations. After that, we have to organize events to tell better ourselves both to the Circassian and the world  public. And we have to get more involved in a democratic publicity.

By keeping ourselves away from politics or political ideas, we thought to maintain unity and integrity. But this attitude did not work, it undermined us and our organizations. The current process calls for developing a national consciousness and therefore we have to show special effort in nation-building  and becoming a political force.

This means political work for a national awareness of our society; to demand our democratic rights and our freedoms everywhere we live; to be more sensitive to our national problems; to demonstrate and react with conferences, panels, meetings, when it comes to activities related to our nation. İt means an opening towards the public, towards the press broadcasting and democratic organizations and to built tighter and more healthy relationships with them; and it means to get professional and enlighten the public Circassian world.

But at the same time as all other nations do, we have to strengthen our consciousness of being a nation with our own values and our own history. So far we've ignored them too much. In fact, we did not bring it to agenda at all.

However, every nation has its national days and events. And so we have:

1- 14th of March is “Circassian Mother Tongue Day”; 2- 25th of April is “Circassian Flag Day”; 3- 21st of May is “Circassian Deportation and Genocide-National Mourning Day”; 4- 13th of June is “Circassia İndependence Day” and, 5- 1st of August is “Return to Motherland Day”.

Days like these definitely have to be organized as well-attended events, telling the meaning and importance of these days to our people, to raise their awareness for this.

In particular, “May 21” is the most unfortunate and most painful day of our nation; and at the same time it is one of the most important milestones of predilection to build our future. As our historians, our institutions and our Republics officially announced many times, our ancestors had lost the war for protection and freedom of their homeland, fell victim to the genocide, have been exiled from their homeland at that time. On May 21, we have to commemorate this day in accordance to its meaning and importance; we have to demand on remedy this injustice and we have to ; for a professional organization to introduce the world to the “Deportation and Genocide of the Circassian People”.

In the same way the “Circassian Independence Day” on 13 June 1861, declared all over the world by our ancestors, has to be etched in the brains of our youth and our society. The expression of “Motherland Circassia”, which says “no” to division of our society, should be used more often. We have to organize a large, enthusiastic “Circassia Independence Day” with all our friends, guests and participation from all around the world.

One of the most important and meaningful days of our nation ist “Back to the Motherland's Day on August 1”. It is the symbol of our future and Nationbuildingprocess. Each Circassian (Adyghe) will continue his everlasting existence in the homeland only. Therefore, on each August 1 there has to be regulated activities describing the homeland and encouraging for return. These days we should definitely get a flavor of the motherland and enter the homelandterritory.

Under the title “Circassian National Days” from 2011 on this commemorials and celebrations must be ritualized on a regular basis. On these days, all discussions and differences between us should be put aside and be in unity and solidarity.

Patriotic Circassians see the ability to do these changes and transformations as a vital moment in the future of our nation. We have already declared to be ever more insistent bringing this on the agenda of all our institutions and our people. 

If therefore anyone wants to call us “Circassian Nationalists”, ; ahead!

We are looking forward to 2011 bringing health and happiness for Circassian people and all humanity and a year filled with victories for all of us...

Patriots of Circassia, 27. 12. 2010