Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor
Encyclopedia
Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor (born September 8, 1953 in Moscow
) is a prominent public figure, businessman and philanthropist
who actively participates in the promotion of tolerance
and reconciliation in the modern world. He is also engaged in discussing and elaborating ways to stop nuclear proliferation
and prevent a nuclear catastrophe. Kantor is President of the European Jewish Congress
(EJC), Co-Chairman of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
, President of the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe
, President of the World Holocaust Forum Foundation
and Chairman of the European Jewish Fund
(EJF). In 2011, Forbes estimated Kantor's worth at US$1.6 billions, making him 60th richest businessmen in Russia and 782nd richest businessmen in a global Forbes rating. His wealth, influential connections in governments, residence outside of Russia, and hobbies, such as his collections of paintings and horse stables are typical of other Russian oligarchs.
(Russia
). In 1976, he graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI)
and did research for NPO Spektr at MAI. In 1981, the newspaper Pravda published an article written by Viatcheslav Kantor and Academician Zhores Alferov, entitled The Sun Shines at Night.
1989-1993 – Director General of the Russian-American Intelmas Company. Under his leadership, one of the first computer networks was introduced and installed in Russia
, including at divisions of the Academy of Sciences
.
1993 – Headed Acron agrochemical company.
1996-2000 – Economic adviser to the Chairman of the Federation Council of Russia
.
Since 2000 – President of the National Institute of Corporate Reform (NICR), a non-profit organisation uniting renowned politician
s, business leaders and scholars. NICR’s activities are mainly aimed at improving the investment climate in Russia and enhancing the global image of Russian companies. The Institute provides effective support for the development of secondary sector companies focused on establishing an innovation
economy in Russia
.
2004 – Honorary Doctorate from Tel-Aviv University. On May 10, 2010, the new Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, namesake
of EJC President and University's Hon.Dr. Moshe Kantor, was inaugurated in Tel Aviv University
. TAU President Yossi Klafter officially presented University's Donor Certificate to Dr. Kantor and said that “the establishment of the Kantor Research Center on European Jewry is a constructive step towards reinforcing Jewish pride and identity.”
2004 – His role in the first process against Mikhail Khodorkovsky prompted the lawyer of Khodorkovsky say that "Kantor is Khodorkovsky's main enemy"
2005 – Chair of the World Holocaust Forum Foundation
established after the first “Let My People Live!” World Forum, which was held in Krakow
(Poland
).
2005-2009 – President of the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC)
.
Since 2006 – Key founder and Chairman of the European Jewish Fund (EJF)
, which focuses on promoting Jewish life throughout Europe
and implementing charity and educational programmes aimed at promoting tolerance
, supporting intercultural and interreligious links in Europe
, and fighting against xenophobia
and anti-Semitism
.
June 2007 – President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC)
, an international secular organisation uniting 42 national Jewish communities in Europe and representing the interests of over 3 million European Jews.
2007 – President of the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe
, which unites leading, globally recognised experts on nuclear non-proliferation.
2008 – Founder of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation (ECTR)
, which he co-chairs today with former President of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski
.
Kantor was awarded the following Russian and foreign orders and medals: Order of Friendship
(Russia, 1998), Order of Merit (Poland, 2005), Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise
5th Class (Ukraine, 2007), and Order of Leopold (Belgium, 2009).
He has 2 sons and a daughter.
According to Forbes
magazine, in 2008 Kantor’s fortune was estimated at USD 2.9 billion, placing him 41st among the 100 richest individuals in Russia
.
In August 2010 Moshe Kantor has been nominated the Member of the Directorate of the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority "Yad Vashem
" (official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust).
In 2011 The Jerusalem Post
named Viatcheslav Kantor one of the most influential Jews of the world. In the list of 50 most significant Jews Kantor surpassed President of Israel Shimon Peres
, mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat, head of the Anti-Defamation League
Abraham Foxman
, President of the American Jewish World Service
Ruth Messinger
, leader of the Labour Party (UK)
Ed Milliband, US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
, Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel
Natan Sharansky
and other famous politicians and public figures. The rating was headed by Facebook
founder Mark Zuckerberg
. . Viatcheslav Kantor has also been included to the 2010 Jerusalem Post rating of the most influential Jews in the world
On the occasion of the International Day for Tolerance
, Viatcheslav Kantor was awarded the Medal “Deserved for Tolerance” by the Ecumenical Foundation Tolerance in Warsaw
on the 16th of November 2011. The Foundation was established in 1993 at the initiative of a group of intellectuals and social activists of different faiths and nationalities. Every year since 1998 which marks the establishment by UNESCO
of the International Day for Tolerance
, the Foundation awards Medals of Merit for Tolerance
. This medal is awarded to politicians, clergy people, artists, scientists and leaders who have strived towards increased tolerance in our society. It is worth mentioning that the Ecumenical Foundation of Tolerance awarded in previous years the Medal of Merit for Tolerance to, among others, Aleksander Kwasniewski
, former President of Poland and co-chairman of ECTR
, President of Israel Shimon Perez, President of the USA Barack Obama
, Simone Veil
, Amos Oz
and Bernard Kouchner
.
in Europe
, preventing nuclear catastrophe, elaborating proposals and taking measures to counteract xenophobia
, extremism
and anti-Semitism
, facilitating the development of European Jewry, preserving memories of the Holocaust, and implementing charity and educational programmes.
, the largest secular organisation representing interests of the European Jewry.
Kantor calls himself “the main person on duty on the European Jewish street.” The key tasks undertaken by the EJC today include supporting and developing Jewish life in Europe
, fighting anti-Semitism
, dealing with the issue of restitution of Jewish property confiscated during World War II
, reinforcing the national identity of the Jewish people, counteracting assimilation
, nurturing national pride and preserving the traditions of European Jewry, particularly among young people.
Kantor is particularly involved in Holocaust education. In order to preserve memories of the tragic events of the 20th century, he founded and chaired the World Holocaust Forum Foundation
. The Foundation was founded following the first “Let My People Live!” World Forum held on January 27, 2005 in Krakow
(Poland
) to mark 60 years since the liberation of the German Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. The Forum was attended by over 30 official delegations and heads of state, including President (now Prime Minister) of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin
, Vice President of the United States of America Richard Cheney, President of the Republic of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski
, President of the State of Israel Moshe Katsav
, and President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko
. Kantor has also been credited with initiating the international 65th anniversary commemoration of the massacre at Babyn Yar, hosted by Yushchenko and attended by the presidents of Israel and some other states
The second “Let My People Live!” World Forum to commemorate 65 years since the Babi Yar
tragedy was held in Kiev
(Ukraine
) on September 27, 2006. It was attended by over 60 official delegations.
The third “Let My People Live!” World Forum to mark the day 65 years ago when the Red Army
liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp was held in Krakow
, Poland
on January 27, 2010. The Forum was attended by a group of 100 European Parliament
deputies headed by Jerzy Buzek
, representatives of other European institutions and official delegations from around the world. Ivan Martynushkin and Yakov Vinnichenko, both World War II
veterans and liberators of Auschwitz-Birkenau, were among the Forum’s honorary guests.
U.S. President Barack Obama
and President of France
Nicolas Sarkozy
sent their messages to the Forum. Both leaders’ addresses called for the world community to always remember the tragedies of the past and suggested that memory should factor into policy.
The World Holocaust Forum
Declarations were adopted at the end of the first and the second Forums and call for preserving memories about the tragic events of World War II
, passing on Holocaust knowledge to future generations and promoting the ideals of tolerance
and reconciliation in Europe
and around the world.
In 2006, Kantor founded and headed the European Jewish Fund
. The EJF is a non-governmental organisation whose first and foremost task is to reinforce the national identity of European Jewry and implement charity and educational programmes in Europe aimed at developing Jewish life on the continent. The Fund supports a number of projects and holds seminars and conferences on urgent issues attended by prominent experts and young people.
In December 2009, he protested against the Roman Curia's decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Pope Pius XII, asserting that it was a major slap in the face of the memory of the Holocaust.
, which was established pursuant to the decision of the International Conference held in Luxembourg
on May 24–25, 2007. The conference was attended by over 50 world-renowned experts from 14 countries, including Sergey Kirienko, Director General of the Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation; Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Nikolay Laverov, Academician and Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
; William Perry
, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense; and Hans Blix
, Chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission and former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
.
The Luxembourg Forum’s activities are aimed at discussing nuclear security and non-proliferation issues, as well as elaborating proposals and recommendations to politicians and diplomats regarding the reinforcement of nuclear security. The Forum works to prevent trivialisation of the nuclear threat in the modern world and aims to provide trustworthy information on the current situation in states and regions of concern (the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula
and South Asia
).
in Europe
. In October 2008, he initiated the establishment of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
. Former President of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski
chairs the Council, and Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor was named co-chair of the Council. The key task of the Council is to monitor tolerance in Europe and prepare initiatives and recommendations to reinforce interreligious and interethnic relations.
In 2007, Kantor came forward with an initiative to give tolerance lessons to teach students the basics of tolerance and non-violence in society. Education officials were receptive to the idea, and Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov announced that the programme would be implemented on September 1, 2009.
On November 9–16, 2008, a series of events was held as part of the international initiative called “European Week of Tolerance.” ECTR initiated the events to mark the International Day for Tolerance
and the 70th anniversary of die Kristallnacht
. Many prominent European politicians and influential political and public organisations participated in the European Week of Tolerance, events for which were held in Brussels
, Prague
and Kaliningrad
. The European Week of Tolerance was organised by the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
, the European Jewish Congress
, the European Parliament
, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
, the Russian Jewish Congress
, the World Holocaust Forum Foundation
, and Yad Vashem
, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority.
As an important outcome of the events, the ECTR presented the European Parliament
with the European Framework Convention on Promoting Tolerance and Combating Intolerance and a concept for a White Paper on Tolerance, both of which have great significance for promoting tolerance
in Europe
.
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
established the European tolerance award. The purpose of the award is to honour the extraordinary creative achievements of outstanding public figures who promote tolerance and reconciliation in Europe and fight xenophobia
, extremism
and anti-Semitism
. The first Medal of Tolerance was awarded to His Majesty Juan Carlos I of Spain
.
The third “Let My People Live!” World Forum took its place in Cracovia
, Poland
, in January, 2010. This event also promoted tolerance and reconciliation all over the world. Through preserving memories of the tragic events of the past, the Forum has demonstrated the importance of keeping the 20th century’s catastrophe from being repeated in the future and of counteracting new global threats, among them the threat of terrorism
.
Viatcheslav Kantor as the co-chairman of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
was one of the initiators of the international conference “Towards Reconciliation. Experiences, Techniques and Opportunities for Europe
” held on October 24–25, 2010, in Dubrovnik
, Croatia
. The gathering brought together current and former heads of European nations to collect European experience in reconciliation, and offer them to the Balkan nations.
On October 25, 2011 the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
(ECTR) held a round table meeting in Moscow
. Russian and international experts discussed issues of paramount importance connected with the current status, aspects and promotion of tolerance in Europe and in Russia. The experts also touched on such topics as the boundaries of tolerance, nuclear tolerance and secure tolerance in order to prevent a clash of civilisations. The round table meeting was attended by Viatcheslav Kantor, ECTR
Co-Chairman; Alexander Dynkin
, Director at IMEMO of the Russian Academy of Sciences
and fellow of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Mikhail Margelov
, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council of Russia
; Leonid Slutsky
, Senior Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma; Yoram Dinstein
, Professor Emeritus of International Law at Tel Aviv University
and other experts.
In 2011 Viatcheslav Kantor published the Manifesto on Secure Tolerance written by him. The project describes the concepts of global security and tolerance
. The Manifesto has been published in seven languages, including English
, Russian
, French
, Spanish
, Chinese
, Hebrew and Arabic.
was created on Kantor’s initiative and under his leadership. The Museum collection contains several hundreds of artworks, including paintings by famous Russian artists of Jewish origin, photographs and masterpieces of sculpture and graphic design. The collection is continually renewed.
The MAGMA
collection is unique and of great value for Russia
and for the whole world. In particular, the Museum has the world’s largest collection of works by Chaim Soutine
.
The idea of a tolerant society is the main concept of the Museum. Kantor, who is the museum’s main ideologist, says “The Museum of Avant-Garde Mastery and its collection are the most effective and universal means of fighting against xenophobia and promoting tolerance”.
In summer 2009, MAGMA
’s first exhibition called “My Homeland is within my Soul: Art without Borders” was held in the Palace of Nations in Geneva
(Switzerland
), the citadel of diplomacy
, security
and tolerance
, which has housed two major international organisations – the League of Nations
and the UN European Office. There are plans on making the exhibition a travelling event and displaying the Museum’s collection in large cities around the world.
, Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor was actively engaged in spacecraft design research. His academic research was used to develop a reflector satellite used to illuminate the planet’s surface with reflected sunlight and solve a number of practical scientific tasks.
The logical continuation of the project was the implementation of a complex experimental project which resulted in deploying two reflector satellites into Earth orbit. Work continued in this direction until the late 1990s. Russian and foreign experts have confirmed that the satellite was both scientifically and economically promising.
In 2000, Kantor became President of the National Institute of Corporate Reform (NICR), whose activities support Russian corporations and facilitate the promotion of Russian enterprises on the international commodity and stock markets. NICR unites renowned politicians, business leaders and scholars.
's labs. According to Kompromat.Ru, in 1986 it was uncovered that the lab was selling classified materials abroad. Kantor was fired from the institute and started his career as a businessman.
Vyacheslav Kantor founded joint Soviet-US venture "Intelmas" (Intelligent Materials and Systems). Soon the company bought a protected by the state historic Moscow building that belonged to the family of Kireevskie-Karpovy on Ordynka street. After a reconstruction the building housed a part of the head office of Kantor's holding Acron as well as the National Institute of Corporate Reforms, also founded by Kantor.
2. European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
3. International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe
4. European Jewish Fund
5. World Holocaust Forum
6. Museum of Avant-Garde Mastery
2. European Jewish Congress
3. International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe
4. European Jewish Fund
5. World Holocaust Forum Foundation
6. National Institute of Corporate Reform
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
) is a prominent public figure, businessman and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
who actively participates in the promotion of tolerance
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
and reconciliation in the modern world. He is also engaged in discussing and elaborating ways to stop nuclear proliferation
Nuclear proliferation
Nuclear proliferation is a term now used to describe the spread of nuclear weapons, fissile material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information, to nations which are not recognized as "Nuclear Weapon States" by the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also known as the...
and prevent a nuclear catastrophe. Kantor is President of the European Jewish Congress
European Jewish Congress
The European Jewish Congress, , was founded in 1986. It is based in Paris, with offices in Brussels, Strasbourg, Berlin and Budapest...
(EJC), Co-Chairman of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation was established in Paris, France on October 7, 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe...
, President of the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe
International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe
The International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe — is an international non-governmental organisation uniting leading world-renowned experts on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, materials and delivery vehicles.The Forum was established pursuant to a decision passed by the...
, President of the World Holocaust Forum Foundation
World Holocaust Forum
The World Holocaust Forum is a series of high-profile events targeted at preserving memories of Holocaust atrocities and the other tragic events of World War II...
and Chairman of the European Jewish Fund
European Jewish Fund
The European Jewish Fund is an international non-governmental organisation that coordinates and supports programmes and events aimed at improving interreligious and interethnic relations, reinforcing Jewish national identity, counteracting assimilation, promoting tolerance and reconciliation in...
(EJF). In 2011, Forbes estimated Kantor's worth at US$1.6 billions, making him 60th richest businessmen in Russia and 782nd richest businessmen in a global Forbes rating. His wealth, influential connections in governments, residence outside of Russia, and hobbies, such as his collections of paintings and horse stables are typical of other Russian oligarchs.
Biography
Kantor was born on September 8, 1953 in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
(Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
). In 1976, he graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI)
Moscow Aviation Institute
Moscow Aviation Institute is one of several major engineering higher education establishments in Moscow .Although the school is currently offering a wide range of majors and research...
and did research for NPO Spektr at MAI. In 1981, the newspaper Pravda published an article written by Viatcheslav Kantor and Academician Zhores Alferov, entitled The Sun Shines at Night.
1989-1993 – Director General of the Russian-American Intelmas Company. Under his leadership, one of the first computer networks was introduced and installed in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, including at divisions of the Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
.
1993 – Headed Acron agrochemical company.
1996-2000 – Economic adviser to the Chairman of the Federation Council of Russia
Federation Council of Russia
Federation Council of Russia ) is the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , according to the 1993 Constitution of the Russian Federation...
.
Since 2000 – President of the National Institute of Corporate Reform (NICR), a non-profit organisation uniting renowned politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s, business leaders and scholars. NICR’s activities are mainly aimed at improving the investment climate in Russia and enhancing the global image of Russian companies. The Institute provides effective support for the development of secondary sector companies focused on establishing an innovation
Innovation
Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society...
economy in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
2004 – Honorary Doctorate from Tel-Aviv University. On May 10, 2010, the new Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, namesake
Namesake
Namesake is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that has the same, or a similar, name to another....
of EJC President and University's Hon.Dr. Moshe Kantor, was inaugurated in Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
. TAU President Yossi Klafter officially presented University's Donor Certificate to Dr. Kantor and said that “the establishment of the Kantor Research Center on European Jewry is a constructive step towards reinforcing Jewish pride and identity.”
2004 – His role in the first process against Mikhail Khodorkovsky prompted the lawyer of Khodorkovsky say that "Kantor is Khodorkovsky's main enemy"
2005 – Chair of the World Holocaust Forum Foundation
World Holocaust Forum
The World Holocaust Forum is a series of high-profile events targeted at preserving memories of Holocaust atrocities and the other tragic events of World War II...
established after the first “Let My People Live!” World Forum, which was held in Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
(Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
).
2005-2009 – President of the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC)
Russian Jewish Congress
The Russian Jewish Congress is a non-profit charitable fund and the largest secular organisation of Russian Jews. It was established in 1996 by the initiative group of the Jewish businessmen, active workers and religious figures for revival of the Jewish life in Russia...
.
Since 2006 – Key founder and Chairman of the European Jewish Fund (EJF)
European Jewish Fund
The European Jewish Fund is an international non-governmental organisation that coordinates and supports programmes and events aimed at improving interreligious and interethnic relations, reinforcing Jewish national identity, counteracting assimilation, promoting tolerance and reconciliation in...
, which focuses on promoting Jewish life throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and implementing charity and educational programmes aimed at promoting tolerance
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
, supporting intercultural and interreligious links in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and fighting against xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
and anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
.
June 2007 – President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC)
European Jewish Congress
The European Jewish Congress, , was founded in 1986. It is based in Paris, with offices in Brussels, Strasbourg, Berlin and Budapest...
, an international secular organisation uniting 42 national Jewish communities in Europe and representing the interests of over 3 million European Jews.
2007 – President of the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe
International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe
The International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe — is an international non-governmental organisation uniting leading world-renowned experts on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, materials and delivery vehicles.The Forum was established pursuant to a decision passed by the...
, which unites leading, globally recognised experts on nuclear non-proliferation.
2008 – Founder of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation (ECTR)
European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation was established in Paris, France on October 7, 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe...
, which he co-chairs today with former President of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski
Aleksander Kwasniewski
Aleksander Kwaśniewski is a Polish politician who served as the President of Poland from 1995 to 2005. He was born in Białogard, and during communist rule he was active in the Socialist Union of Polish Students and was the Minister for Sport in the communist government in the 1980s...
.
Kantor was awarded the following Russian and foreign orders and medals: Order of Friendship
Order of Friendship
The Order of Friendship is a state decoration of Russia established by decree # 442 of March 2, 1994 of the President of the Russian Federation....
(Russia, 1998), Order of Merit (Poland, 2005), Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise
Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise
The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise is an award of Ukraine. It is awarded for distinguished services to the state and people of the Ukrainian nation. The Order was instituted on August 23, 1995 by the Ukrainian President, Leonid Kuchma....
5th Class (Ukraine, 2007), and Order of Leopold (Belgium, 2009).
He has 2 sons and a daughter.
According to Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
magazine, in 2008 Kantor’s fortune was estimated at USD 2.9 billion, placing him 41st among the 100 richest individuals in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
In August 2010 Moshe Kantor has been nominated the Member of the Directorate of the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority "Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
" (official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust).
In 2011 The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post. The daily readership numbers do not approach those of the major Hebrew newspapers....
named Viatcheslav Kantor one of the most influential Jews of the world. In the list of 50 most significant Jews Kantor surpassed President of Israel Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
, mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat, head of the Anti-Defamation League
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
Abraham Foxman
Abraham Foxman
Abraham H. Foxman is the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League.-Early life:Foxman, an only son, was born in Baranovichi, just months after the USSR took the town from Poland in the Nazi-Soviet Pact and incorporated it into the BSSR. The town is now in Belarus...
, President of the American Jewish World Service
American Jewish World Service
American Jewish World Service is a nonprofit international development organization, founded in 1985, which supports community-based organizations in 35 countries in the developing world and works to educate the American Jewish community about global justice...
Ruth Messinger
Ruth Messinger
Ruth Wyler Messinger is a former political leader in New York City and a member of the Democratic Party as well as the Democratic Socialists of America. She was the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City in 1997, losing to incumbent mayor Rudy Giuliani. She is married to Andrew Lachman, her...
, leader of the Labour Party (UK)
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Ed Milliband, US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Dee "Gabby" Giffords is an American politician. A Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, she has represented since 2007. She is the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress...
, Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel
Jewish Agency for Israel
The Jewish Agency for Israel , also known as the Sochnut or JAFI, served as the organization in charge of immigration and absorption of Jews from the Diaspora into the state of Israel.-History:...
Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharansky was born in Stalino, Soviet Union on 20 January 1948 to a Jewish family. He graduated with a degree in applied mathematics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. As a child, he was a chess prodigy. He performed in simultaneous and blindfold displays, usually against...
and other famous politicians and public figures. The rating was headed by Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
founder Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur. He is best known for co-creating the social networking site Facebook, of which he is chief executive and president...
. . Viatcheslav Kantor has also been included to the 2010 Jerusalem Post rating of the most influential Jews in the world
On the occasion of the International Day for Tolerance
International Day for Tolerance
The International Day for Tolerance is an annual observance declared by UNESCO in 1995 to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance. It is observed on 16 November...
, Viatcheslav Kantor was awarded the Medal “Deserved for Tolerance” by the Ecumenical Foundation Tolerance in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
on the 16th of November 2011. The Foundation was established in 1993 at the initiative of a group of intellectuals and social activists of different faiths and nationalities. Every year since 1998 which marks the establishment by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
of the International Day for Tolerance
International Day for Tolerance
The International Day for Tolerance is an annual observance declared by UNESCO in 1995 to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance. It is observed on 16 November...
, the Foundation awards Medals of Merit for Tolerance
Tolerance
Tolerance or toleration is the practice of permitting a thing of which one disapproves, such as social, ethnic, sexual, or religious practices.Tolerance, tolerant, or toleration may also refer to:...
. This medal is awarded to politicians, clergy people, artists, scientists and leaders who have strived towards increased tolerance in our society. It is worth mentioning that the Ecumenical Foundation of Tolerance awarded in previous years the Medal of Merit for Tolerance to, among others, Aleksander Kwasniewski
Aleksander Kwasniewski
Aleksander Kwaśniewski is a Polish politician who served as the President of Poland from 1995 to 2005. He was born in Białogard, and during communist rule he was active in the Socialist Union of Polish Students and was the Minister for Sport in the communist government in the 1980s...
, former President of Poland and co-chairman of ECTR
European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation was established in Paris, France on October 7, 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe...
, President of Israel Shimon Perez, President of the USA Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, Simone Veil
Simone Veil
Simone Veil, DBE is a French lawyer and politician who served as Minister of Health under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, President of the European Parliament and member of the Constitutional Council of France....
, Amos Oz
Amos Oz
Amos Oz is an Israeli writer, novelist, and journalist. He is also a professor of literature at Ben-Gurion University in Be'er Sheva....
and Bernard Kouchner
Bernard Kouchner
Bernard Kouchner is a French politician, diplomat, and doctor. He is co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières and Médecins du Monde...
.
Civic activities
Kantor’s activities include promoting toleranceToleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, preventing nuclear catastrophe, elaborating proposals and taking measures to counteract xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
, extremism
Extremism
Extremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
and anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
, facilitating the development of European Jewry, preserving memories of the Holocaust, and implementing charity and educational programmes.
Jewish life in Europe
Since June 2007, Kantor has been President of the European Jewish CongressEuropean Jewish Congress
The European Jewish Congress, , was founded in 1986. It is based in Paris, with offices in Brussels, Strasbourg, Berlin and Budapest...
, the largest secular organisation representing interests of the European Jewry.
Kantor calls himself “the main person on duty on the European Jewish street.” The key tasks undertaken by the EJC today include supporting and developing Jewish life in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, fighting anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
, dealing with the issue of restitution of Jewish property confiscated during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, reinforcing the national identity of the Jewish people, counteracting assimilation
Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
, nurturing national pride and preserving the traditions of European Jewry, particularly among young people.
Kantor is particularly involved in Holocaust education. In order to preserve memories of the tragic events of the 20th century, he founded and chaired the World Holocaust Forum Foundation
World Holocaust Forum
The World Holocaust Forum is a series of high-profile events targeted at preserving memories of Holocaust atrocities and the other tragic events of World War II...
. The Foundation was founded following the first “Let My People Live!” World Forum held on January 27, 2005 in Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
(Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
) to mark 60 years since the liberation of the German Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. The Forum was attended by over 30 official delegations and heads of state, including President (now Prime Minister) of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
, Vice President of the United States of America Richard Cheney, President of the Republic of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski
Aleksander Kwasniewski
Aleksander Kwaśniewski is a Polish politician who served as the President of Poland from 1995 to 2005. He was born in Białogard, and during communist rule he was active in the Socialist Union of Polish Students and was the Minister for Sport in the communist government in the 1980s...
, President of the State of Israel Moshe Katsav
Moshe Katsav
Moshe Katsav is an Israeli politician. He served as the eighth President of Israel, a leading Likud member of the Israeli Knesset, and a Cabinet Minister in its government....
, and President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
. Kantor has also been credited with initiating the international 65th anniversary commemoration of the massacre at Babyn Yar, hosted by Yushchenko and attended by the presidents of Israel and some other states
The second “Let My People Live!” World Forum to commemorate 65 years since the Babi Yar
Babi Yar
Babi Yar is a ravine in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and a site of a series of massacres carried out by the Nazis during their campaign against the Soviet Union. The most notorious and the best documented of these massacres took place on September 29–30, 1941, wherein 33,771 Jews were killed in a...
tragedy was held in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
(Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
) on September 27, 2006. It was attended by over 60 official delegations.
The third “Let My People Live!” World Forum to mark the day 65 years ago when the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp was held in Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
on January 27, 2010. The Forum was attended by a group of 100 European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
deputies headed by Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Karol Buzek is a Polish engineer, academic lecturer and politician who was the ninth post-Cold War Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001...
, representatives of other European institutions and official delegations from around the world. Ivan Martynushkin and Yakov Vinnichenko, both World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veterans and liberators of Auschwitz-Birkenau, were among the Forum’s honorary guests.
U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and President of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
sent their messages to the Forum. Both leaders’ addresses called for the world community to always remember the tragedies of the past and suggested that memory should factor into policy.
The World Holocaust Forum
World Holocaust Forum
The World Holocaust Forum is a series of high-profile events targeted at preserving memories of Holocaust atrocities and the other tragic events of World War II...
Declarations were adopted at the end of the first and the second Forums and call for preserving memories about the tragic events of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, passing on Holocaust knowledge to future generations and promoting the ideals of tolerance
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
and reconciliation in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and around the world.
In 2006, Kantor founded and headed the European Jewish Fund
European Jewish Fund
The European Jewish Fund is an international non-governmental organisation that coordinates and supports programmes and events aimed at improving interreligious and interethnic relations, reinforcing Jewish national identity, counteracting assimilation, promoting tolerance and reconciliation in...
. The EJF is a non-governmental organisation whose first and foremost task is to reinforce the national identity of European Jewry and implement charity and educational programmes in Europe aimed at developing Jewish life on the continent. The Fund supports a number of projects and holds seminars and conferences on urgent issues attended by prominent experts and young people.
In December 2009, he protested against the Roman Curia's decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Pope Pius XII, asserting that it was a major slap in the face of the memory of the Holocaust.
Nuclear non-proliferation
In 2007, Kantor founded and was elected President of the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear CatastropheInternational Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe
The International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe — is an international non-governmental organisation uniting leading world-renowned experts on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, materials and delivery vehicles.The Forum was established pursuant to a decision passed by the...
, which was established pursuant to the decision of the International Conference held in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
on May 24–25, 2007. The conference was attended by over 50 world-renowned experts from 14 countries, including Sergey Kirienko, Director General of the Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation; Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Nikolay Laverov, Academician and Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
; William Perry
William Perry
William James Perry is an American businessman and engineer who was the United States Secretary of Defense from February 3, 1994, to January 23, 1997, under President Bill Clinton...
, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense; and Hans Blix
Hans Blix
is a Swedish diplomat and politician for the Liberal People's Party. He was Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs . Blix was also the head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission from March 2000 to June 2003, when he was succeeded by Dimitris Perrikos...
, Chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission and former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
.
The Luxembourg Forum’s activities are aimed at discussing nuclear security and non-proliferation issues, as well as elaborating proposals and recommendations to politicians and diplomats regarding the reinforcement of nuclear security. The Forum works to prevent trivialisation of the nuclear threat in the modern world and aims to provide trustworthy information on the current situation in states and regions of concern (the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
).
Tolerance
Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor is actively engaged in promoting toleranceToleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In October 2008, he initiated the establishment of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation was established in Paris, France on October 7, 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe...
. Former President of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski
Aleksander Kwasniewski
Aleksander Kwaśniewski is a Polish politician who served as the President of Poland from 1995 to 2005. He was born in Białogard, and during communist rule he was active in the Socialist Union of Polish Students and was the Minister for Sport in the communist government in the 1980s...
chairs the Council, and Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor was named co-chair of the Council. The key task of the Council is to monitor tolerance in Europe and prepare initiatives and recommendations to reinforce interreligious and interethnic relations.
In 2007, Kantor came forward with an initiative to give tolerance lessons to teach students the basics of tolerance and non-violence in society. Education officials were receptive to the idea, and Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov announced that the programme would be implemented on September 1, 2009.
On November 9–16, 2008, a series of events was held as part of the international initiative called “European Week of Tolerance.” ECTR initiated the events to mark the International Day for Tolerance
International Day for Tolerance
The International Day for Tolerance is an annual observance declared by UNESCO in 1995 to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance. It is observed on 16 November...
and the 70th anniversary of die Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
. Many prominent European politicians and influential political and public organisations participated in the European Week of Tolerance, events for which were held in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
. The European Week of Tolerance was organised by the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation was established in Paris, France on October 7, 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe...
, the European Jewish Congress
European Jewish Congress
The European Jewish Congress, , was founded in 1986. It is based in Paris, with offices in Brussels, Strasbourg, Berlin and Budapest...
, the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
, the Russian Jewish Congress
Russian Jewish Congress
The Russian Jewish Congress is a non-profit charitable fund and the largest secular organisation of Russian Jews. It was established in 1996 by the initiative group of the Jewish businessmen, active workers and religious figures for revival of the Jewish life in Russia...
, the World Holocaust Forum Foundation
World Holocaust Forum
The World Holocaust Forum is a series of high-profile events targeted at preserving memories of Holocaust atrocities and the other tragic events of World War II...
, and Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority.
As an important outcome of the events, the ECTR presented the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
with the European Framework Convention on Promoting Tolerance and Combating Intolerance and a concept for a White Paper on Tolerance, both of which have great significance for promoting tolerance
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation was established in Paris, France on October 7, 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe...
established the European tolerance award. The purpose of the award is to honour the extraordinary creative achievements of outstanding public figures who promote tolerance and reconciliation in Europe and fight xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
, extremism
Extremism
Extremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
and anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
. The first Medal of Tolerance was awarded to His Majesty Juan Carlos I of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
The third “Let My People Live!” World Forum took its place in Cracovia
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, in January, 2010. This event also promoted tolerance and reconciliation all over the world. Through preserving memories of the tragic events of the past, the Forum has demonstrated the importance of keeping the 20th century’s catastrophe from being repeated in the future and of counteracting new global threats, among them the threat of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
.
Viatcheslav Kantor as the co-chairman of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation was established in Paris, France on October 7, 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe...
was one of the initiators of the international conference “Towards Reconciliation. Experiences, Techniques and Opportunities for Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
” held on October 24–25, 2010, in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. The gathering brought together current and former heads of European nations to collect European experience in reconciliation, and offer them to the Balkan nations.
On October 25, 2011 the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation was established in Paris, France on October 7, 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe...
(ECTR) held a round table meeting in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Russian and international experts discussed issues of paramount importance connected with the current status, aspects and promotion of tolerance in Europe and in Russia. The experts also touched on such topics as the boundaries of tolerance, nuclear tolerance and secure tolerance in order to prevent a clash of civilisations. The round table meeting was attended by Viatcheslav Kantor, ECTR
European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation was established in Paris, France on October 7, 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe...
Co-Chairman; Alexander Dynkin
Alexander Dynkin
Alexander A. Dynkin is a Russian economist whose research interests and publications have been in growth, forecasting, international comparisons, technological innovation and energy studies...
, Director at IMEMO of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
and fellow of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Mikhail Margelov
Mikhail Margelov
Mikhail Vitalievich Margelov , the current Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council of Russia. He is a member of the United Russia party and has represented the Pskov region in the Federation Council since December 2000...
, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council of Russia
Federation Council of Russia
Federation Council of Russia ) is the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , according to the 1993 Constitution of the Russian Federation...
; Leonid Slutsky
Leonid Slutsky
Leonid Eduardovich Slutskii is a member of the State Duma of Russia. Slutsky is First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma's Committee on International Affairs. He is dean of the international relations department at the Moscow State University of Economics, Information and Statistics. He has held...
, Senior Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma; Yoram Dinstein
Yoram Dinstein
Yoram Dinstein is an international law Professor Emeritus at Tel Aviv University and is a specialist on international law, and an authority on the laws of war.-Career:...
, Professor Emeritus of International Law at Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
and other experts.
In 2011 Viatcheslav Kantor published the Manifesto on Secure Tolerance written by him. The project describes the concepts of global security and tolerance
Tolerance
Tolerance or toleration is the practice of permitting a thing of which one disapproves, such as social, ethnic, sexual, or religious practices.Tolerance, tolerant, or toleration may also refer to:...
. The Manifesto has been published in seven languages, including English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, Hebrew and Arabic.
Art
In 2001, the Museum of Avant-Garde Mastery (MAGMA)Museum of Avant-Garde Mastery
The Museum of Avant-Garde Mastery is a continually renewed collection of hundreds of artworks, including paintings by famous Russian artists of Jewish origin, photographs, masterpieces of sculpture and graphic design. MAGMA’s collection includes works by Valentin Serov, Leon Bakst, Marc Chagall,...
was created on Kantor’s initiative and under his leadership. The Museum collection contains several hundreds of artworks, including paintings by famous Russian artists of Jewish origin, photographs and masterpieces of sculpture and graphic design. The collection is continually renewed.
The MAGMA
Museum of Avant-Garde Mastery
The Museum of Avant-Garde Mastery is a continually renewed collection of hundreds of artworks, including paintings by famous Russian artists of Jewish origin, photographs, masterpieces of sculpture and graphic design. MAGMA’s collection includes works by Valentin Serov, Leon Bakst, Marc Chagall,...
collection is unique and of great value for Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and for the whole world. In particular, the Museum has the world’s largest collection of works by Chaim Soutine
Chaim Soutine
Chaïm Soutine was a Jewish painter from Belarus. Soutine made a major contribution to the expressionist movement while living in Paris....
.
The idea of a tolerant society is the main concept of the Museum. Kantor, who is the museum’s main ideologist, says “The Museum of Avant-Garde Mastery and its collection are the most effective and universal means of fighting against xenophobia and promoting tolerance”.
In summer 2009, MAGMA
Museum of Avant-Garde Mastery
The Museum of Avant-Garde Mastery is a continually renewed collection of hundreds of artworks, including paintings by famous Russian artists of Jewish origin, photographs, masterpieces of sculpture and graphic design. MAGMA’s collection includes works by Valentin Serov, Leon Bakst, Marc Chagall,...
’s first exhibition called “My Homeland is within my Soul: Art without Borders” was held in the Palace of Nations in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
(Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
), the citadel of diplomacy
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
, security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
and tolerance
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
, which has housed two major international organisations – the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
and the UN European Office. There are plans on making the exhibition a travelling event and displaying the Museum’s collection in large cities around the world.
Science
After graduating from the Moscow Aviation InstituteMoscow Aviation Institute
Moscow Aviation Institute is one of several major engineering higher education establishments in Moscow .Although the school is currently offering a wide range of majors and research...
, Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor was actively engaged in spacecraft design research. His academic research was used to develop a reflector satellite used to illuminate the planet’s surface with reflected sunlight and solve a number of practical scientific tasks.
The logical continuation of the project was the implementation of a complex experimental project which resulted in deploying two reflector satellites into Earth orbit. Work continued in this direction until the late 1990s. Russian and foreign experts have confirmed that the satellite was both scientifically and economically promising.
In 2000, Kantor became President of the National Institute of Corporate Reform (NICR), whose activities support Russian corporations and facilitate the promotion of Russian enterprises on the international commodity and stock markets. NICR unites renowned politicians, business leaders and scholars.
Business activity
After graduate school Kantor became a head of one of the many Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI)Moscow Aviation Institute
Moscow Aviation Institute is one of several major engineering higher education establishments in Moscow .Although the school is currently offering a wide range of majors and research...
's labs. According to Kompromat.Ru, in 1986 it was uncovered that the lab was selling classified materials abroad. Kantor was fired from the institute and started his career as a businessman.
Vyacheslav Kantor founded joint Soviet-US venture "Intelmas" (Intelligent Materials and Systems). Soon the company bought a protected by the state historic Moscow building that belonged to the family of Kireevskie-Karpovy on Ordynka street. After a reconstruction the building housed a part of the head office of Kantor's holding Acron as well as the National Institute of Corporate Reforms, also founded by Kantor.
See also
1. European Jewish CongressEuropean Jewish Congress
The European Jewish Congress, , was founded in 1986. It is based in Paris, with offices in Brussels, Strasbourg, Berlin and Budapest...
2. European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation was established in Paris, France on October 7, 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe...
3. International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe
International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe
The International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe — is an international non-governmental organisation uniting leading world-renowned experts on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, materials and delivery vehicles.The Forum was established pursuant to a decision passed by the...
4. European Jewish Fund
European Jewish Fund
The European Jewish Fund is an international non-governmental organisation that coordinates and supports programmes and events aimed at improving interreligious and interethnic relations, reinforcing Jewish national identity, counteracting assimilation, promoting tolerance and reconciliation in...
5. World Holocaust Forum
World Holocaust Forum
The World Holocaust Forum is a series of high-profile events targeted at preserving memories of Holocaust atrocities and the other tragic events of World War II...
6. Museum of Avant-Garde Mastery
Museum of Avant-Garde Mastery
The Museum of Avant-Garde Mastery is a continually renewed collection of hundreds of artworks, including paintings by famous Russian artists of Jewish origin, photographs, masterpieces of sculpture and graphic design. MAGMA’s collection includes works by Valentin Serov, Leon Bakst, Marc Chagall,...
External links
1. Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor (website)2. European Jewish Congress
3. International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe
4. European Jewish Fund
5. World Holocaust Forum Foundation
6. National Institute of Corporate Reform