You are in the MOST Phase I website (1994-2003). The MOST Phase II website is available at: www.unesco.org/shs/most.

Outcomes of the pilot stage (1996-1997) The model of ethnological monitoring of multiethnic societies and regions has been developed consisting of 46 indicators by seven major categories. Ten commissioned studies by leading experts from post-Soviet states and regions of Russia are in a process of research and followed up monitoring. Five MOST reference monographs have been published (Kazakhstan, Latvia, Kalmykia, Tuva, Orenburg oblast). An English version of the summary report has been presented for the MOST secretariat and short English abstracts of the monographs are put on the website the project. Full texts are available on the project website in Russian. A Workshop of the project participants took place in Sri Lanka (October, 1997).   The objectives of the second stage (1998-1999) a) To complete the series of MOST monographs describing multi-ethnic regions and countries following a standardised set of indicators (Bashkiria, Karelia, Krasnodar krai, Omsk oblast, Tajikistan). b) To prepare a comparative analysis of the ten regions and to measure the dynamics of the ethno-political situation in the region in a time-span of one year. c) To produce a final report for international academic and policy-making audiences on the status of ethnicity and conflict in post-Soviet states and on the methodology of ethnological monitoring. The data collection and research analysis The MOST monographs will be based on primary local data covering comprehensive statistics, documentation, sociological surveys and opinion polls, press analysis, personal included observations and interviews, and recent research literature. All data will be related to the most recent developments as well as to some historic references. Analysis will be carried out impartial and objective combined with clarity and consistency of description. The written texts will not exceed 90 pages for the Russia’s regions and 110 pages for the country’s analysis. The data gathering stage will be completed by July 1998 and the texts presented for editing and publishing by the schedule approved by the coordinator of the project. To keep MOST monographs as reference models for further measuring of the ethno-political dynamics, the texts will cover the period before January 1998. Expert evaluations of each indicators and categories within -2 - +2 scale are desirable with recent past point of references. More rigid and short evaluations of the current year (1998) dynamics will be done at the final stage of the project after March 1999.   Series of monographs The work plan for editing and publishing of monographs: Karelia Republic by Eugenii Klementiev (July 1998) Krasnodar krai by Eugenii Kritskii (August 1998) Bashkiria Republic by Ildar Gabdrafikov (September 1998) Omsk oblast by Iliya Lotkin (September 1998) Tajikistan by Iskandar Assadulaev (October 1998) Workshop on comparative analysis of ten studies (November 1998) at the annual EAWARN seminar. Preparation of final report in Russian (December 1998 - January 1999) English translation, publication and submission for the MOST secretariat (February 1999)   Dissemination of research and recommendations Sending out one hundred copies of each monographs by the EAWARN mailing list, 20 copies to major world libraries, 10 copies to UNESCO, 20 copies to an author, 30 copies to EAWARN participants, 20 copies to periodicals for reviewing. The rest 50 copies for distribution by requests. In a period of three weeks after the publication of the monographs, a short English abstract and the full Russian text will be published on the project website. The Final Report in Russian and English will be submitted in brochure format (25 copies for UNESCO and 25 copies for Moscow office project).   Further data accessibility and monitoring A computerised data bank on ethnicity and conflict at the IEA will integrate the MOST data organized by indicators and regions with open access through the Internet website. The preparation for the final stage on how to use the basic description for regular analysis of current dynamics of the ethno-political situation will be launched in Spring 1999 depending on future funding opportunities. The final stage will have the major task to develop the methodology of early warning reports based on key factors and key actors in countries and regions with multi-ethnic populations. The MOST project will organize a panel at the Third Congress of Russian Ethnologists and Anthropologists (June 1999, Moscow) on the Monitoring Ethnicity, Conflict and Cohesion with invitation to representatives of other projects under the MOST Multicultural Societies section of the program. Project coordinator Professor Valery Tishkov   24 June 1998

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