World Interfaith Harmony Week Observed in Russia

February 8, 2014

Conferences, seminars and visits to places of worship of various faiths took place in Moscow, Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.

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E.G. Drapeko: A Value-Based Culture

December 21, 2013

In his annual address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on December 12, 2013, the Russian Federation President, Vladimir Putin, said that "the coming year of 2014 is declared in Russia the Year of Culture.

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UPF-Russia Honors UN Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures

December 21, 2013

Moscow, Russia - About 95 people gathered for a conference on "Russia towards the UN International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures" held in Moscow’s National Hotel Dec. 21. Scholars, government officials and NGO leaders proposed ways to work together during the coming Year of Culture declared by the Russian Federation in a framework of promoting a culture of volunteerism, family culture and a culture of peace.

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Russia’s Kemerovo Region Promotes Volunteerism

December 20, 2013

Kemerovo, Russia - The competition "Kuzbass Volunteer 2013" was held in the Kemerovo region of southwest Siberia from Dec. 17 to 19, 2013. “Kuzbass” is short for Kuzneft Basin and is another term for Kemerovo, one of the largest coal-producing areas of the world. The competition was initiated by Natalia Filimonova and Oksana Kitova, leading experts of the regional Department for Youth and Sports.

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Students in the Urals Bring Christmas Joy to Orphans

December 20, 2013

Yekaterinburg, Russia - Twenty-three students from the Ural Federal University visited an orphanage near Kamensk-Uralsky on Dec. 19, 2013, to bring Christmas joy to the children.

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Conference in Siberia on the Role of Religion and Human Rights

December 14, 2013

Novosibirsk, Russia - A conference on "The role of religion in protecting human rights and dignity towards a common culture of peace" related to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the twentieth anniversary of the Russian Federation Constitution took place in Novosibirsk on Dec. 14. The event was initiated by UPF-Russia.

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Nelson Mandela's Life Celebrated in Moscow

December 13, 2013

Moscow, Russia - On Dec. 15, 2013, when many people’s minds were drawn to the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa for the memorial service for Nelson Mandela Rolilahla – a man of global impact who in South Africa was called the father of the nation – UPF-Russia and the Youth Initiative Group gathered that evening in commemoration of Nelson Mandela. It was an opportunity for Russians to wholeheartedly offer gratitude, attention and respect to this great man.

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"Light of the Christmas Star" Festival Brings Musicians Together

December 10, 2013

The fifth annual “Light of the Christmas Star” festival/сompetition, Dec. 5 – 9, attracted musicians and performers who traveled from St. Petersburg to Finland and Sweden, where they gave concerts and made new friends.

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Youth Volunteers as Peacebuilders in Europe and Eurasia

December 4, 2013

Paris, France - Youth delegations from Europe and Eurasia who had come to Paris for a European Leadership Conference Dec. 3-4, 2013, discussed youth volunteerism as a way to bring the two regions closer.

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Conference on Social Epidemics and Effective Responses Held in St. Petersburg

November 22, 2013

St. Petersburg, Russia - An international conference on "Social Epidemics: Policies and Effective Responses" Nov. 21-22 examined both positive and negative aspects of current trends in social media, lifestyle and civil society engagement in global affairs. Speakers proposed ways that the social environment, volunteer associations, religious organizations and the media can help promote a healthy society.

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Student Conference in Moscow Explores the Status of Children

November 22, 2013

Moscow, Russia - A student conference on: "The status of a child in society and the world, and children’s rights" related to the 20th anniversary of the Russian Federation Constitution and the UN Universal Children's Day was held in Moscow Nov. 22, 2013.

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Super-Marathon Runners to Link Baltic Nations

November 18, 2013

St. Petersburg, Russia - An international group of long-distance runners are making plans to “run for peace” in a super-marathon that will take them through four nations bordering the Baltic Sea in the autumn of 2014.

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UN Day for Tolerance Celebrated in Russia

November 15, 2013

Related to the UN International Day for Tolerance, Nov. 16, lessons about tolerance were taught at a school in Ryazan, and polls and role-playing experiences gave insights into tolerance in Novosibirsk.

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Russians Put Together 2020 Road Map to Develop Volunteerism

November 11, 2013

Moscow, Russia - How to stimulate volunteerism was the main topic for about 200 representatives from Russian NGOs, businesses and government who met at the 10th All-Russia Conference on Volunteerism. The conference, titled "Development Strategy for Volunteerism in Russia—2020 Road Map,” was held on Nov. 11, in the Russian Federation Civic Chamber building in Moscow.

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UN Day Celebrated in Moscow and Novosibirsk

October 24, 2013

UPF-Russia organized celebrations of United Nations Day, Oct. 24, in Moscow and Novosibirsk. This annual commemoration reminds the global community of the huge contributions that the United Nations has made to preserving peace and supporting common progress. In 2013, Russians acutely recognized the important role of the UN especially during this year’s crises on the neighboring Korean peninsula and in Syria.

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Day of White Cranes Celebrated in Novosibirsk

October 22, 2013

Novosibirsk, Russia - The friendly staff of the Library for Family Readings in Novosibirsk arranged an unusual celebration of the White Crane Poetry Festival on Oct. 22. It was established by the national poet of Dagestan, Rasul Gamzatov (1923-2003), in memory of the soldiers who died on battlefields in all wars. The memorable meeting was attended by students, veterans, and mothers of dead soldiers.

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A Tribute to Russian Poet Pushkin and Interracial Marriage

October 19, 2013

Novosibirsk, Russia - Across the street from the A.S. Pushkin Library in Novosibirsk, a bust of Pushkin was erected on Oct. 19 on the threshold of the UN International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures. At the ceremony, a Young Ambassador for Peace from Cameroon spoke about the value of interethnic and interracial marriages, using as an example Russia's greatest poet, whose great-grandfather was African.

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St. Petersburg Forum: Ways to Achieve Peace

October 19, 2013

St. Petersburg, Russia - Thirty people enthusiastically participated in an Oct. 19 forum in St. Petersburg on "Ways to Achieve Peace." Mr. Nicolai Sokurov, a Young Ambassador for Peace, opened the forum with a presentation about how peace begins in the mind of each individual.

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UPF-Russia Delegation Participates in Model UN

October 15, 2013

Kazan, Russia - More than 100 students from schools all over Russia and other nations participated in the Third International Model UN Oct. 11-15, 2013, in Kazan, capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan.

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Russians Gain Insights into Korean Culture and Character

October 12, 2013

Yekaterinburg, Russia - Meetings introducing the culture of Korea were held in the cozy Ural Library Cultural Center Oct. 5 and 12. The organizers believe that knowledge about different ethnic traditions plays an important role in building a peaceful society, especially when the focus is on searching for and identifying the fundamental values ​​that are present in every culture and common to all the peoples in the world.

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