Moscow, Russia - UPF-Russia is becoming more involved in the Russian national system of volunteer activities and services. In the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation in Moscow, a presentation of the Universal Peace Federation projects was made on April 30, 2011 to members of the "Grassroots Diplomatic Corps."
Classic diplomacy is unable cope with many current global problems. For solving such problems the active involvement of civil society is needed. In this connection, the National Council of Children and Youth Associations of Russia together with the Foundation of International Cooperation Development created a program called “Grassroots Diplomatic Corps,” which met at the National Civic Chamber April 25 to 30.
The Grassroots Diplomatic Corps is a pool of Russian NGOs that possess special knowledge and experience in the sphere of international communications, expertise in international relations, and the capacity to carry out international projects aimed at creating a positive image of Russia in the world and promote Russian culture and the Russian language.
During the session, participants were informed about the activities of international organizations and foundations, the state policy concerning international cooperation, and organizations carrying out international youth projects. Then they prioritized the direction of development for their local projects.
Elena Knyazeva, coordinator of the UPF youth and humanitarian programs, told the members of the Grassroots Diplomatic Corps about the UPF goals and objectives, activities of Young Peace Ambassadors, and peacemaking initiatives. It was nice to see their interest in the issues of peacemaking and international relations. Mrs. Knyazeva answered many questions, and afterwards the participants started discussing plans for their future cooperation.
Oxana Kovtunenko, a member of the Grassroots Diplomatic Corps and deputy of the Youth Parliament of the Kirov Region, shared her impressions:
“During the seminar, we became like one family. We worked during the daytime and then enjoyed our time in the evening. We learned much about the activities of our organizations, the history and traditions of our cities and nations, and made plans for our future joint programs. This was genuine grassroots diplomacy based on mutual interest, mutual understanding, and friendship."
The next session will be held in October, and participants made a determination to apply what they learned to new projects.