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UN International Day of Families 2009
Day of Families Celebrated throughout Russia
Written by UPF-Russia
Friday, May 15, 2009
Several events were held in Russia to commemorate the UN International Day of Families. Locations included Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Ryazan, St. Petersburg, Tver, Vladivostok, and Yekaterinburg. Events ranged from lectures to students, service projects involving orphanages and a fashion show.
Teaching Family Values at a Moscow school
On May 13, at school No. 340, Moscow, for the students of the 6th year there was a sequence of lectures on the International Day of Families. The event was initiated by the Russian Branch of UPF and the International Educational Foundation (IEF). Alexander Zhigalov, President of IEF, gave three lectures on the family and moral values.
Outreach at a St. Petersburg orphanage
On May 14, UPF-St. Petersburg, with the support of youth organizations and the Teachers' Initiative Centre of St. Petersburg, organized an interactive study for residents of the children's home in the Petrogradsky Region of St. Petersburg, on the theme "The Family as the School of Love." The event was attended by 20 children between the ages of 7 and 12.
Honoring war veterans in Moscow
On May 14 the Moscow branch of the Universal Peace Federation, together with the CARP student organization, organized a social service project in honor of veterans of the Second World War. Veterans were congratulated on Victory Day; those who at the same time had a birthday received congratulations and gifts. The event was attended by 20 families.
Concert in Yekaterinburg
On May 14 at the Children’s Music School No. 6 in Yekaterinburg, a meeting took place of students and their parents with Mrs. L.A. Basourmanova. She has won prizes in international contests for playing the psaltery, a stringed instrument used in ancient Russia, and she came from Moscow at the invitation of the Culture Protection League.
The event was also attended by representatives of the International Culture Protection League, Universal Peace Federation, and the Russian Academy of Cosmo-humanism; altogether there were more than 30 persons.
The meeting was associated with the UN International Day of Families, and the family was mentioned in all speeches. In their greeting and introductory remarks, representatives of these social organizations related history, purposes and goals of the International Day of Families, declared by UN and supported by many other like-minded organizations in the entire world.
The main event of the evening was music on the theme: “The song lives in the world and the world lives in the song that brings in peace.” The guest from Moscow performed ancient Russian tunes and her own songs. The unusual tones of her instrument transported the audience into a realm of antiquity, plumbing the depths of Russian national culture and history. Such emotions, as a gift of art, draw us closer to our great forefathers and convey the strong, inseparable bonds of family and clan.
Workshop on peace and the family in Tver
On May 15 the Russian branch of Universal Peace Federation with support of the administration of the Verkhnevolzhye Institute in the person of Dr. Irina Aksyonova, the Head of Mikhail Gorbachev Foundation in Tver, held a workshop on “Peace and Family” dedicated to the International Day of Families. Among the speakers were: Professor V. Petrovsky, President of the Russian Political Science Association and a UPF Ambassador for Peace, Konstantin Krylov, Deputy Secretary Secretary of the Eurasian branch of Universal Peace Federation. The event was attended by 40 students.
Lectures on family values in Ryazan
In Ryazan, the Russian branch of Universal Peace Federation together with the organization Teachers for Spirituality and Morality, held a series of lectures on family and moral values to celebrate the International Day of Families. The final lecture took place at school No. 31 in Ryazan. It was attended by 20 pupils.
Fashion show for charity in Moscow
The charitable foundation Children of the World, together with the Russian branch of UPF, held a charitable event on May 15 in Pavilion 75 of the All-Russia Exhibition Center. The fashion designer Diana Klimovskih presented her new collection of clothing designs. The funds raised from the show will be directed to help children.
Teaching family values in Rostov-on-Don
On May 15 in the Children’s Home No. 7 in Rostov-on-Don there was a lecture on the “Purpose and Value of Sexuality.” Teenagers listened with great interest and enthusiastically participated in performing different tasks and in discussions. The talk was about value of the family, human sexuality, the importance of preserving one's purity before marriage, and faithfulness in marriage. Young people deepened their concept about the consequences of sexual promiscuity and learned about the ethics of sexuality.
Promoting pure love in Vladivostok
An educational program on “Love and Family” was held within the framework of the International Day of Families. The events took place at Children’s Home No. 2 on Sabaneyeva Street. The program was attended by 30 children ages 14 to 17. They acquired an in-depth understanding of the value of pure love.
Promoting close-knit families in Nizhny Novgorod
On May 15 in Nizhny Novgorod, a project dedicated to the International Day of Families was organized by youngsters of the Youth Volunteer Movement. The project called attention to the importance of creating and preserving strong families. Especially for this occasion they prepared a poster encouraging people to uphold family values. Some of the most pleasant interactions were around quotations by famous people about family, love, and friendship. Anyone could approach and pick a message out of the basket.
Good fortune favored the project. The day was wonderfully bright and sunny, and many people were in the Pushkin Park and the garden near Svoboda (Liberty) Square, where the project took place. It was nice to see their active response and sharing their views about what helps form close-knit families. About 500 people participated, and 235 people cast votes. The factors that gained the most votes were “respect and tolerance” and “understanding and spiritual harmony”; each gained 50 votes. The best rewards for the nine organizers of the projects were the grateful smiles of the participants.
To read UPF's Declaration on Families, click here.
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