St. Petersburg, Russia - UPF's sixth Youth Forum, on the theme of “Our Common Tomorrow,” brought together students from various universities and representatives of public organizations. The November 14 program gave participants a chance to talk about their activities and learn about the peace culture promoted by Young Ambassadors for Peace.
The first presentation, “Creating a Peace Culture,” was dedicated to the basic principles of UPF as well as the necessity for personal and moral growth as a basis for creating both internal harmony and world peace. During the role-playing game “Brain Ring,” participants could play an active role and express their ideas concerning the topic at hand. Also, interactive sessions highlighted the qualities young people need to succeed as Ambassadors for Peace.
During the plenary, UPF projects and initiatives were presented, together with projects of other organizations participating in the event. The forum ended with the establishment of a Youth Peace Council. It was decided to work on a realistic plan of action during the next Forum.
Participation in Other Forums
The Melody of Unity All-Russia Youth Music Festival, held on the Day of People’s Unity, November 4. The Festival gave young boys and girls of different nationalities an opportunity to communicate with each other through artistic creations. Participants dressed in native costumes demonstrated the dances, songs, or typical instruments of their culture. The winners received Letters of Commendation and money prizes. Youth leaders from throughout the Russian Federation came together to discuss the challenges of preserving their national culture. Dmitry Oficerov gave a presentation on UPF’s Bering Strait Peace Initiative.
Religion and Russian Statehood Interreligious Scientific and Practical Conference, November 20, initiated by the Federal Educational Agency and Moscow Humanitarian University. D. Oficerov gave a presentation about the importance of intercultural and interreligious marriages for unifying the people of the diverse nations within Russia.
A medical symposium about invalids, November 10-11, at the All-Russia Exposition Center in Moscow. Participants called attention to the social, medical, and other problems of invalid children and adults. D. Oficerov participated in the session on Complex Rehabilitation and Socialization of Psychiatrically Impaired People. He gave a short report about the UPF volunteer work in a number of Moscow boarding schools.
A meeting about Cultural and Informational Safety in the Capital: Media Censorship” at the Youth Discussion Club of the Moscow House of Nationalities, November 19. UPF representatives D. Oficerov and Janna Vasilyeva took part in the discussion, and D. Oficerov worked with Christina Volkova, leader of the Department of Youth Activity of the Moscow House of Nationalities, to draft a letter on the topic. The letter read, in part:
“We accept that the media must be free and self-sufficient. Still we consider it important to point out that the media should be responsible for creating ethical and moral atmosphere in society. Righteous media use their freedom for supporting and defending human rights and interests; they should also defend morals. In our world of conflicts and ideological strifes, the media play a very important role in solving the challenges of war and peace in the world.“