Moscow, Russia - Participants and organizers of the Mr. and Miss University pageant that promotes beauty of character and way of life as well as the UPF Young Ambassadors for Peace gathered to discuss "The Evolution of the Family in the 21st Century: Challenges and Solutions." The April 13, 2014, youth round table hosted by the Russian State Library completed a series of programs in April on family values supported by the Russian State Social University, UPF and the National Public Committee "Russian Family."
Especially valuable was the fact that youth activists from different universities in Moscow and young teachers debated moral issues facing today's youth and the challenges posed by the information age. In many countries norms of morality are being revised and traditions of previous generations are erased.
From the outset, the moderator of the round table, the Secretary General of UPF-Moscow Dmitry Samko, outlined a number of urgent issues for youth to consider related to creating a family; this was followed by heated discussion. There was remarkable concurrence among the youth on these controversial issues. For example, Alexander Kishinevsky stressed that selfishness can hinder the process of building relationships; therefore, people need to focus on changing themselves and not another person. Then Maria Oleinikova touched on the economic benefits of family life, which, as she put it, "can serve a cushion in everyday life, especially that of young families." Marat Shafigullin referred to conservative views and Russia’s historical heritage as a counterbalance to recent social trends. Also interesting was his observation that men need to adapt themselves in relationship with women, because 21st-century way of life is significantly different from what it was previously.
Nadezhda Gorelova, representative of the association "Russian Family," emphasized the fact that people build relationships that replicate the traditions of the families in which they grew up. Hence, today's youth should think about the values and ideals that they will be passing on to their children. Nargis Ismailova reminded participants of the Golden Rule, which is to "treat people the way you want them to treat you." She recommended the Golden Rule as a guideline for young people who want to build strong families and improve Russia’s demographic situation in the 21st century.