The international and interregional socio-cultural program "BRICS Peoples choose life" is implemented by the Regional Public Organization "BRICS. The World of Traditions" (hereinafter referred to as the Organization) in the countries of the association from 2022 to 2028 under the motto "from the ecology of the soul and body to the ecology of the world" (hereinafter referred to as the Program).
The main objectives of the Program are implemented in multilateral projects aimed at uniting the BRICS peoples, supporting the spiritual and moral state of people, educating children and youth on the moral heritage of the great representatives of the BRICS countries, strengthening human health, preserving and popularizing the cultural and historical heritage of the peoples of the association, developing trade and economic relations between the BRICS countries.
The international and interregional socio-cultural program "BRICS Peoples choose life" is implemented by the Regional Public Organization "BRICS. The World of Traditions" (hereinafter referred to as the Organization) in the countries of the association from 2022 to 2028 under the motto "from the ecology of the soul and body to the ecology of the world" (hereinafter referred to as the Program).
The main objectives of the Program are implemented in multilateral projects aimed at uniting the BRICS peoples, supporting the spiritual and moral state of people, educating children and youth on the moral heritage of the great representatives of the BRICS countries, strengthening human health, preserving and popularizing the cultural and historical heritage of the peoples of the association, developing trade and economic relations between the BRICS countries.The first stage of the program took place in the Republic of India in December 2022. In the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai and Pune, 12 cultural, educational and business events were held with the participation of more than 2,000 students and representatives of the business sector.
A unique event of the educational and educational project "Great Teachers of BRICS" was the creation of the Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi Center on the basis of the Delhi Public School, Dwarka, whose activities are aimed at in-depth study by the younger generation of the life, creativity, worldview of the great philosophers of Russia and India and the moral self-education of children on the basis of the humanistic heritage left to the world by two apologists for nonviolence.
According to the students of Mumbai University, "the Program implemented in India, aimed at preserving the love of life, humanity and resilience of people, has truly become a Program of Life, a breath of fresh air that cleanses the mind and soul of man from all evil and falsifications, has become a platform for useful interaction based on moral values."
The thesis "Ecology of the body" was successfully worked out in the business events of the program in New Delhi and Mumbai in the format of business missions held with the participation of companies exporting high-quality products and goods represented by the Samara Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry Union and Indian business partners (about 50 companies).
Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Russian sherpa in BRICS, assessed the importance of the results of the Indian stage of the program, presented on April 13, 2023 at MGIMO of the Russian Foreign Ministry: "The ideology that Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy brought to the world, and programs such as the BRICS Peoples Choose Life, as well as the creation of the Tolstoy and Gandhi Center, are in demand now more than ever. This is a living creativity that covers all areas of cooperation from trade and economics to science, education, to the value element."
The second stage of the Program will take place in the year of Russia's BRICS presidency in 2024 in Moscow, Moscow, Tver and Samara regions, Altai Territory and will be dedicated to the 195th anniversary of the birth of Leo Tolstoy, the 75th anniversary of the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Nicholas Roerich and the 100th anniversary of the Central Asian Expedition Nicholas, Yuri and Elena Roerich, the 550th anniversary of the memory of Afanasy Nikitin, the 70th anniversary of the establishment of trade and economic relations between Russia and India.
During the Russian program, 12 humanitarian and business track projects are being implemented, including: "BRICS Youth for Cybersecurity", "Anthem of BRICS Youth", "Great Teachers of BRICS", "Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi Center", "Open your heart to Kindness", "Great Teacher Nikolai Roerich. From Turquoise Katun to Ganges", "Boxing ring as a platform for moral self-education of BRICS youth", "Afanasy Nikitin: Trade route to India", "BRICS Trading House "AURA".
The Russian stage of the Program started at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba on December 21, 2023, where the presentation of projects took place, a demonstration of the exposition of the cultural and educational exhibition "Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi: a unique legacy", illustrating the famous correspondence between two great thinkers on the topic of nonviolence.
RUDN students in national costumes greeted the guests, according to Russian tradition, with bread and salt. Songs and dances of different peoples were played, and a colorful exhibition of Fellow Countrymen of the BRICS countries worked.
A film about the Program in India in 2022 was broadcast on media screens. A quiz was successfully held among students on the knowledge of the history of the BRICS, the life and work of the great representatives of the association. The active participants of the quiz received as a gift informative books about the BRICS countries, handed over by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for this event.
After greeting on the occasion of the launch of the Russian program, the Vice-Rector for International Affairs of the RUDN. Patrice Lumumba Larisa Efremova introduced the participants to greetings from Vladimir Tolstoy, Cultural Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, and Deputy Minister of Science and Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky, who united the idea of the importance of developing youth diplomacy in the educational space of the BRICS countries and educating the younger generation based on the moral legacy of the great teachers of the BRICS.
In his video message, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Russian Sherpa in BRICS Sergey Ryabkov emphasized: "Today, especially in the light of the upcoming expansion of BRICS, we face large-scale tasks, in the implementation of which people's diplomacy plays and, I am sure, will play an important role. It promotes the strengthening of multilateral cooperation, creates a favorable environment of trust and mutual understanding, and promotes the expansion of contacts between the citizens of our states."
The President of the BRICS NGO. "The World of Traditions", Program Manager Lyudmila Sekacheva greeted the participants of the meeting with the words: "The Life Program, fully charged with the BRICS youth, who participate in the development and organization of projects, works as a practical educational and educational platform for building positive and open interuniversity interaction, exchange of experience. For, as the father of the Indian nation, Mahatma Gandhi, said, "an ounce of practice is more expensive than a ton of sermons."
Russian Russian Deputy Minister of Education Denis Gribov believes that "in the near future, Russia will include all BRICS countries, including new members of the association, in programs for teaching the Russian language and subjects in Russian." Russian Russian Deputy Minister said this in his speech and in an interview with TASS and the International Life magazine, paying special attention to the implementation of the program for the deployment of open education centers in Russian and teaching the Russian language abroad.
The guests of the presentation of the Russian program were warmly welcomed by the Minister of Education of the Indian Embassy in Russia, Mr. Subrata Das, who supported the initiative of the program to promote in the regions of Russia in 2024 the theme of the moral legacy of Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi for the education of the younger generation on the basis of regional schools.
The text of the greeting of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Brazil to the Russian Federation, Mr. Rodrigo de Lima Baena Soares, was announced by the attache of the Embassy, Mr. Francisco Santos.
Lyudmila Skakovskaya, Senator of the Federation Council from the Tver Region, and Dmitry Polikanov, Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo, addressed the guests and participants with video greetings.
In his welcome letter, Denis Alipov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of India, wished success to the Russian stage of the Program and expressed the Embassy's intention to continue to support the BRICS organization. The World of Traditions" in the implementation of its projects and programs for the benefit of the BRICS countries.
The business track of the Program is gaining momentum, which gives excellent results in synergy with the humanitarian block. In 2024, an Indian-Brazilian business delegation will travel to the regions to participate in business events and regional Trade fairs.
Assessing the role of the business direction of the Program during his video message, Russian Trade Representative to India Alexander Rybas emphasized that "numerous events of the Indian stage caused a wide response among Indian public, educational and business circles," wished success to the business unit of the Russian stage of the Program and expressed the willingness of the Trade Mission to continue to provide possible assistance to the Program.
Among the honored guests of the meeting were representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry: Head of the Brazil Department of the Latin American Department Anna Shchedrina, Second Secretary of the Department of Foreign Policy Planning Sergey Orlov, Third Secretary of the Department for Russia's Participation in the BRICS DWP Denis Pilyavsky, also Director of the KGKU "Permanent Mission of the Altai Territory in Moscow Nikolai Borisenko, representative of the Department of Europe, North America, CIS and Multilateral Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia Ariana Vakhitova.
The event was attended by 15 speakers from India, Brazil and South Africa, long-time partners of the Organization, who actively discussed the projects of the Program, praised them and expressed their desire to participate in them.
During the meeting, poems were read in honor of the creation of the Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi Center by Kristina Aksenenko, a student of the 11th grade of Moscow school No. 1409, whose students took part in this event. The students performed Indian and Chinese dances, a song about friendship and actively participated in a blitz survey on the topic of Program projects. The students were particularly interested in the creative project to create the "Anthem of the BRICS Youth".
A special event was the signing of an Agreement on cooperation in the Program until 2028 between the RUDN. Patrice Lumumba and ROO "BRICS. The World of Traditions".
Thanks to the great attention and assistance of the Vice-rectors of the RUDN Larisa Efremova and Mikhail Katsarsky, as well as great help in organizing the Deputy Vice-Rector for International Affairs Natalia Gushchina, the opening ceremony of the second stage of the Program resulted in a joyful and exciting evening of friendship of peoples, where mutual understanding and genuine interest in the Program of distinguished guests, organizers, participants and their unanimity in assessing the significance of the program, its timeliness for the development of youth diplomacy in the BRICS "field" and the moral education of the younger generation of the BRICS countries.
The celebration ended with a shared photo of the guests and participants, who, according to the tradition of the Program, chanted the words: "Friendship. Trust. Love" and, as a sign of friendship, tied colored ribbons on the Christmas tree.
Sergey Ryabkov, BRICS youth mentor, spoke kindly to the Russian stage of the Program: "People's diplomacy, youth diplomacy has a great future: student contacts, direct ties between educational institutions are what we will support as an agency, we have done this before, we will continue to increase these efforts along the Foreign Ministry line."