Chairmanship of the Program “BRICS People Choosing Life” passes from India to Brazil at MGIMO University under the Russian Foreign Ministry According to Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Russia's Sherpa to BRICS, who spoke at Moscow State Institute of International Relations under the Russian Foreign Ministry, "amid the reduction of official contacts,public, people's, youthdiplomacy are in demand today as never before".
These words of the famous Russian diplomat became the epigraph of the meeting of representatives of state and public diplomacy and students on April 13, 2023 at the premises of the II BRICS International Youth Project Lab held on from10th t0 14th, April at MGIMO.
On that day, the synergy of state and public diplomacy was celebrated in the beautiful hall of the glorious MGIMO. During the meeting with the students, the Solemn part of the Laboratory was held with the participation of Sergei Ryabkov, Anatoly Torkunov,MGIMO Rector, Evgeny Primakov, Head of Rossotrudnichestvo, Denis Alipov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaryof Russia to India (online), Alexander Rybas, RussianTrade Representative in India (online), Rahul Kumar Rakesh, First Secretary of the Political Division of the Embassy of India in Russia, Lucas Andrade Aguiar,Second Secretary of the Embassy of Brazil in Russia, Daria Nefedova, Attachéof the Second Asia Department of the Russian ForeignMinistry.
The speeches were delivered by Oleg Gorlov, Referent of the Department of Asia, Africa and Latin America of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, Mr. Alexander Ryabkov, Third Secretary of the Russian Embassy in Brazil, Boris Martynov, professor, head of the Department of International Relations and Foreign Policy of MGIMO, and Lyudmila Sekacheva, President of the Regional Public Organization "BRICS. World of Traditions", head of the International Social and CulturalProgram "BRICS People ChoosingLife". The event was attended by Oleg Osipov, Head of the Russian House in New Delhi, Irina Ilicheva, Principal of the State Budgetary Institution of Moscow "SchoolNo. 1409", ArturRomashin, Head of "Get4lclick" company,partner and participant of the businesstrack of the Program, Nikita Bondarenko, Chairmanof the Business
Committee of the Asia-Pacific Region (YNBC), partner of "BRICS. World of Traditions" (online), AlexanderRaznatovsky, Head of "ASCOM", partner,Konstantin Malkin, partner.
Opening the meeting, the MGIMO Rector emphasized the importance of BRICS ProjectLab, which is held at the University for the secondtime and is aimed at systematic study of the formats and areas of cooperation within the BRICS Five.
Alexander Khanarov, moderator of the Solemn part, head of the Laboratory spoke about theLab’s plans and wished successto the participants. BRICS Project Lab at MGIMO is a forum for young students of the five countries aged from 18 to 35, who seek to create and implement multilateral projects within the BRICS framework.
The Laboratory was attended by 72 selected participants who presented their ideas for deeper development of projects and discussion in working groups of possible prospectsfor work in the areas of trackswith the participation of 11 experts(scientists, teachers, public figures in the humanitarian and international spheres).
Among the developed programs,projects and recommendations of the Laboratory there are "BRICS Union of Archives" (Track 1. "Preservation of Historical and Cultural Identity"), "Digital Platform for Tourism Development in BRICS Cities with a Single Payment System" (Track 2. "Technological Development of Cities"), recommendations on the environmental agenda of Russia (Track 3. "Restoration of Global Ecosystems"), recommendations on the agenda of the Russian Federation in the frameworkof the BRICS presidency in 2024 (Track 4. "BRICS in the New System of International Relations"), "Program for Humanitarian Missions in the BRICS countries in 2024 in the Field of Education" (Track 5. "BRICS Policyin the Field of International Development Assistance").
Especially important are the Lab's initiatives on the formation of a common communication platform for BRICS youth in the format of a "movement" and the development of the BRICS Charter, which is in tune with the ideas on the creation of the BRICS Association of NGOs and the BRICS Youth Union, which were voiced at the BRICS Civil SocietyForum in 2020.There is confidence that with the support of Rosmolodezh, the initiatives of the 2nd Lab will be implemented.
Sergey Ryabkov's words and opinions voicedduring his speechand interview on April 13th became the core of the entire event, giving confidence to the public sector of the five in the correctness of the chosen format and ways to bring five nations closer as well as develop BRICS in various tracks.
"The public, which is focused on a positive agenda, should seek and expand its channels of communication, offer its ideas and approaches to bureaucrats and those involved in diplomacy," the diplomatunderlined.
The desire to develop cooperation between Rossotrudnichestvo and MGIMO students was expressed in a brief speech by Evgeny Primakov, head of the Agency.
In her speech, Lyudmila Sekacheva presented to the audience the results of the first stage of the International Social and Cultural Program "BRICS People ChoosingLife" implemented in December 2022 in the Republic of India, and spoke aboutits future plans (hereinafter referred to as the Program).
In her opinion, "thanks to the moral project "Great BRICS Teachers", the Program of Life has become a signal to the youth of the "five" to the global community that today, more than ever, it is necessary to protect the moral essence, the ecology of man, and thus the wholeworld, as well as to assert the good and truth.
In affirmation of what she said, Sekacheva voiced the opinion of Mumbai University students: "this is an honest and kind program that has become a breath of fresh air for Indian youth, a stream of clean water that cleanses and washes the minds,souls and mindsof people pollutedby all kinds of falsifications!" During the interview to the journal “International Affairs” Sergey Ryabkov highlighted: "Today, being present at this wonderful presentation event, which was held within the framework of the II BRICS Youth Lab and demonstrated the beauty and brightness of the Indianphase of the Program “BRICS People Choosing Life”,
we were convinced of how much demand there is for this kind of informal, future- oriented interaction aimed at direct communication betweenpeople without borders, without shores, without any positional standards that everyone looks backon".
The Russian Ambassador to India, in turn, appreciated the work of the Program team in holding 12 events of the Indian phase of the program in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune. According to the diplomat, "a tangible contribution has been made to preserve and popularize the historical and spiritual heritage through promoting the project to establish the LeoTolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi Centerin India".
The Indian program, which becameone of the practical resultsof the I BRICS Project Lab 2022, was implemented by the Regional Public Organization "BRICS. World of Traditions", Russia,Moscow, in partnership with the International Youth- Edu Skills Foundation", India, Noida, under the motto "from the ecology of soul and body to the ecologyof the world".
According to Dmitry Likhachev, the famous Soviet and Russian academician, who is called "the conscience of Russia", "morality is the most powerful unifyingelement". And therefore, the main objectives of the Life Program to bring the five nations closertogether were to support the spiritual and moral state of a person and to strengthen his health, which was implemented in the humanitarian and business directions of the program.
The program united more than 2000 students of Mumbai and Pune universities, colleges,schools and researchinstitutes, where within the educational track, the baton of the five-sidedproject "Great BRICS Teachers" was held.
Confucius, Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Baron de Rio Branco left to the world a unique moral heritage, which is a "moral guide", "moral instruction", "moral vaccine" for the following generations against the virus of evil and untruth, prevailing in the current world.
According to the deputy minister, "it is a living creation, covering all areas of cooperation, from trade and economy to science and values. The ideology that Mahatma Gandhiand Leo Tolstoy brought to the world is relevant now".
A practical achievement of the humanitarian track of the Program is the creation of the Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi Cultural and Educational Center at the premises of Delhi Public School, Dwarka, in partnership with the Moscow School No. 1409 and the RPO "BRICS. World of Traditions". Schoolchildren and students from our countries will become researchers, bearers and continuators of the moral ideas of the two apologists of nonviolence. The Center begins its life. Its first project will be a peace-loving action "Voice of Truth" on May 9th on the theme of solidarity of our people during World War II. A delegation exchange between schools is being prepared.
The kick-off event for the Tolstoyand Gandhi Centeractivities will be a visit by the delegation from School, Dwarka, to Moscow School No. 1409, headed by PrincipalMs. Sunita Tanwar from May 17th to 22th, 2023.Plans for the visit includesigning the Treaty of Cooperation between the schools, unveiling the exhibition "Leo Tolstoyand Mahatma Gandhi:A Unique Heritage" on the famous correspondence between the two humanist philosophers, and a visit to the Leo TolstoyMemorial House "Yasnaya Polyana".
During the business part of the Program, business missions from exporters ofhigh-quality products and goods from one of the most successful Russian regions, Samara Region,were successfully conducted.
Assessing the role of the business directionof the Program during his speech, Alexander Rybas, Russian Trade Representative in India, emphasized that "numerous events of the Indian stage have caused a wide response among Indian public, educational and business circles".
In turn, Oleg Gorlov, representative of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, expressed his valuable opinion about the importance of the business track in this program: "The synergy of political, socio-cultural and business aspects of cooperation makes our relationswith foreign partnersstronger and more multifaceted".
Anastasia's interactive discussion with the studentsin the "Open Microphone" formatwas interesting and useful, with participants being asked about the prospectsfor youth cooperation in the BRICS format. The students gave their recommendations, proposed new projects to add to the cause of the Program in the field of energy cooperation, international sports diplomacy and cultural events. The presentation of the Program in India began with awarding the team of its organizers with a Certificate of Honor "For Great Work in Implementing the Indian Phase of the Program"BRICS PeoplesChoosing Life". The awarding ceremonywas conducted by the head of the Program Ludmila Sekacheva and the co-organizer, official partner of the Program, President of the International Youth-Edu Skills Foundation, Noida, India, Akil Mohammad.
Sergey Ryabkov presented the certificates of honor. This high honor was given to Dmitry Kurbatov, coordinator for external relations of the RPO "BRICS. World of Traditions", MGIMO master's student, Anastasia Shkitina, journalist, documentary film director, DmitryChiglintsev, cameraman, Rahul Sharma, directorof the International Youth-Edu Skills Foundation, Noida, India.
ThenAnastasia Shkitina, made a presentation of the Program,during which a special report on its results in India was shown, as well as a report on the “Great BRICS Teachers” projectin the "five’s" countries from 2016 to 2019 was presented.
On this day participants witnessed the symbolic transfer of the presidency of the Program from the Republic of India to the Federative Republic of Brazil, where it will take place in the year of the Brazilian presidency in BRICS in 2025 and willbe dedicated to the forthcoming 180th anniversary of the birth of the "father of Brazilian diplomacy", the peace diplomat Baron de Rio Branco and the 200th anniversary of the first Russian research expedition to Brazil. One of the main projectsof the program will be a youth historical and literary initiative for the onlinepublication of the book by Brazilian authors "The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people" so as to preservethe historical truth about the decisive role of Soviet soldiers inthe victory over fascism.
In his greeting to the participants Rodrigo de Lima Baena Soares, Brazilian Ambassador to Russia, noted with satisfaction the idea of implementing the second phaseof the program in Brazil."We very much appreciate the efforts of this project,aimed at the emotional, moral, spiritual, physical manifestations of the BRICS peoples, at the preservation of cultural and historical heritage. It will be a great honor for Brazil to chair BRICS in 2025," states the ambassador's address, which was read by Lucas Andrade Aguiar, Second Secretary of the Brazilian Embassyin Russia.
Alexander Ryabkov, third secretary of the Russian embassy in Brazil, announced the embassy's intention to support the Brazilian program and provide assistance within its competence.
According to Sergey Ryabkov, "we live in dangerous times, and the public, which is focusedon a positive agenda, should seek and expand channelsof communication and offer theirideas, their approaches to bureaucrats, to those who in practical terms are engaged in diplomacy, as without this we will become poor, let me say so".
An important conclusion of the presentation of the results of the India Program was the communication with Russian, Indian and Brazilian partners, who have providedinvaluable assistance in its implementation in India and intend to participate in the Brazilianphase of the program.
The moderator was Dmitry Kurbatov, coordinator for international relations of the RPO "BRICS. World of Traditions", MGIMO Instituteof International Studies employee,MGIMO Master's student Dmitry Kurbatov.
The speakers were: Ms. Sunita Tanwar, Director of Delhi Public School, Dwarka, Svetlana Tsukerman, Deputy Director for International Cooperation, State Budgetary Educational Institution "School No. 1409", Moscow, Dr. Anagha Bhat, head of the Russian languagesection of the Pune University Department of ForeignLanguages, Dr. Snehal Tavre, director of Snehavardhan Research Institute, Pune, India,Alessandra Scangarelli Brits, journalist and editor-in-chief of journal “RevistaIntertelas”, and RicardoQuiroga Vinhas, co-author of the book "The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet People," Rio de Janeiro.
Ms.Sunita Tanwar praisedthe significance of the unique project to create the Russian-Indian culturaland educational center named after Leo Tolstoyand Mahatma Gandhi, two great philosophers and apologists of nonviolence, who left a tremendous legacy to future generations. The online meeting was attended by students from the School, Dwarka, who recitedquotes from Tolstoyand Gandhi. In her speech, Svetlana Tsuckerman, deputy director of School No. 1409, expressed her hope for the furtherdevelopment of the unique projecton the basis of Delhi Public School, Dwarka, stressing that the Tolstoy and Gandhi Center will bring Indianand Russian youth together. She also reportedthe joyful anticipation of the meeting of Russianand Indian colleagues.
In turn, Dr. Snehal Tavre noted the importance of the multilateral project "Great BRICS Teachers" which was presentedat a number of educational institutions in India, including the famous Snehavardhan Research Institute, Pune, where the theme of the union of Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi resonated particularly with young people.
Continuing the discussion on the close connection between Tolstoy and Gandhi,Dr. Anagha Bhat emphasized that an important part of the Russian languagecurriculum at the Department of Foreign Languages at Pune University is the study of Russian culture and literature, including the works of Leo Tolstoy and his union with like-minded Mahatma Gandhi.
Developing the theme of the Brazilian phase of the Program “BRICS People Choosing Life”, Alessandra Scangarelli Brits focused on the role of cultural and educational bonds in bringing together the BRICS states and peoples, stressing that the most important projects in this area are initiatives of the Regional Public Organization "BRICS. World of Traditions”.
Ricardo Quiroga Vinhas highlighted the key contribution of the Soviet people in the defeatof the Nazi regime in the GreatPatriotic War and the need to studythe role of the USSR in the victory among Brazilian youth and students, which will be served by the project for the online publication of Brazilian authors' book "The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people" within the Brazilian phaseof the program. Inconclusion, Alexander Ryabkov,third secretary of the RussianEmbassy in Brazil,noted the crucialrole of culturaland humanitarian cooperation in the processof strengthening BRICS unity and the development of the association in a changing world order. In addition, Alexander Vladimirovich reminded that in October 2019 the Regional Public Organization "BRICS. World of Traditions" held in Rio de Janeiro the cultural and research expedition "Great BRICS Teachers", the scale and results of which are impressive, and added that the Russian Embassy in Brazil has read the plans for the Brazilianstage of the Program "BRICS People Choosing Life" and in case oftheir materialization is ready to provide all possible assistance.
Themeeting with the students on April 13th at MGIMO on the premisesof the BRICS Lab and the presentation of the Program “BRICS People Choosing Life” clearly indicated the interest of young people in the BRICS theme, the capacities of young people and their determination to form and demonstrate creative, informal approaches to the development of new initiatives and five-sided projects. Theend of the meeting was exciting and joyful as all the participants chantedthe words “Friendship. Trust. Love” written on the flags of the Program as a moral basis for building a harmonious and productive youth cooperation between the five countries.
And as hope for success sounded the words of a good mentor of public diplomacy Sergey Ryabkov: "People's diplomacy, youth diplomacy has great future: student contacts, direct ties between schools - this is what we will support as the Foreign Ministry, we did it before, and we will build up these efforts in the future". In 2024 during Russia's presidency in BRICS the organizers of the Program “BRICS PeopleChoosing Life” plan to hold a baton of presentation of the resultsof the Indian phase of the Program, including the meeting at MGIMO on April 13th, and the five-sided cultural and researchproject "Great BRICS Teachers" implemented in the “five’s” countries from 2016 to 2019 in such Russian regions such as Tver, Samara and the Altai Krai. Similar events are also expected to take place in 2023 at the Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia and the SKOLKOVOSchool of Management.
During the meeting LyudmilaSekacheva, Program’s manager,cordially thanked all those who provided invaluable assistance and support: BRICS Division of the Department of Foreign Policy Planning and the Second Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry and personally Sergey Alexeevich Ryabkov,Russian Embassy in India and personally Ambassador Denis Evgenievich Alipovand First Secretary of the EmbassyYulia Evgenievna Aryaeva,Russian
Consulate General in Mumbai and personally Consul General Alexei Vladimirovich Surovtsev, Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Evgeny Alexandrovich Primakov, Head of the RussianHouse in Delhi Oleg Valentinovich Osipov, Head of the RussianHouse in Mumbai Elena SergeevnaRemizova, Department of Museums and Foreign Relations of the Ministry of Culture of Russia, Department of Asia, Africaand Latin America of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and personally the director SergeySergeevich Nosov, TradeRepresentation of Russiain India and personally AlexanderLeonidovich Rybas.
Deepest reverence for the support and assistance in the presentation of the Program is paid to Anatoly Vasilievich Torkunov, MGIMO Rector,Andrei Anatolievich Baikov,Vice Rector, Maxim Alexandrovich Suchkov,MGIMO Institute for International StudiesDirector, Vyacheslav Valerievich Sutyrin, Directorof the Center for Scientific Diplomacy and AdvancedAcademic Initiatives, Denis Andreevich Kuznetsov, Associate Professor of the Department of World Politics, Alexander Khanarov, Head of Laboratory, Dmitry Kurbatov, MGIMO Master's student. In a solemn atmosphere, they will be awarded Certificates of Honor "For their invaluable assistance in presenting the results of the Indian phase of the BRICS Peoples Choose Life Program on April 13th,2023 at MGIMO University”.
Huge gratitude was expressed to the journalists who constantly cover the Program: TASS, journal “International Affairs”, TV BRICS media network, media journal “Revista Intertelas”, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, TV channel “Janhit Times”, Noida, India.
Report prepared by: Lyudmila Sekacheva, Dmitry Kurbatov
Photos and videos providedby: MGIMO, journal“International Affairs”, Program’soperator Dmitry Chiglintsev