Elian Boutros, Executive Director of the peace Center for Strategic Studies, participated in the Youth Festival Russia 2024, where the Sirius Federal District and the Russian city of Sochi hosted the World Youth Festival 2024 from the first to the seventh of March 2024, in the largest international event for the development of youth cooperation between various countries of the world. And bring them together in one platform; More than 20,000 citizens from Russia and various countries of the world participated in it with the aim of building a common future based on a just global order through the activities and events held by the festival, which exceeded 800 activities and with the participation of more than 1,500 speakers. It included arts, science, culture, sports, charity and other fields.
Expressions of Russian interest
- Strengthening coordination procedures: It can be noted here that interest from the Russian side appeared before the start of the festival in coordination with a number of governmental and non-governmental agencies such as the Ministries of Youth and Sports, Russian embassies and Russian cultural centers, which played a major role in selecting participants, coordinating all matters, and overcoming obstacles to Participants and their assistance. For example, the Egyptian and Russian organizing committee were pushing the participants to attend the sessions and how to benefit from attending this festival, supporting their experiences, and getting to know more young people of different nationalities to exchange cultures and knowledge together. A daily schedule and agenda was prepared for all activities, and uniform clothes were distributed to the participating youth to facilitate their coexistence. They were supported with telephone lines for ease of communication and free use of the Internet. Bank cards were also provided to facilitate all internal financial transactions for participants within the Russian state, along with some maps. Which allows young people to learn about the places of activities within the festival, as the festival was held in a very large city to accommodate 20,000 participants from Russia and other countries.
- Taking into account the difference: The Russian state did not skimp on the details of food and drink for the participants, as areas designated for halal food were provided to suit the participating groups with all their differences. What is interesting is the attention paid even to places of prayer. An area has been designated for prayer that respects all sects and religions, even as different places for prayers are designated for each religion and belief, which indicates the extent to which the state and those in charge of it respect other beliefs and is also an indication of tolerance and consolidating peace between the souls of different peoples gathered in one place. In addition, the artistic performances focused on emphasizing respect for different cultures and diverse civilizations through musical theatrical performances that highlight the obstacles that young people go through and are driven by love and peace. This opening was able to send a message to every young man and woman that what they go through during their youth is one thing. For different colors and nationalities, everyone goes through the same feelings and obstacles, and that togetherness, striving, enthusiasm, and work will qualify young people to set out several times, even if there are difficult periods and confusions that are normal for these ages, and increased thinking regarding determining the future and searching for a suitable job opportunity and a life partner who supports him in his journey and feels with him the concerns of life. .
- Technological progress: The festival’s activities confirmed the tremendous technological progress achieved by the Russian state. Modern technologies were used during the festival days, not just the first day. This is another message that encourages young people to develop and innovate. All young people who played a role in changing the world through technology were introduced, which creates an incentive within every young man and woman to confirm that they can change the world and keep pace with the tremendous development that occurs daily and every minute that passes in our world.
- Cultural diversity: Art was the language that most expressed the festival’s atmosphere. The dazzling and great artistic performances that were presented with great diversity were evidence that we can understand and speak through art and that there are many ways to express and communicate information in ways other than violence and extremism, and at a certain moment you feel as if you are in complete communication despite the difference in languages. You can get… The message is through an artistic presentation that uses all your senses to convey the information and purpose of the story presented, which is a clear use of soft powers to change reality and bring people together. Under this festival, all languages and nationalities were able to understand and come together, so that the smile, the welcome, and the style followed by the volunteers is in itself a message and energy of support for all young people to open up to the world, accept the culture of others, and get to know it closely and clearly. It is also evidence of good organization, coordination, and accuracy in the smallest matters.
- Fruitful diversity and Russian entitlement: Russia’s interest in hosting and organizing the festival is due to Russia’s own historical experience in achieving harmony between multicultural societies, and its ability and desire to demonstrate to the people gathered at the festival the ability to manage the diversity of peoples, cultures and traditions and to bridge the ability to communicate, exchange and mutual enrichment without imposing Uniform standards. Russia also has interesting values, ideas, experiences and competencies, and since these values are understandable and traditional for most of the world’s people, there is no doubt that they will be in demand when building a new world. Thanks to its historical experience and ideas about the principles of the future world order, Russia is able to become its guarantor and sponsor.
Vital topics and active activities
The festival witnessed a number of events and discussion sessions on a number of different topics, which can be summarized as follows:
- A multipolar world: Through a workshop entitled “The Future in a Multipolar World,” the workshop addressed
The impact of technology’s control on life and ideas, as well as the diversity of capabilities and the possession of technology by many powers, which in turn led to no single power controlling the world. Accordingly, the BRICS group is considered a rising power that will have global weight in the near future.
The workshop discussed in detail the BRICS grouping, as it is one of the strongest emerging economic groupings, as four countries – Brazil, Russia, India, and China – created a group they called “BRIC” (using the first letter of each country’s name), in 2006. Then South Africa joined the group in 2006. 2010, and the name became “BRICS”. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates joined the group in January 2042.
- Speech by Maraya Zakharova: Through the speech of the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman at the festival, she stressed that the festival is not only filled with an atmosphere of fun and celebration, “but also an atmosphere of discussions and dialogues on very serious topics.” She added, “The truth is that geopolitics is discussed in “Everywhere and in different ways. Some people discuss her as a future political scientist, expert or aspiring diplomat who came to our country. Others do not.”
The session also included a general discussion on the part of the participating youth and responses from speaker Maria Zakharova, and the meeting demonstrated the content message that Russia, through implementing and holding the World Youth Festival, will prove to the whole world that a different approach will dominate – call it what you will, multi-centered, multi-polar – but on the basis Mutual respect, equality, and the pursuit of a more just world.
- Climate changes: During a session entitled “The International Environmental Community – Creating the Future Together,” the festival witnessed a dialogue session organized by the Russian governmental Rosatom Foundation, in which areas of international cooperation in the field of the environment were discussed, and how to involve young people in environmental initiatives, to develop new sustainable projects. It is impossible to combat climate change and reduce the negative impact on the environment without two main factors: the first is developing technology, and the second is supporting a culture of cooperation, and developing projects to build nuclear power plants in different parts of the world will help provide a clean energy source to Russia’s partner countries.
Within the same context, the session focused on the concept of green diplomacy, which has become one of the main tools for developing international relations, and that the task of preserving biodiversity and terrestrial and marine ecosystems concerns everyone, and that the implementation of these plans depends on the young generation, to whom the future of all of us is linked.
The session raised one of the most important topics on the international scene, which touches on contemporary challenges that threaten the international community and the survival of humanity. As issues of climate change and the environmental future have become an obstacle to the development of humanity and achieving sustainable development, the festival also sought, through the session and its participants, to come up with future solutions to protect the environment and exploit its resources optimally while preserving the quality of life and the importance of youth participation in environmental initiatives and sustainable development projects, and the need to consolidate the foundations of environmental awareness in the minds of the youth and young people.
- The justice of the Russian vision: The conference sessions dealt with the West’s intimidation and distortion of the festival, but the presence of young people here indicates that they want to be friends, they want peace, they want this communication, building mutually beneficial relationships and achieving a good future for our planet, not a dead end which the West is taking us to. The session also witnessed a general discussion on the part of the participating youth with Ms. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, and the meeting confirmed the message of its content that Russia, through implementing and holding the World Youth Festival, will prove to the whole world that a different approach will prevail on the basis of mutual respect, equality, and the pursuit of a more peaceful world.
- Youth are the foundation of renaissance: In his speech at the closing ceremony of the festival, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for peace, stability, development and prosperity achieved through the efforts of youth around the world, stressing that Russia aspires to create the appropriate conditions for freedom, creativity and friendship for all. Especially since there are no equal conditions in the world for everyone, and this is the main injustice of the global system today, which was emphasized in his speech when he said, “Young people are the ones who will determine the future, and they are the ones who respect personal freedom and the right to express an opinion, and at the same time it is easier for them to They understand each other, because what is important to them is what unites people and does not divide them, and Russia is committed to these same principles as well, which is recognition of the identity and national interests of different countries.”
- Federal Educational Marathon: The conference addressed, through one of its dialogue sessions, the issue of restricting Russia’s growth and development through the constant state of war it is waging with its enemies who stand against these attempts at progress and development, as Russia relies as its first weapon in the war is youth capable of facing the challenges and dangers it is witnessing. The country has knowledge and science and has sufficient health and education to advance its country and achieve its development. The state also works alongside friendly countries to spread education and culture and exchange dialogue and experiences between Russian youth and the youth of the world.
The Russian principle was also presented and discussed, considering that education does not stop at the role of the school, university, and educational institutions, but rather begins with the family and passes through various stages, and awareness is formed from the surrounding environment and loyalty to society and the mother country, and Russia seeks to advance education and support and develop educational institutions.
- Russia in a new global environment: A discussion session conducted by its moderator, Mr. Sergey Manilow, Mr. Kartina Arpova, and Mr. Vladimir Kuznetov, during which they discussed the Russian power’s confrontation with difficulties, and how children learned in schools that the easy path is not the correct solution, but rather when we want it. To succeed and advance, we must choose the more difficult path, which is what Russia is accustomed to.
The session also pointed to glimpses of Russian history and the journey of ascension that deserve attention and research and arouse the passion to know more about Russian history and its path, how the country’s economy and educational system succeeded, and how a huge number of brilliant scholars graduated from it. In the same context, the Russian success in preserving this was discussed. Succeed and continue at a good level to benefit from all resources.
In conclusion: Russia was able to achieve the ultimate goal of the festival, which is to create a platform for building ties between young people and activists from all over the world, who will build together the common future on the basis of a just world order based on cooperation and finding a balance of interests and not on the concept of hegemony. In this sense, the festival itself is a meeting place for young people from all over the world. The conference also contributed to supporting the culture of dialogue and exchange of opinions, introducing Russian and foreign youth to the tremendous opportunities provided by Russia, demonstrating its openness to the world, and helping to dispel Western myths and stories that distort Russian society.
Using the festival to promote tourism within Russia, introducing Russian commercial and industrial institutions, organizing events and conferences throughout the days of the conference from March 1 to 7 inside the festival halls, souvenirs were presented to the participants, and social media celebrities around the world were sought for positive propaganda about Russia.
The organizational atmosphere confirmed that the World Youth Festival in its Russian version carries an important and strong message from the country of the tsars, that Moscow is capable of planning, managing and organizing major international events, through which its voice and views can be conveyed to the international community, despite all the blockade imposed on it by Europe, America, and a number of their allies around the world. I quote the words of President Vladimir Putin, and I conclude this report for you and humanity with peace
