On February 12-13, 2024, in Brussels, at the "Youth For Human Rights" office, a series of events took place on the occasion of the International Day of Human Fraternity and the World Week of Interfaith Harmony - "Unity for Peace", organized by the NGO "Union of UN Peacekeepers". Kharkiv and the Bureau of International Youth Programs, Brussels, in partnership with "Youth For Human Rights", NPO "United for Human Rights", "Peacefully Connected" and the Kharkiv-Oxford Association, under the patronage of Laurent Attar-Bayrou, the President of the International Association of UN Peacekeepers "Soldiers of Peace" AISP/ SPIA, and Albert Tybor, vice - president for Western Europe AISP/ SPIA, with the assistance of the Department of Education and the Department of International Cooperation of the Kharkiv City Council and the support of the leadership of the H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University. The participants of the forum were veteran peacekeepers from Belgium, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Portugal, India, representatives of official and creative circles, the public, the press, students and teachers. The purpose of the events is to get acquainted with the work experience of Kharkiv veterans - UN peacekeepers with children and youth, and to present the activities of the Bureau of International Youth Programs, to draw the attention of the world community to the problem of educating and supporting the creative potential of the young generation, using the example of the children of Ukraine, who felt the terrible consequences of the war, but not losing their love of life and striving for their peaceful future.
On February 12, 2024, in the office of the "Youth For Human Rights" organization, an introduction to the educational, peace-making projects, which have become international and are being implemented by the NGO "Union of UN Peacekeepers" in cooperation with educators - "School of Peace", "Young Peacemaker", " A travel for peace", "The world in which I want to live in!". There was also a discussion of promising projects - "Peacemaking Library", "Youth Peacekeeping Camp", the Young Peacemaker course "Fundamentals of Peacekeeping Activities", partner course "Youth for Human Rights".
As part of the presentation of the projects, "The world in which I want to live!" - an exhibition of children's drawings was opened (a project of the NGO "Union of UN Peacekeepers", Kharkiv in partnership with CSC "Les Hirondelles" of Charleroi, H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University etc. under the patronage of the International Association of UN Peacekeepers "Soldiers of Peace" AISP/SPIA), which is a component of the "Youth Peacekeeping Camp" project.
On February 13, 2024, with the assistance of the Department of International Cooperation and the Department of Education of the Kharkiv City Council, a panel discussion (online) was held, moderated by Olexiy Zenyakin, President of the Kharkiv-Oxford Association,
The participants were offered the following topics and directions for discussion:
1. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a system of views, a projection of peace.
2. History and evolution of human rights.
3. The role of public veteran structures in educational activities. Exchange of experience.
4. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a component of the "Fundamentals of Peacekeeping" course for children and youth.
The dialogue was attended by representatives of general secondary education institutions in Kharkiv, teachers, teachers of higher education institutions in the security and defense sector, management, members and trainees of the International Association of UN Peacekeepers "Soldiers of Peace" AISP/SPIA, NGO "Union of UN Peacekeepers", Kharkiv, Ukraine.
The working languages of the discussion were English and French.
The organizers thank everyone who took part in the events and supported those, who continue to actively act, because Peace on Earth does not come by itself. We must work to create conditions for peace and security in our world. To achieve this, it is necessary to develop the economic and social direction, fight corruption and crime, respect human rights and international law. After all, peace on Earth depends on each of us. We can do more to create a peaceful and secure world for future generations. On behalf of the participants of the forum, an appeal is being prepared, which will be sent to the UN, the European Commission, the European Parliament, etc., in which it will be emphasized the need to pay attention to the situation of children in the war zone, first of all for us it is Ukraine, but we remember that children all over the world must have the right to PEACE! This is a question about the possibility of conducting children's peace camps, and of course, this is the main thing - to work on the establishment of PEACE!