On September 1, at the initiative of the Eurasian Youth Assembly (EYA), a roundtable meeting “Contribution of the Peoples of Eurasia to the Great Victory” was held. It was dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic war.
The event was organized under the auspices of the Crimean Eurasian School of Partnership as part of the International Historical and Patriotic program a “Week of Memory”, which united the peoples of Eurasia in Sevastopol.
The roundtable meeting, organized in the format of a videoconference, became a platform for communication between young people from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. Among the participants of the meeting: representatives of youth public organizations, students of secondary and higher educational institutions, representatives of volunteer movements, scientists and cultural figures, media representatives.
In the online meeting, participants talked about the need to preserve the memory of the events of the Second World War and Great Patriotic War, the importance of attracting young generation of the Eurasian countries to the history and culture of the peoples of the continent in the context of the Great Patriotic War, the development of volunteer projects and movements, strengthening of mutual understanding and peaceful relations among nations and peoples of the Eurasia.
Kira Kovnat, Head of the Department for international cooperation of the General Secretariat of the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly (EPA), addressed the participants with a welcoming speech:
“Now the Eurasian People’ Assembly participates in the XVI Sevastopol International Festival of Documentaries and TV programs VICTORIOUS TOGETHER. First of all, the event helps to preserve the memory of the peoples of Eurasia about the Victory in the Great Patriotic war. Tragic pages of our common history, military events that affected almost every family in the Eurasian space help us remember that the States and peoples of the continent must unite in the face of danger.”
Kira Kovnat also drew the participants’ attention to the fact that today it is extremely important to resist attempts to falsify history and distort facts in the media:
“I very much hope that the younger generation will be able to keep in their memory and pass on to the next generations without distortion the significant events of the last century. Together, we can build our prosperous future and peaceful relations between peoples.”
According to the speaker, EPA actively builds programs aimed at supporting young people, including training in public diplomacy and partnership with many Eurasian universities. At the same time, the Assembly focuses on social projects, including the development and implementation of inclusive programs. Thus, on August 28, 2020, the Assembly project “Teaching journalism to young people and children from 12 years of age with disabilities due to eye disease and its appendage “Journalism Lessons for the Blind” was recognized as the winner in a special competition for a Grant from the President of the Russian Federation for the development of civil society.
Christina Tatarnikova, co-Chair of the EYA Coordination Council, addressed the participants of the roundtable meeting “Contribution of the Peoples of Eurasia to the Great Victory” on behalf of the Eurasian Youth Assembly (EYA) :
“Dear friends, first of all, on this wonderful autumn day, September 1, I want to congratulate you on the Day of Knowledge! The holiday was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 15, 1984 “On declaring September 1 a national holiday – the Day of Knowledge”. It is knowledge, the desire for education, the preservation of historical heritage and cultural traditions that become the fundamental driving force for the unity of the peoples of the Eurasian space.”
As Kristina Tatarnikova noted, the youth of the continent honours and carefully preserves the memory of national heroes, the common historical and cultural heritage:
“The memory of the exploits of soldiers of the Great Patriotic War will always remain in our hearts. It is extremely important to preserve the memory of the heroes of Eurasia through the years, through the centuries. Representatives of the younger generation are ready to play a significant role in preserving historical memory.”