Keeping Aloof from Goodwill Forces (Rus)
Why Russia ceased participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations

01/06/2016

By Sergei Lavrov, President of Russian Association of Veterans in UN Peacekeeping Missions

The international community has ever more often been encountering problems having a negative influence on peace and security in the world. Dealing with antagonisms by force has been increasingly preferred in certain countries and regions of the world, which leads to internal or international conflicts or even serious local wars. This is the reason why such international institutes as the United Nations Organisation, which 70th anniversary the progressive mankind will mark on 24 October this year, have become increasingly important in international politics.
The UN’s 70th anniversary will be marked in this country as well, especially by Russian peacekeepers. The UN peacekeeping forces were awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1988. Our peacekeepers had contributed to that too.

Excursion into historical domain

The first UN peacekeeping mission, the UN Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO), was deployed on 29 May 1948.
Russia lagged behind the international community in peacekeeping in terms of both theory and practice considerably. Only 25 years later, in 1973, the first group of Soviet military officers was detached to the Middle East under a UN resolution for service with UNTSO as UN military observers (MILOBs). Their task was to monitor the ceasefire in the Suez Canal area and at the Golan Heights after the fighting had ended.
This is how the Soviet Union and then the Russian Federation started participating in UN peacekeeping efforts. Peacekeeping operations are divided into peacekeeping operations proper, conducted under Chapter 6 of the UN Charter, and peace enforcement operations conducted under Chapter 7 of the afore-said Charter.
Since 1991, Russia has been more active in peacekeeping. In April 1991, a little more than a month after the end of the Gulf War, a group of UN military observers from Russia was sent to the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border and another group to Western Sahara in September the same year. Russian military observers went to Yugoslavia, Cambodia and Mozambique starting from early 1992 and to Ruanda in January 1994. Russia’s UN military observers deployed to Georgia in October 1994, Angola in February 1995, Guatemala in March 1997, Sierra Leone in May 1998, East Timor in July 1999 and the Democratic Republic of Congo in November 1999. In all, our military officers have taken part in 30 UN peacekeeping missions as military observers, also known as ‘blue berets’.
The ‘blue berets’ are officers holding the rank of captain or major. They deploy to a UN mission on a green diplomatic passport (now, they are issued mostly ordinary service passports) and get the so-called white cards identifying them as UN officers.
The ‘blue berets’ are, essentially, military diplomats. They carry no weapons and are protected by their diplomatic immunity and the UN flag.
The working language of military observers is English. The proficiency in other languages, especially the one(s) used in the host country, is welcome. Prior to going on a UN mission, military observers have to pass a stringent selection and complete the military observer course. About 2,000 Soviet and Russian officers have served as UN military observers since 1973. Recently, they have been officially called military experts in peacekeeping missions.
Our officers have proven themselves in all UN missions so well that they remain in demand even after having retired from military service. Our Interregional Non-profit Organisation of UN Peacekeeping Mission Veterans, in cooperation with the Russian Foreign Ministry and OSCE Secretariat, sends its members for selection as observer of the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine. Seven candidates have passed the selection and been appointed SMM observer. We continue to work with ‘blue beret’ veterans.

‘Blue helmets’

The ‘blue berets’ are mistaken for the ‘blue helmets’ sometimes. The latter are the military contingent of a UN peacekeeping force. As is known, the UN has no standing peacekeeping forces – they are formed on the basis of military contingents provided to the UN by 122 countries.
A new stage of Russia’s peacekeeping activities began in April 1992, when Russia started participating in UN peacekeeping operations by providing its ‘blue helmets’. I would like to emphasise that, since the article is dedicated to the UN peacekeeping operations, I would not dwell on other peacekeeping operations, in which the Russian ‘blue helmets’ have taken part. I would only mention that our peacekeepers operated in Abkhazia and Tajikistan under a CIS mandate and in Moldova and South Ossetia under bilateral agreements. As for the UN peacekeeping operations, the situation was as follows. After the domestic formalities had been completed, a 900-man-strong Russian infantry battalion was deployed to former Yugoslavia under UN Security Council Resolution 743 and, on 8 January 1994, reinforced with personnel, BTR-80 armoured personnel carriers, antitank weapons and other materiel. Later, our ‘blue helmets’ operated as part of the UN mission in former Yugoslavia in 1999, where our paratroopers served along with their NATO counterparts.
All of us remember and are proud of the dash of our peacekeepers to Pristina. I dare say it was Russia’s dash to join the peacekeepers club as an equal member, demonstrate its national interests and potential capabilities and increase its influence as a member of the international community. Alas, the scale of the participation of our ‘blue helmets’ in UN peacekeeping operations started diminishing sharply and has petered out altogether instead of growing and succeeding. This has happened even though the number of UN peacekeeping operations has been on the rise. For instance, only 13 peacekeeping operations had been conducted over the first 40 years since the UN’s inception, while 58 new operations have been launched since 1988. The number of military personnel in the UN missions has grown too. While early UN missions involved from several dozen to several hundred troops, the overall strength of the military contingents in 16 current missions has totalled 106,245 in 2015. Having stopped providing military contingents for UN peacekeeping missions, Russia remained on the sidelines.
The number of UN military observers has grown steadily too – from 50 in 1948 to 1,811 in 2015. It is a great pity that against this backdrop, there have fewer Russian military observers in UN missions with every passing year. We used to be one of the three major ‘blue beret’ contributors, while now we rank only eighth. That the number of Russian peacekeepers tends to diminish is illustrated by the following figures. While there were 1,341 Russian troops and 113 military observers in UN missions in late 1995, there are only 64 MILOBs, including four air ops personnel,  and 15 UN police (UNPOL) officers, including three females, in 2015. Russian officers make up a mere 3.53% of the UN military observers. The most numerous MILOBs are Ethiopians – 113, or 6.23%.

Ever more limited contingents

Deplorable conclusions can be drawn from the above. As of 31 August 2015, Russia ranked 75th in terms of the military personnel contributed in terms of contingents, MILOBs and UNPOL officers. It is worth mentioning for the sake of comparison that the top military personnel provider is Bangladesh that has provided a total of 9,432 troops for the UN peacekeeping operations, while the United States sent 82, the United Kingdom – 289, France – 909, China – 3,079 and Ukraine – 546.
The limited scale of Russia’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions has hampered both the opportunities for Russian troops to get a first-hand peacekeeping experience and Russia’s ability to influence crises in various corners of the world, uphold its stance on current international problems proactively and shape the future of the world. However, Russia has not been as interested in the evolution of peacekeeping as it should be. Another proof is that 43 countries signed the Peacekeeping Declaration during the Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping at the United Nations headquarters on 28 September this year, but Russia was not among the signatories. Interestingly, right after the summit meeting, the US president issued a memorandum on peacekeeping, tasking the departments of defence and state and the US ambassador to the UN.
Russia’s participation in peacekeeping operations is diminishing despite the Russian Federation Foreign Policy Concept published in February 2013. The concept states that “considering international peacekeeping to be an effective tool of settling armed conflicts and pursuing nation building at the post-crisis stage, the Russian Federation is intent on participating in international peacekeeping activities under the aegis of the United Nations and within the framework of cooperation with regional and international organisations and will actively contribute to the refining of the preventive anticrisis capabilities of the United Nations” (Para 32). More or less the same is said about peacekeeping in the Russian Federation Military Doctrine.

Discord among ministries

Naturally, several words quoted above are not enough to make Russia more active in peacekeeping. As far back as 2001, the Independent Military Review weekly published our article Doctrine and Venture at Random, in which we urged the introduction of a national peacekeeping concept and a special body under the aegis of the Russian president to supervise, control and guide the activities of all governmental and public organisations engaged in peacekeeping.
Here is a minor example of what kind of problems a body like that could tackle. Russia is compensated by the UN for the peacekeepers it contributes, i.e. the UN pays Russia money that remains at the Russian government’s disposal, rather than be given to the Defence Ministry. Therefore, the military is not interested in training and dispatching its peacekeepers at its own expense and has been unable to have the compensation issue resolved for many years. Relevant governmental agencies have voiced their approval of our idea, but nothing has been done over 14 years. Hopefully, the Foreign and Defense ministries will get down to business, and there is a very good cause for that now.
The matter is that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon published his report ‘The Future of UN Peace Operations: Implementation of the Recommendations of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations’ in September this year.  In his report, the Secretary-General called for activating a standing UN Rapid Reaction Force for quick resolution of problems. It usually takes the UN about six months to deploy a mission. If the UN has a special force of its own, this will much improve the status quo in UN peacekeeping. In this connection, there is a chance for Russia to come to the cutting edge of present-day peacekeeping. Russia has the 15th Peacekeeping Brigade and could put forward an initiative to form the future UN Rapid Reaction Force on the brigade’s basis or suggest the 15th Brigade and airborne elements trained under the peacekeeping training program be used as part of the future UN Rapid Reaction Force. The same applies to the peacekeeping force of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

In brief about police

A few words are due about our police peacekeepers. Police officers have participated in peacekeeping operations since 1989, and virtually all peacekeeping operations had involved UN civilian police, which is now known as UNPOL or international police forces, by the mid-1990s. The international police officers under the aegis of the United Nations had exceeded 7,000 by the early 21st century and have totalled 13,550 in 2015. They play a significant independent part in peacekeeping operations and do not report to the military component, because they are usually deployed to rebuild peaceful life after the hostilities are over and the military conflict is resolved.
The international police contingent performs the following functions: local police supervision and control, tutorship, advising, training and law enforcement.
The Russian Ministry of the Interior has been an active participant in UN peacekeeping activities since April 1992. Russian police officers and Internal Force servicemen are seconded to peacekeeping operations under the order of the Russian president.
Officers of the Russian Ministry of the Interior have served in UN, OSCE and EU missions in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, East Timor, Kosovo, Macedonia and Haiti since 1992. As was mentioned above, 15 Russian police officers, including three female ones, are in UN missions now. I wish there were more of them – police officers in general and females in particular, given that there are 13,550 police officers in UN missions now. 

Photo: A medal parade, at which UN military observers are being awarded the UN medal ‘In the Service of Peace’. Damascus, UNTSO, 1980. A photo from the author’s archives.

The “Globus” Сlub of the Secondary School # 2 in Kostomuksha (Rus)
It consists of 10 groups of students, including peacemakers, volunteers, scouts, cadets and others

01/07/2016

The “Globus” club is the thing that makes our secondary school different from the others. This year the club has celebrated its 30th birthday by organizing the International Forum.

Our students take part in various social activities, some of them we organize ourselves. On the Day of Peace, we arranged chalk drawings competition on the asphalt. On Tolerance Day, we organized the flash mob «Dance for friendship of nations!».

On New Year’s Eve, we made an exhibition of handmade Christmas trees for our junior classes. The aim of it was to save the fir – trees of Karelia from being cut down. For the other pupils there was a school dance marathon, where my class took the third place.

This year we have devoted many of our deeds to the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. We collected materials about our relatives who participated in that war. Thus we made the second volume of the book “Family Memory”, which was started by the students of our school in 2010.

Written by Valeria Vladimirovna Kondratiuk,
Class 8a, young peacemaker since 2012
kondra111@mail.ru 89216299697

There are peacemakers-volunteers in our “Globus” school club, who do kind deeds not thinking of a praise or a reward. We have just come back from the Republican forum of Karelian volunteers. It took place in the capital of Karelia Petrozavodsk. There we told the others about the brightest events in the life of our school volunteers.

For several years, we visit the “Korablik” kindergarten. There we play games with the children, draw; oraganize competitions, parties, performances. On December 25, we prepared a New Year party for them. Then we twice repeated it for the peacemakers of our primary school.

To be a volunteer is very honourable, volunteers never think of rewards, they do kind things because they want to help the others.

Written by Alina Nailyevna Aliyeva and Anastasia Pavlovna Pekkoeva,
Class 8a, young peacemakers and volunteers
А. Alieva: 89114023996
А. Pekkoeva: 89114200882

Our City Stands on the 41st km of the Leningrad Highway (Rus)
A voluntary action "Decade of Good Works" (1-10 Dec. 2015) in the lyceum # 1557 of Zelenograd

01/08/2016

Our city is located on the 41st km of the Leningrad highway. In 1941 there were the villages Matushkino, Savelki and the railway station Kryukovo here. Here was also the line of Moscow defense. At that time Fascists rushed to the capital of our country. Soviet troops heroically defended their homeland. From this place on the 6th of December 1941 began a counter-offensive of the Soviet troops.

We spoke about those days at the classroom extra-curricular activities, at the "Lessons of Courage", which took place in all classes of our Lyceum during "Decade of Good Works". "Since the heroes period of old times till the present day", under this title was held a lesson of Courage by History teachers Levkina Y.A. and Ryakhovskaya G.S., together with the head of the school museum Kvazem K.R.

Our young peacemakers - cadets of the 7 th class - took part in the inter-district game "Sheet lightning" won the game and received a challenge cup. Before the game, a lot of guys trained, went to the training camp in Moscow under the guidance of their tutor Nesevrya V.I.
"Train hard - fight easy" these legendary words we took as our motto. We are the young rescuers. And to help others we need to know a lot and to be able to do ourselves. We try to learn it.

And on the 10 th of December in Culture centre "Zelenograd" there was held X Anniversary Festival of the military-patriotic associations "Boundary". We congratulated veterans of the Great Patriotic War on the holiday and thanked them for their feat and wished them good health.

Photo: December 10, meeting with veterans of the Great Patriotic War.

Written by Yulia Levkina,
teacher of History of the lyceum # 1557, Coordinator of the "Peace Schools' Network" in Zelenograd

Memorial Rally “We Remember Names of Our Heros” (Rus)
It was dedicated to the Heroes of the Fatherland and took place nearby the common grave on Klenki tract

01/09/2016

The years of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) were the years of severe sufferings for the entire multinational Soviet people and for every family of the country. In mass graves there were buried heroes-liberators: Belarusians, Russians, Ukrainians, Jews, Ossetians, Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Kirghiz... In those difficult years they were in one trench defending the country and made their best for the sake of the Great Victory over the hated enemy.

70 years after the war their grandchildren do not lose hope to find the missing soldiers and try to find out places of their burial.

Among those who died for the liberation of the city of Gomel there was listed Sergeant Zukurov Khasanbek Ibrahimovic - a native of North Ossetia. Sergeant Zukurov was buried in a mass grave on Klenki tract, located 15 kilometers from Gomel. Young peacemakers of Gomel and South Ossetia have made great efforts to find the place of his burial and to search for his relatives to be informed of it.
 
December the 1st nearby the mass grave there was held a memorial rally dedicated to the Heroes, who died for the liberation of our city. Special senses overwhelmed children (members of Young Gids Club of the Center, students of the secondary schools # 27 and #1, lyceum students), who participated in the search for relatives of Sergeant Zukurov. The speakers at the rally were Timothy I. Glushakov (chairman of the regional branch of the Belarusian Peace Foundation), Ivan T. Horhulev (a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, the participant of the Battle of Moscow), Nikolai V. Prutik (head of the regional Lyceum of the Ministry of Emergency Situations). They thanked young peacemakers of Gomel and North Ossetia for a successful search, they stressed the importance and the need to preserve the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War, wished them success in further searches.  
 
Photo: Participants of the meeting at the mass grave

Written by Dmitriy Priskoka,
member of the Club of young tour guides, student of "Peace school" in the city of Gomel, Republic of Belarus

Decade of Good Deeds in the City of Arzamas (Rus)
It was organized by young peacemakers and students of Gymnasium

12/01/2016

Written by Alexandra Saburtseva, 10 form

For 22 years our Gymnasium has been “School of the Year” (since 1994), the winner of the project "Education" in 2006-2008, “School of Peace” in 2009-2015. Our Gymnasium was listed in the National Register "Leading Educational Institutions of Russia" (# 10541 on 04.05.2011). Two museums (Museum of Military Glory and Ethnographic Museum) actively work here. Our Gymnasium has its own newspaper called "Gymnasist", its own television and Children's and Youth Association of Young Peacemakers.

Every year Gymnasium takes part in the voluntary action “Decade of Good Deeds” initiated by Museum of Peacekeeping Operations and this year was not exception.

On December 1 we marked World AIDS Day with the action of solidarity "Red Ribbon", pupils could watch "Forewarned - forearmed" on school TV working on all the screens during the breaks, the volunteers have issued a colorful stand with useful information for students about HIV prevention and handed out flyers "Secrets of Health"

On December 2 there was an action "Hand in Hand". We have collected and sent stationery and gifts to orphanage for disabled children.

On December 3 all Gymnasium students and their parents became active participants of the environmental campaign "Do not touch softwood silence." All together we have collected more than 5 tons of waste paper and thus saved 53 trees from cutting out.
Nature must be loved and protected. It’s our home. We should save it for the future generations. We think that young peacemaker should not be an indifferent man! So we invite everyone to join to this action, especially on the New Year’s Eve, when thousands of fir trees are cut down to decorate our houses.

On the International Day of Disabled Persons, we managed to make some boys and girls from "The social shelter for children and teenagers in Arzamas" happy, they are in a difficult situation and temporarily deprived of parental care. "Children - to Children" - so we called the event that was held by bright and talented children for these children.

Young peacemakers prepared poems about friendship and an excellent "Winter Tale" with funny characters. Our actors presented stationery as a present  to children collected by all our schoolchildren within the action "Hand in Hand". The result was a very sincere celebration of friendship. We hope that our visit will remain in the hearts of the children of the orphanage, because we want their eyes to shine with joy and happiness!

On December 3, The Day of the Unknown Soldier we had a lesson of courage, dedicated to the heroes of our fatherland – our great-grandfathers and grandfathers. The participants of the event have prepared the stories of their heroic ancestors. This event has caused great interest among the pupils of Gymnasium.

On December 21 during a final of a city contest “Leader of the 21st Century” another charity event has started. The essence of this campaign is to collect resources (food, old clothes, and so on) required for the animals in the city shelter for dogs. We believe that it is a very necessary action because the animals in the shelter are abandoned by owners, you become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.

Photo: Happy members of action "Hand in Hand" at the Social shelter for children and teenagers

Peaceful Action "Meeting with Legend" (Rus)
There is always a place for heroism in our life...

15/01/2016

Written by Victor Belyaev, Head of the Department of Civil and Patriotic education CAEC "Creation", Coordinator of the Interdisciplinary programme "Network of Schools of Peace" in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania
Translated by Valentine Zidkov, 8th form, Secondary school # 11, Vladikavkaz

The Day of Heroes of Motherland is celebrated on the 9th of December in Russia. People remembered the heroes of former times and the modern heroes in every school. But the names of four heroes of the Motherland were spoken everywhere:

• Ostapenko Petr Maksimovich – the Hero of the Soviet Union, honored test pilot of the USSR, laureate of the State prize of the USSR.
• Bunimovich Yuri Emmanuilovich – the Hero of the Soviet Union, naval aviator, who sank 9 ships of the enemy;
• Yulyev Alexander Nikolaevich – the Hero of the Soviet Union, pilot of attack aircraft, who conducted 140 sorties;
• Kuchiev Yuriy Sergeevich - the Hero of the Socialist labor, captain of the atomic icebreaker "Arctic".

To learn more about legendary heroes who studied in the secondary schools # 2 and # 1 of Vladikavkaz Railway Station in pre-war time, young peacemakers from "Schools of Peace" and other educational establishments have conducted a peaceful action "Meeting with the legend" within the framework of the "Decade of Good Deeds".

The meeting was held on December 9th 2015 in the building of former school # 23 (from 1960 to 2004). Since 2004 it has become the location of the Vladikavkaz Art College.

In the Assembly hall there was a huge number of people. All participants of the action wanted to get in touch with the life story of legendary figures, military pilots and captain of the famous submarine, which are an integral part of the history of a unique educational institution.

The presentations about the Heroes were made by:
- School # 33 – about Y.E. Bunimovich,
- School # 11 – about P. M. Ostapenko,
- The Vladikavkaz Lyceum – about A.N.Yulyev,
- School # 27 – about U.S. Kuchiev.

Presented at the meeting Chairman of the national-cultural society "Shalom" Mark B. Petrushansky added some facts from his personal experience about life of Bunimovich Y. E. and events of military years.

The Chairman of public organization "Descendants of Winners" - Geriev Petr Mikhailovich told us a lot about life of Ostapenko P.M. and Yulyev A.N.

An interesting presentation about the life of the 1938 graduate of the secondary school # 27 - U.S. Kuchiev was provided by the pupils of this school. A graduate of the school # 23, 2003, Litvinova I. N. prepared informative materials about the meeting of Yuri Kuchiev with young peacemakers of the school # 23 on the 25th of December 2002. Participants of the meeting were presented the wishes of the legendary captain of the atomic icebreaker "Arctic" Yuri Kuchiev from "World Magazine" and were shown the photos, illustrating the moment of joining Yuri Sergeevich the Movement of Young Peacemakers of the CIS. Yuri Kuchiev became the oldest young peacemaker in RNO–Alania. On that December day, he was 83 years old.

The meeting was attended by honored guests: veterans of the Great Patriotic war, leaders of public organizations, graduates of school # 23, the young peacemakers from the schools ## 7, 11, 16, 27, 31, 33, 37, Vladikavkaz Lyceum, the Vladikavkaz Art College, pupils of the Center of Military-Patriotic education.

The speakers, who addressed the participants of the meeting with regards were:
• Dnieper Tatiana R. - Chairman of the Council of Soldier's Mothers of a city of Vladikavkaz;
• Sargoshi Mikhail Eduardovich - Deputy Chairman of the North Ossetian Republican branch of all-Russia public organization of veterans "Fighting Brotherhood";
• Zoloyev Igor Kimovich - Chairman of "Union of Paratroopers" in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania

Representatives of the "Union of Paratroopers " in the North Ossetia–Alania led by Zoloev I. K. handed over the young peacekeepers flag and the coin of 2000 year edition with the inscription "Year of Peace".

And all the Heroes were honored by minute of silence.

Then 55 students from the secondary school # 11 entered the ranks of young peacemakers. They gave an oath of a peacemaker putting their hands on their hearts and saying the motto of young peacemakers of the Republic of Northern Ossetia: "Peace for soul! Peace in the country! Peace on Earth!"

At the end of the action "Meeting with Legend" in the yard of the school the fire of "Memory and Hope" was made, in honor of the fallen soldiers in all wars and conflicts of the XX-XI centuries and for the health of people living on Earth and giving the joy of communication.

Speakers noted the importance of this action for the struggle for peace, happiness, harmony and understanding. The meeting has supported the petition of the Council of the Movement of young peacemakers of the CIS in the Republic of Northern Ossetia before the higher organizations to immortalize the memory of the student of the Railway school # 2 of Vladikavkaz Railway station – Kuchiev Yuri Sergeyevich, who studied in this school from 1928 to 1937, in the form of a memorial board, which will be constructed and installed on the building of educational institutions by the 17th of August of 2016. It will be the 39th anniversary of the conquest of the North Pole (geographic) by nuclear icebreaker "Arktika", the captain of which was Yuri Kuchiev.

This Year Started with Kindness! (Rus)
I was a big and handsome rabbit and all children jumped for joy when they saw me

18/01/2016

Our winter holidays are over and you can ask a question: "How did you celebrate the New Year?"
Young boys and girls of the Scout clubs “Kosmos”and “Forum”answered this way: ”All holidays we have been busy. We have made different shows, plays and competitions “ - said a young volunteer.

“As for me I did not have time to relax. I was a big and handsome rabbit and all children jumped for joy when they saw me” - told us Nikita Trofimov.
“Our Winter Holidays were full of amazing and interesting events one of them was singing and dancing in a ring around Christmas tree. There was an atmosphere of joy and holiday especially when the girls started to sing. There was a lot of snow and our volunteers and young citizens were cold . They were suddenly saved by Father Frost who brought hot tea and bread rolls. He was mr. Arutunyan, the owner of the bakery in Volgograd. He understood that we were cold and brought us some tea.

Also our Scout club made different competitions that day. Everyone took part in gym and shooting competitions. Winners got prizes, medals and gifts.

Nobody was sad because big dolls of a monkey, a rabbit, a fox did not let them do it. Everybody was happy” - told us Violetta Potilisina.

We must mention people who always help children be happy. These are Olga Suvorova, Elena Medvedeva, Elena Sevidova, Elena Semenova, Vera Baranova, Vladimir Tsybanev, SvetlanaDemyanova, Taisiya Arnemova.

Translated by Dmitry Buneev, teacher of the Secondary school #112, Volgograd

Blue Beret as a Symbol of UN Peacekeeping Forces (Rus)
To the 60th anniversary of adoption of blue beret and helmet as an insignia of UN peacekeepers

20/01/2016

By Anatoly Soloviev, Vice-president of Russian Association of Veterans in UN Peacekeeping Missions

The UN peacekeepers got their blue beret and helmet in Egypt in 1956 during the deployment of the first United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF).
As is known, the first UNEF was to be made up of peacekeeping contingents from Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, India, Norway, Sweden and several other nations. For them to accomplish their mission, a symbol had to be invented urgently to set them apart from the Anglo-French-Israeli forces that had invaded Egypt. The thing is that the uniforms of both parties looked very much alike. Since June 1948, when the first UN peacekeeping operation in the Middle East (UN Truce Supervision Organization, UNTSO) began, UN peacekeepers acting as intermediaries could be identified only by their United Nations brassards and shoulder patches bearing the UN emblem, which were hard to see in the desert.

At that crucial moment, UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweden) came up with a solution. He suggested that the UN peacekeepers be issued blue berets and helmets that were easy to spot from afar. Two white English letters, UN, were painted on the helmets, while the blue berets and caps wore the metal or embroidered UN emblem.

In addition, the military observers and the officers with the peacekeeping contingents started using blue cravats as a distinctive emblem as well.
As is known, the first UN Emergency Force accomplished its mission assigned by the international community. The Suez crisis was resolved, for which a high price was paid – 107 of 6,073 peacekeepers were killed in the line of duty.

From then on, the blue beret and helmet bearing the UN emblem have become both the distinctive signs of peacekeepers and the symbols of peacekeeping. They started appearing on the covers of books dedicated to peacekeeping activities and on souvenirs. The UN peacekeepers themselves were dubbed ‘blue helmets’ and ‘blue berets’.

The presentation with the blue beret in a ceremony in UN peacekeeping missions has become a rite of the initiation of whole groups and contingents from various countries as professional peacekeepers.

The first Soviet peacekeepers – UN military observers – received their UN blue berets in November 1973 in the UN Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine. Since then, Soviet and Russian peacekeepers have taken part in 30 UN peacekeeping operations.

The international community has appreciated the contribution of UN peacekeepers to international peace and security. The UN peacekeeping forces made up of representatives of virtually all UN member states were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988 for the courage and selflessness displayed on peacekeeping operations.

The number of the troops and civilian police officers from UN member states, who have taken part in peacekeeping operations since 1948, exceeds 1,000,000. Over 3,000 UN peacekeepers have died in the line of duty, including 31, who represented the Soviet Union and Russia in the UN peacekeeping forces.

Mention should be made that the first Soviet peacekeepers served with foreign military observers wearing the blue berets issued to them as far back as 1956. Since the blue beret and helmet have started symbolizing peacekeeping and joint service of troops from various countries under the aegis of the United Nations, the Russian peacekeeping veterans propose that the 60th anniversary of these UN symbols should be marked together with peacekeepers from other nations by holding a posters competition, seminars and conferences dedicated to the peacekeeping activities of the international community.

Source: http://un-museum.ru/vestnik/495.htm#3

French version (Eng., Rus)

Pour la première fois les bérets et les casques bleus sont apparus  chez les pacificateurs  en 1956 en Egypte lors le déploiement de la première Force d'urgence des Nations Unies.

Il est connu  que les contingents pacificateurs du Canada, de la Colombie, de la Danemark, de l’Inde, de la Norvège, de la Suède, de la Finlande et d'autres pays dus faire partie de la Première Force d’Urgence des Nations Unies.  A fin de réussir leur mission il fallait de créer  pour eux un tel symbolisme qui leur permettent de les distinguer des troupes anglais-franco-israéliennes  envahies en Egypte. En fait  l'uniforme militaire des uns et des  autres était peu distinguée. A partir de Juin 1948, quand  la première opération de maintien de la paix des Nations Unies au Proche Orient (Organe des Nations unies surveillance de la trêve), les officiers pacificateurs agissant comme les médiateurs pus être distinguer uniquement selon les brassards avec une écriture  «Nations Unies» et selon le chevron portant l’emblème de l’ONU lesquels aux conditions du terrain  désertique  étaient peu apercevables.

À ce moment crucial, Secrétaire général de l'ONU Dag Hammarskjöld (Suède) a réussi de trouver un moyen de sortir. Il a été décidé d’équiper les officiers pacificateurs de l’ONU par des  casques bleus  et des bérets bleus, qui seraient bien  visibles de loin. Au même temps sur un casque on appliquait avec la peinture blanche  deux lettres anglaises "UN" (Eng. Abréviation "ONU"), et des bérets  et casquettes  bleus attachés par l'emblème des Nations Unies, en métal coloré ou brodés sur l’étoffe.

En outre, les observateurs militaires et les officiers des contingents pacificateurs de l’ONU  ont  commencés également d’utiliser comme un signe distinctif les foulards bleus qui étaient noués autour du cou et portés sous la chemise.
 
Il est bien connu de l’histoire pacificatrice de l’ONU, la première Force d'Urgence des Nations Unies a accomplit  la mission assignée par la communauté internationale. La crise de Suez a été résolue avec succès, mais pour ça on a payé le prix très élevée. 107 des 6073 pacificateurs de l’ONU ont  été tués et jamais rentrés chez eux.

Des lors, le béret bleu et le casque bleue avec l'emblème des Nations Unies sont devenues non seulement l’attribution spécifique  des soldats de la paix, mais aussi un symbole de l’activité pacificatrice. Ils ont été commencés d’apparaître sur les couvertures de livres consacrés aux opérations pacificatrices, ainsi que sur les souvenirs. Les soldats de paix eux-mêmes ont également été nommés «casques bleus» ou des «bérets bleus».

La cérémonie de présentation des bérets bleus dans les missions de maintien de la paix des Nations Unies est devenue un rituel d'initiation dans les pacificateurs professionnels pour des divers groupes et des contingents entiers des militaires de différents pays.

Nos premiers pacificateurs soviétiques - des observateurs militaires de l'ONU – procéder à veiller la paix et ont reçus les bérets bleus de l'ONU en Novembre 1973 dans l’Organes de l'ONU d’observation de la trêve en Palestine. Depuis lors, les pacificateurs soviétiques et russes ont participé aux 30 missions de maintien de la paix des Nations Unies.

La communauté internationale apprécie hautement la contribution des soldats de l'ONU dans le maintien de la paix et la sécurité internationales. En 1988, pour le courage et l'abnégation montrés par les forces de paix de l'ONU, composées de représentants de presque tous les Etats membres de l'ONU,  ont reçu le Prix Nobel de la Paix.

Le nombre des militaires et des policiers civiles des Etats membres de l'ONU participant aux opérations de maintien de la paix depuis 1948, dépasse maintenant un million de personnes. Avec cela plus de 3000 soldats de la paix de l'ONU ont été tués lors de l'exercice de leur devoir de maintien de la paix. Parmi eux, 31 personnes sont représentants soviétiques russes.

Il convient de noter que les premiers pacificateurs soviétiques servaient avec les observateurs militaires étrangers, dont certains portaient des bérets bleus, qui leur sont délivrées en 1956. Basé sur le fait que le béret bleu et le casque bleu  sont devenus les symboles imprescriptible du maintien de la paix et de la service commun des militaires des différents pays sous l'égide de l'ONU, les vétérans-pacificateurs russes proposent aux vétérans-pacificateurs étrangers de célébrer r le 60e anniversaire des symboles de l'Organisation des Nations Unies, par l’organisation des concours des placards, des séminaires et des conférences consacrés aux activités de maintien de la paix de la communauté internationale.

Anatoly Solovyov,
Vice-président de l'organisation public interrégional des vétérans de missions pacificatrices de l’ONU

Step to Success (Rus)
Gymnasium #  2072 invites teachers and students aged 3-14 to participate in  the Festival of students’ works

20/01/2016

Written and translated by Yulia Nikishina

More than 70 years have passed since the end of World War II and in 2015 the world celebrated the 70-th anniversary of the United Nations Organization. The main aim of  the UN has been to promote peace on Earth. However, it  has  still not been achieved. The world is still full of military conflicts and contradictions in relationships between countries and people.

The main reason for that as students of Gymnasium # 2072  from the city of Moscow, participants of the Children’s  Peacemaking Movement think is lack of education.

At the lessons of History, Social Studies, Foreign Languages and during extracurricular activities young peacemakers of the Gymnasium study the program of UNESCO “Education for Sustainable Development” and ways how its implementation can teach to live in harmony with nature and each other for the benefit of the present and  future generations of the planet .

Our students – young peacemakers share their ideas with schoolchildren from other countries, plan and carry out different peace keeping actions, for example: “My Family” (see at http://life-link.org/reports/action-report-158/ ),”We Are for Peace” (see at http://life-link.org/reports/we-are-for-peace/ ), “Exploring the Universe” (see at http://life-link.org/reports/exploring-the-universe/ ), “Contact with Nature” (see at http://life-link.org/reports/action-report-159/ ). And others.

One of the international children’s forums  that unites  young peacemakers  from different countries  and is held in Gymnasium # 2072, Moscow, annually is  the Festival of students’ works  «Step to Success».  

Gymnasium #  2072 UNESCO Associated, Moscow, Russian Federation, invites teachers and students aged 3-14 to participate in  the Festival of students’ works  «Step to Success» which will take place on the 5, 6th of February 2016  in Gymnasium #  2072,Moscow.

The theme of the Festival in 2016: The Year of Culture in Russia

One the  subtopics is “Culture And Traditions of the Russian People”

The aim of the Festival is to establish partnership relations with educational institutions all over the world, share experiences in students’ project work.
All participants will receive certificates of participation. Schools and teachers will get letters of gratitude. The best works will get diplomas.

Among the  members of the jury there are professors of  leading Russian Universities.

There is no participation fee. Participants can attend in person (all travel expenses accommodation, meals are provided by the school that sends its representatives) or in absentia (for foreign participants and students from regions of Russia). 
 
The sections of the Festival (nominations) for students aged 3-7 (preschool, kindergarten):

•  “The Lyre”. Contest in reciting poems and extracts from  prose  and/or acting them out.

• “The Magic Moment”. Drawings, paintings and different handmade things are accepted.

• “The Nightingale”. Musical contest for children in:
  -   vocal  (solo singing);
  -  vocal (duet, trio);
  - performing of  folk songs

The sections of the Festival (nominations) for students aged 7-14 (primary, secondary school ) :

•  “The Lyre”. Contest in reciting poems and extracts from  prose and/or acting them out. Poems or pieces of literature written personally by students are especially welcomed.

•  «The world is mine». Students’ project works and drama performances are admitted in connection with the theme of the festival.

•  “Wonders of Mathematics”. Students’ project works related to Mathematics and Information Technologies

• “ Lego Modelling”. Models of different constructions made from Lego by students and presentation of their use (or  their pictures and description  for those who participate in absentia)

•   “Other People And Me”. Students’ project works related to Social Studies, social life of people.
   The subtopics:

• My Classmates And I
• My Family Tree
• My Charity Project
• The History of  the Streets My Home Village/Settlement/Town/City
• My Moral Code

•  “The World Around Us”. Students’ project works  related to studies of  the diversity of the world and rules of safe behavior in it.

•    “The Magic Moment”. Drawings, paintings  are accepted.

•  “The Nightingale”. Musical contest for children in:
  -   vocal  (solo singing);
  -  vocal (duet, trio);
  - performing of  folk songs.

The language of works can be  Russian, English, French, German, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish.

Russian speaking participants should fill in the registration form before the 29th of January 2016 on the web-site of  Gymnasium # 2072 http://sch2072v.mskobr.ru/sotrudnichestvo_i_vzaimodejstvie/npk_stupen_k_uspehu/    
   
We would like to ask foreign students and students from regions of Russia who participate in absentia to send their works  (project works, essays, videos, scans of drawings, pictures, photoes of hand made things, anything that suits the nominations that your students choose) before the 29 th of January 2016 to e-mail: nikishina_uv@list.ru or nikishina1@mail.ru or by post.

Our  postal address is:
Ms Larisa Walischina, Principle
Gymnasium # 2072
12, Utrennyaya Street
111394
Moscow
Russia

 Every work should contain the following information:

1. Name, surname, age of participant
2. Country,
3. Full name, postal address of the educational institution, name of the principle,
4. Name of the teacher in charge,
5. Name of the student’s work,
6. Section of the Festival (for example: “The Nightingale”)

Students can’t work in groups more than three.
 
Web-site of Gymnasium #  2072 (in Russian) http://sch2072v.mskobr.ru/

Сontact persons:
1.  Yulia Nikishina, e-mail nikishina_uv@list.ru, telephone number:+79168303588
2.  Elena Romanova (for Russian speaking participants only), e-mail romanova_elena_1@mail.ru, telephone number: 8-963-767-77-21

21/01/2016

Written and translated by Platon Shitov

My name is Platon Shitov. I am a disciple of the state Secondary school # 1239, the Central District of Moscow. My school is a UNESCO associated schools since 1981. My school has a proud tradition in international cooperation with schools from different countries. 

I study the history of our school's participation and involvement in the UNESCO Associated Schools Project and, above all, in a cultural, ecological and peace project. 

Cultural project - the regular exchange of groups of students and teachers from the American School in Seattle, Washington (1989-2000). Students and teachers of both groups lived in the families of their peers during the month of studying the life, customs and traditions of the country, improving the knowledge of the language of the country of residence, attending classes in schools, excursions, round table discussions, etc.

Since 1999 the school has been actively involved in project "Model UN Peacekeeping Network Schools," the head of which is a veteran of UN peacekeeping operations in the Middle East V. Gergel.

At this time in our school as a function of school ASP net Coordinator works as the Assistant Principal for international school collaboration is another veteran of UN peacekeeping operations E.E. Komlyakov, the main merit of which is the foundation together with the School Principal T. Shcherbakova of the school  model "School UNESCO League" for 5-11 grade (2004).

This project in its structure is a prototype of UNESCO, where there are several sectors that are typical of the educational system: chairman, secretary and six League sectors (educational, peacekeeping, environmental, cultural, sports, information). For sectors activities and for the organization of their work highlights the Principal appoints sponsors from among teachers. 

The main body of League is a whole-school report-election Conference held at the beginning of the school year, when it formed the lists of classes (11th classes are issued, the composition of the league joined representatives of the new 5th grade). 

Next - in each class has a school UNESCO League headed by the coordinator of the classroom league, and the same six sectors, as well as in the school UNESCO League. Each sector classroom League headed by the leader of the sector. In between school-wide conferences acts Council of Coordinators of UNESCO school league. All bodies and members of the League are to be elected by classroom meetings and approved by the coordinator of the School UNESCO League. 

School UNESCO League works under the Charter School UNESCO League, which defines the main goals, objectives and duties of the League Board of Coordinators and responsibilities of classroom sectors leaders. 

As an ASP UNESCO net project, this project is part of student's government. Its mission is to contribute to the administration and class teachers in addressing the problems of education and students training, aimed at preserving the natural and cultural heritage in accordance with the current UNESCO. 
Recommendations. 

In the framework of the peace sector school "Young Peacemaker" composed and class leaders of the peacekeeping sector. The activities of this unit are very variable – to facilitate the creation of a tolerant climate in the classroom (some kind of a role of mediators), for charitable activities, as well as meetings with delegations from the partner countries with which the School has a long-term contract (schools at the embassies of India, Japan, Germany, the delegations of the United Kingdom, Italy and other countries).

We hold meetings with famous people (writers, astronauts, athletes, artists, researchers etc.). 

A few words about life story of Evgueni Komliakov, born 24 Jan. 1939. 

Education 
1947-51: Elementary school (four grades) 
1951-59: Suvorov military school (eight grades) 
 19559: Military cadet College, graduated in 1962 
 1967-73: Institute of foreign languages (by correspondence), graduated as an interpreter, English language. 

Professional experience:   
1962-88: Officer in the Army 
1980-82, 85-87: Service with UNITED NATIONS in the Middle East as a UN Military observer. 
1988: Retired on a pension and started to work at Moscow school #1239/20 as a teacher of the subject “Basics of a Safe and Secure Life” for 9-11 grades.
1994: Took the position of the Assistant Principle for economics and science.                 
1995: Started to teach English in 7-9 grades, then in 9-11 grades. 

Interests: General problems of school education, Environmental education for students and for adults, Peacekeeping problems.
1995-2000: Active participant of the  international movement “Educators for Peace and Understanding”. 
1993, 94, 97: Participant of International Conferences on the Environmental and Peacekeeping problems, held in Moscow. 

Social work: A member of the teachers trade union safety of work Board (Central district of Moscow). Participant of the Teachers Movement. Vice Chairman of the Council of veterans of Museum of Peacekeeping Operations in the town of Solnechnogorsk, Moscow region. 

2015: Retired on a full pension after 31 years service in the Army and 27 years of work at school. 

Evgueni Komlyakov retired December, 2015 and now we have a new ASP UNESCO Net Coordinator Irina E. Bondar, teacher of design and Evgueni Komlyakov’s daughter, who was with him in family composition over the life of his trip.

I hope that she will continue to actively coordinate school projects UNESCO and peacekeeping activities at my school.

Photo: Evgueni Komlyakov leading the column of students marching at the game "Model of UN Peacekeeping", June 1999

24/01/2016

By Ekaterina Vtulkina, coordinator of Academy of Children Diplomacy

In December 2015 the teachers, students and parents of Classical School 1522 took part in two charity campaigns of collecting New Year's gifts.

The first campaign was established by he Moscow House Of Public Organizations in cooperation with Regional Public Charitable Organization of handicapped children "BLAGO". This charitable campaign was called "Goodwill New Year and Christmas For Special Kids". The main goal of this campaign was to present children with limited abilities the festive mood and make them smile during New Year and Christmas.

There are a lot of children among the wards of the “BLAGO”, who are not only alternatively abled, but also are left without parental care. Some kids are immobile and for them it is especially important and pleasurable to get a piece of our care and warmth.

The second campaign was instituted by the Center of museum pedagogy “SVETOCH”. Gifts collected by this campaign were meant for orphans from orphanages and children of war in the Donbass.

The students, their parents and teachers brought sweets and other tasty treats; towels and bed linen; baby food; souvenirs for New Year; puzzles, educational games and different toys. The caring workers of school Museum Valentina Fyodorovna and Svetlana Yuryevna packed the gifts in boxes.

No one remaind indiferent. Presents were brought not only personally, but also from the entire class. Everyone wanted to participate and share the holiday with those, who are in a difficult life-situation.

24/01/2016

Written by V. S. Belyaev, coordinator of the programme "Network of Schools of Peace" in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania
Translated by Ellina Khugaeva, 10th form, the secondary school # 11, Vladikavkaz

On the 17th of November 2015, the whole world heard the secrets of the ruination of Russian airliner A321 travelled from Sharm El-Sheikh to St. Petersburg. It was an act of terrorism.

North Ossetia, not in words, but in fact experienced the horrors of terrorist acts: Vladikavkaz, Beslan, Mozdok. The inhabitants of Ossetia  were shocked by the fact of  killing 224 people, including 25 children aboard the airliner.
 
On November 18th, 2015 peacemakers from different schools of the city and the republic gathered in the Department of Civil and Patriotic Education Center "Creativity" to express their indignation over  the inhumanity of  attack.

The children appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin with the following words: "We  believe that the murderers of people aboard A321 in Egypt will get what they deserve!"
 
In this action there took part the leaders of young  peacemakers of "Schools of Peace" in Vladikavkaz and in the Republic

Coordinator of
Movement of young peacemakers of the CIS
in the North Ossetia-Alania                       V. S. Belyaev

Chairman of The Council of
Movement of young peacemakers of the CIS
in the North Ossetia-Alania                     Yulia Yakimenko

Deputy Chairman of the Council of
Movement of young peacemakers of the CIS
in the North Ossetia-Alania                   Tamerlan Tuganov

24/01/2016

Written by V. S. Belyaev, coordinator of the programme "Network of Schools of Peace" in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania
Translated by Ellina Khugaeva, 10th form, the secondary school # 11, Vladikavkaz

On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nation Organization the 1st Children's forum "Circle" of the Movement of Young Peacemakers of the CIS in the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania "People of Earth - stop  war!" was held  in the conference hall of the secondary school № 26-"School of Peace". It was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN.

The participants of the Forum had the following aims:
• formation of patriotic consciousness of the younger generation, as the most important value - one of the foundations of spiritual and moral unity of society, the development of peacekeeping and tolerant relations between children, youth, veterans of the great Patriotic War in collectives of educational institutions of North Ossetia-Alania;
• to show the importance of the United Nations in resolving the issues of war and peace, the resolution of global problems of mankind – peace on Earth;
• to increase knowledge about the UN activities and to keep to the rules laid down in  the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

To organize forum there was formed the organizing committee, which included: the LGA of Vladikavkaz, the mission of the Russian Peace Foundation in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, OGPU CAEC "Creativity", representatives of public organizations, active members of the Young Peacemakers' Movement from  "Schools of Peace" in the city of Vladikavkaz.

The forum was attended by the representatives of the following secondary schools ## 5, 16, 28, 11, 13, 26, 31, 33, 37, 40, the Vladikavkaz Lyceum, school # 1 of v. Arhonskoe, Prigorodny district.

The active participants of the Forum were:
- Guluev Khizir Temirkanovich, Chairman of the Council of Veterans of the Great Patriotic war of the right-bank district, participant of the Great Patriotic war;
- Bedoev Ruslan Aleksandrovich, Deputy Chairman of the Republican Council of Veterans of North Ossetia–Alania;
- Zoloyev Igor Kimovich, Chairman of "Union of paratroopers" in the North Ossetia–Alania;
- Sargoshi Mikhail Eduardovich, Deputy Chairman of the SORO of the all-Russian public organization of veterans "Combat brotherhood;
- Dnieper Tatiana R., Chairman of the Committee of "Soldiers' mothers" in Vladikavkaz;
- Khamitsaev Kazbek Borisovich, the President of Federation "Mountaineering" in the North Ossetia–Alania;
- Vladimir Ivanov, military journalist;
- Batraz Gudiev, head of the regional branch of "Young guard" of the party "United Russia";
- representatives of regional branch of party "United Russia" in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania.

The prelude to the forum was musical composition: the  fragment  from Symphony No. 7 of Shostakovich, V. Basner's song "Where does the Motherland begin?".

The forum was opened by V. S. Belyaev, Chairman of the International Public Fund "Russian Peace Foundation" in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, the coordinator of the programme "Network of Schools of Peace", the head of structural division CAEC "Creativity".
Presenters: Veronica Pacorini  and Tuganov Tamerlan have introduced the guests of the forum.

Then peacemakers from school # 26 gave brief information about the creation of the United Nations.

As a symbol of remembrance of the dead and the unity of living  in preserving peace on the Earth, the participants of forum passed around the circle "the Candle of Memory", lit from the Eternal Flame on Poklonnaya hill in Moscow, under a passage from a poem by Robert Rozhdestvensky's "Requiem".
 
Pacorini Veronica announced to the audience that "Circle" is divided into two sectors: "Pure thoughts" and "Pure origins".
The participants of the sector "Pure origins" defended the slogan "If you want peace, prepare for war!". Brief information was provided by Tarazanov Khetag, the 11th form student of gymnasium # 16.

The participants of the sector "Pure thoughts" defended the slogan "Want peace – prepare for peace!". Brief information was provided by Valeria Kalinina, a student of the 9th form school # 11.

After protection of slogans, the participants of the "round table" were shown a presentation of young peacemakers on the theme: "People of Earth – stop the war!". Many delegates of the forum recognized themselves on the screen as they had taken part in many  collective creative activities

Then the young peacekeepers introduced their "homework", defending "Wall sheets" on the topic of the forum. At the end of discussion they voted.

To identify the opinions of forum’s participants, they were given ballots with the following questions:
1. "If you want peace, prepare for peace!";
2. "If you want peace, prepare for war!";
3. Personal opinion of a forum member.

During the counting of votes, all participants, presented at the round table watched a video clip of young peacemakers of the Republic of Belarus.

Voting results were announced by Chairman of the Council of the Movement of Young Peacemakers of the CIS in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania – Yulia Yakimenko.
Voting results were:
1. The slogan "Want peace – prepare for peace!" - 17 votes;
2. The slogan "If you want peace, prepare for war!" - 33 votes;
3. Their personal opinions were  expressed by 14 persons.

After summarizing the results of voting, forum members wrote their wishes to the people of the planet Earth on a  stylized paper "pigeon feathers".

The group of young peacemakers voiced every wish and attached it to the paper “Dove of Peace," which impressed the audience with its beauty and originality in execution.
Raising their paper “ Dove of Peace" with their gentle hands, the forum’s participants affirmatively declared, looking into the eyes of adults that  programmes, plans and other documents were developed at various levels, calling for the immediate cease of fire and fighting on the planet Earth.

Chairman of the organizing Committee V. S. Belyaev summarized the results of  work of the forum.

The forum showed the importance of a peace movement nowadays on a global scale, that we need to continue building a world community under the motto: "If you want peace, prepare for peace!", but remember the words from the song "Kakhovka"..... "We are peaceful people, but our train is standing on the siding".

Victor Belyaev proposed to launch balloons of three colors (blue, red, green) to the sky with a label with the motto: "PEACE for SOUL! PEACE in the COUNTRY! PEACE ON EARTH!" attached to them.

Standing in a circle, the participants of the forum, with the song "Hope" by A. Pakhmutova and storm of applause, released balloons and pigeons in the blue, clear sky, watching  their flight for a long time...

After the closing of the forum, the delegation of young peacemakers went to the Victory Square to the monument of the tank T-34, for laying flowers and placing a Guard of Honor.

Children believe that the theme of the forum "People of the Earth - stop the war!" will find its continuation in the lives of the people of planet Earth!!!

25/01/2016

By Kristina Zakharova, 7th form, the secondary school # 9, Rtishchevo, Saratov's region

During all-Russian volunteer action there was held the Week of Good Deeds, devoted to Day of Heroes of Fatherland in our secondary school #9.

The Council of senior pupils from the structure of school government "the City of Masters" has developed a plan and assigned responsibilities.

On December 2 the promotion "Pride" was opened on the school line, dedicated to the day of monuments and historical places. On this day the students visited the monuments to the heroes of the great Patriotic war and participants of local wars, organised viewing movies about the heroes of the Fatherland, produced a large amount of documentary information about the monuments located on the territory of our district.

On December the students of the  2-7 forms visited a local Museum whose exhibitions were dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the great Victory. The boys and girls saw war weapons, visited the trenches and had the opportunity to wear the helmets of the great Patriotic war.

On December 7 the Lessons of mercy were held in all classes, the motto of which was: "Life is given for good deeds". The great work was done for the organization and conduct of classroom performances, which was attended by students of all schools, class teachers and the school student administration an asset. There was assembled a lot of material: the stories, books, presentations, songs, movies about heroes of our Fatherland. A great impression on students made songs and movies about heroes.

On  December 7 for a meeting with students of the 5-6 forms were invited veterans of the great Patriotic war, the Chairman of the Council of veterans Surachenkov M. T., who told the children about events in a distant 41st, and of their companions-in-arms. Children listened with attention then asked some questions. They interested in many things: Were they scared in the war? Were there traitors? On what fronts they fought? The meeting was held in very warm atmosphere and the children presented cards to the veterans made with their own hands and showed a small concert.

On December 8 students of 5-11 forms visited veterans of war, veterans of pedagogical work, living in the district of our school, and congratulated them with the Day of Heroes of Fatherland, accept and fulfill requests for good cause.

On December 9 the lesson of courage was held in all classes. The students of the 11 form were responsible for conducting this lesson. The guys have prepared interesting information about the heroes of the Fatherland day and paid special attention to famous people of our country – graduates of our school.
As results of the Week the winners were announced. But I think there were no losers. The winners are everyone who participated and helped to organize this week because each day was filled with warmth, kindness and joy to our hearts. Students did 35 good deeds.

26/01/2016

Written and translated by Lyubov Petrova, Coordinator of the "Peace Schools' Network" Programme in Pereslavl-Zalessky

The Festival “The Hand of Friendship” took place in Pereslavl-Zalessky at the International day of Tolerance. The motto of the festival was “If we are endure to each other, together we will make our world more tolerant.”

Our world is amazing not only due to its nature, but also due to a wide variety of different peoples. Now we suggest that you should make a little virtual journey around the world.

Of course, we will start with a great and vast country Russia. Many songs, epics and legends were sung about our country. Only Russia has a polar zone, tundra, taiga, steppe, and tropics. Many peoples live in our country, and every nation has its own songs, music, culture, customs and traditions. The Russian Federation has 83 regions 21 of which are the republics. We live in a blessed town Pereslavl-Zalesskiy, where there are Armenians, Georgians, Belarussians, Ossetians and many other nationalities. We are friends to each other as we live in the same town and attend the same schools.

That’s why we invite you to visit the Republic of Armenia and North Ossetia with us. Armenia is one of the oldest countries in the world (the first information of it dates back to V century BC). Unofficially, the country arose when Noah moored his ark on mount Ararat.

The capital of the Republic of North Ossetia (Alaniya) is Vladikavkaz. Vladikavkaz was founded on 6 May 1784 during the Reign of the Empress Catherine II. Vladikavkaz has the title of honor “The City of Military Glory”. Beslan is the only town in North Ossetia where the Day of Knowledge is not marked on 1 September because it is the day of mourning now. 11 years ago the first bell was the last one for 186 pupils of school №1, it is a memorial now.

And now we invite you to visit the state of Belarus.
On 2 April 1996 the two Presidents Alexander Lukashenko and Boris Yeltsin signed the Treaty of Belarus and Russia in Moscow. A year later they signed the Treaty of Alliance between the two States. The Union of Belarus and Russia has become a good foundation for other forms of integration in the Post-Soviet space. Belarus was a part of the USSR as the Belarussian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1922 to 1991.
Minsk is the capital of Belarus, it is also the administrative centre of Minsk Region and the Hero City.

We invite you to the UK.
We could talk continuously about the Old England. When you find yourself in London, the first thing you should do is to hear its voice, i. e. you should come to Trafalgar Square and wait for the moment when the famous Big Ben strikes the appropriate amount of times. The Clock Tower rises 98 meters above the Thames. Faces of Big Ben look at the 4 corners of the Earth. And then you should wander the medieval streets, watch skyscrapers and the City, admire and sigh at the Royal Castle, watch paintings in picture galleries.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan. Here you can see monuments of antiquity (the Castle where is the Imperial Residence) and modern 40 or 60-floor buildings. Japanese national dress is kimono.
In June 1945 Japan gave The “Bell of Peace” to the United Nations as a present. It was cast from coins collected by the children from 60 countries. It was decided to call the bell twice a year: on the first day of spring (the day of spring equinox) and on 21 September, the International Day of Peace.
The inscription on the bell reads: “Long Live World Peace Worldwide”.

Peace is the foundation of a stable life. This is the basis of the development of the country and all its citizens. Peace gives us many benefits and ensures the implementation of human rights. In peacetime we can study, work and develop financially, spiritually and morally and build strong families.

Humankind should stop repeating the evil, when for the sake of war it sacrifices the lives of children and spends great amount of money. The time has come when all the nations of the world should use all their abilities and march for peace. Peace depends on our efforts.

26/01/2016

Written and translated by Glasko Mariya, 8th form, the secondary school # 24 in Kolomna

The charitable event under the name "Decade of Good Deeds" took place in our school from 1 to 10th December, 2015.

During this period the special classes were dedicated to mercy and compassions in modern society.

On the 9th of December as a result of ecological activity "Letters to the Nature" the pupil of the 6th form Babaeva Polina became the winner.
Her appeal addressed to the people on behalf of the Nature was expressed in poem and in environmental poster.

Pupils of the 8th form presented the musical performance "Shelcunchic" for the junior pupils.

28/01/2016

By Violetta Potilisina

According to a kind scouting tradition of the project called "A bus of happiness" organized by Volgograd Association of girl-scouts, just before the New Year of 2016 and Christmas girl-scout troops have travelled to different directions of Volgograd region. 

"We have congratulated kids from a boarding - school in Tormosino", says Yekaterina Mechik, leader of the troop called "Jam". "It was the first New Year surprise for children because we visited this boarding school for the first time, so we went there not only to give presents but also to get to know each other, make friends and establish good and kind relations. We believe that we have successfully managed to do it!!! With the support of Educational department of Kirovsky district of Volgograd, children from Tormosino boarding school received New Year presents made with love by students from schools ## 24, 25, 56, 57, 59, 108, 112", Yekaterina continued.

For many years the children from social-rehabilitation center in Kalach have been visited by citizens of Krasnoarmeisky district of Volgograd and this action is organized by girl-scouts from the troop called "Kstati" and council of territorial public self-management organization called "Burevestnik" (the Head is Violetta Potilitsyna). Significant input - help with transportation provided for volunteers and presents - was made by a team of "Neftezavodmontaj" company (General Manager is Andrey Alexandrovich Dokazov). 

"Students from schools #38, 71 collect presents for their peers! Kids happily accept each present that Santa Claus takes out of his magic sack!", says Natalia Sokolova from the troop called "Kstati". "We are the volunteers of youth clubs called "Kosmos", "Fortuna" and a municipal institution called "Forum" and we bring a New Year gift and a card with warm wishes for every child", she continued.

"For over 5 years we have been visiting children from the orphanage in Serafimovich", says Olga Scubiro, "Skitlz" troop leader. "This year presents have been collected by students, parents and teachers of schools #122, 100; Lyceum #10 and gymnasiums #9 and 10. We have gathered very good presents that were appreciated by children. I'd like to thank everybody for caring attitude to children who lack parental love. Thank you for kind and responsive hearts!"

Yelena Sukhareva shares her emotions after the trip:"It was a great trip! I really enjoyed playing with children, giving out presents and communicating. We played "Fants", "James Bond", "Gori, Gori yasno", attention games, "A ring", "Customs", etc... We have already met some of the kids before and it was nice to find out that they still remembered us. They performed, sang and danced for us. It was wonderful! I like it very much!"

The project "A bus of happiness" has been implemented since 2004. And let us say that communication is the main and biggest gift in it. 
Orphans, children from boarding schools and social rehabilitation centers always know that a bright celebration is coming. The meetings include funny competitions, songs, games and poems. Moreover, these meetings happen in the most magical time of the year-during New Year and Christmas.
Thank you very much for everybody who does kind deeds. Long term implementation of this project proves that kindness and love to the nearest ones still live in our souls. Kindness around us begins with each of us.

"Several days before the most magical holiday of the year we had managed to make something good for the world and bring happiness to children from the Center of social rehabilitation for miners located in Krasnoarmeisky district ",-added Sophia Efremova, leader of the troop called "Nochnoi Dozor". "Preparation for the holiday was simultaneously serious and interesting. We planned the trip, collected individual presents and thought of the games. The following troops collected gifts: "Pirates" (leader Marina Kornikhina), "Sovyata" (leader Tatyana Melnikova), "Jam" (leader Yekaterina Mechik), "Irbis" (leader Anna Bukina), and "Nochnoi Dozor" (leader Sophia Efremova). Thank you very much to all the children and leaders for the help! So a long-anticipated day finally came. We were met by children of different ages but there was something that united them all-they were waiting for something interesting and new before the New year of 2016. Having introduced each other, we started playing different games. Everybody was happily jumping and clapping during "A goat" game, smiling and laughing during "James Bond" game, joyfully singing during the game about a "DJ and ballerina" and dancing while coming up with various actions while playing "Santiki-fantiki" game.

"When we went to the social-rehabilitation center of Krasnoarmeisky district I was filled with only one feeling-that is of joy. It was a great pleasure to organize such a small but cozy celebration for children of different ages and to see joy and happiness on their faces", Daria Afanasiyeva from "Pirates" troop said sharing her positive emotions. "After the games children showed us their talents: they danced beautifully, recited a lot of poems and performed sketches. When we gave out long-anticipated presents kids' faces were shining and they were very thankful. I hope that they will definitely remember this day. Personally, I will be thinking of it over and over in a new year of 2016. It was the first visit of Volgograd girl-scouts to the social-rehabilitation center of Krasnoarmeisky district but I believe that it will become a kind long-lasting tradition and we will come back again".

Marina Shevchenko says:"I was very glad to see happy faces of children who enthusiastically greeted us and participated in all the games. It was a very special moment when they received presents. Our meeting with these kids has left a warm footprint on my soul and a belief in kind, warm and magical things. I truly believe that all the participants of our project "A bus of happiness" have only the kindest and warmest feelings and memories after every trip to rehabilitation centers, boarding schools or orphanages".

All photos can be found in the following album https://vk.com/album-1281650_156965635

29/01/2016

By Valery Gergel, director of Museum of Peacekeeping Operations

"BLUE BERET" POSTER CONTEST

In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of adoption of the blue beret as an insignia of UN peacekeepers Russian Museum of Peacekeeping Operations in cooperation with UN Information Center in Moscow, Russian Association of Veterans in UN Peacekeeping Missions and a number of international and national NGOs of UN peacekeeping veterans is pleased to sponsor the "Blue Beret" Poster Contest.

The contest aims are to raise awareness of the need for world peace, to pay tribute to UN peacekeepers and all personnel standing on guard of peace in UN peacekeeping missions and to inspire citizens across the globe to add their voices and use their artistic talents to promote world free of wars.

About

Since its establishment, the United Nations Organization has been seeking to eliminate international conflicts as a potential threat to world peace.

The UN peacekeepers got their blue beret and helmet in Egypt in 1956 during the deployment of the first United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF).

As is known, the first UNEF was to be made up of peacekeeping contingents from Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, India, Norway, Sweden and several other nations. For them to accomplish their mission, a symbol had to be invented urgently to set them apart from the Anglo-French-Israeli forces that had invaded Egypt. The uniforms of both parties looked very much alike. Since June 1948, when the first UN peacekeeping operation in the Middle East (UN Truce Supervision Organization, UNTSO) began, UN peacekeepers acting as intermediaries could be identified only by their United Nations brassards and shoulder patches bearing the UN emblem, which were hard to see in the desert.

At that crucial moment, UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweden) came up with a solution. He suggested that the UN peacekeepers should be issued blue berets and helmets that were easy to spot from afar. Two white English letters, UN, were painted on the helmets, while the blue berets and caps wore the metal or embroidered UN emblem.

In addition, the military observers and the officers with the peacekeeping contingents started using blue cravats as a distinctive emblem as well.
As is known, the first UN Emergency Force accomplished its mission assigned by the international community. The Suez crisis was resolved, for which a high price was paid – 107 of 6,073 peacekeepers were killed in the line of duty.

From then on, the blue beret and helmet bearing the UN emblem have become both the distinctive signs of peacekeepers and the symbols of peacekeeping. They started appearing on the covers of books dedicated to peacekeeping activities and on souvenirs. The UN peacekeepers themselves were dubbed ‘blue helmets’ and ‘blue berets’.

The presentation with the blue beret in a ceremony in UN peacekeeping missions has become a rite of the initiation of whole groups and contingents from various countries as professional peacekeepers.

The first Soviet peacekeepers – UN military observers – received their UN blue berets in November 1973 in the UN Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine. Since then, Soviet and Russian peacekeepers have taken part in 30 UN peacekeeping operations.

The international community has appreciated the contribution of UN peacekeepers to international peace and security. The UN peacekeeping forces made up of representatives of virtually all UN member states were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988 for the courage and selflessness displayed on peacekeeping operations.

The number of the troops and civilian police officers from UN member states, who have taken part in peacekeeping operations since 1948, exceeds 1,000,000. Over 3,000 UN peacekeepers have died in the line of duty, including 31, who represented the Soviet Union and Russia in the UN peacekeeping forces.

Mention should be made that the first Soviet peacekeepers served with foreign military observers wearing the blue berets issued to them as far back as 1956. Since the blue beret and helmet have started symbolizing peacekeeping and joint service of troops from various countries under the aegis of the United Nations, the Russian peacekeeping veterans propose that the 60th anniversary of these UN symbols should be marked together with peacekeepers from other nations by holding a poster competition dedicated to the peacekeeping activities of the international community.

Information about contest dates, who can enter the contest, technical specifications about submitting artwork, prizes, judging, and copyright can be found in the contest rules.

Rules

Sponsor
The "Blue Beret" Poster Contest is sponsored by Russian Museum of Peacekeeping Operations in cooperation with UN Information Center in Moscow, Russian Association of Veterans in UN Peacekeeping Missions and a number of international and national NGOs of UN peacekeeping veterans.

Contest Period
On the international level the contest begins on 15 March and ends on 01 November 2016. Its winners will be announced before 15 November 2016.
On the national level of Russia the contest among scholars begins on 15 March and ends on 15 May, while its winners will be announced before 29 May 2016.

Poster File Size and File Type

Maximum file size: 10 MB.

File type: JPEG, PNG or PDF.

Who Can Enter
Anyone of any age can enter this contest, and it is open to all people in all countries. Children below the age of 13 will need have their parents’ permission and will need to have parents (or a legal guardian) help with their submissions.

Specifications
Art work must be original, submitted by the artist. It should be developed such that it could be displayed in a 60 by 90 centimeters (2 feet x 3 feet) format.

Entries must be two dimensional using either traditional methods (pens, pencils, crayons, charcoal, oil paint, acrylic paint, watercolor, etc.) or modern digital illustration process.

As all art work must be fully original, no entries will be accepted or considered if they are deemed to use in whole or part derivative images which could be considered plagiaristic.

Multiple entries are allowed if the design concept is different from one poster to another.

Words, text, UN logo and blue beret (helmet) can be added on the poster submission, provided that it is relevant to the aim of the contest.

Entries should be sent to e-mail: director@un-museum.ru

Judging
All entries will be judged using the same criteria: creativity, composition, theme and technique. The winners on the international level will be announced on 15 November 2016.

Contest Prizes

1. There will be three adult winners.

First prize will be the commemorative medal “International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001–2010)” issued by the Organizational Committee of Russian National Contest “UN Peacekeeper of the Year”.

Second will be the commemorative badge “55 years of UN Peacekeeping Operations” issued by the Organizational Committee for celebration of 30th anniversary of Russian personnel participation in UN peacekeeping operations.

Third will be the badge “Peacemaker” designed by the Museum of Peacekeeping Operations.

2. There will be three teenager winners.

First prize will be the badge “Peacemaker” designed by the Museum of Peacekeeping Operations and a blue scarf of UN peacekeeper.

Second will be the book “In the Service of Peace.1973-2013” and a blue scarf of UN peacekeeper.

Third will be the badge “Young Peacemaker-Instructor” designed by the Museum of Peacekeeping Operations and a blue scarf of UN peacekeeper.

3. There will be special prize for the poster “Monument to Peacemaker” under the slogan “Blessed are the peacemakers…” - Medal "40th Anniversary of Russian Participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations".

4. Each participant of the contest will get special certificate of the Blue Beret Contest membership signed by members of Jury to be sent by internet.

Copyright
Those making submissions agree that the Museum of Peacekeeping Operations retains all copyrights of the materials submitted. Files uploaded to the contest website should be solely images of the artwork and should not contain either photographic images of the contestant or other individuals.

Conditions
The Museum of Peacekeeping Operations shall not be responsible for any loss or damage that may occur by entering this contest and the Museum of Peacekeeping Operations reserves the right to make changes to the rules of the contest without prior notification.

Submissions to be sent to Museum of Peacekeeping Operations are to be accompanied by a letter in English or in Russian languages containing the following information:

First name of the applicant:
Last name:
Email:
Phone number:
City:
Country:
Gender:
 Age:
Parent or Guardian Name:
A parent or legal guardian must enter his/her name below (for children under 13 years of age)
Title of your poster:
Description of your poster:

Agreement:  By selecting to compete in this contest I acknowledge that I have read and accept the rules.

Photo 1: Poster of Greta Denisova and Anna Ladygina, winners (1st place) of the "Blue Beret of UN" contest in 2001.
Photo 2: Poster of Elena Romanova, winner (2nd place) of the "Blue Beret of UN" contest in 2001.
Photo 3: Poster of Lidia Chubukova, winner (1st place) of the "Blue Beret of UN" contest in 2001

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Note: We recommend to scholars and young peacemakers to visit and look through the special issue of the “Voice of Peacemakers” bulletin under the title “Symbols and Insignia of UN Peacekeepers” including the following articles:

1. Article "Blue Beret as a Symbol of UN Peacekeeping Forces" written by Anatoly Soloviev, Vice-president of Russian Association of Veterans in UN Peacekeeping Missions.
2. Article of Maj.Gen SZARAZ, Hungarian army, Force Commander, MINURSO "On Peaceful Education of Children", published in the "Voice of Peacemakers" # 73
3. UN flag and emblem
4. Blue beret as a symbol of PK forces
5. Shoulder patches of the Soviet and Russian peacekeepers
6. Uniforms of Russian civil police
7. Uniforms of peacekeepers
8. Insignia of peacekeepers in Bougainville operation