‘We Work to Create a More Prosperous, Fair, and Safe World’
On July 3–4, 2024, the IX BRICS Civil Forum was held in Moscow for the first time since the association was expanded by five new countries in January 2024. Participants emphasised the importance of personal interaction between public figures, civil activists, as well as the work they do to strengthen and enrich friendly relations between BRICS countries, based on mutual respect. The forum was organised by the BRICS Expert Council–Russia, which is established at the HSE University.
In her opening remarks at the BRICS Civil Forum, Victoria Panova, Vice Rector of HSE University, Head of the BRICS Expert Council–Russia, and Russia W20 Sherpa, stressed that sustainable development goals can only be achieved through collective efforts. ‘The active rapprochement between BRICS countries has led to an intensification of contacts not only at the state level but also at the level of civil society and non-profit organisations, as it is civil society and its representatives that should set the main parameters for fair development,’ emphasised Victoria Panova. She noted that the number of forum participants had more than doubled compared to expectations, with 650 people from 20 different countries attending in Moscow.
The key objective of the forum is to formulate ideas for fair development and find ways to improve the quality of healthcare, education, culture, and sports. ‘We work to create a more prosperous, fair, and safe world. This year, we formed nine working groups to develop proposals in various fields. These recommendations will be presented through Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas to the leaders of BRICS countries during the summit in Kazan. We are evolutionaries, not revolutionaries. We must remember that we all live on one planet, and equal development for all countries is essential,’ concluded the HSE Vice Rector.
The Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Russia BRICS Sherpa Sergey Ryabkov emphasised that the Civil Forum has become a fundamental part of the association's structure, providing an opportunity to present civil initiatives and discuss relevant issues that affect the peoples of member countries along with individual citizens.
He noted that efforts should be made at the upcoming UN Summit of the Future in New York to build a fair multipolar world order and achieve sustainable development goals.
The greatest wealth of our countries lies in the human potential of their citizens, as nearly half the world's population resides in BRICS nations. The main goal of BRICS and the forum is to create the conditions for the full development of human potential, said Sergey Ryabkov. Throughout the years of its existence, BRICS has fostered a unique culture of dialogue and trust-based relationships.
The opening ceremony also featured speeches from Vyacheslav Nikonov, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs; Viacheslav Fetisov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Ecology, Natural Resources, and Environmental Protection; Galina Karelova, Chairwoman of the Eurasian Women's Forum Council under the Federation Council of Russia; Alyona Peryshkina, Co-Chair of the Russian NGO Group on BRICS and G20, Director of AIDS Infoshare Foundation, and Elena Topoleva-Soldunova, Director of the Social Information Agency.
The forum continued with a plenary session entitled ‘Right to Development: Equality, Equity, and Justice.’
Victoria Panova emphasized the importance of equality and equity as essential conditions for the realization of the right to development for BRICS countries and their people. She stressed that fair development requires an understanding of the driving forces behind inequality and its eradication. ‘We need to understand the social order we are creating, and therefore political propaganda and proselytism are unacceptable,’ emphasised the HSE Vice Rector.
The Executive Director of the GenDev Centre for Research and Innovation Govind Kelkar from India highlighted the importance of gender equality and the role of women in addressing climate change. She stressed that authorities and civil society should pay more attention to including women in decision-making processes. ‘Within BRICS, we need a culture that considers gender aspects,’ said the Indian representative.
In response, Victoria Panova noted that Russia has inherited significant experience from the USSR in achieving gender equality, which it is ready to share with BRICS member states and other countries of the global majority.
The President of the Iranian Red Crescent Society Pir-Hossein Kolivand reminded everyone that Iran is a country with a rich history and cultural heritage. Iranians work together to address issues such as healthcare, education, hunger, and poverty, and strive to ensure universal and equitable access to water on the basis of equality and justice.
He believes that there is hope for achieving equality and resolving issues related to migration, providing assistance to those in need, resolving conflicts, and improving the overall quality of life.
Years of work in challenging conditions have shown that the most successful approaches to solving problems are promoting self-sufficiency, assisting those in need, and involving more people in economic activities, which is essential for ensuring stability and well-being. Social issues can be better addressed through collaborative efforts by the BRICS nations and their exchange of best practices.
Pir-Hossein Kolivand emphasised the importance of sharing successful experiences and actively involving the population in implementing social initiatives, such as those that improve people's well-being and utilise their spiritual potential. ‘I hope that tomorrow's world will be free from poverty and inequality; let us all work together to create a future brimming with progress and prosperity for all,’ he concluded.
Victoria Panova emphasized the significance of the Iranian representative's proposals and their substantial discussion at the forum.
The Director General of the TASS News Agency Andrey Kondrashov stated that many principles of the world order, such as freedom, equality, and justice, are not functioning properly due to the continued influence of former metropoles on their former colonies. This influence is primarily economic and mental. Former colonisers try to shape the minds of new national elites by presenting distorted versions of history and hatred towards neighbouring states and peoples.
Mental, cognitive, and ideological dependence is more perilous than economic dependence, asserted the Director General of the TASS News Agency.
Participants in the plenary session included Valery Fadeev, Chairman of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, Li Jun, Vice President of the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE), Fabiano Mielniczuk, Co-Chair of the BRICS Working Group ‘Information and Cybersecurity, Digital Development,’ Professor of Political Science at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, and Roman Tesfaye Abneh, Chief Executive Officer of the Hailemariam & Roman Foundation, former First Lady of Ethiopia, among others.
On July 3–4, the forum continued with themed sessions on cities of the future, ethics of new technologies, sovereign economic and financial development, energy transition, social justice, and Vision 2050—values and rights of people, public health and well-being, culture, sports, tourism, ecology, and the role of BRICS in creating a more just world order.
HSE experts participated in the forum's work. In particular, Felix Azhimov, Dean of the HSE Faculty of Humanities, moderated the session ‘Vision 2050: The Future of the World through the Eyes of BRICS Countries’. Sergey Garbuk, Director of the HSE Research Projects Office, Chairman of Russian Technical Committee for Standardisation ‘Artificial Intelligence’ (TC 164), moderated the session ‘The New Technologies’ Ethics.’ Sergey Garbuk is also the Co-Chair of the BRICS Civil Forum Working Group ‘Technology Ethics.’ Evgeniy Terentev, Director of the HSE Institute of Education, moderated the session ‘Open Education—The Model of Future Education in BRICS Countries’. Evgeniy Terentev is also the Co-Chair of the forum's Working Group ‘Education and Human Development.’ A special session on ‘Transformation of General Education Systems in BRICS Countries: Contextualising Challenges and Solutions’ was moderated by Sergey Kosaretsky, Director of the Pinsky Centre of General and Extracurricular Education at the HSE Institute of Education.
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