Oksana Fedorova, Vera Krasova and Sofia Rudyeva participated in the Gala Closing Ceremony of UNICEF Peace & Tolerance Summer Camp
On July 17-24, 2009, over 200 children and adolescents from five republics in the North Caucasus – Republic of Daghestan, Chechen Republic, Republic of Ingushetia, Republic of North Ossetia – Alania and Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria – took part in the work of the UNICEF peace summer camp session “Caspian Odyssey – 2”. The summer camp was held on the Caspian Sea side on the outskirts of the town of Izberbash, Republic of Daghestan. Day after day throughout the whole week, the children enjoyed the opportunity of getting to know each other through a wide range of activities, learning about the cultural traditions of their peers from other North Caucasus republics. Since 2005, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been organizing similar peace and tolerance camps in the North Caucasus in partnership with the regional ministries of education and science, youth committees and non-governmental organizations. During that period, over 2,000 children from Russia’s various southern regions attended summer camp sessions. Such activities are aimed to create a friendly environment, bringing together young people of different ethnic background. To achieve this objective, training sessions on peace and tolerance, various contests and leisure activities are included in the program of each camp, which contributes to gradual breaking down of the existing stereotypes and overcoming ethnic prejudice and promotes rapprochement between children.
A closing ceremony of the summer camp session “Caspian Odyssey – 2” was held on July 23 attended by Oksana Fedorova, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, a well-known TV presenter and the winner of the beauty contest “Miss Universe- 2002”. This was her second visit to the North Caucasus to meet with young participants of UNICEF peace summer camps. This year, Oksana was accompanied by Sofia Rudiyeva – Miss Russia–2009 and Vera Krasova – Vice Miss Universe–2008 and the Charity Projects Director within the beauty contest “Miss Russia”. The three young women performed the song “World For Children”, which had become a kind of hymn for tolerance. The song performed by several “Miss Russia” recent contest winners had been earlier recorded in the studio. “It does not matter how many territorial or administrative borders all of us had to cross to meet with you at this camp”, Oksana said addressing the children. “What is important is that there should be no borders in our souls”. “They often ask me whether I really believe that the activities carried out at such camps are efficient. Yes, I do indeed. Children’s education should be based on the principles of peace and tolerance. Teaching tolerance skills to children should be an ongoing process, stretching beyond the summer camp activities. It should continue at home, at school, at universities”, Stephen Johnson, Head of the UNICEF office in the North Caucasus, pointed out. Following the closing ceremony, 15-year-old Lalina from Kabardino-Balkaria shared her impressions of her newly-gained experience. “I always wanted to become a doctor, but from now on, I shall seek to become a doctor working for a peace-keeping mission. So that I could travel around the world and assist people – victims of armed conflicts”, she said. For more information, pls contact: Mukhammed Khavtsukov, Communication Officer
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