On August 27–28, 2024, Moscow hosted the IMBRICS FORUM — the VI International Municipal Forum of the BRICS Countries.
The event has become an important platform for exchanging experiences and ideas between representatives of regional and municipal governments from the BRICS countries. It also helped build effective business communications with entrepreneurs from Russia and other partner countries.
The forum included a round table discussion on the role of extracurricular education and international cooperation in children’s and youth education. Experience of BRICS cities and municipalities, which was devoted to discussing issues of children’s and youth recreation in camps, as well as extracurricular education. The event was attended by representatives of legislative and executive bodies of state power in Russia, heads of Russian and foreign children’s camps and non-profit organizations. In particular, the event was attended by Boris Chernyshov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Natalya Agre, Director of the Department of State Policy in the Sphere of Education, Supplementary Education and Children’s Recreation of the Ministry of Education of Russia, Sandra Goulart Urioste, Director of English Camp (Brazil), Fahrettin Gozet, President of the Canadian NGO International Camping Fellowship (ICF) Fahrettin Gozet (Turkey) and Nie Aijun, President of the Board of The Institute for Camp Education in China . The speakers delivered reports, shared their experience in organizing the area of activity under consideration, and discussed existing initiatives to expand the activities of the camp movement and extracurricular education, including in the BRICS countries.
The particular focus was on the Turkish speaker Fahrettin Gozet, who delivered a report on “Collaborative Initiatives Among BRICS Countries: Strengthening Youth Engagement”. In his report, he noted ICF as a key participant in strengthening cooperation between youth camps around the world, including the BRICS countries, whose mission is to strengthen youth engagement through joint initiatives. He explained how ICF programs and initiatives create opportunities for cooperation among BRICS countries in the field of youth engagement, using the strengths and resources of its international network. Fahrettin Gozet also gave examples of cooperation carried out with the assistance of ICF, such as a partnership between Russian and South African camps aimed at developing leadership skills and cultural exchange, promoting the involvement of youth across borders.
As a result, the participants agreed on further interaction with each other, the implementation of joint projects aimed at developing extracurricular education.
We in Azerbaijan see and know what does mean Armenian fake propaganda because we face it at the everyday level and usually try to answer in a related manner. But the Armenian propaganda machine uses even any tiny shell to spread lies and fake information about Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and other Turkic countries…
Now I’m providing an example of the fake propaganda action by Armenians once more.
On August 1, 2024, there was a regular State Department Press Briefing at the White House. Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson made a brief introduction and afterwards answered the questions of journalists.
Let’s see a question by a journalist (maybe Armenian, we don’t know):
Question: “There are Armenian POWs in the jails of Azerbaijan for four years by now, and there are Armenian local politicians from Nagorno-Karabakh again in the prisons of Azerbaijan for nearly one year after Azerbaijan launched another unprovoked attack last fall. According to Freedom House, after Karabakh territory came under Azerbaijani control, Karabakh is the most unfree territory in the world. It’s worse than North Korea. It’s worse than Venezuela, Syria, Afghanistan, you name it”.
This is the first part of the question. The person addressing the question claims that “there are Armenian POWs in the jails of Azerbaijan”.
Are there any?
Not of course! Because all POWs captured during the 44-day war of 2020 were returned to Armenia! Thus, Azerbaijan does not have any single Armenian POW at its disposal…
But why does Armenian propaganda claim that Azerbaijan has the Armenian POWs?
This is purely for propaganda purposes! Armenians know that they need to bring this issue to the attention of the world in a way where people can think that Azerbaijan is so inhumane and keeps POWs. Of course, many million people around the world do not know the realities in the region. Even most of them don’t know where Armenia is, who Armenians are, and so on. But propaganda works anyway…
Then this very “journalist” quotes the Freedom House claiming that “Karabakh is the most unfree territory in the world. It’s worse than North Korea. It’s worse than Venezuela, Syria, Afghanistan”.
Are we surprised?
No!
Because this very Freedom House is a propaganda tool as well to suppress new emerging democracies. This organization has been known for its pro-Armenian stance for dozens of years! It was and is supporting Armenian separatism while being silent about more than 250 thousand Azerbaijanis forcefully expelled from Armenia and those 750 thousand IDPs forced off from Karabakh by Armenian occupants!
Just for a reminder, starting from 1988 Armenia expelled all Azerbaijanis from its territory. Hundreds of Azerbaijanis were killed, and their homes were looted by Armenians. This move served as the start of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict back in those years. Then Armenia occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands early in the 1990s and forced out 750 thousand inhabitants! Azerbaijan managed to free its lands from Armenia’s occupation only after 30 years and during this movement, Armenian inhabitants (approximately 70 thousand people) voluntarily left Karabakh while Azerbaijan repeatedly asked them to stay…
So why the Freedom House is claiming that Karabakh is the most unfree territory? Those 750 thousand Azerbaijanis need to return to Karabakh but can’t because Armenians have wiped off any single home in that territory. That’s why very few people live there and there can’t be any evolution regarding freedoms in that area. The lands freed from Armenian occupation are covered with landmines and even it’s dangerous to walk around.
Let’s see why and how the Freedom House decided that “Karabakh is worse than North Korea”.
Maybe because the Freedom House’s Vice President for Policy and Advocacy is Annie Wilcox Boyajian, whose husband is an Armenian for example?..
This was the first part of the question of blackmailing Azerbaijan. But a “journalist” continues further with his attempt to blackmail Azerbaijan. Let’s see the second part of the question.
Question: “So the question is whether you follow this situation with the collapse of liberties and civil society in Nagorno-Karabakh, if you have any comments on this, and is there anything that this administration can do to help the detained Armenians in – that are jailed in Azerbaijan, whether to – you can help them to release – to be released or assist in any other form? Thank you”.
“Liberties and civil society in Nagorno-Karabakh”? Isn’t this a bit strange? Who can speak about the liberties and civil society in any territory that was under the occupation of a foreign country? In our case, we speak about the Azerbaijani Karabakh region which was under Armenia’s occupation for about 30 years and thus there couldn’t be any sign of liberties and civil society. But this Armenian propaganda mouthpiece claims that “liberties and civil society collapsed” in Karabakh…
What is good, Vedant Patel’s answer was quite accurate, and the terms used were selected very carefully. Let’s see.
MR PATEL: “So, on the context of the broader situation in the South Caucasus, this is something that the Secretary and the department continue to be deeply engaged on. I don’t have any updates for you as it relates to that process. And look, when it comes to detainees, we have been clear and consistent that any country needs to treat all detainees humanely, with dignity, and in accordance with international law, and needs to respect detainees’ human rights, and that continues to be true in this case as well”.
No single word about the so-called POWs! And no mention of Azerbaijan!
The State Department and the US Administration know quite well what is what in the South Caucasus!
And now let’s be clear with those detainees to whom Vedant Patel is paying attention. Yes, Azerbaijan has Armenian detainees. But they are not the citizens of Armenia (except one) and none of them was captured during the war actions. All of them are tried for being a part of an organized crime against civilians which caused the killing of hundreds of people. At the same time, they are citizens of Azerbaijan of Armenian origin, and they need to answer for those killings before the court. This is very simple and understandable, and the US Administration and other major international actors have quite enough information about this…
Now let’s pay attention to the report by Armenian media which claims that Vedant Patel spoke about “Armenian POWs”.
The headline at the News.am reads: “Patel: US State Department is deeply engaged on matter of Armenian POWs held by Azerbaijan”.
Further, the news reads: “On the context of the broader situation in the South Caucasus, the US Secretary of State and the Department continue to be deeply engaged on the matter of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) being held in Azerbaijan. Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the US Department of State, noted about this at Thursday’s Department press briefing”.
Did Vedant Patel use the wording like “Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) being held in Azerbaijan”?
Not of course!
We have quoted Vedant Patel’s answer to this question in full and as we mentioned above, he was quite accurate in using the terms. But the Armenian fake propaganda machine claims, that Vedant Patel spoke about “Armenian POWs”…
So, this is a way how Armenian propaganda works. Most people who read Armenian-style “news” usually don’t investigate the origins. It is usual and understandable for all people around the world. Because those not engaged in politics and news-making are not professionals and they used to believe the media. And Armenians use this opportunity for their ugly propaganda…
So far, 17,100 people and 3,400 representatives from 136 countries including Turkey have confirmed their participation in SPIEF.
The organizers of the Forum note that participation indicators have reached pre-Covid levels: the period of restoration of economic activity is over, and the Forum is in a growth phase. As a communication tool, it is in demand by the global business community.
Today, SPIEF is one of the sovereign centers for the development of Europe, which is a historical restructuring that implements the mission of maintaining the global balance of power and building a multipolar international system. It also provides conditions for development based on the continental and constructive development of the day, dictated by the national interests of the Russian Federation. The forum has become a full-fledged institute for national growth.
The business program covers a wide range of issues: from the development of international economic relations and technological transformations to priority science research the studies of the modern society. The headline of the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is “The basis of multipolarity causes the growth of new centers.”
On the eve of SPIEF, several conferences are held annually in different countries. This year, the final session took place in the capital of the Republic of Costa Rica – San Jose. The location was not chosen by chance – it was Costa Rica that became the first country in Central America to establish official diplomatic contacts with Russia back in 1872. Over the more than 150-year history of relations, a strong bond has been established between the two governments.
In Russia, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will be held from June 5 to 8.
The path to a multipolar world, self-realization of youth for the sake of the future and Russia’s openness to a dialogue with all countries are the main agenda highlights of the educational marathon Knowledge.First, which was held from March 2 to 6 on the sidelines of the World Youth Festival in Sochi. Over five days, 137 lecturers shared their knowledge with young leaders from 188 countries, of which 20 were representatives of Austria, Afghanistan, Brazil, Germany, India, Italy, Serbia, Turkey, and Thailand. With their speeches, discussions, and master classes, the lecturers inspired over 5,000 young participants who gathered at the venue of the Festival.
As the members from the foreign delegations noted, the marathon Knowledge.First has shown that Russia is open to cooperation, that it is truly a country of opportunity. Speeches by outstanding experts helped young people learn about trends, promising areas, and important projects in which they can take part and contribute to their development. Russians learned more about international initiatives and had the opportunity to meet their favorite idols.
“The marathon has become one of the main events of the World Youth Festival, a place for dialogue between young leaders and mentors from around the world. During their presentations, the lecturers talked about the key values of our country, unity, and the importance of intercultural and interethnic dialogue. What is especially important is that the marathon participants received honest, sincere answers to their questions… I am sure that from the World Youth Festival has brought knowledge that in the future will help young participants make a contribution to building a fair, safe multipolar world,” noted Maxim Dreval, summing up the results of the Knowledge.First marathon.
The growing number of BRICS members and the powerful potential of their educational systems open up ample opportunities for the exchange of experience, both between the teaching staff of educational institutions and between students.
An important aspect for expanding such interaction is supporting the development of camps for children and youth as a unique format of out-of-school education and socialization. Fahrettin Gozet, President of the International Camping Fellowship, Turkey, elaborated on this.
“Russia is a country that ranks first in the number of children’s camps. Among them are “Artek”, “Orlyonok”, “Smena”, “Ocean”. When I came to Sochi after the Olympic Games, I was very inspired by the idea of the Sirius camp, by the fact that all these talented and hardworking youth received a platform to gather together. And all over the world in different countries I talked about this camp, because it is a wonderful project, said Fahrettin Gozet.
The Knowledge.First marathon program was supplemented by the VK Day lecture hall, where stand-up comedians, athletes, and musicians popular among young people talked about humor, the development of social networks, shared the secrets of creating interesting content, and told how to make your dream come true and achieve popularity.
All six sites of the Marathon were filled with young people, the guys actively communicated in different languages, took pictures with speakers, shared impressions with journalists from major media outlets, discussed the speeches they heard. The marathon tracks were in tune with the meanings of the Festival: “Responsibility for the fate of the world”, “Multinational unity”, “A world of opportunities for everyone”, “Let’s save the family in the name of children and peace” and “We are together with Russia”.
Along with the educational marathon Knowledge.First, within the framework of the educational program of the World Youth Festival, the Knowledge Society organized the intellectual tournament Knowledge.Game with the participation of scholars from different countries, screenings of performances together with the Tavrida Art Cluster, a film lecture Znanie.Kino, where spectators from all over the world got acquainted with legendary Russian films and discussed them with famous actors and directors.
Also, a multimedia exhibition of the National Photo Competition Knowledge.Russia was organized for Festival participants, giving the opportunity to see the main achievements of modern Russia and immerse themselves in their atmosphere using augmented reality technology.
Now, on March 10, the regional program of the Russian Society “Knowledge” starts as part of the World Youth Festival, which will be held until March 17 in all eight federal districts of the Russian Federation. The children will enjoy more than 200 educational events, including speeches, discussions, and master classes by authoritative lecturers from various fields. The program will unite Russians from regions of the country and foreign participants of the World Youth Festival, who will travel across Russia as part of several teams. Guests from different countries will have the opportunity to get acquainted with their Russian peers, the culture of our country and the achievements of the regions.
The documentary was most likely funded by an anti-Turkish lobby (such as Armenian or Greek groups) because a documentary that is so far from reality and unaware of international laws could not be made otherwise.
Indeed, in a world that is becoming increasingly polarized, Turkey is arguably the country that NATO needs the most. The real threat to NATO comes from two of its own members, Greece and France, which, by violating international treaties and attempting to usurp Turkey’s rights, are driving Turkey away from NATO. Such behavior could lead to Turkey leaving NATO, which would significantly weaken the alliance. Turkey’s importance to NATO exceeds the combined importance of these two countries. Therefore, France and Greece should promptly align themselves and stop being an impediment to Turkey.
They say, TV has no memory, but Internet remembers all. Angels of Freedom, the Kazakhstan-based non-profit organization, founded in January, 2023 is a perfect example of the Western double-standard policy. Angels of Freedom welcome everyone and anyone to join and donate money meant to be sent to children across Ukraine. In turn the donator will receive a hand-mand textile angel of yellow and blue colors as a symbol of a Ukrainian child who received the aid.
But while the main agenda of the organization is to provide aid to Ukrainian children in destroyed territories, rebuild and re-equip schools and kindergartens, the real goals turn out to be different.
Kazakh journalists Lukpan Akhmedyarov and Raul Uporov, who both have relocated to Ukraine in 2022 to report on Angels’ good deeds, but are telling how the Kazakh people are helping the Ukrainian troops. Kyrgyz journalist Bektur Iskender echoes them. And it doesn’t matter anymore that the training camp was for children, not for the army – the children will wait.
Also, quite by accident, in Ukraine, active “Angels” Samal Sokitbaeva (also known as Samal Samal and sometimes Sauli Aliyeva) and Nazgulyava Shukaeva (singer) have been noticed collaborating with “Pan Vasil” (Vasily Gonchar) for a long time to collect money for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, affairs for the elite presidential unit. The aid is definitely for Ukrainian kids who need new tanks.
Apart from that, the former Consul General of Kazakhstan in St. Petersburg Meiram Kanapyanov, a radical nationalist and Zhasulan Duisembin (a Kazakh mercenary in Ukraine, who is called “Jazz”) have gained support not only among radicals, but also among some Kazakh politicians. The head of the “Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan” movement, Mukhtar Ablyazov, who calls himself the leader of protests in Kazakhstan, has repeatedly posted photos of Duisembin, declaring that people like him are the future of free Kazakhstan. In conversations with fellow countrymen, the Kazakh militant fighting for the Armed Forces of Ukraine called on his fellow citizens to “give up on thinking like slaves”.
All of this characterizes common deeds and goals of these people. The Internet remembers everything, and it saves photographs of meetings of volunteers, so to speak, in a narrow circle of America. What do they discuss at their meetings? Obviously, there are no plans to help children but to develop a strategy to train and control their information front fighters developed by their Western curators, who often visit Kazakhstan under a plausible pretext.
Take a closer look at such organizations. Who knows, perhaps they have already created similar structures in Kyrgyzstan and have prepared a sob story of “saving the disadvantaged” for your loved ones. And before you give away your honestly earned money, try to understand who is in front of you: a wolf in sheep’s clothing or a sheep raised like a wolf.
