Foundation

Dear friends!

I kept asking myself: why is there so much pain in the world? Why do people die of hunger and wars? At times these questions are so unanswered that one wants to give up — and yet…

At the beginning of the new millennium in which we have the happiness to live, I began to wonder: what if everyone I know — people of different professions and faiths, people who do not want war but a peaceful, happy life — could be brought together? A great desire arose in me to unite people, both ordinary and world-famous, to involve civic organisations and, using their international standing, jointly support those who need help, to form a new system of relations among nations and states based on humanism and peacemaking, and to create a voluntary union of people striving for peace and unity on Earth.

In 2006 I succeeded in gathering such people — those who later became my companions and like-minded friends. That became the official start of the World Charitable Alliance Peacemaker, whose work continues without pause to this day.

The aim of our work is simple; anyone can understand it. It is to shape a positive, bright and peace-loving image of Russia in the international space, to foster patriotism and an active civic stance among the young, and to draw people into the struggle against social injustice, wars and terrorism. All our projects serve one purpose only — peace throughout the world! Over the years we have organised and held thousands of peacemaking events.

Today our large, strong and beautiful country is living through a serious historical moment, which lays a special responsibility on us as well. Perhaps the work of our foundation is even more timely now than ten years ago, when we created it. I cannot say whether we foresaw the geopolitical changes to come — but that our formed and united team will work for peace and unity on the whole Earth: of that I am certain!

On 1 October 2018 the 5th International annual Peace Forum was held in the Livadia and Massandra palaces in Yalta. Its task is to unite peacemakers from different countries. The ceremony honouring outstanding people of the planet is a signal to society that no deed aimed at a real improvement of people’s lives will go unnoticed. Whether it is charity, investigative journalism or an environmental project — every such step brings us closer to the main goal: a peaceful life and fruitful human work.

The annual international Peace Forum is a very important event for all of us. And we do not want to stop at what has already been achieved. Our plans are grand — and that is no surprise. As the saying goes, a great ship needs a great voyage. We have given our ship a beautiful name, and as a ship is named, so it will sail.

Crimea is a territory of peace! And I would add that our entire planet should become a territory of peace. We simply must strive for this — in memory of our ancestors and for the sake of future generations who will take the baton from us. What will that future world be — happy and serene, or hard and dangerous? It depends on all of us! Today! Now! Let us begin!

“Give Peace a Chance!”

We live in an age of conflicts and the clash of civilisations. The battle for resources, the battle for the right to dominate and impose one’s will on others, is becoming the general rule of political intercourse. We see that today, alas, many interstate institutions meant to settle conflicts and foster dialogue between opposing sides turn into nominal, inert and often partisan organisations, far from the spirit of true peacemaking.

That is why people’s diplomacy is so important today — as a powerful instrument of active participation in peacemaking by broad layers of the population and by the most varied parts of contemporary society: politicians and business leaders, athletes and cosmonauts, as well as activists of the “creative class” — actors, artists, musicians and committed journalists.