The delegation from Russian and European cities got acquainted with the areas of youth activity in Kazan

The event was held in the framework of a training seminar of the Council of Europe on the access of young people to social rights.

(KZN.RU, October 26, Alena Miroshnichenko). Today, youth policy specialists and youth workers from Russia and the signatories of the European Cultural Convention got acquainted with areas of youth participation and inter-sectoral cooperation in Kazan. Delegations were divided into groups. Thus, one of them got acquainted with the experience of the capital of the RT on youth projects on the example of the House of Friendship of Peoples.

The visit was held in the framework of the international training seminar “From politics to practice: youth work in support of youth access to social rights”, which takes place in the capital of Tatarstan from 23 to 28 of October. The workshop aims to discuss the provision of equal access for young people to social rights.

52 specialists in youth policy and youth workers from Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Moldova, France, Poland, Portugal, and other signatories of the European Cultural Convention take part in the training seminar.

The choice of Kazan House of Friendship of People is due to the experience that Kazan has in the field of multiculturalism, said Airat Faizov, the chairman of the Committee for Children and Youth Affairs. “The cities with people of different nationalities living and, unfortunately, having certain conflicts are very relevant for Europe and for the world. Our experience is our friendship of nations, of which we are most proud. A huge number of nationalities live in Kazan, mosques coexist peacefully next to churches, Catholic churches with synagogues. This is the experience that we can show in the youth infrastructure, the House of Friendship of Peoples, children's and youth public associations. No wonder the youth policy of Tatarstan is recognized as the best in Russia in the official rating”, he said.

“Tatarstan is one of the most multinational regions of Russia”, said Irek Sharipov, the director of the House of Friendship of the Peoples of Tatarstan, “We have 173 peoples living here. There is an adopted state program in Tatarstan for the implementation of the national policy, creating conditions for all peoples. The House of Friendship is the material and technical base of the Assembly of the Peoples of Tatarstan. This structure was created to ensure that every people had equal opportunities in order to simultaneously develop their own language, traditions, and have a voice in the institutions of civil society. Tatarstan is multinational, it is also an attractive region for work and study. In 2017, more than 270 thousand foreign citizens arrived in Tatarstan. Therefore, it is especially important to take this into account and work in this direction”.

During the visit, the delegations were told about the work of the House of Friendship of Peoples, showed museums, diaspora departments, exhibitions, a Sunday school department, the editors of the portal of the House of Friendship of Peoples, and much more. Also, the guests were told that among other things, the organization helps foreign citizens with registration, employment, socialization, and self-realization. A lot of sporting, creative, and consulting events are being implemented in Kazan for this purpose.

The members of the delegation highly appreciated the work of the capital of Tatarstan and the republic in creating conditions for a peaceful and benevolent neighborhood of different peoples. “I work with young people in Serbia, and this is my first visit to Russia. I did not expect that there is so warm and welcoming atmosphere and so many interesting people. It is always great to get acquainted with the experience of other countries. The House of Friendship of Peoples is a very interesting place, because at one point young people can solve many important issues and problems. It seems to me that I have never met such a diversity of cultures in one place in my life. This is a very good work of local authorities”, said Peter Dzhordzhevich, a participant of the training seminar.

“We work with young people in the field of gender balance, education, and self-development. Now we are discussing all the recommendations issued by the Council of Europe on the topic of youth policy. It is different in all countries. Now we need to create a common youth policy. I am very surprised by what I see for the first time. In Baku, of course, we have centers of other nationalities, but there is no such diversity and such a system as here. Youth policy in Russia is advanced. The state is taking big steps to create things for young people, because it plays an important role”, said Perim Perimov, another participant from Azerbaijan.

The seminar is held by the Council of Europe together with the Russian partners and is part of the Action Plan for 2018 for the implementation of the Framework Program for Cooperation between the Council of Europe and the Russian Federation in the field of youth policy for 2014-2018.

The results of the seminar will be announced on October 27 in the Kazan City Hall, reports the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs.