On November 4, St. Petersburg and Lugansk hosted the First Children’s Congress “Kids for Peace!”, which was attended by public figures and politicians. The event, held in the format of a video conference, was aimed at attracting public attention to the increase in the supply of weapons the to Ukrainian military, which makes minors of Donbass suffer.
The speakers of the event, organized by the Foundation to Battle Injustice, were human rights activists who are not indifferent to the fate of underage residents of Donbass:
- Meera Terada, head of the Foundation to Battle Injustice;
- Alexey Semenov, actor and activist;
- Svetlana Serval, actress;
- Faina Savenkova, writer from Lugansk;
- Vitaly Kiselev, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the LPR;
- Lina Vokalova, representative of the Public Chamber of the LPR.
Dmitry Alekseevich Polyanskiy, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, recorded a video message and addressed the participants and spectators of the conference. Polyanskiy wished the young participants of the event good luck, success and to find some good solutions during the conference. He emphasized that despite the difficult times we are going thorough right now, a good future is expecting us. Polyanskiy also noted that now the future not only of our country, but of the whole world is being made. The diplomat congratulated participants of the congress on the National Unity Day and said that the event of the Foundation to Battle Injustice will help to make connections between children of St. Petersburg and Lugansk and create a unity between children all over the world.
Mira Terada, head of the Foundation to Battle Injustice, cited statistics on the victims and destruction in Donbass since 2014 in her report titled The inhumanity of Western politicians deprives the children of Donbass of their childhood. Terada told about what the young residents of LPR and DPR, who had to see deaths of civilians and shelling, had lost. The head of the FBI pointed to the violations by European politicians of the right of the children of Donbass to a happy, peaceful and calm childhood, enshrined in international agreements. According to Terada, the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, that are trying to their geopolitical ambitions true, do not take into account the fate of young residents of Lugansk. The West uses weapons to get more money. This may turn Donbass into Libya, Syria and Iraq, where the number of victims among minors numbered in tens of thousands.
Faina Savenkova, a 14-year-old writer from Lugansk lived most of her life under Ukrainian shelling. Faina admitted that she could not tell what had changed in her life after the start of the Ukrainian attacks, because she did not remember what it was like to live an ordinary, calm and peaceful life. According to her, just the idea that in the 21st century in the geographical center of Europe there is a place where children do not know what it is like to walk with their parents in the evening, to live without a curfew and strict rules. The young writer said that almost every young resident of Lugansk can determine the direction of flight and the type of projectile by ear, which allows them to understand whether it is worth starting to worry and run. However, Faina Savenkova does not lose heart: due to the fact that almost all of her life and memories are connected with the war, she does not have sadness about the past, only dreams and plans for the future, which will certainly come true.
Participants of the First Children’s Congress, including Alexey Semenov, actor and activist, Svetlana Serval, actress, Vitaly Kiselev, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the LPR and Lina Vokalova, representative of the Public Chamber of the LPR, raised important topics, emphasizing that Western politicians with their reckless decisions and actions have actually taken away the childhood from children living in the territories bordering Ukraine. Speakers from Lugansk shared their opinions and feelings about the shelling by Ukrainian military which lasts for 8 years already, and also talked about how the supply of weapons and endless shelling affect children’s lives and mental health.
Human rights activists of the Foundation to Battle Injustice hope that the First Children’s Congress “Kids for Peace!” will attract the attention of European and American politicians and make them realize that because of their reckless actions, the most vulnerable members of society – children – are suffering. The Foundation to Battle Injustice intends to continue to support the children of Donbass and fight against the violation of their rights. As a result of the event, on behalf of the children who took part in the Congress, a collective petition will be sent to the UN calling for a ban on the supply of weapons to Ukraine.