Forum in Russia proposed for BRICS volunteering organisations
A member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights proposes to establish an international volunteer organisation from the BRICS countries
Moscow 3 July 2015
Yana Lantratova, member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, approached the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, with the proposal to hold a forum of volunteers from BRICS countries on Russian territory.
According to RIA Novosti, Yana Lantratova, member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, suggested that an international organisation of volunteers from BRICS countries should be created. According to her, the global coordination of the actions of the volunteers will contribute to the effective exchange of experiences between volunteers from the BRICS countries.
Lantratova suggested holding a forum of volunteers from these countries in Russia in 2016. The member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights approached the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, with a request to include the topic in the agenda of the forthcoming summit in Ufa.
Vladimir Khromov, member of the Public Chamber of Moscow and Director of the Association of NGOs “Union of voluntary organisations and movements”, said, in an interview with the Agency for Social Information, that he was in favour of any unification of volunteers but stressed that the question was, who is funding them and what will they be doing? He also noted that it is essential to share experiences and to engage in the replication of the most successful voluntary practices.
Khromov explained that many movements exist which call themselves voluntary but no one knows what they are doing. He also highlighted that there is a certain “bias” in that state volunteerism is focused mainly on mass rallies and sporting events, whereas socially vulnerable areas of the population show a clear need for assistance.
Earlier in Moscow, the BRICS Civil Forum came to a close. Civil society representatives from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa completed the preparation of recommendations in several areas (health, education, peace and security, the economy, harmonisation of interethnic relations, sustainable development and culture), which will be handed over to the leaders of the BRICS countries and the G20 Sherpas.
Author: Grigory Ivanushkin
