SUMMER PEACE SUMMIT 2021

The Third Summer Peace Summit, a traditional major meeting of the participants of the Peace 50 international community, took place on July 1, 2021. This year, the event brought together women leaders from 12 countries and was dedicated to the topic Preserving the Planet – Global Call to Action. The participants discussed their vision of the contribution one can make to the preservation of the world for current and future generations. They shared concrete ideas and useful experience.

The Third Summer Peace Summit was an important event for concerned and active women from different countries. Although the pandemic conditions did not make it possible to go beyond the online format, the meeting in its traditional manner was not only a constructive conversation but also an open dialogue filled with sincere emotions and warmth.

The Summit participants discussed the importance to pay much attention to caring for the planet, the ways how we can help nature, and each woman’s role in preserving the world. Each report was filled with deep meaning and unconditional love.

In her welcoming remarks, Marina Volynkina, co-founder of the Peace 50 community and Head of the Global Women Media news agency, recalled the First Summer Peace Summit. In 2019, during that event, the participants talked about the development of cultural institutions, the need to find and scale up education and training practices aimed at peaceful dialogue, cooperation, and co-creation as well as the importance of building horizontal communication. In 2020, the Second Summer Peace Summit was devoted to issues related to overcoming the consequences of the pandemic in the mass consciousness and the crisis of the world system of values. This year, the Summit participants paid special attention to the topic of ecology in the widest sense of the word.

“Our planet is our big home, which needs not only preserving the environment but also changing our attitude towards one another”, believes Marina Volynkina.

Barbara Dietrich, President and CEO of Diplomatic World Magazine, emphasized the value of such Summits in today’s conditions of uncertainty and instability. She believes that the solutions to global tasks can only be found through international cooperation. The pandemic has exposed and exacerbated many problems in society including those related to the environment. Speaking on the agenda of the Summit, Barbara Dietrich invited the Peace 50 members to pay special attention to the Sustainable Development Goals formulated by the UN and take them into account when choosing their areas of activity.

Gülden Türktan, the founder of the Women 20, supported the idea of following the SDGs as well. The expert notes that preserving the world for future generations is the responsibility of all people of today.

“To preserve the ecology of the planet, people need to take care of the ecology of their own actions”, said Gülden Türktan.

The modern world is based on a consumerist concept. Production industries expand and people create new products every day. Unfortunately, the products themselves and the process of their creation are not always eco-friendly.

Gülden Türktan called upon people to think about not only the immediate benefits but also the global consequences of any action.

Modern innovations make it possible to use energy sources that are safe for the environment in production and at home and recycle waste. Although such solutions often require some investments, they will surely pay off as they will save the planet.

Vanda Gagiano, Honorary President of Free State Women Agricultural Union in South Africa, proposed concrete steps that each person can take to create a better future. They include bringing up a habit of saving water and electricity, switching to more eco-friendly vehicles or walking, and taking care of nearby animals and plants. If all people start observing these simple principles, the planet will keep its blooming state for a long time.

According to Vanda Gagiano, in addition to individual efforts, it is necessary to work out state-level and international policies on ecology.

Pick Keobandith, founder and International Director of Inspiring Culture, created a film dedicated to preserving forests on the planet. The video was prepared exclusively for the Third Summer Peace Summit.

The expert called upon people not to wait for the forests to disappear completely but to take care of their expansion. Trees are an important element of human life. Forests temper the harshness of the climates and make the air cleaner and fresher. Moreover, trees play a key role in the economic and social spheres of society’s life as a resource.

Ianina Cozari, journalist and Board Member of Brussels Press Club, spoke about trends and tendencies in contemporary eco-design. Together with her colleagues, she participated in the organisation of a major international conference devoted to environmental issues. Among other things, the event paid much attention to the issues of shaping spaces.

Following the principles of eco-design can contribute greatly to the preservation and development of the planet. For example, the rejection of plastic and other non-friendly materials in interiors greatly simplifies the disposal of old furniture. Using more natural lighting saves energy during the daytime.

Eco-friendliness has already become a trend in various design branches. When developing a product, many designers think about not only its aesthetical and practical aspects but also its impact on the environment.

Gohar Davtyan, member of the International Coach Federation and lecturer within the MBA programmes at the National Research University Higher School of Economics and Moscow City University of Management of the Government of Moscow, shared her vision of the sources of many global problems. As emphasized by the speaker, as a rule, evil begins with individual self-interest in the hearts of individuals on a small scale and then spreads to collectives, entire countries, and the whole world.

People can talk a lot about global problems but fail to notice the important little things right ‘under their noses’ and the weaknesses in themselves.

According to the expert, we can formulate two clear symptoms of ‘evil in the heart’: indifference to what is happening around us and one’s willingness to sacrifice one’s values for profit. These are the main reasons that can prevent building friendly communication at all levels.

Evgenia Shamis, founder and coordinator of the RuGenerations research centre, shared her expert knowledge on what kind of future different generations want.

According to the expert, today’s young people are especially interested in creating innovative and scientifically proven services and products focused on sustainable development. Just saying that something is eco-friendly isn’t enough for kids and Gen Z teens.

Anna Wolf, PhD, curator of cultural projects, economist and analyst, explained her vision of how to raise a generation with eco-friendly thinking and behaviour.

As she emphasized, studies show that success in life is also a result of having the right mindset. It is necessary to teach the rising generation that sometimes a person has to do unpleasant work, which is important for development.

Thinking about that, Anna Wolf asked herself about how to get a child out of his or her comfort zone without becoming a drill sergeant as a parent and bring up the so-called ‘roll-up-your-sleeves-mindset’. The expert concluded that nature itself can be the best trainer in this matter. For example, when children play in the garden and have no toys at hand, it motivates them to be creative.

In her report, Sati Mata, Founder of the International Academy of Himalayan Siddha Yoga, also spoke about growing up, love, and future and present generations. The expert explained the concept of psychological maturity. She listed the specific criteria that can help us determine the level of an individual’s readiness to fulfil him- or herself in an eco-friendly manner and to contribute to the development and preservation of the world.

Carol Kinsey Goman, leadership presence coach, Leadership contributor for Forbes, and author of expert bestselling books, shared the main principles that serve as the foundation of the behavioural ecology of society. The expert explained that people behave more honestly and openly when communicating with one another informally. That is the main value of horizontal communications based not on written agreements but on sincere heart-to-heart dialogue.

In addition, one of the key elements of behavioural ecology is trust. It is the force that, like a magnet, brings people together.

Joynicole Martinez, Chief Executive Officer of The Alchemist Agency and Director of Research & Development at World Women Foundation, dedicated her presentation to the topic of ecofeminism. That this is a scientific approach that explores the significant contribution that women make to solving environmental problems.

As emphasized by the expert, to preserve the ecological and social environment, people need to build communication that is based on the absence of any manifestation of discrimination. According to Joynicole Martinez, women can do a lot for the modern world and the future of the planet. The main thing is to make that their voices are heard.

At the end of the event, the Peace 50 community members unanimously concluded that the global mission of saving the planet is only possible through joint efforts and international cooperation. Partnership and collaboration are effective and the only possible ways to create a better future for the younger generations.

Viktoria Gusakova, Global Women Media news agency

Translated by Nikolay Gavrilov