Universal Peace Federation, Ukraine

International Movement "Children - Ambassadors of Peace"

The current situation in the world clearly shows the general necessity to search for new approaches to achieving peace and peacemaking initiatives. The conflict in Syria, the constant tension on the Korean Peninsula, military conflicts in Iraq, the tense situation in Iran, the confrontation in the Gaza Strip are just a few examples of the conflicts taking place in the world today.  No one could imagine that after 70 years of peace, Ukraine would be dragged into a military confrontation. There are currently over 40 military conflicts in the world. It is no longer a secret that the UN, which was created with the purpose of contributing to the establishment of peace in the world, is not able to cope on its own with the weight of the problems that our critical world is facing.

Current approaches to resolving conflicts have shown their impossibility in establishing peace and building cooperation and understanding. It is time to rethink the ways and approaches to resolving these issues.

In 2014, with the initiative of the community and with the support of the Universal Peace Federation and the Kiev city center "Rodynnyi Dim" the movement "Children: Ambassadors of Peace" was launched. The purpose of the movement is to educate young people, which in the future will become leaders of civil society, education character of a peacemaker, the formation of internal characteristics of mature individuals who can take responsibility for the establishment of peace in the family, society, country and world.

Taking into consideration the conflict that is taking place in Ukraine, peace is especially important for us. The whole country is united in these difficult times. Volunteers, community activists, politicians, parents, and children — all have joined in these difficult times for the country, all supporting the army and volunteers. Insanely, it is significant and ultimately necessary for our country. We find ourselves in a situation that forces us to think about what peacemaking is and how to achieve lasting peace. To achieve a lasting peace, the idea of war must be rooted in human conscience. 

One of the main features is that the movement "Children: Ambassadors for Peace" was initiated by the children themselves, indicating their great desire to live in peace, which proves that such activity is a valid tool of public diplomacy.