Grand opening ceremony of the exhibition of children works "World without strangers" took place on June 11, 2009 at 11.00 in the National Museum of History and Culture of the Republic of Belarus (K. Marks str., 12).
The exhibition was organized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Office in the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus and the Center for Children and Adolescents «Evrika». 100 of the best works will be exhibited in the National Museum of History and Culture of the Republic of Belarus during June 11—21.
Warm word addressed to young artists sounded from Sholeh Safavi, the Head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Office in the Republic of Belarus, Sergey Molochnikov, Lead Specialist of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus, Sergey Vechera, Director of the Museum, and Svetlana Shmagorevskaya, Head of the Center for Children and Adolescents «Evrika». Each visitor could choose the best work and vote for it — that gave possibility to the author to gain the people's choice award. Children of refugees were also among the participants of the ceremony.
Legislation base and efforts of refugees themselves are not enough for successful integration of refugees in Belarusian society. It's necessary that the society should be prepared to accept them as equal members. Therefore expository and propaganda work is very important among local population. Republican contest of creative works among pupils of the Republic of Belarus is a part of this work. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Office in the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus and the Center for Children and Adolescents «Evrika» are founders of this contest. This year the contest motto was "World without strangers". There were two nominations — literature work and drawing —Belarusian pupils were suggested to give a glance at the problems of refugees who live in the Republic of Belarus. The main idea of the contest is accordant to the words of Russian poet A. Tvardovsky:
In the new land, in place, which is open
For happiness, life is hard for people for a long time.
And it seems for them uninhabited,
And comes to mind another place.
And time is needed to take roots here,
To bring in life new recollections …
1423 children's works of arts were received by the organizing committee from different regions of the Republic of Belarus. Talks about refugees were almost in every school of the country — about the comprehensive attitude towards those people who have lost their motherland, how we can help them and what use they can bring to our country. Belarusian pupil Shalesnaya Ekatserina has wrote in her composition: "We always should remember that people who came from other countries can do a power of good for the Republic of Belarus. How many clever and talented people were refugees! Many of them are good doctors, teachers, engineers, responsible workers. During their living and working here, they will save people, teach children, build buildings, work at factories and plants. May be some of them will cope with their work even better then anyone else. Our country will flourish, and people will have worthy live." Children's drawings are imbued with compassion, charity, tolerance and genuine interest to the "other" people. Even their titles tell a lot: "Hand of Charity", "Accept Us, Belarus", "Towards New Future", "Position Yourself at Their Place", "Our Home is Open for Everyone", "There is No Border between Us".
The contest jury was various. It consists of representatives of the UNHCR Office in the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus, artists, editors and reporters of newspapers and magazines. 100 of the best works have been elected to be exhibited in the National Museum of History and Culture of the Republic of Belarus at the exhibition devoted to the World Refugee Day. On June 11 the grand opening ceremony took place. Warm word addressed to young artists sounded from Sholeh Safavi, the Head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Office in the Republic of Belarus, Sergey Molochnikov, Lead Specialist of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus, Sergey Vechera, Director of the Museum, and Svetlana Shmagorevskaya, Head of the Center for Children and Adolescents «Evrika». Each visitor could choose the best work and vote for it — that gave possibility to the author to gain the people's choice award. Children of refugees were also among the participants of the ceremony.
Laureates of the contest of children's works of arts "World without strangers" were invited in Minsk on the eve of the World Refugee Day, where they participate in all the actions devoted to this day. Children were introduced with children-refugees from Afghanistan and Georgia. That was one more chance for them to verify that refugees are not dangerous to receiving society, that they also want to live in peace, harmony and happiness. Gala-concert which was organized by children creative teams took place. Children from Belarus which went through the Great Patriotic War understand state of child-refugee. Here are the words of fifteen-year old Irina Dudareva from Belarusian city Mogilev: “You know rather good, my Motherland, what the war is. That is the case why you lay close to the heart stranger’s pain, stranger’s sorrow. There is no stranger’s sorrow for mother’s sensitive heart. You meet refugees from hotspots and from flames of war like loving mother”.
40 laureates of the contest received awards. Besides several authors were awarded with special prizes of the UNHCR Office in the Republic of Belarus and Belarusian children magazine “Vyaselka” (“Rainbow”).
The occasion was very successful and got its reflection in the Mass Media of the Republic of Belarus.