The forum is a joint traditional annual event in the field of strengthening international youth cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation.
Participants were young people aged 18 to 35 from the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation including representatives of republican / federal, regional youth public organizations, leaders of youth movements, representatives of state structures / institutions. In total more than 75 people participated there.
The purpose was development of international youth cooperation between Russia and Belarus, the Union State.
The forum has been held annually since 2013 at the initiative of the National Youth Council of Russia and the Public Association "Belarusian Republican Youth Union".
The agenda of the forum reflects current issues of youth including those formulated by youth themselves which are fixed in the resolutions of the forum.
In 2020 the forum was held in two stages. In September 2020 the first part was held online. It was dedicated to the preservation of historical memory and important events in our joint history – the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Second World War.
Guests of honor were the First Deputy Minister of Education of the Republic of Belarus Irina Starovoitova, the Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Elena Druzhinina, the Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus on Education, Science, Culture and Social Development Andrey Ivanets, the Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy Inna Svyatenko and the Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Grigory Gurov.
Summing up results of the online meeting participants noted people must not forget about their common past and must not allow the falsification of history. Participants also focused on the importance of children's organizations in patriotic education, on the need to increase interaction in new formats that are relevant for youth of two countries.
During the second part of the forum active work was carried out in various formats on topics reflecting current trends in youth policy in the Union State.
In the internal part of the forum took place:
- The grand opening of the 8th Belarusian-Russian Youth Forum where such organizers spoke a welcoming speech as the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Public Association "Belarusian Republican Youth Union" Dmitry Sergeevich Voronyuk and the Chairman of the National Youth Council of Russia Grigory Valeryevich Petushkov. The Chairman of the Republican Union of Public Associations "Belarusian Committee of Youth Organizations" Pavel Aleksandrovich Alekso and the Chairman of the All-Russian public organization "Russian Union of Youth" Pavel Pavlovich Krasnorutsky addressed participants with welcoming words.
- Work in sections "Social programs to support youth", "Cooperation between Russia and Belarus in the development and support of volunteering", "Youth employment and programs to support it". Experts and speakers from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus spoke at sections, and the collective work facilitated new proposals for further cooperation.
- Meeting of forum participants with the Minister of Education of the Republic of Belarus Igor Vasilyevich Karpenko and the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Valery Nikolaevich Falkov.
- Interactive work in groups and a meeting with youth organizations and structures of the Republic of Belarus in Nesvizh.
- Excursion program (Nesvizh Castle, the Museum of History, Memorial Church in honor of All Saints, crypt with capsules with earth of memorials, mass graves and places of military glory of the Second World War, historical sites, etc.).
- Meeting of participants with the Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Natalya Ivanovna.
Results: The international 8th Belarusian-Russian Youth Forum was held in order to strengthen friendly relations and develop cooperation between youth, youth organizations, state structures of Belarus and Russia, to promote joint interaction of public organizations and authorities working with youth in Belarus and Russia and to promote the implementation of joint youth ideas/projects including interregional ones.
Collective work in sections and an "open microphone" with ministers and honored guests of the forum were reflected in proposals for further cooperation including the following:
- Participation of students from Belarusian specialized construction and road transport educational institutions in the construction of federal roads M-1 "Belarus" and M-12 "Moscow-Kazan" in Russia in 2021 (by including in the personnel reserve of the road complex "Mobile Personnel of Russia"),
- Expanding formats of volunteer cooperation between youth of both countries and developing the potential of joint projects in the field of sports volunteering and youth sports exchanges,
- Exchange of methodological recommendations in the field of youth policy in various areas,
- Strengthening joint informational support for the implementation of projects and initiatives,
- Active cooperation between Belarus and Russia in the field of education including non-formal and advanced training of youth workers,
- Creation of support programs for youth workers (following the example of supporting young scientists, teachers),
- Inclusion in the compulsory educational program of the higher school of the course on the history of the Second World War in both states,
- Promotion of projects of the Youth Chamber at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia,
- Popularization and continuation of joint work within the framework of youth search teams, student teams, preservation of historical memory and important events in our joint history,
- Search for new interesting formats and approaches to attract youth audience to active participation in building the Union State, etc.
As a result of the online and in person stages of the event resolutions of the 2020 forum were adopted.
