«Culture is an Opportunity to Feel the Breath of Another People»: Experts of WPA Presented Practices of Public Diplomacy
The word "culture" was heard at almost all venues of the First World Public Assembly "New World of Conscious Unity". After all, it is based on: on the one hand, everyone's identity, cultural differences, on the other hand, unlimited opportunities for forming relationships with others, building cooperation. At the panel session "Culture as the Basis of Trust on the Path to a Harmonious World" experts discussed the current challenges facing culture as a "territory of trust" and how to counter them.
03.10.2025
Andrei Belyaninov, Secretary General of the World Peoples Assembly, said in an interview with TASS on the eve of the WPA:
"Today, public diplomacy is the whole range of intercultural, educational, scientific and humanitarian cooperation, as well as business cooperation, which is based on trust and respect. <...> This is direct communication from person to person, from heart to heart. This is an area of international relations that cannot be banned or blocked, because it is based on living human connections and mutual goodwill."
At the panel session "The Phenomenon of Public Diplomacy", the voices of politicians, public figures and representatives of international organizations sounded in unison with the opinion of the Secretary General of the World Peoples Assembly.
Sergey Kalashnikov recalled the multi-thousand-year history of public diplomacy, which today, in his opinion, needs a new content.
Georgy Muradov, Head of the Representative Office of the World Peoples Assembly in the Republic of Crimea, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Crimea, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Crimea to the President of the Russian Federation, stressed the importance of preparing leaders for the future polycentric world:
Sergey Kalashnikov recalled the multi-thousand-year history of public diplomacy, which today, in his opinion, needs a new content.
Georgy Muradov, Head of the Representative Office of the World Peoples Assembly in the Republic of Crimea, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Crimea, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Crimea to the President of the Russian Federation, stressed the importance of preparing leaders for the future polycentric world:
“A new world is coming. It will be quite different!”
Sudhir Pal Sabharwal, Chairman of the India-Russia Foundation and President of the Center of the Russian Geographical Society in India, spoke about the rapprochement between the peoples of Russia and India, noting that true friendship is not based on formal agreements. His compatriot Javed Abid Jafferji, President of the LIONS CLUB International Charitable Foundation, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and public figure, added:
"Public diplomacy begins with ordinary people. It's not written on paper."
Head of the Public Diplomacy Department of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) Ekaterina Torubarova emphasized:
"People will not stop communicating. We are witnessing the desire of the peoples to interact with each other."
Stephanus Surio Susilo, Chairman of the Indonesian-Russian Friendship Society, called public diplomacy
"The best way to ensure peace and friendly relations."
General Director of the Russian Cultural and Educational Center "Pushkin House" (Republic of Korea) Kim Song Myung spoke about the role of culture and education as areas where mutual understanding is emerging. French expert Jean-Claude Guillemot agreed with him. According to him, art is becoming
"an invisible but solid bridge between nations."
"Culture builds bridges, not borders," says Blaise Esinialanga from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Public diplomacy is the diplomacy of hearts, the power of personal communication and cultural exchange, which paves the way for a new world order. This general conclusion was unanimously made by the experts of the panel discussion "The Phenomenon of Public Diplomacy".
