Ashraf AboArafe
Under the theme “A New World of Conscious Unity,” Moscow hosted the inaugural Peoples of the World Summit, organized by the World Union of Non-Governmental Organizations (Peoples of the World). The summit coincided with the International Day of Peace and brought together representatives from 150 countries.
In his opening remarks, Andrey Belyaninov, President of the Summit, emphasized: “We believe that the new world begins where unity is affirmed, where values rise above differences, and where cooperation proves stronger than competition. A new world is born from shared effort.”
Former Yemeni President Ali Nasser Mohammed extended gratitude to the Russian government for convening such a broad global gathering to promote dialogue and mutual understanding. Speaking on behalf of the Arab Peace Group, he underlined the Arab peoples’ determination to be an active part of the international dialogue—contributing to peace, tolerance, and the joint search for solutions to global challenges. He also drew attention to the ongoing tragedy in Gaza, which has endured war and famine for two years under Israeli aggression, calling on the peoples and governments of the world to support Palestinians and to work toward ending wars across the Arab region.
From Jordan, former Prime Minister Dr. Adnan Badran stressed the urgent need for a radical transformation of the Arab educational system, advocating for integrated education that shifts from rote learning to creative and critical thinking. He called for teacher training through advanced digital tools and restructured curricula that foster innovation and intelligence.
The opening ceremony also featured congratulatory messages from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Valentina Matvienko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council, alongside the participation of several ministers. Despite the European boycott of Russia, delegations from Germany, France, Sweden, and Greece attended, joined by a strong Arab presence.
Egypt was represented by Dr. Amr Ezzat Salama, former Minister of Higher Education and Secretary-General of the Association of Arab Universities, and Sherif Gad, President of the Egyptian Association of Alumni of Russian and Soviet Universities and Secretary-General of the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Society.
