On the International Peace Day September 21st, Artek participated in the teleconference that connected this children center with schools and Russian centers in Czechia, Portugal, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Switzerland and Malta. The modern teenagers and their mentors discussed what peace and friendship mean for them and what can unite people in different countries and on different continents.
The word “friendship” has been heard in the International Children's Center on all languages since the day of its founding.  Respect and acceptance of different peoples, languages and cultures are one of the main values that Artek alumni of different eras follow throughout their lives.  
The participants of the conference greeted each other in Russian, English, German and Portuguese. The children talked to each other about themselves, discussed the symbols of peace that are relevant for them today and jointly sang several songs, including the famous “May there always be sunshine”.
One of the main ideas that the teenagers brought up throughout the whole talk is: art, creativity, interest towards different languages and cultures – this is what can unite people today, can help to conduct a dialog and strengthen the peace.
The participant of the conference Anastasiya Kratz showed it by her own example. Nastya was in Artek's Lake camp during the 2018 international session. She is a laureate of the Living Classical Literature competition, and currently she is studying at the Nuremberg linguistic center.
“I recognize the yellow uniform dear to my heart and envy you a little,”- Nastya said to Artek Campers of the Lake camp. “Our session included many kids from different countries. Not all of them understood Russian, but we were able communicate in English or through gestures... Also, art always helps to unite people. Through a work of art you can transmit a thought, an emotion, especially a joyful and happy one, and share it with your friends. I wish you to remain close knit and not to forget your friends. After all, Artek Camper of today will be Artek Camper forever! Or in German: Arteker fur immer – Arteker heute”.
The participants of the meeting heard speeches of Program Head of the 11th Session Yuri Kravchenko, Professor of the Moscow State University of Psychology and Pedagogics, member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Aleksandr Kamenev and representative of the Cambridge University, leading expert in project activities in English of the Ocean Planet Program - Natalya Shvindina.
“We liked participating in the conference. It was cool to listen to different people speaking. We saw that kids from different countries are very friendly. Of course it made me want to pull up my knowledge of languages. This opens new perspectives in studies and helps understanding other people. The main idea of the Conference for me is that we need to keep peace and this depends on us,” - shared Nastya Bogomolova from Belgorod.
The kids came to the opinion that modern children can have an input in keeping peace by strengthening interpersonal contacts, discrediting prejudices and learning to be friends.
Artek Campers agreed with their age peers upon the importance of such meetings in the future for promoting the values of friendship, intercultural connections and collaboration of children and youth of the involved countries.