On January 28-31, 2019, Havana (Cuba) hosted IV International Conference “For World Balance”. The event was organized as part of José Martí Project for World Solidarity. This project, carried out under the auspices of UNESCO, was founded in 2003 with a special decision of the UNESCO General Conference. The programmes of the Project run for 3-year periods and each period is concluded with an international forum dedicated to modern challenges. This time, the focus was on such topics as the importance of intercultural dialogue, the right to equal access to education and healthcare and prevention of all forms of discrimination.
The event brought together various specialists: education workers, social activists, leaders of trade unions, political parties, youth, professional organizations and organizations of indigenous peoples, as well as representatives of NGOs from 60 countries of the world, including the UNESCO IITE partners – The Belarusian Association of UNESCO Clubs (BELAU). BELAU is a non-governmental organization that has been working since 1989 to promote the principles and ideas of UNESCO in the field of education, science, culture and communication through the network of UNESCO clubs in Belarus.
Dzmitry Subtselny, President of the Belarusian Association of UNESCO Clubs was invited to speak at the conference. In his report, Mr. Subtselny reflected the experience of using ICT and digital tools in education, including the popularization of healthy lifestyle among youth. Healthy Lifestyle is a long-term BELAU programme whose goal is to promote safe and responsible behaviors, motivate young people to lead a healthy life and avoid risks. A special feature of the programme is an emphasis on developing life skills, shaping a mindful and active life position and taking responsibility. Another strand of work within the programme is motivating young people to participate in planning, conducting and evaluating community service in the field of public health. The Belarusian experience was highly appreciated by colleagues and conference participants.