The awards ceremony for the winners of the World Creativity Festival “Children of the World: Time to Be Friends” was held at the Moscow World Trade Center as part of the World Public Assembly. Aziza Bashimova, a student at the Turkmenabat Children’s Art School, was awarded the Grand Prix. The festival, which ran from March to August 2025, brought together talented children and adolescents aged 5 to 15 from 70 countries worldwide.
The Open Hearts Charitable Foundation organized the festival for Aid, Development, and Support of the Population, along with the Union of Fathers, an All-Russian public organization dedicated to supporting the family institution and traditional family values.
Irina Markova-Chagall, an artist, poet, and public figure, and the great-niece of Marc Chagall, chaired the jury. Maria Lvova-Belova, the Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights, supported the festival.
The competition accepted works in various media, including landscapes, images of historical events, native landscapes, family life, portraits, landmarks, significant places, and national celebrations. The works were submitted under the following categories: “My World,” “The Joy of Communication,” “Friendly Family,” and “Dreams of the Future.”
For Turkmenistan, this victory has particular symbolic significance, as this year marks the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent, positive neutrality, which has been enshrined three times in special resolutions of the UN General Assembly.
At the initiative of Turkmenistan, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2025 the “International Year of Peace and Trust.” This serves as an invitation and call to all states to work together, encompassing the political, ideological, and practical aspects of realizing the idea of peace and trust as a fundamental principle of the world order.
The World Creativity Festival “Children of the World: Time to Be Friends,” which included children of all ages, nationalities, and with varying social and physical abilities, was guided by the goal of shaping the concept of peace as a multifaceted idea and the highest value of modern civilization. After all, the future of planet Earth belongs exclusively to today’s children.
Art plays a key role in promoting tolerance and mutual understanding. The organizers are convinced that such projects, which engage young people in public diplomacy, help shape the future of international relations and reduce tensions between countries.
