Youth will settle in Novopolotsk forever

October 24, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. "Youth" will permanently reside in Novopolotsk from today. A sculptural composition in honor of youth is solemnly opening in the city of oil workers, the head of the ideological work department of the Novopolotsk city executive committee, Ekaterina Baryshnikova, told a BELTA correspondent. A native of Novopolotsk, Minsk sculptor Dmitry Oganov depicted a young man and a girl in bronze, trying to embody in their images everything that is characteristic of youth: the sincerity of first feelings, faith in a dream, and the desire to make the world a better place. The sculptural heroes have already been given names in the city - Valentin and Valentina, making them namesake of the heroes of the play of the same name by Mikhail Roshchin, who managed to preserve their love against all odds. It is quite possible that "Youth" will become a good talisman for Novopolotsk lovers. The initiative to create the sculpture belongs to the youth of Novopolotsk. Two years ago, they began collecting funds for this composition and contributed Br80 million to its creation. The remaining funds were allocated from the local budget. The opening of the composition coincided with a meeting of the coordination council for the implementation of the global initiative "City Friendly to Children," which will be attended by the heads of cities that have joined the global initiative, and a representative of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Belarus. The participants of the meeting will get acquainted with the work of institutions, enterprises, and organizations of the city on the implementation of the action plan within the framework of the global initiative "City Friendly to Children" in Novopolotsk, and the work of the city Parliament of Children and Youth will be presented to them. By participating in the global initiative, Novopolotsk has confirmed its commitment to caring for children, creating decent conditions for their birth, upbringing, and education, ensuring the necessary level of healthcare and services, and supporting children's and youth initiatives. The UNICEF initiative "City Friendly to Children" is a tool that helps to reduce the negative impact of the urban environment on a child's life, maximizing the opportunities and benefits it offers. Participation in the initiative contributes to the fulfillment at the city level of the obligations undertaken by the country when signing the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The "City Friendly to Children" initiative has been implemented for many years in London, Paris, Munich, Buenos Aires, as well as in many other cities in different countries, including France, Spain, Italy, Holland, Sweden, and Brazil. The International Secretariat of Child-Friendly Cities was established in 2000 in Italy, based at the Innocenti Institute, which is also a UNICEF research center. The main task of the secretariat is to strengthen the capacity of cities developing in the interests of children by conducting research, exchanging experience and information, and cooperating with authorities, non-profit organizations, and youth movements. All child-friendly cities are united in national and international networks. Currently, 21 cities, including the capital, Minsk, are participants in this initiative in Belarus. -0-