International Public Student Readings ‘I Vote for Peace’

INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC STUDENTS’ READINGS
“I VOTE FOR PEACE!”

Holding the International Public Students’ Readings “I Vote for Peace” at the Academician Stepan Demianchuk International University of Economics and Humanities is a long-standing tradition that dates back to 1996. The first event was initiated by the founder of the university – Academician Stepan Demianchuk, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, whose scientific and public activities significantly influenced the formation of the concept of this project.
Today, the organizers of the readings are the teaching staff of the Department of General Pedagogy and Preschool Education under the leadership of the Head of the Department, Assoc. Prof. Liliia Melnychuk, and the President of the University, Anatolii Demianchuk.

The goal of “I Vote for Peace!”, formulated by its initiator, remains unchanged is to inspire gifted students to express their own reflections on the problems of war and peace through prose and poetry. This initiative not only contributes to the development of critical thinking and creative abilities of young people, but also creates a platform for a deeper awareness of the importance of peace in both a personal and social context.

STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECT “I VOTE FOR PEACE!”

Stage 1. Stepan Demianchuk’s initiation of the direction of raising children on the ideas of peace
Stage 2. Popularization of Stepan Demianchuk’s peace ideas among young people
Stage 3. Local Level Readings “I Vote for Peace”
Stage 4. Regional Level Readings “I Vote for Peace”
Stage 5. National Level Readings “I Vote for Peace”
Stage 6. International Level Readings “I Vote for Peace”
Stage 7. Receiving the “I Vote for Peace: Cooperation and Compassion in a Time of War” Grant

The first students’ readings “I Vote for Peace!” were held at the local level, where students from schools in the city of Rivne joined the events. The organization’s successful experience contributed to their expansion to the regional level, covering educational institutions in Western Ukraine. The next important step was to hold readings at the all-Ukrainian level, which allowed to attract students from all corners of Ukraine. With the growing interest in the project, it acquired an international scale, covering student communities from different countries of Europe. Every year, the geography of participants in international readings expanded, which indicated the growing significance of the initiative in a global context.

The readings of “I Vote for Peace” gained special significance after the start of the full-scale invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine in 2022. In the context of military aggression, they became not only a platform for expressing the views of young people on peace, but also a symbol of international solidarity and support. A new stage in development was the receipt of the grant “I Vote for Peace: Cooperation and Compassion in a Time of War” within the framework of the Twinning initiative, which made it possible to expand the horizons of the project.

Geography. The student readings cover all regions of Ukraine and foreign countries. Thus, the participants in the readings were representatives of more than 20 countries, namely Great Britain, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Korea, Israel, Turkey, Georgia, Northern Ireland, Hungary, Colombia, Japan, Slovakia, Belgium, Spain, the USA, etc.

Regarding the age groups of participants, the most active are students in grades 2, 3, 4, and 5, which make up the age group from 8 to 10 years old. As for the number of works published in the project’s collections, it varied from 25 in 1997 to 257 in 2024. The largest number of works was published in 2008.

The students’ readings “I Vote for Peace!” have become an important platform where children and youth have the opportunity not only to share their own thoughts and experiences on the topics of war and peace, but also to feel that their voice matters.

Reading atmosphere always filled with special emotional tension, sincerity and deep personal reflections. This is a space where literary creativity, patriotism and civic position are combined. A feature of the readings is their interactive structure.

Participants have the opportunity to join the plenary session, where they will be warmly welcomed by the university administration and invited guests. At the next stage, children participate in breakout sessions, which allow them to showcase their creative work to the audience. The readings conclude with a visit to the Peace Museum.
Based on the results of the readings, a collection of the best works is published annually. On its pages, children express their sincere hopes for the speedy end of the bloody war and the arrival of the long-awaited peace on our native land. Of particular importance are the works published in the collections of recent years.

On February 24, 2022, a full-scale war began in Ukraine, and children across the country became witnesses and victims of its destructive power. Instead of drawing inspiration from books, historical films, or soldiers’ stories, the young authors formulated their views on issues of war and peace based on their own experiences of experiencing fear during air raid sirens and ballistic missile explosions, drone attacks, staying in shelters, and encounters with Russian soldiers.

For example, the 2023 collection included 250 creative works of participants. The publication is dedicated to the memory of fighters for peace, freedom and independence of Ukraine and highlights the views of schoolchildren, youth and the world community on the problem of preserving peace in Ukraine and the world. The works included in the collection vividly reflect the tragic events that took the lives of civilians and caused destruction in many cities of Ukraine. Children express their condolences to widows and orphans, offer prayers for innocent victims and fallen defenders in Mariupol, Bucha, Irpen, Gostomel, Mykolaiv and Kherson.
It is worth noting that the 2023 collection is part of the grant project “I Vote for Peace: Cooperation and Compassion in a Time of War” with Bath Spa University, which was implemented with the support of Research England and UK Research and Innovation funds.

The impact of the project “I Vote for Peace: Cooperation and Compassion in a Time of War” was extraordinary. In 2023, 282 people took part in it, including 250 Ukrainians and 32 foreign participants from countries such as the United Kingdom, Poland, India, Israel, Slovakia, Korea, the Netherlands, Ireland, Georgia, Hungary, Canada, Uzbekistan, and Turkey. At the beginning of the project, a separate foreign section of the international readings “I Vote for Peace!” was launched, where foreign guests and participants can present their works in a foreign language.

The peace-making ideas proclaimed by Stepan Demianchuk Stepan are today actively implemented in scientific and pedagogical activities by teachers of higher education institutions, educators, and students.

Conducting students’ readings “I vote for peace!” contributes to the formation of patriotism, the upbringing of respect for one’s own people, moral and spiritual qualities, and the awareness of the need to build one’s own statehood on the principles of peace, tolerance, and mutual respect between peoples.

You can find the books of the intiative “I Vote for Peace” for 2020-2025 here: