The third day of the #WEARETOGETHER Forum concludes at the National Centre RUSSIA

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The third day of the International Forum of Civic Participation #WEARETOGETHER has concluded at the National Centre RUSSIA. The programme featured panel discussions and specialised sessions, during which leading Russian and international experts exchanged best practices and strategies for developing civic initiatives. Cooperation agreements were signed, and the day concluded with an official ceremony recognising the country’s best volunteers.

The main event was the award ceremony for the recipients of the "Volunteer of Russia" badge of distinction and the laureates of the #WEARETOGETHER Prize. The badge was established by the Government of the Russian Federation to honour citizens who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in volunteering. Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova presented the badge to 25 volunteers. She congratulated the forum participants on the upcoming Volunteer Day and thanked volunteers for their continuous work and dedication.

Awards for the laureates in the "Territories" category — in the nominations "Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation" and "Partnership of the Year" — were presented by the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia, Sergei Kiriyenko. At the #WEARETOGETHER Forum, he also spoke with volunteers and authors of volunteer initiatives and joined the All-Russian "New Year Tree of Wishes" campaign of the Movement of the First.

As part of the business programme, the panel discussion "Regions of Good Deeds: Best Regional and Municipal Practices" reviewed the outcomes of the programme of the same name over the past year. Speakers discussed how support for the families of service members, the development of the non-profit sector and cooperation with volunteers are becoming stable systems rather than one-off actions. The panel’s experts included: Governor of the Zaporozhye Region Yevgeny Balitsky; Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region Alexei Teksler; Governor of the Ulyanovsk Region Alexei Russkikh; Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin; Head of the Udmurt Republic Alexander Brechalov; Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Region Mikhail Kotyukov; and finalist of the #WEARETOGETHER International Prize 2025, Head of Norilsk Dmitry Karasev.

At the plenary session "Together Towards Victory: The Strength of One Nation", experts discussed systemic measures to support participants in the special military operation and the volunteer community. The discussion focused not only on financial and medical aspects but also on long-term social adaptation, educational programmes, housing solutions and career rehabilitation upon return. The need for an individual approach and "seamless" coordination between different agencies and organisations was emphasised. According to the Chair of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy and Head of Dobro.rf, Artyom Metelev, more than 140,000 projects across various fields are currently registered on the platform, and one of the most popular areas among users is initiatives supporting service members, veterans and the families of participants in the special military operation.

"The main result of this year is that, as a society, we have become very mature. Over the past five years, the country, society and each of us have become much stronger and more resilient, both internally and externally. Why is this happening? On the one hand, our inner readiness to help is very strong. We see this in research: priorities and values have changed. On the other hand, alongside these internal value transformations, the support provided to volunteering in our country also plays a role. And this, too, is one of the year's outcomes. Russia is the only country in the world that has enshrined support for volunteering in its Constitution. This was a principled decision of our President, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. And under his attention, a huge number of these processes are taking place," said Artyom Metelev, Chair of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy and Head of Dobro.rf.

A number of agreements aimed at joint implementation of projects were also concluded during the forum. Rosmolodezh signed cooperation agreements with the Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation for the Development of Motorsport SMP Racing and the Society for the Promotion of Combat Sports "Otechestvo" ("Fatherland".). The Movement of the First signed agreements with both organisations as well as with the "Red Machine Junior" hockey school. The Dobro.rf platform expanded its cooperation network by signing agreements with the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, Rosstandart and the National Council for Corporate Volunteering, as well as a tripartite document with Russian Railways (RZD) and the "Pochet" ("Honour") Foundation.

The forum hosted the expert panel discussion "Humanitarian Diplomacy in the Context of Global Multipolarity". Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Yevgeny Primakov, First Deputy Chair of the State Duma Committee on Education and Chair of the Coordination Council of ANO "Eurasia" Alena Arshinova, and Director General of the Directorate of the World Youth Festival Dmitry Ivanov discussed with representatives of international organisations how culture, education, science and volunteering are becoming new instruments for building dialogue and strengthening mutual understanding in a rapidly changing world.

The forum also recognised outstanding achievements in cultural volunteering. Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Sergei Pershin presented letters of appreciation to activists who preserve the memory of cultural figures of the war years and awarded the Top 10 regions of 2025. A new stage of the federal programme "Preserving Heritage Together" was launched, and plans for the next three years were presented, with a major nationwide campaign for the Day of the Artist set to become the central event.

The founder of the #WEARETOGETHER Prize is Rosmolodezh. The organiser is Dobro.rf. The general partner of the Prize is Alfa-Bank, and the strategic partner is Rosatom State Corporation.