Last year was marked with a striking event. The youth aspiration to claim the inadmissibility of war, to make wars more humane was convegeyed in the initiative to conduct the International Legal Olympiad “Youth for peace” – a competition which is conducted annually among students from different countries. The aim of this Olympiad is an active youth including into political and cultural life of the society. International Institute of Labor and Social Relations has appeared as an Organizer of the Olympiad with backing of Belarusian Trade Unions. Such an event has not analogues in Eastern Europe.

The First International Legal Olympiad “Youth for peace” took place at the sport-sanitary centre of Belarusian Trade Unions “Ratomka” in the environs of Minsk with a support of the International Committee of Red Cross ans Belarusian Trade Unions. Students from Law departments from Minsk, Vitebsk, Gomel, Moskow, Saint-Petersburg, Kiev and Charkov took part in the Olympiad. The participants of team were chosen at the Universities and were ready to defend the honour of their educational establishments.

The Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus, the assistant of President of the Republic of Belarus, the Chairman of Belarusian Trade Unions, the Rector of the International Institute of Labor and Social Relations, the Chairman of the Confederations of Turkey Trade Unions, the Delegate of International Committee of Red Cross and other guests. Besides a great amount of representatives of mass media visited the Olympiad. It was brightened widely on all belarusian TV channels, in leading newspapers, internet-publications, on the radio.

After the Opening of the Olympiad all teams presented their welcoming speeches. Besides every participant of the Olympiad came out with their personal reports, a competition of antiwar poster was held, a round table for professors was organised.

Both complicated and interesting task for solution was given to the participants of the Olympiad. At the first day they had to grow accustomed to the role of the Ministers and to offer their own solution of the problem to the President, who had called of an urgent meeting of the Government. At the second day the participants were suggested to carry on negotiations with each other to come to a consensus and to sign document of armistice. At the final day students had a possibility to ypply theit theoretical knowledge in practice.

To know each other better a party of acquaintance, a party of bard songs near bonfire, disco were organised for participants. There was a possibility to visit the Memorial Complex “Chatyn”, the Mountain of Glory and to have an excurcion around the Minsk.

The professional judges provided for maximum objectivity during evaluation and selection of the winner and also to resolve arguments. The judges and participants of the Olympiad were administrated the oath at the Opening ceremony.

As a result of persistent struggle for the first place Saint-Perersburg Humanitarian University of Trade Unions won the first place at the First International Legal Olympiad “Youth for peace”.

In the upshot the participants accepted the appeal to the Governments of the countries world wide, which was handed ceremonially to all accreditive embassies in Belarus and was sent to 191 countries. This appeal has to call to world Governments to refuse the use of armed force as a means of achivement of their political aims.

To reckon up we would like to emphasize that due to this Olympiad the public attention was attracted to the problems of the International Humanitarian Law, great amount of ‘high’ guests visited the Olympiad. It stimulated the creation of study groups of International Humanitarian Law in different Universities. The all above-stated is proof, that Olympiad was succeeded. We wait you next year!