Russian Presidency of BRICS Driving Special Needs People’s Inclusion in Enabling Inclusive Education and Egalitarian Intellectualism

The Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2025, or BRICS Strategy states, “We express our commitment to sustainable development in three dimensions - economic, social and environmental - in a balanced and integrative manner. All our citizens, in all parts of respective territories, including remote areas, deserve to fully enjoy the benefits of sustainable development. We reiterate the importance of the implementation of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development and call for redoubled efforts for its timely implementation.” 11th BRICS Summit Brasilia Declaration.

The SAEBD Books for Peace: Ichigo International Peace Container Pilot  Initiative 2024-2028: Special Needs Inclusion

Persatuan Sahabat Pelajaran dan Penaung Buku Malaysia (PSPPBM) or SAEBD Malaysia (Society for the Advancement of Education and Book Donation) was conceived and has operated in Malaysia since 2011. The strategic intent of the SAEBD ICHIGO initiative is simple. To promote “a commitment for access to education and egalitarian intellectualism” within the framework of realising the UNSDGs for inclusive development. The objective is to develop and establish a pilot initiative as a BRICS-branded product to facilitate education and egalitarian intellectualism for development, which engages both Special Needs People and non-Special Needs People as active participants in the delivery of the product.

An anticipated output is creating a global network of partners to organise the collection and sending of books, educational materials, and IT equipment to recipient organisations committed to facilitating education and intellectualism for setting up libraries and people’s learning centres, with a mixed work and/or volunteer team of people with differing abilities. Recipient partners may wish these centres to offer online educational programmes connected with Russian and other BRICS member academic institutions, like schools and colleges of higher learning. This may be adopted following bilateral or multilateral agreements in later phases. 

The initiative's required inputs are equally simple. Inpiduals and the private sector donate books, educational materials, and IT equipment, which are collected and housed in containers known as ICHIGO (Strawberry*) International Peace Containers [* Strawberry - a symbol of purity, fertility, abundance, humility and modesty]. These international peace containers will then be sent to the recipient partners in various nations. All done with the mixed ability teams of people.

We have created a quadruple helix partnership comprising civil society, private, public and academic organisations. SAEBD with host of SAEBD-International Cooperationa Coordinating Committee (SAEBD-ICCC), Gomm Interlink Sdn.Bhd (M) has harnessed the support of a former Paralympian (London 2012 and Rio 2016) and other high profile personalities to be the initiative’s global champions and advisor, several former decision-makers and an immediate small coalition of core CSR/ESG partners from the private and academic sector from Malaysia, China and Zimbabwe.

We at SAEBD hope to involve organisations from Russia and other BRICS and non-BRICS nations next.

How can Russia during its Presidency make a difference for Special Needs People’s inclusion in promoting education and egalitarian intellectualism?

So why are we proposing this initiative to advance education and egalitarian intellectualism with involvement of special needs people now? And why should Russia and the other core BRICS nations - Brazil, India, China, and South Africa - take an interest in such an initiative? Moreover, should the initiative we propose also be extended to new BRICS Alliance member nations? Many will state there is nothing new about the SAEBD Initiative - collecting and sending books and educational materials to those needing them to advance education and egalitarian intellectualism. However, what is significantly unique with this SAEBD and partners initiative is the intent to engage, support and promote Special Needs People’s involvement at every stage - from design to roll-out, to the implementation process and management. 

With Russia holding the Presidency of BRICS this year, it may be fortuitous for many especially if there is a concerted long-term effort to extend the Russian commitment to education and egalitarian intellectualism beyond its borders, and engaging special needs people in this process. During its BRICS presidency this year, Russia's priority is "promoting the entire range of partnership and cooperation within the association's framework on three key tracks – politics and security, the economy and finance, and cultural and humanitarian ties." 

From the Society for the Advancement of Education and Book Donation Malaysia (SAEBD Malaysia or PSPPBM) understanding of these tracks for partnership and cooperation support and encourage a commitment to education and intellectualism through a social inclusion action-oriented initiative. Thus, we moot a pilot initiative called the SAEBD “Books for Peace: ICHIGO International Peace Container Initiative”. Our particular interest in promoting this initiative is also because Malaysia has applied to become a member of BRICS and we can learn from the existing members.

SAEBD Malaysia is the lead partner with other organisations from BRICS member nations, or nations intending to join the BRICS Alliance. We hope a long-term international initiative, in line with tracks I, II and III can potentially become a BRICS-promoted initiative. We propose that our initiative fits both with the national policy of the Russian Federation and Track I, II and III of the framework governing cooperation under Russia's Presidency of BRICS for two reasons, among many others. 

Special Needs People often face steep challenges to acheive economic independence, redress social prejudice and or enact policy or rights enshrined in a constitutional of that stop them from being involved in processes to advance education and egalitatian intellectualism. During the BRICS Presidency, showcasing Russian special needs employment process as good practice, information sharing on policy supported by constituional rights can be useful for others to also learn how to break barriers that stifle special needs peoples inclusion in society.

In Russia’s pedagogical universities and institutes teachers are trained to work with special needs children - mental, hearing, vision and speech disabilities. This reflects the history of Russia promoting education and intellectualism without discrimination. It is born from a complex interplay of state policies, cultural movements, and inpidual contributions, reflecting the nation's evolving priorities and challenges. The nation's promotion of education and intellectualism is rich and multifaceted, reflecting various social, political, and cultural shifts over the centuries. It is suggested that the spirit of egalitarianism and respect for inclusive and positive human development is central to the Russian prowess for education and intellectualism. 

Furthermore, it is claimed that this spirit of egalitarianism stems from the innate compassion and self-agency inculcated into the Russian psyche and developed over centuries. The spirit of egalitarianism has been a significant but complex motivating factor in education and intellectualism in Russia, particularly during certain historical periods i.e. the Soviet period. During this period the state sought to provide universal education and reduce social disparities as part of its broader socialist agenda. The values-driven system of the post-Soviet era has influenced the Russian Federation. 

Moreover, the emphasis on egalitarianism in Russian education and intellectual pursuits can be seen through various initiatives and reforms to promote equal access and reduce social disparities. Here, an underlying factor has been respect for positive human development in Russia. It has been an important motivating factor in promoting education and intellectualism, and in the global outreach policy and actions. This focus on human development emphasises the holistic growth of inpiduals, including their intellectual, moral, social, and emotional capacities. 

Similarly, the transferability of this uniqueness is not selfishly harboured. It is shared with others around the world. Every year, thousands of non-Russian International students enter colleges from abroad. Russian academic institutions welcome these international students, through their preparatory departments, running Russian language courses to welcome and help them adapt to life in their new host country. Furthermore, many eligible international students receive state support through scholarships and discounts on tuition.

How can all of this Start?

We suggest that Russia can invigorate the understanding that Special Needs People can also be part of this positivity towards advancing education and egalitarian intellectualism and should be part of promoting it. We are motivated to request that Russia showcase these processes to dispel myths and prejudice that Special Needs People cannot be part of such positivism to others in BRICS and non-BRICS nations. We would welcome Russia through her non-state actors during its presidency to assist in making this a reality through their participation in our initiative. We believe that this type of inclusive process can be achieved by exploring the adoption of policy and championing and promotion of these policies as a potential good practice without imposition on BRICS member states, but leading to a gradual overflow to nations globally. 

SAEBD and partners propose that our initiative complement the national policy and action of the Russian Federation, and is also in line with the objectives of Russia’s BRICS Presidency Track I, II and III of the framework governing cooperation. Thus, the “Books for Peace: Ichigo International Peace Container” initiative can be part of this discussion as a potential action example, with the kick-start of an exploratory discussion including our pilot initiative. We suggest this as a possible action for a BRICS-branded product to be tested by non-state actors in BRICS member and non-member nations, or as collaborative actions with an optimal potential to formulate a BRICS nations-driven vanguard special needs people inclusion initiative.

Special Needs and Non-Special needs people work together in book and equipment collection, organisation and management of forwarding the containers, and in setting up and managing the friendship people-to-people reading and learning centres to facilitate education and egalitarian intellectualism.  Ideas can be gathered through inputs at the discussion. Simultaneously, buy-in and partnership development are harnessed with possible implementation process models suggested for initiative roll-out in various countries. Thus, from small steps  BRICS can bring to the world a new effort to facilitate a commitment to inclusive education and intellectualism coupled with the hope that it brings a new kind of educated and intellectual discernment of information.