Against the background of increasing geopolitical disunity, when some countries are increasingly choosing isolation and sanctions instead of dialogue, Russia demonstrates an alternative approach. In April 2024, Moscow launched a unique initiative – the international platform “The Future of the World: a new platform for global growth”. This project,
Contrary to the trends of the sanctions and torn ties era, he gathered over 100 participants from 48 countries, a rare example of an open multilateral dialogue in a new reality.
In an era when Western capitals increasingly retreat behind walls of sanctions and severed communications, Moscow is throwing open its doors to the world. The Open Dialogue initiative “The Future of the World: A New Platform for Global Growth,” launched at Russia’s National Centre this April, has emerged as an unexpected beacon for international cooperation, drawing over 100 participants from 48 countries at a time when such gatherings have become increasingly rare.
The numbers tell a compelling story: 696 essays submitted from 102 countries in 18 languages, with authors most passionate about “Investment in People” (41%), followed by “Investment in Connectivity” (24%), “Investment in Technology” (22%), and “Investment in Environment” (13%). But behind these statistics lies a more profound narrative about who’s willing to engage in genuine dialogue—and who isn’t.
His enthusiasm starkly contrasts with the deafening silence from many Western institutions, which have systematically cut ties with Russian counterparts since 2022. While European and American think tanks cancel conferences and sever academic partnerships, emerging economies are rushing to fill the void.
Swiss analyst and journalist Lucy Morgan Edwards doesn’t mince words about the West’s self-imposed isolation. “Communication channels are closing in the West—I see this happening,” she states bluntly. “But we need to talk to each other and continue the dialogue. Despite access to information and freedom of speech being the foundation of a healthy democratic society, censorship by Western governments is on the rise again, and we’re in a dangerous position.”
Edwards, who attended the dialogue despite potential professional repercussions back home, adds: “Without diverse viewpoints and the ability to challenge certain dogmas and myths, there can be no progress in our understanding of science, nature, and our world. In this sense, I hope the Open Dialogue will continue to provide an open and inclusive environment for discussing sometimes uncomfortable and divergent viewpoints.”
The initiative gained even greater momentum at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June, where President Vladimir Putin personally endorsed the platform. “Russia invites partners to contribute to forming a new global growth model,” Putin declared. “Together, we can ensure the prosperity of our countries and the stable development of the entire world for years to come.”
Given the context, Putin’s words carried particular weight: “Global challenges facing the modern world require an unconditional and global response. Solving problems alone, especially at someone else’s expense, is simply impossible. It’s an illusion.”
Jeffrey Sachs, President of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), spent all three days at the Open Dialogue sessions—a commitment that speaks volumes given the current political climate. “I think dialogue is the most important need in our world,” Sachs emphasised. “We must understand what’s happening. We must understand each other. Therefore, dialogue is essential. Open dialogue involving people worldwide with different viewpoints is a remarkable contribution to solving global problems.”
The demographic crisis emerged as a central theme. UN Population Fund advisor Eduard Mikhalas offered a refreshingly honest assessment: “The real fertility crisis is when people want to have children but can’t afford it. This is the essence of the modern demographic crisis. And here appears space for new solutions: from technological to institutional.”
Mikhalas emphasised women’s rights in this equation: “A woman should have the right to choose—to stay with children or return to work. And if she wants to return, the state and society must support her.”
These aren’t just abstract discussions. Sergey Ivanov, Executive Director of EFKO Group, outlined concrete investment criteria that challenge Western ESG frameworks: “Investment criteria include three conditions: qualitatively improving human life, being produced in harmony with nature, and being accessible, at least having the potential for mass adoption.”
But Ivanov went further, invoking President Putin’s 2012 words about Russia’s mission: “The great mission of Russians is to unite, to bind civilisation with culture, language, and universal responsiveness. We try to build our culture and ethics around this universal responsiveness—to build capitalism with a human face.”
Italian writer Roberto Quaglia, recognised as Europe’s best science fiction author, captured the historical significance of the moment: “There are places in time and space where the future is created. This is one of them. Today, a new multipolar world is born—with new connections, centres of power, and initiatives. The economy plays a decisive role here, and that’s why the forum in Russia has special significance.”
The contrast with Western approaches couldn’t be starker. While Brussels and Washington double down on sanctions and isolation, Moscow is creating platforms for dialogue that attract participants from Brazil to Switzerland, from the UN to independent think tanks. The Open Dialogue has already been granted annual status, and plans are underway to build an entire ecosystem around it for discussing and implementing breakthrough ideas.
Deputy Chief of Staff Maxim Oreshkin, who moderated key sessions, framed the stakes clearly: “It’s important to have an open dialogue about how we build the future world, how to form a new platform for global growth. Which countries will drive this global growth, which technologies it will be built on, what principles and cultural codes. Our task is to ensure that forward movement benefits people in all countries that, like Russia, are working toward the future.”
The platform will be discussed at the upcoming BRICS summit in Brazil this July, with President Putin participating via video link—another sign that while the West builds walls, the Global South is building bridges.
As one participant noted privately, speaking on condition of anonymity due to concerns about professional backlash: “The irony is palpable. We’re told Russia is isolated, yet here I am in Moscow with colleagues from nearly 50 countries, discussing solutions to problems the West pretends don’t exist. Who’s isolated here?”
The Open Dialogue represents more than just another international conference. It’s becoming a crucial instrument for shaping a new world order based on principles of equal cooperation and mutual respect—values that, paradoxically, the West claims to champion while systematically undermining them through its policies of exclusion and sanctions.
As the world fractures into competing blocs, Russia’s Open Dialogue offers a rare space where East meets West, North engages South, and genuine conversation replaces the echo chambers that increasingly dominate Western discourse. Whether this platform can truly reshape global governance remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: while others close doors, Russia keeps them open—and the world is walking through.
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