Season’s Greetings and Warmest Wishes from BE OPEN!
Author: Lilia Valieva
BE OPEN celebrates the Designing Futures 2050 winners at the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi
From December 8 to 12, BE OPEN attended the 7th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) held by the UN Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya. The foundation took that opportunity to reward and celebrate the winners of the Designing Futures 2050 competition finalized earlier this year.
UNEA is the world’s highest decision-making body on the environment, and it is critical for addressing the shared environmental threats. The Assembly brings together ministers, intergovernmental organizations, multilateral environmental agreements, the broader UN system, civil society groups, scientists, activists and the private sector to shape global environmental policy.
Celebrating World Futures Day in 2025!
In November 2021, the UNESCO General Conference unanimously adopted 2 December as “World Futures Day” (WFD). Over the years, key milestones recognizing the importance of anticipatory decision-making have been met, such as the Secretary General’s Our Common Agenda, the adoption of the Pact for the Future along with the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations.
BE OPEN Regional Art establishes partnerships for the Western Africa stage
The regional competition for emerging artists BE OPEN Regional Art, developed by Elena Baturina’s humanitarian think-tank BE OPEN, is proud to announce partnerships established for the Western African region.
BE OPEN Regional Art finishes the 2025 programme by continuing to select those artists whose art best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities to feature them in the BE OPEN Art gallery and offer support and greater visibility. The 12th stage of the programme is covering Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.
BE OPEN presents the winning projects of the Designing Future 2050 international student competition during COP30
On November 14th, the fifth day of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), BE OPEN had an opportunity to present its work and report on the outcome of its latest student competition at the HiHouse studio in the Green zone of COP30.
BE OPEN presented video pitches by all five winners and winning teams of Designing Future 2050, the recently finalised global student competition encouraging young creatives to reframe and update the SDG agenda based on today’s realities. The project aimed to inspire them to go beyond the 2030 agenda, and actively participate in developing and implementing realistic and sustainable action plans favourable for their own future.
BE OPEN announces the winners of the Art Limitless competition, a celebration of inclusive arts and artists
Art Limitless is a new programme within the BE OPEN Art online gallery tailored specifically to display the competitions, webinars, master-classes and other sources of knowledge and guidance on sustainability in arts.
In 2025, the Art Limitless project within BE OPEN Art has been dedicated to inclusivity in arts. For the Art Limitless Competition, from May to October 2025, BE OPEN expert community have been researching and selecting artwork by artists with disabilities that demonstrate the beneficial power of creativity and inclusivity.
Elena Baturina receives the Visionary Award from the World Futures Studies Federation
The award was given on October 29 at the World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF) World Conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
At the opening plenary session, the WFSF President and Chairman of the Board of the World Futures Studies Federation Dr. Erik F. Øverland announced: “This recognition is given to Elena Baturina, Founder of the BE OPEN think-tank, for supporting young people’s creativity and initiatives in pursuit of a sustainable future. Elena Baturina and her think-tank are among those who try to accelerate the shift towards sustainable practices, while Elena is a consistent supporter of creative education, innovations and sustainable initiatives.”
BE OPEN receives accreditation of the United Nations Environment Programme
BE OPEN has received an observer status to the United Nations Environment Programme after making an application describing the multi-year educational programme dedicated to the Sustainable Development Goals. This accreditation marks the achievement of an important stage in BE OPEN’s progress in supporting creative approaches to various areas of human activity, in order to achieve a better, more sustainable future.
Cypriot heritage celebrated through the history of fashion due to collaboration of BE OPEN and CVAR
On October 18th a historic street of Nicosia became the stage for an open-air fashion show – the immersive experience that weaved a historical timeline of the island through garments and the everyday figures of street sellers. Co-organised by the BE OPEN Foundation and the Centre of Visual Arts and Research (CVAR), Here Come the Cypriots offered the public a unique window into Cyprus’s rich and ever evolving identity.
BE OPEN Regional Art competition congratulates the South American winners
For the BE OPEN Regional Art competition, July, August and September became the months of celebration of young South American artists whose art best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities. The programme covered Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, French Guiana.