Themes by tag: Kyiv

On November 26, the “Acting for Survivors” race will take place in Irpin, Kyiv region, on the occasion of the “16 Days of Activism Against Violence international campaign. 

The launch of the “16 Days of Activism Against Violence” international campaign as a running race competition, in particular, is a manifestation of indifference to people who have experienced or are still experiencing violence. It also encourages people to take care of their mental and physical health.

The participants of the race are government officials, MPs, heads of diplomatic missions, public and cultural figures, and many others.

Participation in the event is voluntary. All funds raised will be used to provide charitable assistance to Ukrainian civilian violence survivors. 

• casualties
• Kyiv

The event to honor victims of the Great Famine (Holodomor) of 1932-1933 will be held in Kyiv on November 25. It will take place near the National Museum of the Holodomor-Genocide, also volunteers will collect aid for the Armed Forces of Ukraine on this occasion. Representatives of the Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches will also hold a prayer service there.

At 4:00 pm, a nationwide minute of silence and the “Light a Candle” candlelight vigil campaign will be held across the country.

Journalists can talk to the National Museum of the Holodomor-Genocide and the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory representatives by prior arrangement.

For reference: The Holodomor was a genocide of the Ukrainian nation committed in 1932-1933. A man-made famine was perpetrated by the leadership of the Soviet Union to subjugate Ukrainians, to finally eliminate Ukrainian resistance to the regime and attempts to build an independent Ukrainian state. During the Holodomor of 1932-1933, the communist regime killed millions of Ukrainians.

• casualties
• dead
• Kyiv

On November 24, at 11:00 AM, Media Center Ukraine — Ukrinform will host a briefing entitled: “The new calendar of the holidays of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine: how the dates of religious holidays have changed.”

Participants:

– Heorhii Kovalenko, priest of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, (online).

For reference: On September 1, 2023, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church switched to a new type of calendar. They will use the Revised Julian calendar. For example, if Christmas used to be celebrated on January 7 in Ukraine, now it is on December 25.

• religion
• Kyiv

On November 25 the “Center for Innovative Education “Pro.Svit” NGO will hold the second all-Ukrainian forum “Today for the Future” in Kyiv. This year’s event will focus on present and future learning, so the topic is as follows: “Wartime and PostWar Education”.

Journalists can grab an opportunity to talk to top speakers in education, be the first to hear about new educational tools and solutions and learn about current educational challenges (arising in particular, in the de-occupied areas, remote learning, in the occupation of a school psychologists daily dealing with trauma, that the children and teachers exposed to in war settings).

The forum program comprises three main thematic blocks:

1. Pro.Safety: safe education ecosystem. A panel discussion will be held to talk about the components of a safe learning environment and specific actions to foster it in wartime. 
2. Pro.Specialists: safe adults. The Pro.Svit NGO will present research on the work conducted by the psychological service at school and an online course based on the study. Psychologists will also give workshops to develop self-support skills and help children and adults.
3. Pro.Restoration: experience of de-occupation. The NGO Pro.Svit will present a study on education in the de-occupied territories and reveal the stories of individual educators who have gotten through the occupation. Educational managers from Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions will share their experiences.

Event registration is required. The full program of the forum event will be available after media representatives complete and submit the press registration form. 

• Kyiv

On November 24, the Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform will host a “Gender-based violence: real stories of victims of war in Ukraine. Assistance to those affected in wartime violence” press conference. The event will be held to build momentum ahead of the “16 Days Against Violence” annual international campaign. 

Speakers:

– Kateryna Levchenko, Government Commissioner for Gender Policy (in person);

– Halyna Skipalska, Executive Director of the ICF Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health, Country Director at HealthRight International Ukraine (in person);

– Maryna Lehenka, a lawyer at “La Strada-Ukraine” NGO (in person);

Anna Dub, chief/family physician of the Polohiv Primary Health Care Clinic in Zaporizhia Oblast, head of the Brave&Safe Integrated Center for Comprehensive Support for GBV and the Consequences of War Survivors (online);

– Tetiana Franchuk, a psychologist at SafeWomenHub, an online platform that deals with cases of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) (in person);

– Psychologist at the Barnahus Child Advocacy Center, a child therapist working with minors who have experienced or witnessed violence (in person);

– A client of the HealthRight Day Services Center/Social Housing who is ready to share her own story of violence (in person);

For reference: According to global research, a staggering 1 in 3 women in the world fall into the category of physical and/or sexual violence victims. 1 in 5 women in the world who are refugees or displaced persons experience sexual violence.

• casualties
• Kyiv

Before the full-fledged invasion began, Natalia Dresvyannikova, the founder of the Vilna Nytka (Free Thread) craft and public workshop, was in charge of a shelter for victims of domestic violence. After the Kyiv region was fully retaken, Natalia decided to redefine the purpose of the shelter and began to help address the plight of women victims of war, as well as those who had returned from enemy captivity.

Natalia applied for a government grant funding opportunity, and volunteers from the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States helped provide the workshop with special equipment. The Vilna Nytka workshop teaches needlework to women and provides them with work. Currently, the workshop employs five women, and every day they do textile art with ancient ornaments on Ukrainian shirts. The shirts from the Vyshhorod craft workshop are shopped even in the United States, and part of purchase proceeds go towards supporting women’s shelters.

• casualties
• women
• Kyiv

On November 22, Kyiv will host a press conference and the launch of the social information campaign “Do you hear what this is about?”.

Nearly 1 in 2 children do not talk to his or her parents about experiencing difficult emotions and handling feelings related to the war. That’s evidenced by the U-Report platform and the Voices of Children Foundation survey. Why don’t children feel free to share problems with their parents how this can be prevented will be discussed at a press conference by the Voices of Children Foundation.

In addition, to help parents hear their children out when they talk about the war, the Voices of Children Foundation is launching a public education campaign, “Do you hear what it’s about?”. It will be held across the country’s 13 Oblasts.

The campaign’s uniqueness lies in its stories based on true life events and statements of 7 children who agreed to participate. These brave kiddos will tell Ukrainians how the war has changed them and what kind of support they expect from their parents.

Speakers:

– Olena Rozvadovska, Chairman of the Board and Co-founder of the Voices of Children Charitable Foundation;

– Yaroslava Katolyk, Communications Manager of the UNICEF U-Report Ukraine project

– Victoriia Solomenko, a 17-year-old, “Do you hear what it’s about?” participant. 

Event registration is required. 

• casualties
• children
• psychological support
• Kyiv

Olena Rozvadovska, co-founder of the Children’s Voices Foundation is on the BBC 100 Women list. The project recognizes the achievements of women around the world and in all spheres of life – from volunteering to running international organizations. 

A 27-year-old Olena took up the position of press secretary at The Office of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights of the President of Ukraine. In this role, she became deeply involved in human rights activities and learned more about the problems children face. This was followed by 5 years of volunteering in Donbas, the founding of the Voices of Children charity foundation, and the growth of the team from 2 employees to 200 people. 

The Voices of Children Foundation provides psychological and psychosocial assistance to children and war-affected families.

Read more on Olena’s biography here.

For reference: This year, the BBC 100 Women has included two more Ukrainians, Oksana Zabuzhko and Iryna Stavchuk, in its list. Apart from the Ukrainians, 27 global climate activists made the list. Other inspiring women on this year’s list include Michelle Obama, a lawyer and former first lady of the United States, and Amal Clooney, a human rights barrister.

• children
• psychological support
• volunteers
• women
• Kyiv

In the “Warm Up” (Zihrii) movement participants knit warm clothes (hats, scarves, balaclavas, mittens, and socks) to be sent to Ukrainian defenders. These pieces of clothing do not compete with tactical equipment but aim to show caregiving to the military. As the founders of the movement explain, apart from military tasks, soldiers have other tasks, such as cooking and going to the post office. This is where warm scarves, socks, or hats from “Warm Up” come in handy.

Over 5 thousand people from all over Ukraine have joined the initiative since its inception. Ukrainians abroad (Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden) also knit for our defenders.

The people of various professions: top managers, editors, nannies, etc have been joining the “Warm Up” movement. There are also men among the knitters.

• military
• volunteers
• Kyiv

On November 21, the Maidan Museum together with the Ukrainian House and partners invite everyone to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity. The exhibition ” Maidan: Birth of a Dream. First battle” will be held in Kyiv. All three floors of the Ukrainian House, an important part of the history of the Revolution of Dignity, will host the event.

Visitors, in particular, will be able to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the most powerful peaceful protest in the world, remember the events, see original items of Maidan protestors and unique artifacts from the protests.

After the opening, everyone is invited to watch and discuss the film “Euromaidan SOS” together with DocuDays NGO’s DOCU/CLUB network.

Registration is required.

In addition, On the Day of Dignity and Freedom, a joint prayer for Ukraine and its freedom fighters will take place at 10:00 AM. Then, in memory of the fallen defenders of Ukraine, the Bell of Dignity will be rung, flowers will be placed at the portraits of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, and lights will be lit in their honor.

For reference: The Day of Dignity and Freedom in Ukraine is celebrated every year on November 21 to mark the beginning of two revolutions: the Orange Revolution (2004) and the Revolution of Dignity (2013).

• casualties
• culture
• dead
• Kyiv