THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
On the eve of the second anniversary of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Nataliya Kuzmenko and Valentyna Manzhura, the coordinators of the Zaporizhzhia Journalists’ Solidarity Center (JSC) of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), spoke live on the American international radio station, Ethno FM 87.7, within the show called Good Evening, We Are From Ukraine!
“We were invited to meet the Ukrainian audience in America by Elina Volotko, a Zaporizhzhia TV journalist who now lives in Sacramento and works at this radio station. The project has been operating for the second year. It is aimed at Ukrainians living in the United States, primarily in California. Still, there are many supporters in many countries and Ukraine as well. The show in which we took part is similar to a women’s talk show with guests, and after the performance, at their request, a favorite song is played,” says Nataliya Kuzmenko,
The JSC coordinators, who at the same time are the heads of the Zaporizhzhia regional organization of the NUJU, Nataliya Kuzmenko – the head, Valentyna Manzhura – executive secretary, spoke about the Union’s organization, which is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year, its main goals and tasks. They also talked about what changed during the war and what new realities appeared in the activity of the hub.
The speakers emphasized the importance of relations with the international journalistic community; first of all, it was about the six JSCs, which have been operating in the cities of Ukraine since 2022. They were created thanks to the International and European Federations of Journalists and the UNESCO headquarters. They play a very important role in helping displaced journalists, providing war correspondents with protective equipment, supporting the publishing of newspapers relocated from occupied and front-line territories, and many other topical issues.
“The war scattered Ukrainians all over the world. And it is the media that have the opportunity to support and unite the Ukrainian community,” emphasized the JSC coordinators. “It is important to do this right now when the enemy has become more active so that the mass media in all countries talk about Ukraine’s victory in the war and what everyone needs to do for this.”
Nataliya Kuzmenko and Valentyna Manzhura thanked the Ukrainians of the American diaspora for their sincere support and help to the people of Ukraine in the fight against the russian invaders for the victory which we all sincerely believe, which is being brought closer by Ukrainians in America with their support together with us and all progressive humanity.
Call the Zaporizhzhia JSC at 096 277 5352 (Nataliya Kuzmenko and Valentyna Manzhura, the Zaporizhzhia JSC co-coordinators). The Center’s address is 152 Sobornyi Avenue.
ABOUT JSC
The Journalists’ Solidarity Centers is an initiative of the NUJU implemented with the support of the International and European Federations of Journalists and UNESCO. The initiative is designated to help media representatives working in Ukraine during the war. The Centers operate in Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro and provide journalists with organizational, technical, legal, psychological, and other types of assistance.
ABOUT UNESCO
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. It contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication, and information. UNESCO promotes knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding. It is the coordinator of the UN Action Plan on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which aims to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, thus strengthening peace, democracy, and sustainable development worldwide. UNESCO is working closely with its partner organizations in Ukraine to provide support to journalists on the ground.
The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this digest do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area or its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The authors are responsible for the choice and the presentation of the facts contained in this digest and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit to the organization.
Nataliya Hlaholeva
Photo and video by Dariya Zyrianova
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