THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
A delegation of volunteers from the Italian Association Anteas Alessandria has paid another visit to the Ukrainian geographical region of Prykarpattia. A Journalists’ Solidarity Center (JSC)of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) closely cooperates with the Association within the framework of the Partnership for Victory project.
This time, the meeting with the Italian volunteers took place in the conference hall of the Ivano-Frankivsk Archdiocese of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), which is one of the partners of the project. The meeting was attended by representatives of the archdiocese and the coordinator of the Ivano-Frankivsk JSC of the NUJU, Viktoriya Plakhta. Father Ivan Stefurak, the head of the information department of the archdiocese/editor-in-chief of the Nova Zoria newspaper/member of the NUJU, moderated the event and acted as a translator at the same time, as it happened during previous meetings with Italian partners.
As the head of the Italian delegation, Luciano Cartolano, noted, their Association launched its activities in an international format with the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Since then, within the framework of the partnership with the archdiocese and the JSC, it was possible to evacuate to Italy more than 80 people from the front-line territories to repair a residential building in Izium that was partially destroyed as a result of russian aggression and to deliver several tons of humanitarian aid. This time, they delivered to Ukraine an ambulance for Kharkiv, as well as humanitarian aid, which will later be directed to the needs of the charity organization Caritas, the Ivano-Frankivsk geriatric boarding house, and needy people in the Kharkiv Region.
Viktoriya Plakhta thanked the Italian partners for their cooperation with the Center for the help they previously provided for media workers – a printer, smartphone, power banks, soft toys for children. She also drew the volunteers’ attention to urgent needs: due to the long-term power outage, media workers desperately need power banks, tablets, and laptops to ensure normal work.
Viktoriya Plakhta told the Italian guests about the need to inform the world community about the course of the war in Ukraine in order to avoid disinformation and propaganda influence of russia, in particular, on the information space of Italians. The parties discussed the possibility of conducting a trip of several Ukrainian journalists who had moved to Ivano-Frankivsk from the front-line and occupied territories to Italy so that they could share their own testimonies and tell how the Ukrainian people heroically and courageously defend their territory from the russian invaders.
During the meeting, the Italian volunteers met a little resident of Prykarpattia, who has a rare disease, and will go with them, accompanied by her mother and grandmother, for treatment in the city of Ancona (Italy).
As part of the Partnership for Victory project, four seriously ill children from Ukraine are currently receiving free treatment in Ancona and Turin clinics. The doctors of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Children’s Clinical Hospital keep in constant contact with the patients’ relatives to learn about the condition of sick children and their well-being.
The participants in the meeting also discussed a number of joint initiatives and outlined further ways of developing the Partnership for Victory project. As Luciano Cartolano pointed out, the volunteer organization Anteas Alessandria ODV ITALIA from Alessandria is well aware of the problems that Ukrainians, in particular journalists, are currently facing, so cooperation on help and support will continue.
Call the Ivano-Frankivsk JSC at 066 677 0726 (Viktoriya Plakhta, the Ivano-Frankivsk JSC coordinator). The Center’s address is 25 Sichovykh Striltsiv Street.
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.
Ivano-Frankivsk JSC
Photo by Mariya Ivantsiv
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