“There was an urgent need for emergency assistance to journalists on the ground – our centers were created” Sergiy Tomilenko

The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) lidearship is holding a meeting of coordinators and assistants on the anniversary of creation of the Journalists’ Solidarity Centers network (so far 6 our Centers have been opened: in Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia).

The President of the NUJU, Sergiy Tomilenko, noted that the event is very important for the Union.

“Despite the fact that we organize work through regional Centers and stay in touch online, personal contact is important for teamwork. JSC is a team of those who help Ukrainian media in times of trial. We must support our heroes, journalists and media, as much as possible, so that Ukrainians have access to verified information that saves lives,” he said, opening the meeting.

He recalled that the idea of creating the network of Centers arose in response to hundreds of requests from journalists for protective equipment, technical support, and rescue. Later, the work of the Union in format of “emergency assistance” with the support of UNESCO, the International and the European Federations of Journalists transformed into the network of JSC in 6 Ukrainian cities.

Journalists’ Solidarity Centers are an initiative of the NUJU implemented with the support of the International and European Federations of Journalists and UNESCO. The initiative is aimed at helping 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.

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 and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit to the organization.

NUJU information service