On May 28, the Chernihiv Regional Youth Center hosted a networking meeting “Youth Together”, which is part of the “Blue Hearts” international project. 💙

This event brought together representatives of youth organizations and active youth from the communities of Chernihiv Oblast. The participants discussed a number of problems faced by young internally displaced people in the region and sought ways to solve them based on the experience of the project.

🗣 Vice-President of the NGO “Young Agents of Change” Maryna Kravets presented the activities of our organization, and also spoke about the goals, activities and development of the long-term project “Blue Hearts”, aimed at integrating displaced youth into host communities.

👫Intensive work in groups and facilitated discussions allowed participants to find common ground in approaches to solving social problems and form a unified vision and understanding of the challenges faced by young IDPs. An important part of the meeting was the discussion of real cases and the generation of ideas for mitigating the problems of displaced youth.

📄 The result of the meeting was the formation of a common vision of challenges and ways to solve them, the exchange of experience and best practices of youth work, as well as the development of specific ideas and recommendations for youth workers. The meeting was an important step in the development of cooperation and improvement of living conditions and integration of young immigrants into the communities of Chernihiv Region.

Thank you Dasha Skalyun for organizing this wonderful event 😊
👉 The “Youth Together” networking meeting is part of the international project “Blue Hearts”, implemented by Young Agents of Change in cooperation with partners and financed by the European Union within the framework of the Erasmus+ program.

#BlueHearts#ErasmusPlus

Recently, our team returned from the capital of Romania, Bucharest, where the first international training took place within the framework of the long-term Erasmus+ project #BlueHearts.💙

Youth workers from Ukraine, Lithuania, Romania, and Poland gathered at the event. The training was aimed at providing them with comprehensive knowledge and practical tools for effective interaction with displaced youth. During the intensive training, the participants studied the types of migration and researched them. reasons, acquired useful skills that will help them establish communication and cooperation with people who were forced to leave their homes.

Also, during the training, youth workers learned techniques for understanding the condition of internally displaced youth, identifying their needs, and creating an atmosphere of trust.

👉 This training is part of the 24-month “Blue Hearts” project, financed by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union and aimed at supporting young people from among internally displaced persons and refugees.

🔍 At the end of last year, we asked youth workers, IDP youth, public activists about their needs and the necessary support in the current conditions. And while an international report with comparative research results in European countries is being prepared, we decided to share with you the key results of surveys conducted in Ukraine.

📑 The document will be useful for representatives of state bodies and local self-government bodies responsible for the development and implementation of youth policy, donors, youth organizations and other civil society organizations for effective planning of future programs and projects for displaced youth.

📍 You can familiarize yourself with the publication “Youth work and displacement: analytical report based on the results of an all-Ukrainian study” at the link: https://cutt.ly/ewBBO6PI

Thank you Uliana Suprun for preparing this wonderful report 😊 The analytical report was prepared as part of the Blue Hearts project, which is implemented by AY Institute (Lithuania), Asociatia CPDIS (Romania), Fundacja Nowy Staw (Poland) and Young Agents of Change (Ukraine).

🇪🇺 The “Blue Hearts” project is financed by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting institution can be held responsible for them.

In the summer of 2023, our Lithuanian friends came to Ukraine to see with their own eyes the crimes of the Russians and show them to the international community in a documentary film.

A group of 4 people visited Lviv, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk region, as well as de-occupied Bucha, Borodyanka, and Izyum. The team talked to Ukrainians in different parts of the country to hear their stories after February 24, 2022. The culminating stage of the visit was the handover of a car for the needs of the Armed Forces, which was purchased with the funds of Lithuanian volunteers

🙌We express our gratitude to the team and everyone involved for their help, courage and desire to tell the truth about the Russian invasion!🎥 You can watch the short film at the link:

It is extremely important to shoot such films today, as they help Ukraine not to disappear from the information field, reminding the world of the real situation. This is another example of solidarity and support of the Lithuanian people in these difficult times. Mes kartu! We are together! 🫂🇱🇹

🇬🇪🇺🇦 The Ukrainian team took part in the Erasmus+ youth exchange “Oh! What a lovely war” in the city of Gonio, Sakartvelo, which took place from December 11 to 19, 2023. Active young people from Cyprus, Turkey, Lithuania, Azerbaijan and Malta also took part in the project.

During the exchange of experience, the participants:

📎 discussed the current situation with IDPs and refugees in their countries, ways to raise public awareness of the needs of displaced persons;

📎 researched methods of ensuring inclusiveness for displaced persons, in particular young people;

📎 studied more deeply the history of geopolitical conflicts in the world, imposing their own perspective on the world arena.

🤝 Thanks to intercultural cooperation with like-minded people, young people gave birth to new ideas for eliminating barriers, discrimination and creating a more united and cohesive world community. It was important not only to join the workshops, but also to take part in the formation of positive changes. Thanks to the organizers and all participants for this unforgettable experience! 🌈