Active youth from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts will learn about safe migration, human trafficking prevention, diversity and tolerance
6 August 2018
Today, in “Pushcha Lisova” Training Center, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Mission in Ukraine opened TOGETHER TO SUCCESS Youth Summer School for active youth from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. During the seven-day programme, the School participants from Eastern Ukraine will learn more about safe migration, human trafficking prevention, diversity and tolerance, civic responsibility, healthy lifestyle as well as improve their leadership and communication skills. The School alumni are expected to develop and implement their own counter-trafficking social projects in their communities in future.
“Youth and children are especially vulnerable to human trafficking and constitute nearly 65% of our caseload,” said Dr. Thomas Lothar Weiss, IOM Ukraine Chief of Mission. “The Youth Summer School represents a wonderful opportunity to create awareness and drive positive change among the largest group of future potential victims of this heinous crime,” he added, emphasizing that “safe migration and counter-trafficking is a central pillar of IOM’s work.”
On the opening ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Ms. Natalia Fedorovych, addressed to the School participants: “The Youth Summer School is a fantastic opportunity, when you are supported by more than one, two, or even three countries. Therefore take advantage of this opportunity, gain the international experience of responding to social problems and put as many questions as possible”.
‘Together to Success’ Youth Summer School is organized by IOM Ukraine in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine and funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Global Affairs Canada and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The summer school official opening ceremony was also attended by the Counsellor-Deputy Head of the Embassy of Norway to Ukraine Mr. Fredrik Arthur, Chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of Canada to Ukraine Mr. Ruslan Katz, and Democracy Development Specialist with USAID Ukraine, Ms. Donna Kerner.