Promoting Cultural Diversity and Integration of Migrants

Responding to an increase in the number of suspected racially motivated attacks in Ukraine beginning in 2006, the IOM, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Amnesty International and other concerned civil society organizations formed the Diversity Initiative (DI) in 2007, to address the issue in a coordinated way.

DI is a voluntary cooperation platform, which strives to uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants, refugees and visible minorities in Ukraine. It currently includes over 65 organizations from the international, civil, corporate, and Government sectors as well as diplomatic missions and interested individuals (see http://diversipedia.org.ua).

IOM takes an active role in promoting cultural diversity in Ukraine, as it is only through acceptance that migrants are able to fully contribute their wealth of knowledge, ideas and experiences to society. The Mission achieves this in part through implementing dynamic programmes tailored toward youth, utilizing all the resources modern media has to offer, inviting the next generation of Ukrainian men and women to challenge stereotypes and experience the benefits of cultural diversity for themselves. Such activities have included producing video/audio public service announcements and posters for city light billboards, creating an interactive website with online quizzes and a photography competition via social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte), and producing an award winning documentary film.

Concurrently, IOM assists the Government of Ukraine to develop and implement inclusive integration policies to take into account the rights and needs of migrants and visible minorities in line with the best international and European practices.