Representation of the International Organization on Migration (IOM) in Ukraine together with the State committee of Ukraine on affairs of nationalities and religions and the East European Institute of Development (EEID) since March, 1st, launched new all-Ukraine project under the title "Distribution of poly-cultural values through carrying out of actions "Live Library" in Ukraine", directed on increase of public awareness concerning xenophobia problem.
As "Islam in Ukraine" was informed by the Representation of the IOM in the Ukrainian state, the main objective of the project is popularization of the cultural variety and formation of positive attitude of the Ukrainian youth of 16-22 years to migrants, foreigners and national minorities in Ukraine by carrying out of all-Ukraine campaigns for increasing of awareness of public and inclusion of the action "Live Library" in out-of-school employment.
According to organizers, distribution of poly-cultural values on the whole territory of Ukraine will occur by means of carrying out of actions "Live Library" which proved to be successful at schools and universities of the Western Ukraine. Within the limits of the new project such "Live Libraries" will capture 12 regional centers of Ukraine, in particular - Kiev, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, Lugansk, Vinnitsa, Khmelnitskiy, Poltava, Odessa, Kherson and Nikolaev.
"Live Library" is a system where books in library are represented by people of different social or ethnic origin, and readers of "books" are students of high schools and universities. The event serves as a tool to start dialogue between people, thus creating an informal environment for setting questions and discussion of stereotypes and biases", organizers explained. They added that the concept of "Live Library" for application in the Ukrainian context was adapted by the Representation of the IOM in Ukraine from the model offered by the Danish social non-governmental organization "Stop the violence" in 2000.
Within the limits of the project which will last about one year, organizers of the all-Ukraine project on distribution of poly-cultural values plan to create special Toolkit for carrying out of the actions of "Live Library" for the purpose of its distribution through carrying out of trainings among governmental and educational institutions, social organizations, communities of national and visible minority that their representatives could independently organize similar "Libraries" on places, counteract distribution of xenophobia and extend idea of multi-culturity of each in his region.
"The toolkit will include the special grant on carrying out of the action of "Live Library", a documentary film, multimedia and distributing materials for use during actions (rollers of social advertising, electronic bulletin of the EEID "In one boat " posters, leaflets, etc.)", organizers noted.
Key direction of the project "Distribution of poly-cultural values through carrying out of the actions of "Live Library", according to organizers, is the all-Ukraine social campaign for increase of public awareness in Ukraine concerning xenophobia problems. Other direction of the project is popularization of the official web portal of the network "Variety Initiative" http://www.diversipedia.org.ua/.
Also the project provides granting on a competitive basis of five grants to local social organizations which actively work in the sphere of counteraction of xenophobia and racism for carrying out of small projects for the further distribution of the activity of "Variety Initiatives".
Inquiry. "The variety initiative" was created in April, 2007, by the IОМ, UNHCR - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Amnesty in Ukraine. The initiative protects human honor and well-being of migrants, refugees and national minorities of Ukraine.
Nowadays "The Variety Initiative" totals over 100 international, non-governmental, state and commercial organizations, and also representatives of diplomatic missions. The basic fields of activity of the Initiative are: cooperation with the government, directed on support of actions of the state which assist intercultural dialogue; analysis of the existing legislation concerning discrimination and educational activity which aims at the attracting attention of a civil society and broad masses to this problem.
The international organization on migration directs its efforts to introduction of the actions based on principles of humanity and respect for the rights of migrants, in assistance and regulation by migratory processes, and also in human traffic counteraction.
The IОМ was founded in 1951. Today its structure includes 127 member countries and 18 countries with the status of observers. In the IОМ work approximately 7.000 persons in more than 440 territorial offices worldwide. Representation of the IOM in Ukraine started its activity in 1996. In 2002 the Parliament of Ukraine ratified the agreement on membership of Ukraine in the International organization on migration.
More detailed information on the Representation of the IOM activity in Ukraine can be found on the official web site of Representation http://www.iom.org.ua/. The Contact person - Svetlana Slabinskaya.
On materials of the press-service of the Representation of the IOM in Ukraine
Related Links:
Under Mass-Media Influence Image of Muslim at Kievites Often Associates with Terrorism
Human Rights Watch: Ukraine with Hostility Treats Refuge-Seekers and Discriminates its Citizens
