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Right to Protection held a meeting of leaders of refugee and asylum seeker communities in Lviv

March 1, 2024

Refugees and asylum seekers Events (Ukraine)

On 27–28 February, R2P organised a meeting of leaders of refugee and asylum-seeker communities in Ukraine in Lviv. Its goal was to introduce the leaders to each other, establish cooperation and exchange experience.

At the end of 2023, R2P's experts mapped refugee communities in Ukraine and concluded that they need to be supported and developed.

During the event, the participants presented their communities and spoke about their activities in Ukraine. They all shared their experience of helping the population of Ukraine during the war and integrating into Ukrainian society. The communities are also working to introduce Ukrainians to their cultures, traditions, and customs to find what unites us all and what makes us unique.

In particular, Issa Sadio Diallo, the leader of the African Council in Ukraine, an NGO founded by people from Africa, African Ukrainians and concerned Ukrainians, shared information about the initiatives implemented by this community in Ukraine. These include literary evenings with readings of Taras Shevchenko's poetry, exhibitions of African art, masterclasses, and interactive events. These events are designed to introduce Ukrainians to African culture, find common ground, and discuss tolerance.

The leaders at the meeting also spoke about their active participation in Ukraine's life and their volunteering experience. All of them do not stand aside from people's problems, helping not only their fellow compatriots but also all those in need, regardless of religion, nationality or political views. For example, Aisha Isa, the leader of the League of Muslim Women of Ukraine NGO, spoke about active support for IDPs, distribution of food packages to those in need, and all kinds of support for those in need.

Svitlana Butenko, Head of the Assistance Refugees and Asylum Seeker programme of R2P:

"We managed to create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort at the event. Everyone wanted to share stories and learn about the tools and mechanisms used by other communities. It was the main goal. We felt that community leaders are such experienced and educated people that it would be most useful to share this experience. The event also included teamwork. Based on the brainstorming session results, we identified what skills and knowledge community leaders still need, and we will work in this direction for them. For example, we talked about public speaking, advocacy, and volunteer burnout".