On December 20, Acting Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Olha Kuryshko, participated in the panel discussion titled \u201cThreats of Russian Youth Policy in Occupied Territories and Ways to Protect Ukrainian Youth.\u201d The event was organized by the Almenda NGO in cooperation with the international human rights organization Civil Rights Defenders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The discussion featured Viktoriia Pasik, Head of the Expert Group of the Child Rights Protection Center at the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights; Iryna Bartytska, Head of the International Legal Cooperation Department of the Prosecutor\u2019s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea; Nataliia Hontarenko, representative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine; Valentyna Potapova, Head of National Advocacy at the Almenda<\/em> NGO; and Oleksandra Dvoretska, Coordinator of the Bring Kids Back UA<\/em> initiative. The event was moderated by Kateryna Rashevska, an expert at the Regional Center for Human Rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Participants discussed key issues related to Russian youth policy in the occupied territories, including the militarization of youth, forced passportization, indoctrination, and the reintegration of youth affected by policies aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In her speech, Oleksandra Dvoretska discussed the activities of the Bring Kids Back UA <\/em>initiative, established at the request of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the challenges faced by children from occupied territories. Viktoriia Pasik highlighted the scale of the forced deportation of Ukrainian children from these territories, particularly through the use of Russian propaganda mechanisms. \u201cThe atmosphere of fear prevailing in the occupied territories creates conditions for manipulation and gross violations of children\u2019s rights,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Iryna Bartytska focused on the work of the Prosecutor\u2019s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol in documenting the crimes of the occupiers and holding perpetrators accountable, particularly in areas such as the militarization of education, the spread of propaganda among youth, and the forced implementation of the aggressor state\u2019s educational standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olha Kuryshko spoke about the principles of the Cognitive De-occupation Strategy developed by the Mission in collaboration with the Ministry of Reintegration. The strategy is aimed at the mental, social, and cultural reintegration of individuals affected by the occupation. She noted:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese issues are timely. We are engaging with representatives from other occupied territories who are interested in extending the Strategy to the entire territory of Ukraine. Our focus is on restoring the informational, educational, and cultural space that Russia systematically destroyed in Crimea over the past decade and continues to destroy today,\u201d stated the Acting Permanent Representative.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n She highlighted that Russia’s targeted campaign to destroy cultural heritage began in Crimea in 2014, though initially on a smaller and less apparent scale. As an example, she referred to the Lesya Ukrainka Museum in Crimea, whose exhibition was entirely altered after the occupation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe museum, which was supposed to showcase Lesya Ukrainka\u2019s time in Crimea and her contributions to culture, has now been turned into yet another tool of Russian propaganda. Only one photograph of the writer remains in a museum that is now dedicated to Russian cultural figures.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Olha Kuryshko emphasized the Mission\u2019s work in the field of youth policy. She stressed the importance of working not only with young people from Crimea, but also with those who have never had the opportunity to visit the peninsula or other territories under Ukrainian control:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are working with young people, including representatives of Indigenous peoples, and we want them to determine for themselves what policies should look like in various areas, particularly in education. This will allow us to create plans that truly meet the needs of the people,\u201d emphasized Olha Kuryshko.\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":65277,"template":"","publication-type":[43],"class_list":["post-65291","press-center","type-press-center","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","publication-type-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n