The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine together with StarLightMedia group and FILM.UA Group, with the support of the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) launch a wide scale campaign ‘You are among friends. Let’s be together’. Its aim is to help displaced children integrate in new setting, raise awareness on available services, including psychological support, for conflict-affected families. The project will help alleviate tensions between displaced people and host communities and facilitate consolidation of the Ukrainian society.
Polina Tolmachova, PR and marketing director at FILM.UA Group, said, “We are very pleased that our studio’s experience, professionalism and accumulated creative potential can serve such significant purposes. We are happy to work on social advertising, documentary and interactive exhibition production together with great and reliable partners, and we really hope that the world will change for the better as a result of our campaign.”
The survey conducted by Starlight Marketing in October 2016* shows that 75.5% displaced persons do not know about the family support centres in their regions. Among those who do know, 26.9% contacted aid centres for help.
“These children are living through tough times, which can either break them or make them stronger. We are grateful to UNICEF for this project, it inspires us every day. Our group brings together all its creative and media resources so that the campaign title, You Are Among Your Own People, becomes a reality for these kids,” says Olga Vaganova, communications director at StarLightMedia group.
“The conflict affects children the most. It is hard for them to cope with stress, they need support. Our aim is to boost their recovery from traumatic events and help them integrate in host communities where they will feel like at home,” said Giovanna Barberis, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine.
The campaign ‘You are among friends. Let’s be together’ was designed by UNICEF along with StarLightMedia group and FILM.UA Group and is implemented with the support of the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
"One of the goals of the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons is to create conditions for the integration of IDPs, their involvement in community life, addressing the social and psychological barriers along the way. We have to consolidate Ukrainian society at all levels - from the central and local authorities to each representative of the community, because a man, their life and their rights – is a priority of the state. The welfare of each internally displaced person is a part of the strategy of peacebuilding, which is implemented by our Ministry," - said Vadym Chernysh, Minister of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons.
The campaign will feature various multimedia elements brought together by a common idea – You are among friends. Let’s be together. The campaign will include public opinion survey, a number of PSA spots, a documentary, interactive exhibition in one of the art spaces in Kyiv, online promo and digital platform razom.stb.ua accumulating information about displaced children and services available to families who left their homes. The problems faced by displaced children and available solutions will be also featured in the newscast on ICTV channel and in a special topic of Facts and Comments newspaper. Another important feature of the campaign is a story contest Tiny stories where everybody is invited to share their stories of overcoming the rough and tumble of life. One of the most creative publishing houses in Ukraine – Osnovy – will publish a book of these stories to encourage children to never give up. The books will be distributed to conflict-affected children directly.
*Details of the survey sample: The survey was conducted from 6 to 13 October 2016. 1835 respondents aged 16 and older were interviewed by phone. Geography of the survey: all regions of Ukraine excluding Crimea.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org.ua. Join us onTwitter, Facebook та ВКонтакте.
