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Roundtable Discusses Issues Facing Internally Displaced Persons

March 21 – The Pylyp Orlyk Institute for Democracy conducted a roundtable promoting internally displaced persons’ (IDP) rights in Kyiv.

Titled, “Adaptation of Internally Displaced Persons in Local Communities: Role of Communication in This Process,” the event highlighted challenges IDPs face from starting their lives from scratch after they left homes in the Donbas and Crimea because of war, invasion, and annexation. One primary roundtable talking point was the failure of both the regional and national media in Ukraine to inform the public about IDPs. Another discussion topic focused on IDP distrust of Ukrainian governing authorities and the news media.

Additional discussion points were: solutions to IDP challenges, IDP information access, improving media content about IDPs and their issues, upgrading communication between IDPs and local government officials, and citizens hosting IDP populations.

Seventy journalists, public officials, civic activists, and IDPs participated in the roundtable. Among them were:

• Olesya Tsybulko, Advisor to the Minister of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons;
• Yulia Kazdobina, Advisor to the Minister of Information Policy;
• Yevheniy Krivosheyev, Deputy Head of the Office for Social Protection of Victims of Emergency Situations in the Ministry of Social Policy;
• Olexandra Bondarenko, Program Manager of the Ministry of Social Policy;
• Tetiana Durneva, Executive Director of the Group of Influence holding (company) and a socioeconomic researcher specializing in IDP issues;
• Iryna Kyrykova, Chair of the Donetsk Regional State Administration Public Council and Chair of the Druzhkovka Community NGO;
• Olena Malenkova, Consultant to the Verkhovna Rada Committee for Social Issues, Employment, and Pension Provision.

The event was supported by Global Affairs Canada (GAC).

More on the Pylyp Orlyk Institute for Democracy’s website in Ukrainian.