Ukrainian children and youth are still considered to be among the most vulnerable groups for a number of factors. Credit: Freepik
Prague, 19 Oct (BD) – On Wednesday, 18 October, representatives of Prague’s non-profit organisations and city districts met officials from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the Hall of Representatives at Prague’s New Town Hall, as part of a professional conference dedicated to social cohesion in Prague. The representatives discussed deepening cooperation in connection with measures to build social cohesion in society.
“Prague will continue to support projects to support social cohesion,” said Jiří Pospíšil, deputy mayor of Prague for culture.”Ukrainian children and youth are still among the most vulnerable groups for a number of factors, including separation from family, social isolation, and discrimination.”
The conference at the New Town Hall was opened by Yulia Oleinik, the head of the UNICEF office supporting solutions to the refugee situation, together with the chairman of Prague City Council’s Committee for National Minorities, Jiří Knitl.
“The main goal of the conference is to strengthen the capacity of local organisations actively involved in responding to the refugee situation in Prague, who are working to build social cohesion between the host community and refugees,” said Oleinik. “At the same time, we want to create a network of organisations and partners active in the field of social cohesion, coordinate our activities, share experiences and learn from each other.”
During the one-day conference, which was attended by over 50 organisations, the participants discussed deepening cooperation, learnt about the results of individual projects, but also drew attention to possible pitfalls in the field of integration. The event also included practical workshops of participatory techniques and activities and a panel discussion with young people.
The cooperation between UNICEF and the City of Prague is supported by the city’s 2023 grant program for the support of Ukrainian refugees and the development of social cohesion, which was announced in spring 2023 and involves more than 60 projects. The total funding within the subsidy program is over CZK 65 million.
