Youth Memories on Refuge and Resilience
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has once again made many young people living in Europe think of war. Many of them had to flee and struggled to find a new "home" in other countries. The graphic novel project aims to give a voice to young people whose lives have been altered by war. Young people involved in this project have shared their experiences to inspire and encourage one another through storytelling. They learned how to do oral history recording, which they then used to write down their own stories and use these as the basis for their graphic books.
Joint Project of Gustav Stresemann Institut (Germany, Bad Bevensen/Charitable Foundation “Vostok SOS”(Ukraine, Kyiv)/ Libereco “Partnership for human rights e.V.” (Germany, Cologne/Berlin) 2023
Ira Ganzhorn, Project Coordinator, 33, born in Kharkiv (Ukraine), worked for several years in the field of refugee migration along the Balkan and Mediterranean routes (Greece, Bosnia and Serbia) before she joined Libereco as a Humanitarian Aid Officer on the day of the Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and had to go back to Ukraine. Libereco's humanitarian work focuses on vulnerable groups, such as people who need care, single mothers, in the war-affected areas in the east and south-east of Ukraine. Projects include providing drinking water and food, getting people out from the front-line areas, expanding emergency and care shelters, and giving people emotional and social support.