An event dedicated to the life and education of Ukrainian children and youth in the realities of war was held in the building of the Small Parliament in Helsinki
25 September 2024 18:00
The main organizer of the event was the Friendship Group with Ukraine of the Parliament of Finland.
The audience was presented with the documentary film We. The Future, introduced by the Ukrainian charitable foundation SavED. In the film, five Ukrainian teenagers and their mentors share their stories of living through the full-scale war and the ideas they are already implementing today for the development and reconstruction of Ukraine.
After the film screening, a discussion took place on the topic "Light of Hope: Youth Who Remain Strong – The Shared Future of Finland and Ukraine," featuring Iryna Suslova, the Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Children's Rights, Sari Multala, Finland's Minister of Science and Culture, as well as Oras Tynkkynen and Aleksi Jäntti, Co-Chairs of the #Finland-#Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group. The discussion was also joined by Darii Kuzminskyi, a high school student from Lviv and one of the film's protagonists.
Discussed topics:
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Ukraine's role now and in the future as part of Western democracies;
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The current conditions faced by children and youth in Ukraine;
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The fate of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia and how efforts can be made to help return them.
Iryna Suslova spoke about the challenges currently faced by children and youth in Ukraine, as well as the measures the Ukrainian state is taking to protect and support them. In turn, Minister Sari Multala shared what the Finnish government is doing to support Ukrainians who found protection from Russian aggression in Finland.
In addition, Finnish parliamentarians and government officials discussed the issue of ensuring Finland's practical contribution to the construction of shelters in educational institutions of Ukraine, concrete steps for the return of children abducted by Russia and the safety of children in temporarily occupied territories, expanding opportunities for learning in the Ukrainian language in Finland.
We sincerely thank Finland not only for practical steps to support Ukrainian children and youth, but also for its leadership position on the international arena in advocating the rights of the most vulnerable section of the population of Ukraine - children.
