A Place of Consolation for Those who Suffered the Pain of War, Christmas Pop-Up Event
On December 18 of last year, the IPYG Czech branch held a “Christmas Pop-Up Event” for cultural exchange and invited Czech citizens and Ukrainian refugees. Approximately 60 Czech citizens and Ukrainian refugees participated in this event, which was designed to comfort the pain of refugees who fled from their hometowns from the war and to inform the citizens of the horrors of war.
At the Pop-Up Event, Ukrainian designers and artists shared the stories of their works and sold design products. Several participants also engaged in environmental protection activities to reduce clothing waste by exchanging clothing with one another. There was also a celebration performance, a time of dancing, and a photo zone set up to leave warm memories of the end of the year.
Milana Kopyt, the founder of Felt You, participated in the event and stated, “I really feel thankful towards IPYG for this Christmas Pop-Up. I was amazed and touched by the fact that there were people in the Czech Republic who had such a heart for peace and for the Ukrainian community. I hope we can keep cooperating in projects like this and be able to promote one another mutually.”
Since last October, the Czech branch of IPYG has been carrying out volunteer activities such as operating English and Czech classes to help Ukrainian refugees find jobs. The classes were prepared to help those struggling with communication and belonging even though they had been in the Czech Republic for over a year, and about 100 people attended the class for two months. (As of 31 October 2022, the Czech Republic has granted Temporary Protection to 453,725 refugees fleeing from Ukraine. Source: Ukraine Situation: Regional Refugee Response Plan – March-December 2022, 26 April 2022, https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/96855)
The Czech branch will continue to ease the pain of war through various activities, such as providing English classes for Ukrainian refugees in 2023, operating a youth sovereignty peace class, and forming a dance time, so that the youth can unite in a culture of peace.
