18 August 2023
Over the next week, Islanders can attend a range of events to celebrate Ukraine Independence Day. The day – which commemorates the day when Ukraine's Declaration of Independence was issued on 24 August 1991 – is celebrated on 24 August each year. Ukraine's Flag Day is also celebrated on 23 August each year.
The events will take place across a range of locations and will offer Islanders of all ages an opportunity to celebrate Ukrainian culture and learn more about the developing relationship between Jersey and Ukraine.
On Saturday 19 August, Islanders will be able to visit Jersey Library where younger Islanders can have their face painted (between 10am and 12.30pm); and take part in pebble and shell panting workshops (2pm – 4pm), all free of charge. There will also be a series of artworks by the Ukrainian community on display.
Islanders will also visit the Central Market to experience Ukrainian music and dancing; try traditional Ukrainian baking; buy traditional Ukrainian handicrafts; and hear from Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA) about how the funding they have allocated to humanitarian partners in Ukraine and its surrounding countries is having a positive impact.
On Wednesday 23 August from 5pm to 8pm, Jersey Library will hold the first in a series of Ukrainian film screenings. This event is free to attend, but Islanders should register online.
Finally, on Thursday 24 August, from 5pm – 7.30pm, Islanders can attend a panel discussion in collaboration with Jersey Overseas Aid at Jersey Museum. The discussion will focus on the impact of the war on the people of Ukraine as well as discussing how Jersey's friendship and funding is having a positive impact.
The panel will include:
- Simon Boas, Executive Director of Jersey Overseas aid, who will chair the panel
- Ben Remfrey from charity, Friends of Ukraine-EOD, a charity which has been funded by JOA over the last 18 months to train Ukrainian people in bomb disposal.
- Uliana Yurenko, a Ukrainian national who delivers this bomb disposal training in Ukraine.
The panel discussion is free to attend, but Islanders should sign up for the event online.
All the events have been organised by the International Cultural Centre Jersey (ICCJ), which was established as part of the Chief Minister's 100 Day Plan, to celebrate the richness of Jersey's diversity. As well as working directly with Islanders to provide information and advice, the ICCJ also supports a range of celebrations.
Minister for Children and Education, and Chair of the International Cultural Centre Steering Group, Deputy Inna Gardiner, said: "As Chair of the ICC Steering Group, I am pleased to announce these events, which will – I hope – give many more people a chance to experience the richness of Ukrainian culture.
"I'd also to thank Jersey's Ukrainian community for their involvement and passion for making these celebrations come to life. So many people have volunteered their free time to share their experiences, heritage and culture – whether by baking, sharing artwork, or by helping organise the day.
"Although Jersey has had a Ukrainian community for many years, we know that there are some families who have made Jersey their home as a result of the war with Russia. We've already seen – from the Battle of Flowers – how much an exchange of cultures can enrich everyone's experiences."
Minister for International Development, and Chair of Jersey Overseas Aid Commission, Deputy Carolyn Labey, said: "In 2022 JOA implemented a rapid and wide-ranging response to Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine. With an extra £1million provided by Government and another £1million raised from the Jersey public through the Bailiff's Ukraine Appeal, JOA has made 31 emergency grants worth £3.4million to partners working in Ukraine and neighbouring countries to date.
"We have funded trauma kits for frontline medics, mOm incubators, out of hospital birth-bags, training for those delivering support services within their communities, support and protection services for children and families fleeing the conflict as well as training many Ukrainian nationals, mostly women, in explosive ordnance disposal.
"Jersey's response has been amongst the quickest and best targeted in the world. I saw first-hand the results of some of this effort when I visited recipient organisations in Poland, as did JOA's Executive Director and Head of Programme when they met partners in Kyiv. I am so proud of what our team has achieved here, in Europe's worst humanitarian crisis since the Second World War, and so proud of Jersey public's staunch support for it."
To sign up for the film screening on 23 August, visit:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/icc-ukrainian-movie-night-pamfir-tickets-699630171677?aff=oddtdtcreator
To sign up for the panel discussion on 24 August, visit:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ukraine-day-panel-discussion-jerseys-response-to-the-crisis-in-ukraine-tickets-698389962177?aff=oddtdtcreator
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