Session Journal - Chernihiv 2018 National Selection Conference of EYP Ukraine

Chernihiv’18

12th NSC of EYP Ukraine

WELCOME

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Chernihiv 2018 National Selection Conference is a European Youth Parliament Ukraine Session. which was a platform for the exchange of ideas, values and culture among young people. It has brought together 135 youngsters from all over Europe on 10-14 July of 2018.

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The Head Organiser Dear participants!

The fact that you are reading this means that has reached its goal - we have made the . You may have loved the session, you may have hated it. No matter what, you are not indifferent.

Most probably you have had your own reasoning to participate in Chernihiv’18:

, try something new, improve your skills, get selected for future events or just have a reunion with old friends.

For some of you this session has been a goal itself, for others - only a small step towards something big and significant. As a Head Organiser of this session, I would be more than happy if Chernihiv’18 helped you to become even a little bit closer to your goals.

Now it’s done. !

Thank you for being the part of it!

See you somewhere in Europe!

Tetiana Lavrichenko Head Organiser of Chernihiv 2018

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The President Dear participants, What an experience this has been. From shouting at the top of your lungs in a big circle on the main square surrounded by people you’ve never seen before to sitting in the , enthusiastically defending the product of intense brainstorming and discussion and debating the resolutions of other committees.

Along the way, you’ve learned about foreign cultures, met people from all over Europe and made valuable friendships. EYP sessions always have the magic ability to make a couple of days seem like a journey filled with exciting new things to .

Now, you have come to a crucial point in your  Based on your next decision, you are either at the end or at the beginning of a wondrous � . Talking with you over the course of the past few days has made me nostalgic of my own days as a delegate, and I cannot stress enough how much I hope that many of you will see not as a conclusion, but as a stepping stone towards many more great experiences.

Believe in your future. You are the only one who Â? Â? it.

Thanos Theofanakis President of Chernihiv 2018

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The Editor NSC 2018 of EYP Ukraine was one of a kind fun Â? and an unforgettable experience, full of amazing people and so many challenging moments, as with great power came great responsibility, which was to capture all your emotional, funny and Â?Â?Â? moments, to make an album of memories, memories which will last forever. I would like to thank all the people who have put their time and effort to make Chernihiv NSC 2018 of EYP Ukraine a wonderful . I would like to thank the and the of EYP Ukraine for giving me the opportunity and the priceless experience in one of the most beautiful cities of Ukraine.

This is one of your first steps in EYP.And this Session is great platform and a great opportunity for making new friends and developing yourself both profession all and personally. Every each and one of you must use this opportunity. Always remeber is all about   . Its about your  . Its about your fellow �� members. Its all about .

The media team worked really hard before, during and after the session. Chernihiv 2018 would not be an amazing reality, an adventure and a memorable experience without you!

Nareg Soussani Editor of Chernihiv 2018

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The Head of Jury is a home, it is a safe where you can always find your spot. Everyone you meet there is your . You have multiple brothers and sisters, mammas, papas etc. For me this 6-year-old journey has become some kind of escape, escape from the difficulties of the daily life, difficulties of the decision I need to make, from broken hearts. It is a place where I feel safe, not judged, supported. You know sometimes in life you don't feel like a Â? , but that doesn't mean you're not a winner, you want to be like yourself. I want you to know it's okay. And EYP helped me with it, with marrying some of my insecurities.

And here we are now, in , we are just trying to change the world, one sequin at a time. We happened to live in really unstable and brutal times. . it does not mean to be in a place where there is no trouble, noise, or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.The situation around us is like an unfinished painting, and as the Â? Â? of that painting, we must fill in all the ugly holes and make it Â?

again

Maciej Kryński Head of Jury of Chernihiv 2018

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Even though there are international treaties and local bodies ensuring the fair and

equal treatment of each human being living on this planet, there is still a significant imbalance in opportunities people are given and the way they are treated.

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ueuing up, claiming yourself to be fighting for justice, ask yourself if you became a victim of the most common misconceptions about equality.

Understanding comes first. In this case, equality doesn’t mean applying the same

approach to people, regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs or race. In fact, to treat individuals as equals, you will sometimes have to accommodate their differences. Rather than processes, it’s about outcomes.

Advocates of gender equality aren't fighting for women to get better treatment;

they just want them to be regarded with respect as men are. Thus, people fighting for gender equality are not only feminists. Gender equality concerns every single person in society, both males and females.

Largely, discrimination is happening at the workplace. Despite an overwhelming amount of corporate policies and regulations the ranking system doesn’t favour female workers. Even though, it is common that the majority workforce is female, women are underrepresented in senior roles.

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nvestigating the above mentioned, not only women remain underrepresented in occupying leadership positions, they get smaller wages for the same amount of job comparing to men. In fact, full-time working women earn just 77 cents for every dollar a man earns.

To ensure that everyone has equal opportunities and treatment, it is crucial to

understand that equality is not a responsibility of only the leaders or the frontline workers. As in in every issue you’d tackle, everyone’s contribution matters and everyone counts.

You are the one responsible for shaping and preserving equality. Because every journey starts with a small step, you are capable of making a change if you start with yourself.

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project by Sophia Bilenko Anastasia Ivanchenko

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project by Ania Rejman

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Committee on

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article by Anastasia Ivanchenko

19 What are the biggest issues we might face on our way to solving social injustice and establishing equal society? We asked delegates to share their opinion on how we can make Ukrainian society more tolerant and solve the biggest problems inequality causes in our country.

“In Ukraine we face inequality in different spheres of life – like discrimination of women, LGBT community, or people with mental health issues. As a delegate of ENVI committee I realized how crucial this problem is to the society. People who stand out, people who don’t fit in the system get laughed at, bullied and discriminated in schools, workplace, or even in family. Prejudice caused by the cultural background of a post-Soviet country doesn’t let us catch up so quickly with modern points of view, although every day we take small steps towards achieving equality and these are the steps we have to be proud of”. – Katia Neznaiko, ENVI “Inequality in family is something we need to pay more attention to, as it limits the way people behave in the society. Generation after generation grows up thinking that the only thing a woman is capable of is cooking dinners and growing up babies; meanwhile a man has to do all the work, be successful and have a respectful job. However, the model of a perfect family simply doesn’t exist, and everyone should have the right to decide what is the best for them. Any woman can prove that this stereotype is false by working hard and setting the family in the way you’re comfortable with – by doing this, you will also set an example for others like you”. - Alice Demchenko, AFET “First thing you can do in the fight for equality is to start from yourself. In order to do that, we need to check if we think stereotypically about this or that problematic topic.

Furthermore, we have to influence our close society - friends, relatives who might be under the influence of common stereotypes and think in a toxic way about controversial issues. Also it is important to understand why they might have this point of view so our communication with them would be more efficient. We need to find some innovative way to show how tolerance is better than discrimination”. – Daria Gundina, ENVI

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“Wanna do something EYP Ireland disproves?”

Victoria Bilenko

“Are you a resolution?

Because I would amend that” Adam Kraus

“Hey girl, are you from EYP? Cuz you're the only resolution I see” Unknown

project by Lesia Pogorila

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photo credits: Sophia Bilenko

Supported by:

Initiated by:

The Schwarzkopf Foundation is the international umbrella organisation of the European Youth Parliament (EYP). EYP Ukraine is a National Committee in the EYP network.

been there, done that.