At the Ukrainian World Congress Summit in Bern, Switzerland, which brought together more than 300 participants from 50 countries, representatives explored one of the most pressing challenges facing Ukrainian communities abroad: preserving the identity of Ukrainian children in the context of forced migration.
Among the participants were Halyna Samchuk, Director of the Hrystia Hranovska Foundation, and Mariia Proshkovska, Creative Director of Freedom Diaries. During the discussion, Mariia proposed broadening the conversation beyond preserving identity to include the concept of re-identification.
“It is not only about preserving who we once were, but also about understanding who we are today,” Mariia Proshkovska emphasized.
Participants noted that, since 2022, many Ukrainian children have found themselves living in new countries and unfamiliar realities, where they are searching for answers to fundamental questions: Who are they? What does it mean to be Ukrainian? Which values do they want to carry forward?
The Freedom Diaries team believes that children should not be given predetermined answers. Instead, they should be offered a safe and supportive space where they can discover their own connection to Ukraine through creativity, dialogue, and personal experience.
“Being Ukrainian is not defined by geography. It is something that can be nurtured from anywhere in the world,” participants concluded.
