As part of the national project "Side by Side: United Communities," students from the Bakhmut and Gostomel communities met online to join the annual "16 Days Against Violence" campaign.
The event, initiated by the Bakhmut City Council's Department of Youth Policy and Children's Affairs with the support of the Bakhmut City Council's Department of Education, was an important step toward raising awareness among young people about the problem of violence and ways to solve it.
The main speaker at the meeting was Elena Lukyanenko, inspector of the educational security service. She gave an informative lecture on domestic violence to students from the Bakhmut community and Lyceum No. 1 of the Gostomel community.
Special attention was paid to issues of personal safety, algorithms for action in crisis situations, and types of legal liability (punishments) provided for by law for committing violence. The inspector emphasized that knowing one's rights and responsibilities is the key to a safe environment.
During an interactive discussion, a representative of the Bakhmut City Council's Department of Youth Policy and Children's Affairs told participants about the Beregynya chatbot.
The Beregynya chatbot is an example of how young people themselves create tools to support their peers. It was developed on the initiative of the Bakhmut community youth council and is intended to be a reliable, anonymous source of information and assistance for those who have experienced violence or need advice on safety issues.
The meeting between young people from Bakhmut and Gostomel as part of the Side by Side: United Communities project is symbolic. Both communities have endured difficult trials, and such joint events not only raise social awareness but also strengthen interregional ties, providing a sense of unity and mutual support, which is important in the context of the country's recovery.
Based on materials from the Bakhmut City Council