2024 activity report

No. 891 · 03.05.2024

Support for Ukraine’s air defence. Announced in sitting no. 186 of 8 May 2024; referred to the 3rd Standing Committee (foreign affairs and defence).

No. 953 · 08.07.2024

Implementing the PACE resolution in support of displaced people. Ukrainian in Italian schools and simpler recognition of qualifications. Examined by the Assembly on 24 July 2024 (sitting no. 211); before Committees 3 and 7.

No. 1009 · 05.09.2024

Ukrainian as a foreign language in Italian schools. From an optional course to a full subject. Announced on 24 September 2024 (sitting no. 223); before the 7th Standing Committee (culture and education).

10.01

An open letter was sent to President Sergio Mattarella calling for a ban on pro-Russian propaganda in all its forms.

22.01

An online meeting was held with the lawyer Francesco Catania, an Italian blogger who posts videos about Russian aggression almost daily; the discussion covered what associations can do against Russian propaganda.

24.01

An online forum was held on “Recognition of medical qualifications and the chance for Ukrainians to work in Italian healthcare”

12.02

An online meeting was held with the chair of the Committee on Migration and Refugees of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Ukrainian MP Oleksii Honcharenko

24.02

we held demonstrations for the anniversary of the war

25.02

A meeting of representatives of Ukrainian associations was convened at the Consulate General of Ukraine in Naples.

27.03

The Forum of Ukrainian healthcare workers was held with the Italian expert Gabriele Dallara, a lecturer in medicine in university and professional training courses, the President of the Medical Association of La Spezia Salvatore Barbagallo, and representatives of the Federico II University of Naples: Prof. Nardone, coordinator of the medicine and surgery course, Prof. Pasquale Abete, coordinator of the English-language medicine and surgery course, and Dr Cianese.
The aim of the Forum: to identify the obstacles to integrating Ukrainian healthcare workers and to give practical guidance on entering Italian higher education in the medical field.

10.04

A training conference was held with the Labor union (schools) on how to take part in the public competition for Personale ATA (school support staff: administrative staff, technicians, laboratory assistants and others)

22.04

The forum “Studying in Italy” was organised for prospective students from Ukraine with the support of UASI (Ukraine – Support and Information, the legal clinic of Bocconi University). Tutors (Dr Marco Gerbaudo and Ludovica Oliva) and fourth- and fifth-year law students set out clear procedures for Ukrainians intending to study in Italy.

23.04

An online meeting was held with the management of CIMEA on the procedures for recognising Ukrainian qualifications. Letizia Brambilla Pisoni, executive assistant, explained the recognition procedures and matters relating to education and higher education in Italy and internationally. The session was moderated for CIMEA by two senior evaluation experts, Laura Dirvonskyte and Luca Ferranti.

16.05

a delegation of Ukrainian entrepreneurs took part in a meeting organised by the Assimprenditori association and Fideuram bank: reviewing inheritance and asset matters, and how to handle business disputes.

16–19.05

all the associations held events for Vyshyvanka Day. Brightly embroidered national shirts filled the streets of Palermo and Milan, Bari and Salerno, Reggio Calabria and Florence.

17.05

A round table was organised at the Italian Ministry of Health. Working with Adriana Chiurato, M. Aiello and other ministry officials who deal directly with recognition of qualifications, practical guidance was drawn up for recognising the qualifications of Ukrainian healthcare workers.

29.05

Congress representatives joined the forum held under the project “Application and implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement on trade / EU4Business: competitiveness and internationalisation of SMEs”, part of the International Business Days, which also hosted the Fourth business forum of the Ukrainian diaspora.
Following the event we worked out how to cooperate with Ukraine’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry in preparing for the recovery conference in Italy in 2025.

03.07

community delegates took part in a charity event in support of Ukraine in Naples, organised by the association of Naples’ diplomatic and consular corps. The Congress’s honorary member and representative in Ukraine, V. Sydiachenko, was able to brief Ambassador Ya. Melnyk and Consul General M. Kovalenko on preparations for the Ukraine recovery conference to be held in Italy in 2025.

24.07

A cooperation memorandum was concluded with one of Italy’s largest and most influential business associations, Assimprenditori (almost 5,000 entrepreneurs).

July

Congress member associations supported the “UKRAINE IS CALLING” campaign: in August and September the ambulance shot up by Russian forces toured the cities of southern and central Italy, and on 8 October it continued on its way to France.

26.08

We took part in the international meeting “Ukrainians worldwide helping Ukraine”, held in Kyiv with First Deputy Speaker O. Korniienko, Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner D. Lubinets, Ambassador-at-Large for Ukrainians Abroad M. Betsa and Chamber of Commerce President H. Chyzhykov; our active involvement gave us further drive and confidence and marked the starting point of the Congress.
Vadym Sydiachenko, honorary Board member and coordinator of the Congress’s economic activity, attended the meeting

01.09

Taking account of Olena Zelenska’s initiative to develop Ukrainian schools, create Ukrainian audio guides and Ukrainian bookshelves around the world and join the Global Coalition for Ukrainian Studies, on 1 September we held the Forum of Ukrainian teachers in Italy, which drew up a programme for implementing the resolution “Urgent appeal to Europe and its partners: immediate and long-term policy solutions in support of people displaced from Ukraine”, adopted at the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on 27 June 2024.
The event was attended by senior institutional figures, including Oleksii Honcharenko, chair of the Committee on Migration and Refugees of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and Iryna Kliuchkovska, director of the Institute of International Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations in Lviv (Ukraine).

20.09

on the occasion of the G7 Culture summit in Naples we organised a round table with Ukraine’s Minister of Culture Mykola Tochytskyi, Ukraine’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, H.E. Yaroslav Melnyk, and Ukraine’s Consul General in Naples Maksym Kovalenko. The need to unite diaspora groups and to work with Ukrainian state bodies was underlined.

05.10

we convened the meeting with Ukrainian educators “Educational demands and needs of Ukrainian schooling in Italy”, chaired by the head of the CNAUI education department, with Ukraine’s Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language Taras Kremin, the director of the International Institute of Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations Iryna Kliuchkovska, the acting director of the International Ukrainian School Liudmyla Vynohradova, the representative of Ukraine’s Embassy in Italy Olena Kholiavytska, and the head of the World Coordinating Educational Council of the Ukrainian World Congress, SFUZhO board member Liuba Liubchyk.

19–20.10

we were invited as guests to the members’ assembly and meeting of the Ukrainian European Congress marking the organisation’s 75th anniversary, in Brussels (Belgium)

04.11

we organised an introductory meeting with representatives of Ukraine’s Embassy: Hanna Halchenko, counsellor, Olena Kholiavytska, second secretary for culture, and Tetiana Denysenko, third secretary for economic affairs.

16.11

we organised the festival of Ukrainian and Italian song “Without borders” in Salerno

17.11

The Assembly of the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy was held, electing the new Board.

10–12.12

Brussels
The delegation of the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy (CNAUI) held a series of meetings with members of the European Parliament.
The visit was organised on the initiative of CNAUI President Lara Levchun, at the invitation of Oleksandr Lazuka, coordinator of the cross-party group of MEP friends of Ukraine “Euro-Atlantic Ukraine”, and with the support of the Ukrainian European Congress.
Main topics of discussion:
The delegates set out their key demands and proposals in a petition, signed unanimously and handed to the cross-party group of MEP friends of Ukraine “Euro-Atlantic Ukraine”.

• protection of human rights and freedoms, and the problems Ukrainians face integrating in Italy;
• the impact of Russian disinformation and manipulation in Italy’s information space;
• stronger support for Ukraine.

14.12

we took part in the European forum of the Ukrainian diaspora “Novi Sad 2024”. The CNAUI President spoke in the thematic panel
“New challenges for the UEC: building the network, integration processes, and sustaining and strengthening communities”