October 2, 2017 the election of new members to the GCI Board of Directors took place as part of the Agenda at the General Assembly of Green Cross International which was held in Geneva, Switzerland. Bolivia joined the active members of the Board and Ukraine was supported for the first time during the last 25 years in the history of Green Cross. Ukraine is represented by Professor, Doctor, Ambassador for Peace Maksym Tymoshenko, President of Green Cross in Ukraine.
"This is a remarkable breakthrough for Ukraine and big chance that we awaited for 25 years! The country was recognized in general. People who are engaged in our work made a lot of efforts to achieve this result. Now we can raise environmental issues related to Ukraine in the UN and UNESCO. I will do everything possible to make our voice heard. Because we just weren’t heard before. Now the situation will change” - commented Maksym Tymoshenko.
In the coming years, the newly elected member of the GCI Board of Directors intends to draw public attention to the Green Cross activities, to promote the image of the organization and seek for opportunities to support existing programs and to develop new directions.
Green Cross projects keep being implemented in Ukraine thanks to the coordination and financial support of Green Cross Switzerland, under the leadership of the International Socmed Program Director Maria Vitagliano and the GCCH Team.
The relevance of the implementation of the International SOCMED Program in Ukraine is determined by the constant need of the population for social and medical assistance, which is subject to negative environmental impact due to the Chernobyl accident and other unfavorable factors.
At the end of April, International Program Director SOCMED, Maria Vitagliano visited Ukraine with her planned working trip. Besides coordination and assessment of the activities, the Program Director foremost dedicated her trip to the anniversary of the Chernobyl accident.
Together with the Green Cross Team Maria Vitagliano took part in the events to commemorate the Chernobyl accident, which took place in the town of Slavutich. The Program Director gave interviews for local television, met with families and children and together visited the Chernobyl museum. Also she met with representatives of the city council, liquidators of the Chernobyl accident. Also she got acquainted with the participants of the ecological conference and communicated to the organizers. Together with the GCU Executive Director Yuriy Sapiga and regional project coordinators Elena Germanovich and Tatiana Boyko, as well as with the Mayor of Slavutich, Yuriy Fomichev and ex-Mayor Vladimir Udovichenko she laid flowers at the memorial and so that to express her solidarity and commitment in solving the problems associated with the consequences of the nuclear catastrophe.
The whole staff of Green Cross and Coordinators from all regions in Ukraine as well as foreign partners from Green Cross family sincerely congratulate Maksym Tymoshenko, President of Green Cross Ukraine on awarded title of Professor (Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the decision of the Academic Council of the National Academy of Culture and Arts as per April 20, 2017, minutes No.12). He is the youngest among those honoured with the title of Professor in Ukraine.
Green Cross Ukraine Team pursues its cooperation with Green Cross Switzerland (GCCH) under the International Social and Medical Care Program. Together with its partners it provides medical, social and educational assistance to people who endure the consequences of the Chernobyl accident and living in the 3rd and 4th Chernobyl zones.
The Environmental Toxin Report 2016 from the environmental organisations Green Cross Switzerland and Pure Earth, New York, provides information about the world’s ten most dangerous sources of environmental toxins and quantifies the magnitude of the adverse effects on health caused by toxic substances worldwide in DALYs (source: media information by GC Switzerland.
Although the majority of environmental toxins are contributors to global morbidity and mortality, few publications are available on this subject. At the same time, pollution is increasing as a result of the rapid expansion of urbanisation and industrialisation and the informal economy, particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMIC).
This year due to cooperation with new partners, "Eco Summer Therapy Camp" project was successfully implemented under the International SOCMED Program in Ukraine.
The project was made possible thanks to the coordination and financial support of Green Cross Switzerland (GCCH) within the International SOCMED Program led by Maria Vitagliano, along with the support and involvement of local partners in Ukraine.
This year the youth exchange project brought together young people from 6 countries. A group of 39 children from Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Japan, Italy and Switzerland, all took part in a Green Cross summer camp program. Youth Camp was implemented with the support and coordination of ch.Stiftung and held as part of Green Cross Social and Medical Care Program with the participation of Green Cross organizations in Ukraine, Belarus, Japan, Italy and Switzerland.
For the second year in a row due to the invitation and support of GHS Nonprofit Közhasznü Kft. and SENAT Aktiengesellschaft Vaduz children's camp in Hungary was organized for internally displaced children from the Eastern Ukraine. The project started last year and has been successfully implemented this summer thanks to the coordination support of Green Cross Switzerland in collaboration with Green Cross Ukraine with the participation of the local Ukrainian partners from the Department of Youth and Family Policy of the Zhytomyr Oblast State Administration and Services for Children and Families Affairs of the Kyiv Regional State Administration.
