On September 30, the first meeting of representatives of the Youth Council under the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine and Mykola Tochytskyi took place. The Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine congratulated the members of the Youth Council on their election and emphasized the importance of their role in shaping the country’s cultural and communication policies.
Mykola Tochytskyi emphasized that Ukraine’s national identity must be firmly established on the global stage and expressed hope for a creative approach from the youth in this regard. He also outlined three tasks for the Youth Council to be accomplished by the first official meeting, which will take place on October 8:
1. Identifying prominent figures in Ukrainian history and culture who can represent the nation;
2. Developing directions for strategic communications at the international level;
3. Strengthening collaboration between the Youth Council and institutions and organizations.
“I congratulate all of you on joining the Youth Council. Together with my colleagues, I have high hopes for you. You are the representatives who will help to shape the policy in collaboration with the Ministry regarding our return to the history of great European countries and nations. You are our flagship. Everything we do will be together with you, for your sake and for our future,” emphasized Mykola Tochytskyi.
The meeting was also attended by members of the Youth Affairs Council under the President of Ukraine, Director of the Ukrainian Youth Fund Mykola Kobysia, Project Manager of the Youth Affairs Council under the President of Ukraine Valeriia Chypyniuk, representative of the public organization “Youth Platform” Oleksandr Tuz, and Deputy Head of the Youth Policy Department of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Liliia Shkyra. They emphasized the necessity of involving youth at various levels for collaborative work on pressing issues related to Ukraine’s development.
The Chair of the selection committee for the Youth Council, Deputy Minister for European Integration Taras Shevchenko, noted that the main task of the Ministry and the Council is to promote Ukrainian culture at the international level and to demonstrate our identity to the world. He urged the members of the Youth Council not to limit themselves to concepts but to take responsibility for specific projects and achieve results.
“First and foremost, I believe that the state relies on responsible people. The state develops thanks to talented artists. The state wins through smart and strong-spirited workers. A crucial area of the Ministry’s work is the issue of civic national identity. Therefore, I wish you to be responsible for your contributions and to strengthen the links between cultural policy and national consciousness,” emphasized Taras Shevchenko.
The Deputy Chair of the selection committee and Head of the Department for Barrier-Free Policy, Gender Equality, and Mental Health at the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, Lesia Khemraieva, emphasized the importance of personal development for each member of the Youth Council and called for collaborative work: “The Youth Council is not just a consultative body; it is a platform for active actions and the implementation of creative solutions. It is crucial that every voice is heard. Thank you for your willingness to take responsibility and act. Many challenges lie ahead, but I am confident that together we will overcome any difficulties and achieve better results”.
At the end of the meeting, representatives of the Youth Council shared their work results and experiences in the cultural and communication sectors, expressing hopes for future collaboration. The young and ambitious members outlined priority areas of focus for the near future, including preserving cultural heritage, protecting national identity, countering russian propaganda and information-psychological operations, building a barrier-free society, and strengthening cooperation with national and international institutions and organizations.
“I really appreciated the communication, ideas, and directions that my colleagues aim to develop, as well as the genuine desire to implement projects promoting Ukrainian culture,” said Youth Council representative Aleks Martirosian.
