From October 5 to 7, 2018, the ІІ UGCC Forum of Ukrainian migrants from Central and Western Europe, entitled Ukrainian Youth in Europe. Challenges and Opportunities for the Church, was held in Rome.
More than 130 representatives from Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Great Britain, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Greece, Estonia, Latvia and Moldova took part in the Forum. Representatives of the clergy, scholars, public activists from the European youth organizations and Ukrainian emigrant educators were invited to participate in the event.
At plenary sessions, participants discussed the current state and prospects of pastoral care of children and young people in the conditions of the newest Ukrainian diaspora; the role of the Church and School as the foundation of the modern and future Ukrainian diaspora; youth movement at the service of the newest Ukrainian diaspora.
Iryna Kliuchkovska, represented Lviv Polytechnic National University and the International Institute of Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations at the Forum, delivering her report, entitled Children of Ukrainian Labor Migrants in Europe. Remain Ukrainian. Within the active assimilation, which is observed today in the environment of recent emigration from Ukraine, the speaker outlined the significant role of the church, family, school and public organizations which can prevent these processes, focusing on the importance of Ukrainian Saturday and Sunday Schools as factors for the formation of national identity. Also there were presented the results of a sociological study of IECDR, entitled Ukrainian Schools Abroad. Teachers Survey, which is the basis for the creation of a strategy for the development of Ukrainian school abroad in cooperation with Ukrainian educators.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Head of the UGCC, addressed the Forum participants and also had a separate meeting with the Ukrainian youth migrants.
