Europeans at Heart EUNeighbours EAST

In this new episode of this special series of our podcast, Daryna, a 17-year-old student from central Ukraine, talked with us about the impact of Russia's aggression on Ukrainian women and children, that are particularly vulnerable to violence.

Instagram page of the organization «Women's League», where we disseminate information about Russian crimes against women and children: https://www.instagram.com/womensleagueukraine/

The official website of Ukraine, where you can find verified information about the war and ways to help Ukraine: https://war.ukraine.ua/ 

Come Back Alive Foundation: https://www.comebackalive.in.ua/ 

National Bank of Ukraine: https://bank.gov.ua/en/ 

Feel the Ukrainian bravery through music: 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6r6uKM0zL9ymUBVtNGmWrh?si=DtzE1VV8QSWeFKqSWc8uRA&utm_source=native-share-menu 



Daryna Lynnyk is a high school student, who studies languages and history with passion. Daryna organised 5 different projects in her local community on such topics as ecology, feminism and media literacy. So, it’s not surprising, that she became the president of the league of high school students of the Cherkasy region in May 2021. Also, Daryna makes research work about symbols of Trypillian culture. Her mission is to strengthen civil society in Ukraine, that is why she is passionate about creating projects with and for young people.



Maria Pia Napoletano is the EU YEAs Coordinator. She’s been working with young people since 2016, taking part in Erasmus+ project and organising local grassroots activities.  

As for other activities, in 2017 she took part in the WFD of the CoE, and in 2018 she was selected as the Youth Representative for Italy in the 35th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. In 2019, she organized a TEDx and in 2021, she graduated Summa cum Laude in Business Administration at Federico II University. Currently, she is working at the University in Naples, and coordinating YEAs.

In this new episode of this special series of our podcast, we talked with Anna, a student from Poland and Russia that talked to us about her experience with Russian education and propaganda, what the main myths promoted now by Russian outlets and how to counteract disinformation.  

Anna Lanina is a Law graduate, now president of The Polish Forum of Young Diplomats. She has moved from Russia to Poland, and found a new home and place there. She's a critical mind and an active citizen, always looking for new ways to change the world around her.



Cătălina Ceban holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Warsaw in the field of International Relations. She currently follows a Master’s degree program in Security and Strategic Studies at the University of Warsaw being connected with this topic by participating in different events such as the CyberSec Forum, and the Warsaw Security Forum, and activating as a member of the Women in International Security network. Recently she started to activate as a senior officer at the Moldovan National Focal Point Europol. Out of the security field, she is also very interested in the EU as a concept. This can be proved by her activity as Vice President for the Bringing Europeans Together Association in Poland, founder and Vice President for the students’ society named “My dla Europy”.

In this new episode of this special series of our podcast, we talked with Nataliia, a Young European Ambassador from Ukraine who introduced us to a particular aspect of this conflict: being a Ukrainian citizen living abroad. Being away from her country in such a difficult time it’s really challenging for what she addresses as “mental health”. Through this interview she opened up to us, showing a new side of this conflict and how deeply it can affect people even from afar. Eventually, she found a way to react, engaging in her local community to be with her country, with both head and heart.

Nataliia Yaroshenko is currently a PhD student in the field of ecology working with the plant population analysis. She holds a bachelor degree in Biology, Master’s in ecology (Cherkasy National University named after B. Khmelnytskyi) and a bachelor degree in Foreign languages teaching (English and Spanish). In 2016 Nataliia was honored to complete the Study of US Institutes program (Environmental issues, the University of Oregon, the USA) and won the CAPSTONE project award in 2017. Nataliia is an active volunteer in local initiatives and participant of the Erasmus+ youth exchanges and training courses with the experience of coaching the sessions about human rights, sustainability and social inclusion. The other part of Nataliia’s life belongs to the Ukrainian cultural potential by being a co-organizer of Cherkasy Book Festival, SHEfest, Sumy Rock Fest initiatives.

Matilde Fabrizio is a student in Political Science and International Relations at the Cesare Alfieri University of Florence. She is currently in Paris where she is living the Erasmus+ experience at Sorbonne University. Matilde’s dedication to international affairs goes far beyond a simple passion and interest in her studies; thanks to the many experiences she had abroad, she has always felt part of a community much larger and broader than just that of her home country. Matilde believes in a world in which the diversity of countries and cultures is a richness and an opportunity for everyone, and she works every day to see it realized. Her goal as a Young European Ambassador is to move further the gaze of those who still cannot see this world. Matilde finds beauty in complexity.

Rose Dahl is an international student of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme from Germany. She is currently involved in several activities, such as guiding international exchange students through their programmes, participating in Model United Nations Conferences and volunteering as a journalist for a local newspaper.

It's been three months since Russia's aggression on Ukraine started. 

How was it and how is it now? We asked Anna, a young journalist currently living in Ukraine. We talked to her about how her life changed, how misinformation and disinformation are used as weapons and what we can do about it.



Anna Fratsyvir is a second-year student in the Bachelor’s of International Communications program at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Due to her humanities inclination combined with a deep interest in culture and international cooperation, she has participated in numerous scientific conferences and projects devoted to the modern tendency of the development of diplomacy and foreign policy. She is motivated to carry out projects aimed to implement western democratic ideals into Ukrainian society and to promote civic engagement in local communities. She speaks five languages, among which are Ukrainian, English, German, Spanish, and Russian. Apart from this, she is involved in journalism and blogging, which she considers to be an engine of ideas and opportunities in the 21st century. 



Matilde is a student in Political Science and International Relations at the Cesare Alfieri University of Florence. She is currently in Paris where she is living the Erasmus+ experience at Sorbonne University. Matilde’s dedication to international affairs goes far beyond a simple passion and interest in her studies; thanks to the many experiences she had abroad, she has always felt part of a community much larger and broader than just that of her home country. Matilde believes in a world in which the diversity of countries and cultures is a richness and an opportunity for everyone, and she works every day to see it realized. Her goal as a Young European Ambassador is to move further the gaze of those who still cannot see this world. Matilde finds beauty in complexity.



Currently on Erasmus in Prague for his third year of the Bachelor’s degree, Jules Bigot studies at SciencesPo Paris and specializes in the European Union and Central and Eastern Europe. Having grown up in a very European environment in Brussels, Jules has always been driven by the desire to meet new people and talk about Europe. That is why he got involved in various EU-related initiatives such as This Time I’m Voting, JEF Europe, Le Taurillon, Europe Direct and now the Young European Ambassadors initiative.

More than 11 million people are believed to have fled their homes in Ukraine since Russia's aggression in the country began. While 6.5 are believed to be Internally Displaced People, the rest is not scattered all across Europe and the USA.



How does it feel to have to move away from your own home, especially when some members of your family are still in danger? We have asked this Olesia, that fled Ukraine and is now based in Sweden.

Who's in the episode?

Cătălina Ceban holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Warsaw in the field of International Relations. She currently follows a Master’s degree program in Security and Strategic Studies at the University of Warsaw being connected with this topic by participating in different events as the CyberSec Forum, the Warsaw Security Forum, and activating as a member of the Women in International Security network. Recently she started to activate as a senior officer at the Moldovan National Focal Point Europol. Out of the security field, she is also very interested in the EU as a concept. This can be proved by her activity as Vice President for the Bringing Europeans Together Association in Poland, founder and Vice President for the students’ society named “My dla Europy”.

Olesia Bil is an aspiring film director and screenwriter. Now she is working on documentary and commercial projects.  

She also graduated from the Faculty of International Relations at the University of Warsaw.  Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine Olesia has been volunteering in cooperation with Caritas Charitable Foundation. She leads groups to help Ukraine from Sweden : Hjälp Ukraina and Ukrainavännerna. They are helping to provide civilians, Armed Forces of Ukraine and territorial defense with the necessary aid.

More than 2.5 million Ukrainian refugees have fled to Poland since Russia's aggression to their country started (Updated: 10.04.2022), and, according to the Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, there are some 300,000 in the capital city alone. It is an incredible number of people to welcome and support, so how are Polish people dealing with it?

We hear today from Anhelina, an European with a Ukrainian heart, that is volunteering since the refugee crisis started. She'll tell us a bit more about her work and how the population at large is participating to an unprecedented mobilisation.



Learn more about what YEAs are here: https://euneighbourseast.eu/young-european-ambassadors/ 

You can find more stories on our blog: https://euneighbourseast.eu/young-european-ambassadors/blog/ 



Speakers in the episode: 

Anhelina Pryimak is the President of the BETA Poland Association. She is also a MA student of European Studies at the University of Warsaw. Alumna of several MEU conferences with a wide international network and good connections with polish student organisations. She has also engaged in projects organized by the Budapest European Agora Team, Georgian Institute for Strategic Studies, Demostene Centro Studi per la promozione dello Sviluppo Umano and others.

Cătălina Ceban holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Warsaw in the field of International Relations. She currently follows a Master’s degree program in Security and Strategic Studies at the University of Warsaw being connected with this topic by participating in different events as the CyberSec Forum, the Warsaw Security Forum, and activating as a member of the Women in International Security network. Recently she started to activate as a senior officer at the Moldovan National Focal Point Europol. Out of the security field, she is also very interested in the EU as a concept. This can be proved by her activity as Vice President for the Bringing Europeans Together Association in Poland, founder and Vice President for the students’ society named “My dla Europy”.