Photo: Anton Kulakowskiy
18.09.24
headspace Denmark at summit in Kyiv: We support Ukraine's youth on the road to a better future
Millions of Ukrainian children and young people live with daily stress from daily air raids and the fear of losing their loved ones. In addition, many of them are also plagued by extreme isolation and loneliness. If you're in third grade in eastern Ukraine, you've probably never met your classmates in real life.
Last week, the physical and mental safety of children and young people - especially in Ukraine, but also in the rest of the world - was on the agenda at The Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Together with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's husband Bo Tengberg, a delegation from headspace Denmark led by founder and patron Poul Nyrup Rasmussen attended at a very special invitation from the Ukrainian First Lady, Olena Zelenska.
The invitation came about after headspace Denmark earlier this year partnered with Olena Zelenska and the Ukrainian authorities to establish a headspace-like model in Ukraine. The hope is to offer Ukrainian children and young people a place where they can talk to someone about the challenges they face in a war-torn world.
We know from Denmark and several other countries that young people under pressure often need to talk to someone who is not necessarily their immediate family, as Poul Nyrup Rasmussen emphasized in the debate ”Child safety in the family”, where he talked about what headspace can do:
”Russia's war against Ukraine has put the country's children and young people under daily pressure, and there is therefore a need for new and greater special help. Headspace Denmark can offer a collaboration that we know works and that can be built and expanded throughout Ukraine” said the former Prime Minister before continuing:
”More than ever, Ukraine's children and young people need a place where they can share their thoughts and feelings with someone who listens and doesn't know them and their story beforehand. Finding absolute confidentiality and trust can be absolutely crucial for one's mental health in difficult times. Early help, without long waiting times, is the key to helping young people get back on track in life. We are very happy to be able to help and can't wait to get started. And believe me, it counts.”
Photo: Anton Kulakowskiy
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen's words resonated not only with the panel and the audience, but also with Hollywood star Michael Douglas, who was invited in his capacity as UN Ambassador and in his speech praised the ideas and purpose of headspace.
Young people will build the future of Ukraine
The summit featured many moving moments, including two Ukrainian children sharing their tragic stories of attacks that left them orphaned and disfigured. However, the courage to want to make a difference for their brothers and sisters was intact.
A strong reflection of the fact that 9 out of 10 Ukrainian youth, despite their own difficult situation, want to help their peers and their country, as was also pointed out at the summit.
headspace Denmark hopes to help develop a program that can help young people play an active role in building the Ukraine of the future, says Nina Moss, Head of Headspace International, who also attended the summit:
Photo: DanChurchAid
”Right now, of course, the focus for the Ukrainian people is elsewhere, which is why there is no preventive program that can nip young people's well-being challenges in the bud and prepare them for the future. We want to help develop this. Because the many brave Ukrainian children and young people who, along with the rest of the country, face so many hardships deserve it.”
Mental health is the biggest global challenge to well-being
During the summit, the a new, interesting report was also published. It aims to determine the level of the greatest threats to child well-being worldwide and is based on a survey of parents and children in 15 countries, including Ukraine and Denmark.
The report, compiled by the international research company Catalyse research with support from UNICEF and others, emphasized the need for services like headspace, also internationally.
It showed that, across the board, what the world's children and young people are most concerned about is their mental health. And that's in countries as diverse as Lithuania, Iraq, Brazil, Kenya and Japan.
In Ukraine, the war takes up the most space
However, responses also differed from country to country depending on the nations” current challenges. In Denmark, ”environmental problems” was top, in the UK ”extremism”. And in Ukraine, the answer - for both children and adults - was ”war".
The war is also leaving its eerie mark all over the country. And it's hard to shake, says Trine Hammershøy, Director of headspace Denmark/The Social Network:
”I will never forget what I have experienced these past few days. We have seen terrible sights and heard tragic stories. But at the same time, we have also felt the incredible strength of the Ukrainian people. Therefore, it is an honor for us at headspace Denmark to help develop an offer that can help them. At the same time, this is a big new chapter in headspace Denmark, where we will do even more to create a safe environment for children and young people - at home and abroad” she says.
Read more about The Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen and the global survey here.
Photo: Anton Kulakowskiy
