Indo - Ukraine Exchange Program on UN World Humanitarian Aid Day
Every year on 19 August, the UN celebrates World Humanitarian Aid Day. The main purpose of this day is to emphasize the need for states to cooperate in times of global and natural disasters as well as armed conflicts.
An Indo- Ukraine Exchange Program was conducted between Ashoka Group of Students and Ukrainian students on this occasion of UN World Humanitarian Aid Day. The Indian delegation of this exchange program was represented by Ashoka Group of Schools. Topics discussed during this meet revolved around the aspects of the UN Humanitarian Charter. It largely included,
roles and responsibilities of the Humanitarian Charter and minimum standards of Water Supply, Sanitation, Nutrition, Food Aid, Shelter, Site Planning and Health Services as per the charter.
Insightful presentations were delivered by our students, and discussions took place around them. It was a day full of learning, sharing ideas, broadening perspectives and collaborating. Ashokites did exceptionally well in presenting and discussing various information with Ukrainian students. Overall this exchange was a huge success.
This meet was conducted in collaboration of Ashoka Group of Schools, AISP SPIA Indian and Ukraine Delegations, and Pedagogical University of Ukraine. The welcome speech on behalf of the Indian delegate was delivered by Mrs Renuka Joshi, Principal of Ashoka Group of Schools, Ashoka Marg. She stressed the need for cooperation and fostering friendship and understanding. Guests from Ukraine side were Mr. Igor Tovma, PhD, Deputy Head of Psychology and Pedagogy Dept of the National Academy of NGU, Mr. Sergey Seryakov, Professor of Dept. of World History, Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, and Mrs. Ludmila Zelenska, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences and Dean of History and Law at Kharkiv National Pedagogical University. The overall coordination for this meet was done by Dr. Dinesh Sabnis, AGM- Activity Ashoka Group of Schools and CEO & Secretary General, AISP SPIA – Indian Delegation, along with the able support and guidance of the management team and all the academic heads of Ashoka Group of Schools.
The coordination on the Ukrainian counterpart was done by Sofia Bondarenko, assistant of chairmans of the board of the NGO "Public Union of UN Peacekeepers, and an active participant in International missions and invalid soldiers of War "and the Coordinator of International Programs "School of Peace" and "Young Peacemaker". AISP-SPIA is a blue Barrett veteran association having general consultative status in UN ECOSOC.
Ashoka Group of Schools regularly provides such platforms to its students to interact with diverse entities from across the world, and understand and discuss international affairs first-hand. One such recent exchange program that took place was on UN International Friendship Day with the IST Sankuru Congo students. Ashoka Group of Schools is slated to have many more such valuable exchanges and interactions, facilitating its students for global citizenship. Such initiatives help to promote effective public-speaking skills among Ashokites, and to offer constructive giveaways and learning experiences to Ashokites that linger for life and bring about a positive change in our society and the world. It also helps to collaborate with International students to give our Ashokites a global perspective while actively engaging them in matters of International affairs.