Support for Ukrainian Refugees through the Media

The Support for Ukrainian Refugees through the Media project, funded by the government of Japan, is a UNESCO initiative developed within the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)'s UN Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRRP) framework for Ukraine. The project involves 3 countries, Slovakia, Romania and Moldova, and ran from 2022 to 2023.

Project Goal

The project aimed to increase beneficiaries of temporary protection's access to reliable information on key topics of interest and concern and on the humanitarian assistance undertaken by authorities and partners, to enhance their self-reliance and resilience, and to create favourable conditions for the peaceful co-existence of temporary protection beneficiaries and host communities. 

The project also seeks to combat stigma and misinformation by allowing people from Ukraine to tell their own stories. Content outputs will be created for them, with them, about them, and about the topics they consider a priority. At the same time, the project will help Slovak citizens to understand better the global context and the reasons why people are forced to flee their homes. Through this project, UNESCO will strengthen the exchange of fact-based information between temporary protection beneficiaries and host communities to promote social cohesion.

How it works

In the project's initial phase, UNESCO collaborated with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) to map the information needs of those displaced from Ukraine in Slovakia, Moldova, and Romania. The research used quantitative and qualitative methods, such as focus groups, stakeholder discussions, and almost 700 interviews with people displaced from Ukraine. These took place in various locations such as schools, homes, and support centres. The Norwegian Refugee Council was responsible for conducting the study in the Republic of Moldova and Romania; Caritas Slovakia was responsible for data collection in Slovakia. The results of this research are helpful for the project's second phase, which focuses on supporting the media in creating content related to those displaced from Ukraine.

The second phase of implementation in Slovakia, represented by NGO MEMO 98 and coordinated by UNHCR Slovakia, officially began at the end of August 2023. The project helps the Slovak media to create news in Ukrainian and, simultaneously, helps fight against stereotypes by strengthening dialogue between individual communities. In cooperation with Deutsche Welle, international experts, and selected Slovak media, the project will create quality content on topics that are important to those displaced from Ukraine, and will help Slovak citizens to understand better the reasons why those displaced have fled to Slovakia. The project will enable the displaced to tell their own stories in the media.

The current phase of project implementation will last until January 2024, with UNESCO trying to extend the project to other countries for a longer period of time.

Who benefits

The primary beneficiaries of the project are those displaced by the ongoing war in Ukraine, media companies, and by extension the majority of the Slovak population. 

Funding and resources

The project received funding from the government of Japan and UNESCO.