The official opening ceremony for the international inter-ethnic children’s camp “Roots of Tolerance” has taken place on August 14, 2013. This is the second camp session in Ukraine, for older children; the session for younger (7-13 years of age) children took place in July.

The ceremony took place at the Vodograi recreation center. The event started at 20:00.

For the first time in the 12-year history of the project, 12 children from Georgia will take part in the camp. Over the course of two weeks, 85 children age 13-17 of 15 national communities and 24 counselors from Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia will learn not only the national traditions of the culturally diverse Zakarpatye, not only learn how to dance the “Arkan” and “Chardash” dances, to sing “Chervona Ruta” and “Hava Nagila,” but will also participate in Turkshi festivals, learn the difference between the Sabbat and Pesach, Easter and Bardavar, Navrez and Kurbai-Bairan.

Members of Ukrainian national communities and child refugees are taking part in the camp to immerse themselves into the national and religious cultures of the different peoples. The full list includes Assyrians, Azerbaijanians, Afghanians, Belarussians, Bulgarians, Armenians, Greeks, Georgians, Jews, Crimeans Tatars, Moldavanians, Germans, Russians, Romanians, and Ukrainians.
For the sixth year in a row, refugees from Angola, Afghanistan, Iran, Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and other flashpoints have participated in the camp.

The camp’s program is based on a unique method titled “Immersion in Culture,” which has been tested during the 12 years of the camp’s run. The camp will continue working until August 28.

The camp project is organized and financed by the Congress of National Communities of Ukraine with the support of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, the International Renaissance Foundation, OOO Infopulse-Ukraine, the Embassy of the Swiss Confederation in Ukraine, the Embassy of Germany in Ukraine, the MBF Xena, OO Espero, the International Organization for Migration and the charity contributions of the parents.

For additional information, one may be referred to camp director Segei Harah (+380633401616 or +380971049927) or camp organizator Anna Lenchovskaya (+380503524863).

Note: The international children’s camp Roots of Tolerance is an EAJC project that has been active since 2002. The camp is held in the summer for 12 to 21 days, depending on available funding.

The summer camp is held at different places each year so that the method for working with children who are representatives of different national communities is tested and implemented all over Ukraine, as well as to widen the geographical reach of the project and to acquaint the participants of the camp with the different regions of Ukraine. To participate in the camp, the children must take part in a competition and must be active members of a national community, be native speakers and members of a culture.

As of 2006, the Congress of National Communities of Ukraine has been holding two camp sessions per year.
As of 2011, Moldova has also had its own camp, which has been a success.

In 2012, a Georgian version of the project was implemented; this version also won a competition among projects that foster tolerance in children and youths.

Since 2002, approximately 4000 children from 25 national communities of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan have participated in the project.

As of 2008, children from refugee families that came to Ukraine from Angola, Afghanistan, Iran, Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan have also participated in the project.

Approximately 250 counselors from Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Poland have been taught the unique “Roots of Tolerance” method of organizing and holding an international children’s summer camp.