September 3, 2010, Today, from 10 am to 1 pm at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy 8 students, participants of the Oxford Volunteers for Chornobyl Scheme have presented their experience of three-week stay in Polissia area and will share it with Olivier Adam the UN Resident Coordinator / UNDP Resident Representative for Ukraine.

"It was an eye-opening experience! Not just because of what I learned about Chornobyl, but also about the Eastern Europe, people living in affected areas and their hospitality"- tells Jessica Levine, a student of MSc in Evidence Based Social Interventions at Oxford University. Jessica, along with Volodymyr Dorbovolskyi, a student from Ukraine have created blog for Ukrainian economic development agency in Ripky District http://www.ripkyrgo.blogspot.com/ , tagged Ripky area historic sites with GPS and based on that data will create a "historic route" in GoogleEarth. But the main task of their team was to help in writing a strategic plan for development of Ripky district.

"We have written recommendations to the strategic plan and participated in the working groups. It was interesting for me to work directly with people, professionals who feel to be attached to every positive change in this area. And they have listened us! We really had the opportunity to apply our theoretical knowledge into practice, and therefore we worked every day until late evening. The opportunity to help change people's lives - is the best motivation! "- Says about the program Volodymyr Dobrovolskyi. “Oxford Volunteers for Chornobyl” founded by the UNDP Chornobyl Recovery and Development Programme (CRDP), Oxford University Ukrainian Society and National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA), and supported by UN Volunteers was first held in 2007. The program allows Ukrainian and foreign students to get practical experience in community development at the territory affected by the Chornobyl disaster.

At the beginning the programme was open only to Oxford students. But experience has shown, that  it is much more effective if foreign students are working in pairs with Ukrainian.

"It is not a secret that very few people in the villages can speak English. When students work together, they can better apply international experience and quickly adapt it to the Ukrainian reality. "- Says Pavlo Zamostyan, CRDP Project Manager. "One of the objectives of UNDP is to change the negative image of the affected territories in Ukraine and in the world. Negative brand limits the development of the affected areas. As for today, most of the territories that are defined as CHornobyl-affected area safe for living, however, investors would rather choose territory that is not associated with the Chornobyl disaster. As a result, one of the biggest problems in the affected areas is lack of employment opportunities, which causes poverty. Participants had an opportunity to get information about affected areas not from books but from real life. Now, hearing about affected territory, they will remember the hospitality of people, beautiful landscapes and positive experience working with youth. These impressions, they will bring with them into different countries, and thus will become "communicators of positive information" - continues Pavlo Zamostyan.

The purpose of the program - by engaging students from Oxford University and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy disseminate knowledge and strengthen the process of development of international cooperation through the development, establishment of contacts, cultural exchange, volunteerism and international responsibility, information about the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster and the methods used by UNDP to overcome them.

The goal of the programme is to provide knowledge resources and strengthen the developmental process in the Chornobyl-affected area through international cooperation, as well as to increase awareness of and share knowledge about the consequences of the Chornobyl accident and the developmental approach for overcoming them through the involvement of students from the University of Oxford (UK) and the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” (Ukraine).

In order to introduce volunteers to the Chornobyl issues by UNDP and NaUKMA experts organised 3 days seminar on the history of the Chornobyl accident, UNDP approach to recovery of the affected areas, also about Ukraine, its administrative setup,  and even on possible intercultural conflicts.

During the programme volunteers stayed at the territories that are safe for living but are recognised as Chornobyl-affected: the fourth (zone of intensified radiation control), third (zone of voluntary resettlement) zones of radioactive contamination; as well as territories where resettled people from the first zone (exclusion zone) live. Volunteers have also visited (one-day trip) the Chornobyl exclusion zone and the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station.

All travel costs as well as living expenses were covered by volunteers themselves.

For further information please contact Dzvinka Kachur, UNDP/CRDP tel.: / 044 / 280 32 84, 280 62 88, Email: dzvinka.kachur@undp.org.ua

Additional information:

The Oxford Volunteers for Chornobyl Scheme was initiated in 2007 by the UNDP Chornobyl Recovery and Development Programme (CRDP), Oxford University Ukrainian Society and the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” (NaUKMA). The initiative has been supported by UN Volunteers and British Council in Ukraine. During 2007-2010 36 students had a chance to receive deep knowledge about UNDP approach to mitigate consequences of Chornobyl accident through participation in the programme. 30 settlements have been supported by volunteers through different activities.