Advocacy, Outreach and Engagement
Since its establishment in February 2022, the Mriya Aid team has been actively involved in advocating for support for the Ukrainian military and humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian population fighting for survival.
Mriya Aid has actively and meaningfully participated in events organized by Canada’s defence and security community, as well as the Embassy of Ukraine to Canada. Mriya Aid has also initiated and organized its own advocacy campaigns and public events - both online and in-person.
Some of our key events and activities
01
December 2024
Toronto, Canada
Participated in the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce Rebuild Ukraine conference and Leadership Knowledge Cafe to share experiences in supporting Ukraine. Engaged with Gen Ben Hodges at the Peterson Literary Fund panel discussion with journalists, and with Serhii Plokhii, Timothy Snyder and Janice Stein at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto.
02
October 2024
Lausanne, Switzerland
Participated in the Ukraine Mine Action Conference UMAC2024 organized by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, to learn and network, and also promote widely the success of Mriya Aid’s 2024 EOD Train and Equip program with the MOD of Ukraine’s Main Department of Mine Action, Civilian Protection and Environmental Safety.
03
October 2024
Kyiv, Ukraine
Organized an intergovernmental and inter-institutional roundtable in collaboration with the Canadian Embassy in Ukraine. The topic of discussion was the role and future of female sappers in the Ukrainian military and other services, with the participation of gender advisors and head sappers from the State Border Guard Service, AFU, SSTS, NGU, SESU, Ministry of Economy, UDA and OSCE.
04
October 2024
Kyiv and other regions, Ukraine
Conducted Mriya Aid’s second visit to Ukraine to further expand the demining and EOD program through meetings with politicians, ministries and state agencies and services working in mine action, PPE and demining equipment manufacturers, sapper training centres, NGOs and professional associations specializing in defense and demining.
05
October 2024
Peja, Kosovo
Conducted a project monitoring and partner development visit to the MAT Kosovo to meet nine Ukrainian sappers from SSTS, the National Police, and other organizations completing their IMAS EOD Level 3 training and certification program delivered by PCM-MAT Kosovo and organized and funded by Mriya Aid, and also to engage with visiting journalists from 1+1 Ukraine.
06
May 2024
Ottawa, Canada
Attended CANSEC 2024 (Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries) and provided some assistance at the Canada-Ukraine Defence Cooperation day organized by the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. The Ukrainian delegation of defence personnel and industry was organized by Global Affairs Canada and the Embassy of Ukraine to Canada.
07
May 2024
Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine
Mriya Aid and the Women’s Information Consultative Centre was hosted by the National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, and took part in their annual international conference on gender policy in security and defence. We conducted a workshop on gender bias and delivered a presentation about gender equity in demining training and career development.
08
May 2024
Kyiv, Ukraine
Conducted a project monitoring visit to Ukraine for direct collaboration with the Ministry of Defence, AFU, SSTS, the National Police, the State Emergency Service, demining PPD and equipment manufacturers, and other partners on EOD train and equip projects and programs, and to develop a wider network of government and NGO partners for demining and mine action programs.
09
May 2024
Peja, Kosovo
Conducted a project monitoring and partner development visit to the Mine Action Training Centre MAT Kosovo to personally present diplomas to Ukrainian Special State Transport Service (SSTS) of Ukraine sapper graduates who completed their IMAS EOD Levels 1 and 2 training and certification program delivered by PCM-MAT Kosovo and organized and managed by Mriya Aid.
10
April 2024
Geneva, Switzerland
Met with Ukrainian and international humanitarian demining professionals and mine action experts at the International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and United Nations Advisers, including the State Emergency Services of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine mine action teams, and other international partners, PCM - MAT Kosovo and the OSCE.
11
February 28, 2024
Ottawa, Canada
Organized an event Road to Victory dedicated to two years of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion, held at the Parliament of Canada for over 200 guests from the political, diplomatic and defence community, including members of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group and representatives from 30 countries as well as the Ukrainian government.
12
January 2024
Oxford and London, UK
Delivered panel discussions and talks to University of Oxford students in public policy and international relations and were interviewed for an Oxford Policy Podcast to share experiences in providing aid to the Ukrainian military and raising awareness about the mine threat in Ukraine. In London, we met with The HALO Trust and Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program alumni.
13
November 2023
Washington, DC, USA
Visited various decision makers and supporters of Ukraine, including meetings with the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Centre team, the U.S. Helsinki Commission (Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe), and The HALO Trust USA director, as well as defense contacts working in Ukraine and supporting Ukrainian defenders.
14
October 3, 2023
Ottawa, Canada
Organized a commemorative event on the occasion of the Day of Defenders of Ukraine at the Parliament of Canada for MPs, Senators, and the diplomatic and defence community, including members of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group and representatives from the Embassy of Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada.
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