DIJON: A human chain to celebrate the independence of Ukraine
“Ukraine is resisting and this year, we are going to present our solidarity and our unity with the whole world” announces Tetiana Lablonska, president of the Ukraine-Dijon-Besançon association. Many activities will punctuate the day of Wednesday, August 24.
Ukraine took its freedom on August 24, 1991. Independence was revealed by a referendum, on December 1, 1991, at 90%. The “yes” was the majority, including in Crimea and Donbass. , bombs have been dropped since February 24, 2022 by Russian planes, hitting Ukrainian soil.
“31 years after our independence and in the middle of the war since February 24” confided to us Tetiana Lablonska, president of the Ukraine-Dijon-Besançon association “we want to show the whole world our resistance to Russia and remind us that we must know support each other to save their country. Nobody has the right to bombard a territory.
The highlights of Independence Day in Dijon
Tetiana Lablonska : “This Independence Day will be an opportunity to present our culture, our gastronomy through various activities for children and adults. There will be Ukrainian but also French songs with the presence of a well-known Ukrainian singer in our country. At 1 p.m., all over the world and of course in Ukraine and Dijon, our national anthem will be sung at the same time live and online on social networks. And at 8 p.m., an organized solidarity chain will depart from Place François-Rude. Everyone can join hands to form this human chain between France and Ukraine.
“We must continue to collect”
“Since February 26, thanks to donations from the Burgundians, we have sent 200 tonnes of humanitarian aid. Ten semi-trailer trucks left Dijon. But the war continues and the needs are still great. We have to keep collecting. Winter will soon come to Ukraine and we will need blankets, warm clothes, underwear, winter shoes. But also sleeping bags and folding beds for soldiers who often sleep on the floor. We also need crutches for injured people and wheelchairs. For medicines, we are taking your donations, but do not buy a product in a pharmacy. We have the possibility of buying medicines in large quantities, and it is for this reason that we prefer financial donations»
An ambulance to rescue civilians and combatants
“We have the project of buying an ambulance like other associations in France or even in Poland. We will very soon be launching a collection in Burgundy to finance this purchase. To date, we are missing 5,000 euros. I also launch an appeal to the hospitals which renew their fleet of ambulances. We are lessees of old medical vehicles. I also have doctor friends in Ukraine who currently use a French ambulance from 1998. Even if its headlights no longer work, it drives and allows the transport of injured people to hospitals»
The Ukraine-Dijon-Besançon association still active
“In Côte-d’Or there are 1,000 people and 200 refugee families in Dijon. The association continues its actions with children and adolescents in particular. To prepare them for the start of the school year, we gave French lessons all summer long. These French lessons will then be given to adults with the aim of facilitating their integration and offering them the possibility of finding a job more easily.
Recreation for children
“A leisure group has been created for the children” explains Pascale Guequière, member of the association’s board, and continues, “the objective is to introduce them to our region. With some French volunteers, we went to Saint Seine l’Abbaye with a visit to the abbey, we also went to the forest at Combe à la Serpent. We organized a magic afternoon with a passionate magician who passed on his knowledge. These are very strong moments for his children. There is a lot of sharing and emotions on the part of mothers far from their husbands who remained in Ukraine to fight the enemy”.
The program for Ukraine’s Independence Day, this Wednesday, August 24, Place François-Rude in Dijon
The inauguration is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. followed by a tasting of Ukrainian cuisine with Borscht, a traditional soup listed as a UNESCO heritage site.
1 p.m. anywhere in the world and of course in Ukraine and Dijon, interpretation of the national anthem sung simultaneously and online on social networks.
Animations and various workshops in the afternoon for children and adults. Concert of Ukrainian children. Presence of Natalia Papazoglu, a Ukrainian-Gagauz singer, finalist of X-Factor Ukraine and winner of the Turkision 2020 competition. 8 p.m. a chain of solidarity will be organized from Place François Rude. Everyone can join hands to form this human chain between France and Ukraine.
Norbert Banchet
Photo: N. Banchet
Join the association: click HERE on the site: ukrainedijonbesancon.org