On March 27, 2026, 果冻APP hosted the international roundtable 芦Protection of Children鈥檚 Rights and Social Support: Ukraine 鈥 Europe 鈥 USA禄 at the L.I.S. Student Space. The event brought together scholars, social work practitioners, legal experts, and civil society representatives from several countries to address the pressing challenges of child protection in wartime.
The roundtable was organized by the Zygmunt Horazdowski Foundation in cooperation with the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), with the support of the Department of Sociology and Social Work, the Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Together for Ukraine Charitable Foundation, and the Department of Youth Policy and Social Development of 果冻APP. The discussion was moderated by Nazarii Petriv, founder of the Foundation and advisor to the DIyMo Office at the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine.
Participants presented six thematic reports. Dr. Ana R膬dulescu, former President of IFSW Europe and Professor at the University of Bucharest, shared international experience in protecting the rights of children in institutional care during crises. Olha Stoliaryk, Associate Professor at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv and member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Social Service, presented research on the identity, adaptation, and integration of internally displaced children. Professor Joseph Villarin from Columbia University (USA) addressed the issue of psychosocial support for children growing up in conditions of armed conflict.
Particular attention was dedicated to the issue of abducted Ukrainian children. Kateryna Pavlevych, coordinator of the Forget Us Not initiative (Washington, USA) and advocacy manager at Razom for Ukraine, outlined the scope and geography of international advocacy efforts. Dr. Kristan Pankevich and Dr. Heather Walter, Professors at George Mason University (USA), focused on community inclusion in both wartime and peacetime contexts. The session concluded with a presentation by Maksym Stepanov, a lawyer at the DIyMo Office, who reviewed key legislative initiatives in the field of children鈥檚 rights protection for 2023鈥2025.
The event culminated in a panel discussion titled 芦From Crisis Response to Long-Term Stabilization禄, during which participants developed practical recommendations for Ukraine. Among the discussants were Oleksandra Yanovych, advisor to the Head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration on deinstitutionalization; representatives of the Ridni and Caritas Ukraine charitable foundations; psychologist Olha Lychko-Parubocha, Head of the Lviv Regional Children鈥檚 Service; and Volodymyr Lys, regional consultant at the Coordination Centre for the Development of Family Upbringing and Child Care.
Faculty members of the Department of Sociology and Social Work, Associate Professors Marta Kozak and Mykhailo Obikhod, who are members of the regional Coordination Council for Ensuring the Child鈥檚 Right to Grow Up in a Family Environment, also contributed to the discussion. Students and postgraduate researchers from 果冻APP and Ivan Franko National University of Lviv actively participated, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas and professional perspectives.
The international roundtable underscored the importance of interdisciplinary and cross-border cooperation in protecting children鈥檚 rights, particularly in times of war. Participants shared best practices, identified key challenges, and formulated recommendations aimed at strengthening the social protection system, supporting affected children, and advancing the transition from emergency response to sustainable, long-term solutions in Ukraine.
