An Interview with activist Alina Verhofskaya
Project Kesher
Update 2/25: Lena Pyssina provided a version of this video with English subtitles here.
Local Project Kesher groups are launching nearly 20 Not In Our Town coalitions in cities across the former Soviet Union. Project Kesher unites 150 grassroots women's organizations that serve more than 6,000 women from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia and Israel.
The Russian cities of Kineshma, Oryol, Ryazan, Kursk, Vladikavkaz, Volograd and Balakovo have already launched multi-faith, multi-ethnic coalitions using the Not In Our Town model. This month, women leaders in two cities in the Ukraine—Dnepropetrovsk and Cherkassy—are rolling out their coalitions as well.
This morning, Lena Pyssina shared a video of their recent Not In Our Town activities in Cherkassy. She explains that "different age groups made pieces of art where they drew tolerance and all these pieces are gathered together for a Tolerance Scroll." The video includes some interviews in Russian, but largely on-the-ground images.
Lena commented on the endeavor, "This is about people who really did it. It is great to know people with the same peaceful and tolerant thoughts."
Troubled by rising conflict and xenophobia, a network of Jewish women from Ukraine is saying “Not In Our Town” to intolerance.
Community activists from Project Kesher, a Jewish women’s organization, gathered in Kiev last month to share stories and talk about the impact of an ongoing Not In Our Town initiative in their communities and in the region.
Project Kesher’s year-old Not In Our Town program includes leadership training, workshops, exhibitions, posters, educational programs and special creative events to educate the younger generations about tolerance.
The program began in May of 2007 at a summit attended by Project Kesher community leaders from the United States and throughout the former Soviet Union. A film crew from The Working Group was in attendance to document the kickoff of Not In Our Town Ukraine.
Elena Kalnitzkaya, the Project Kesher director in Ukraine, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that so far the group has worked with the All-Ukrainian Interethnic Women’s Confederation, which includes women of varying ethnic and religious groups, on a project to unite the activities of nongovernmental organizations and state bodies to counteract xenophobia, anti-Semitism, Nazism and hate violence with women of different ethnic groups and faiths.