Blog Cafés in Kropyvnytskyi: Media Literacy, Dialogue, and Support Through Creativity
Between May and July 2025, the city of Kropyvnytskyi hosted five blog cafés as part of the “Together We Can” programme. These events addressed key topics relevant to active citizens in wartime: visual media literacy, information hygiene, effective communication, helping etiquette, and mental health.
May 22 — A Picture Says More Than Words: How to Avoid Visual Manipulation
Speakers: Vlada Onyshchenko, Halyna Nikitina, Oksana Tkachenko
Participants discussed the power of visual content, types of visual manipulation, the impact of AI on fake imagery, tools for verifying content, and principles of critical media consumption in the visual age.
May 28 — Information Hygiene: How to Recognize Fakes and Manipulations
Speakers: Anna Borodavkina, Iryna Reznik, Oksana Tkachenko
This session focused on digital safety — from understanding the logic of fake news and manipulative tactics to exercises on identifying bots, editorial simulations, and building personal information filters.
July 15 — The Basics of Effective Dialogue: How to Listen and Be Heard
Speakers: Anna Tytchenko, Iryna Tenenyka, Svitlana Buklei, Oksana Tkachenko
Participants explored active listening techniques, styles of communication, and tools for improving interpersonal dialogue and non-violent communication in everyday interactions.
July 23 — Helping Etiquette: How to Be There for Others the Right Way
Speakers: Olena Prokopchuk, Nataliia Hapichenko
This blog café focused on respectful interaction with people with visual and hearing impairments. Topics included inclusive practices, safety in public spaces, and the use of alternative communication methods.
July 30 — Art and Mental Health: The Path to Harmony Through Creativity
Speakers: Kateryna Patalakh, Oksana Zavina, Tetiana Bosonchenko, Oksana Tkachenko
Participants discussed the foundations of mental well-being, explored creativity as a resource for emotional balance, and engaged in hands-on practices — foil painting, metaphorical associative cards, and the “emotional first-aid kit” technique.
The Kropyvnytskyi blog café series once again confirmed that communities need not only knowledge but also spaces for support, empathy, and meaningful conversation — where every voice counts.
We are sincerely grateful to all trainers, moderators, partners, and participants for insightful sessions, practical takeaways, and the inspiration to keep moving forward.
The project is implemented by the NGO Human Rights Foundation as part of the “Together We Can” programme with the support of IFA and the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.
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