On May 29, a press conference was held in Ivano-Frankivsk, where videos were presented to raise awareness about the dangers associated with the illegal arms trade and the irresponsible handling of weapons. The main role in the video was played by the famous Ukrainian actor Oleksiy Hnatkovskyi. The videos aim to warn children, youth, and adults about the risks of encountering dangerous objects and teach how to act properly if you come across weapons, ammunition, or explosive devices.
The initiative to create the social advertising campaign belongs to the Ivano-Frankivsk-based NGO “IKAR” and its leader Mykhailo Savlyuk. It is part of a micro-grant program implemented by the Civil Security Research Center “CENSS” in partnership with Small Arms Survey, funded by the German government under the project “Supporting Ukraine in Countering the Risks of Small Arms and Light Weapons Proliferation Due to Russia’s Aggressive War.”
The shooting of the videos was facilitated by the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, the Ivano-Frankivsk regional police, the KNP “Regional Clinical Center of Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council,” and the creative studio “Avantiurysty.”
Mykhailo Savlyuk, Head of the NGO «IKAR», author of the idea and producer:
“Together with the Center for Security Studies ‘CENSS’ and our Swiss and German partners, we created social advertising videos aimed at the most vulnerable groups of the population—children. Ahead of Children’s Day, we wanted to present this initiative. We hope that these videos will help teachers and parents conduct more effective awareness-raising work and explain to children the dangers posed by unknown, accidental finds.”
Vadym Chernysh, Head of the Center for Security Studies «CENSS»:
“What are the goals of these videos? First and foremost, protecting children. The second goal is to call on all people, including public figures and opinion makers, to join and pay attention to this issue. The key message is a certain call to politicians as well. Public, volunteer-driven initiatives can accomplish such important tasks. When such initiatives arise in regions and spread, we hope it will push others to take notice. Two of the videos were shot within the framework of an international project, and the third was directly supported by CENSS, as we consider this work to be very important.
Additionally, the children featured in the videos highlight that this issue can be a real danger for them, for the younger generation. Weapons are for defending the country, not for playing with or committing crimes. Therefore, cultural awareness can be activated through this. And when a famous person is involved, it significantly changes the impact—not just on children, but on others as well, encouraging them to join such initiatives. Unfortunately, in Ukraine, due to Russia, we are seeing a cascading effect of the problems they create. And look at who will celebrate if we have unfortunate accidents—what will the Russians say? They will say, ‘Look, their police can’t handle it, weapons are leaking out, they can’t even bring order.’ Sadly, we are already witnessing such political influences. When we show that there are such initiatives from regions, from civil society organizations, we hope this demonstrates public consciousness.”
OleksiyHnatkovskyi, People’s Artist of Ukraine:
“In this very moment, as we sit here at this press conference, the war is ongoing, and our guys are dying. What can we, as a society, do? Because war is not just the concern of a specific group of people, it is the concern of the entire country… So, if we are not on the front lines, by chance or fate, each of us has our own objective or subjective circumstances, we must work for the front. We must work for the victory of our country. War is the responsibility of each of us. Everyone must contribute, otherwise, just don’t live on this land, don’t call yourself Ukrainians, because that would be false. We must do everything for this, including such simple videos, not overly complicated. ‘Don’t touch the grenades’—this is obvious. This is a video with children, but it is for the parents, for the adults. Explain this to the children.”
Roman Antonyak, director of the videos::
Roman Antonyak, director of the videos:
“There is a benefit in these videos for the most important viewers – children and teenagers. The videos are aimed specifically at them. I myself wasn’t too long ago a teenager, so I remember how sometimes you can be careless in certain situations and not think about the consequences. The videos were created to remind children and teenagers that we are living in difficult times right now, there is a war, and danger can appear in the most unexpected places. In case of such a find, you should never attempt to handle firearms or explosive devices by yourself; always contact the professionals immediately. Children need to understand that weapons are not toys, and they can have tragic consequences. These videos highlight two scenarios with negative outcomes, and one scenario where the boys who dug up a grenade behaved correctly and avoided undesirable consequences. I would like to ask all parents to show these videos to their children as a reminder that such situations are possible, so they know what to do.”
In the first video, the situation shows children finding a weapon while playing at a playground. Improper behavior when encountering the weapon leads to negative consequences.
The second video depicts a scenario where teenagers find ammunition in a forested area. Their correct response to the discovery saved their lives and prevented potential injuries. This video emphasizes the importance of remaining calm and contacting professionals when encountering dangerous objects, reinforcing the idea that such situations can be life-threatening if not handled properly.
The third video illustrates a scenario where teenagers discover illegal firearms near their apartment building. This video serves as a continuation of the previous two, expanding on the theme of weapon safety and the importance of responsible behavior in such situations. Unlike the first two videos, it was produced outside the international project and fully funded by CENSS. The focus remains on educating young people about the dangers of weapons and the critical need to alert the authorities without handling them themselves.
About the project:
The Center for Security Studies “CENSS” (a research and expert non-governmental organization specializing in international and national security issues) and Small Arms Survey (Switzerland), with the funding of the German Government, are implementing the project “Supporting Ukraine in Countering the Risks of Small Arms and Light Weapons Proliferation Due to Russia’s Aggressive War.” The project implementation period is 2023-2025. Its overall goal is to prevent and reduce security threats to the population that may arise from the illicit trafficking of firearms.
The project is aimed at ensuring that relevant Ukrainian and international policymakers, practitioners, and the public benefit from timely, relevant, and high-quality research on illegal small arms and light weapons. To achieve this goal, the project creates and disseminates a wide range of research outcomes, as well as fosters information exchange and training on issues related to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. Part of the project includes a microgrant program focused on raising awareness about the issue of illicit arms trade, to help improve understanding and foster activities related to the regulation of small arms trafficking.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
https://www.facebook.com/censs.org