M&R is actively carrying on with its missions in Ukraine with our friends from Mediterranea Saving Humans: the two organisations joined forces again for Mediterranea’s 20th mission in Lviv, from 10 to 20 July.

As with previous missions (this year we were there on New Year’s Eve and in March), we participated in the delivery of humanitarian aid and medical support organised by Mediterranea activists, visiting the same places as on previous missions (and therefore, at least in part, the same people), bringing a wide range of psychosocial musical activities. This time, the M&R team consisted of two Albertos, Luca, Marco and Nicola: three of them had already participated in at least one mission in Ukraine.

Although Lviv is a city far from the war front and living conditions are fairly normal (‘we don’t lack anything here,’ commented one of our contact persons), the overall situation remains very complicated, and each context has its own short- and long-term issues and challenges. Apart from the usual air raid alerts, which only rarely turn into actual dangers (although this did happen the day before our arrival, when drones struck a building on the outskirts of the city), the people we visit, in more or less structured shelters, in a fairly wide range of living conditions, have to survive with ever less external aid, in the classic absence of prospects typical of refugee life.

From M&R’s specific point of view, in our reading of events, our joint work is progressing. We have noticed an improvement in musical relationships with the people involved, a greater ability to engage in sharing and creation (two skills that are fundamental to psychosocial well-being). We are also developing a specific methodology for these contexts, based on a multipolar approach that offers many contemporary expressive possibilities (without excessive dispersion) and then converges towards a more unified collective expression.

Alberto B., Luca & Marco also participated in a day organised by the local music therapy association, offering a workshop on psychosocial activities. It was wonderful to be welcomed by our local colleagues and to be able to share our work with them, in the hope of building collaboration in the very places we support during our missions in Ukraine.