The Ad Pacem association bought 100 kg of paraffin in Ukraine for the school in Kropyvnyckyj (western Ukraine). The school’s pupils used the paraffin to make candles that were sent to the front where they are used by soldiers in the trenches. The majority of these pupils are internal refugees from Kramatorsk, a town in the east of the country close to the front line.
On Tuesday 19 November 2024 Claude Pantaleoni, president of the association, received a cheque for €2,000 from the committee of the Syndicat National des Enseignants SNE/CGFP at its headquarters in Luxembourg-Bonnevoie.
The money is earmarked for humanitarian aid projects financed by the association in Ukraine at the ‘Misto Dobra’ (Chernivtsi) and ‘Refuge for mothers and children’ (Ivano-Frankivsk) centres for victims of the war.
In the photo (left to right): Gilles GLESENER (General Secretary), Patrick REMAKEL (Chairman), Claude PANTALEONI, Claude RIES, Vanessa SCHETGEN (1st Vice-Chairman), Christian KOHNEN
The child Lubomir, from a refugee family from the Donbass, had to undergo an urgent operation on these two days in the hospital in Dnipro. He underwent an urgent operation for acute inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. The operation was paid for by Ad Pacem servandam.
A concertino has been organised by the Ad Pacem association in Italy in the town of Pergola (Province of Pesaro Urbino). Laura and Daniel Pantaleoni interpreted a number of classical and romantic works. Donations raised went towards the purchase of medicines for the psychiatric hospital in Vorzel, near Kyiv.
Dispatch from Luxembourg and receipt at the Ivano Frankivsk refugee centre of medical equipment (toilet chair,two walkers, several pairs of crutches), and clothing and footwear for the winter.
Our development worker uses the money from the sale of the 2024 calendars to buy and deliver the medicines needed by the psychiatric hospital in Vorzel (Ukraine).
A dozen cyclists from the Ad Pacem association met up at Lake Der on 28 and 29 September 2024 to cycle along the cycle path that runs alongside the lake and through a few villages. The whole team spent the evening and night in a house rented for the occasion near the lake. On Sunday, they completed the second part of the route, again on cycle paths and roads around the lake.
Characteristics of Lac du Der
Lac du Der – Chantecoq or Lac de la Marne is an artificial lake in north-eastern France. It is located on the border between the departments of Marne and Haute-Marne. In 1974, after 10 years of massive construction work, Lac du Der was created in the heart of the Champagne region.
The primary purpose of Lac du Der, its raison d’être, is its capacity to store 350 million cubic metres of water. Starting at Saint-Dizier, it regulates the flow of the Marne, a tributary of the Seine, which is the largest river in France. On the one hand, it reduces the effect of flooding in Paris and, conversely, allows boats to continue sailing during periods of low water. The reservoir lake thus limits flooding in the departments of Haute-Marne and Marne, as well as in the Marne and Seine valleys, all the way to the Paris metropolitan area. Lac du Der offers magnificent landscapes throughout the seasons. With the good weather on their side, the group participants enjoyed a wonderful bike ride.
The lake owes its name to both the Pays du Der, the natural region where it is located, and the village of Chantecoq, which was destroyed along with the villages of Champaubert-aux-Bois and Nuisement aux Bois, where only the church remains on the edge of a peninsula. During the construction of the lake in the 1960s and 1970s, it was given a nominal capacity of 350 million m3. With an area of 48 km2, it is the largest artificial lake in mainland France, in terms of surface area but not in terms of volume.
Der Village Museum
Thanks to enthusiasts and also to preserve the memory of the past, the Der Village Museum was created so that the lives of the inhabitants of that time, their villages and the amazing history of their heritage would not be forgotten. From the school classroom to the church in Champaubert-aux-Bois, via a model of the village, everything is there to show visitors the history of the villages before they were sacrificed to the waters of the lake. Next to the old school, you can stroll through the Jardin du Curé (Priest’s Garden) or the Jardin des Simples (Herb Garden) to discover medicinal plants.
Around the lake
During breaks, cyclists were able to admire the natural beauty of Lake Der and the 300-year-old oak trees in the surrounding forests. Although the lake is artificial, it has helped nature by providing quiet areas for the 300 species of birds that have been recorded there to date.
Key figures
• 4,800 hectares: total area of the structure
• 349 million m3: capacity
• 20.3 km: earthen dykes with a maximum height of 20 m
• 2,900 km²: controlled catchment area
Half-timbered churches, an exceptional heritage
Around fifteen villages boast heritage treasures, some of which are over 400 years old. In the middle of this peaceful countryside are some unusual churches that catch the visitor’s eye. The group was able to visit some of the 11 churches listed as Historic Monuments.
The design of these half-timbered churches reflects a time when people chose materials that were available locally in order to minimise the cost and time required to erect buildings. In this region of Champagne, the only resource available was oak. As a result, all the buildings were made of wood, including churches and houses. In addition to being practical, timber framing was appreciated for its aesthetic appeal!
Dear members,
This Newsletter provides information on the situation in the Balkans, which were ravaged between 1992 and 1995 by the Balkan Wars. The situation has improved since then, but there is still no real peace, because the underlying conflicts are still there and could explode, for example between Kosovo and Serbia, or in Bosnia-Herzegovina between the Srepska Republic and the Bosnian and Croatian communities.
The summaries of the Salon du Livre 2024 conference with our guest, Jean-Arnault Dérens, and the video of the entire conference on YouTube provide an up-to-date analysis of the situation of the peoples of the Balkans.
In July, our Vice-President Natalya visited some of the projects for victims of the war that we support in Ukraine. Unfortunately, the situation for the Ukrainians remains very difficult and a ceasefire, or even peace with Russia, is still impossible. Russia continues, with impunity, to kill its own soldiers and Ukrainian civilians and soldiers defending their country. You can read the report on the trip below.
=> 8 July 2024 – Ivano-Frankivsk Shelter
=> 15 July 2024
=> 15 and 16 July 2024 : Concentration camp “Izolyaziya” in Donetsk
=> 17 July 2024 – Vorzel Hospital
=> 30 August 2024 – Vorzel Hospital Therapy Room
After the Second World War, peace was built within the European Economic Community through a common economic policy. This was based, among other things, on the exploitation of fossil fuels, mainly coal, oil and gas. The transition to renewable energies, which has been envisaged since the start of the new millennium, requires us to abandon the exploitation of fossil fuels in the medium term. The aim is to avoid the disasters predicted by all the current studies on climate change. However, the major oil-exporting countries, such as Russia and the Gulf States, are refusing to make the transition to an ecological economy. Wars (in Ukraine, Gaza and elsewhere) are therefore (also) becoming a means of preventing this transition. Since 2022, we have seen how ecological projects, movements and parties have struggled to gain a foothold or have been thwarted. Governments are stopping or putting the brakes on ecological transitions that aim to replace the causes of air pollution with CO2, the gas primarily responsible for climate change.
We’re organising our next ‘Bike for climate – bike for peace’ event around France’s largest artificial lake, Lac du Der, on the border of the Marne and Haute-Marne départements. Come and experience the benefits of cycling from the morning of Saturday 28 September to the afternoon of Sunday 29 September. On the evening of the 28th there will be a discussion on the theme of ‘fundamental ecology’.
You are all cordially invited to join us. We will be carpooling. Please let us know in advance by email ([email protected]) or by calling us on +352 621 280 850 or by text message.
=> Ad Pacem Bike Tour 7 (28.09.)
=> Ad Pacem Bike Tour 7 (29.09.)
Best regards,
Claude Pantaleoni
Chairman Ad Pacem servandam
The renovation of the intensive therapy room is complete. They were financed with the proceeds from the sale of the 2024 calendar.
A concertino has been organised by the Ad Pacem association in Italy in the town of Serra Sant Abbondio (Province of Pesaro Urbino). Laura, Daniel and Michel Pantaleoni interpreted a number of classical and romantic works. Donations raised went towards the purchase of medicines for the psychiatric hospital in Vorzel, near Kyiv.
Natalya visits the hospital in Vorzel. On this day, the medicines needed for the therapies and purchased shortly beforehand were handed over. All the medicines purchased were paid for with the proceeds from the sale of the 2024 calendar.
This was followed by a tour of the intensive therapy room, the renovation of which is being financed entirely by Ad Pacem.The work had not yet been completed by mid-July.
Over these two days, our vice-president Natalya has met three former inmates of the ‘Izolyaziya’ concentration camp in Donetzk, Andrij Kochmuradov, Vitalij Sokolov and Valerij Matjuschenko. This camp is run by the Russian occupation forces in the occupied Donbas. Regular torture is commonplace. Valerij Matjushenko was only released at the beginning of July 2024 as part of the prisoner exchange. As a result of the torture, all three, along with Andrij Kochmuradov’s wife Olena Lazareva, suffer from serious health problems including joint, dental, heart and circulatory problems. They receive financial support from Ad Pacem for medical treatment and the purchase of medicines.
Kochmuradov and Sokolov said that having been in prison caused them major problems when looking for work. Employers are discouraged and resent the fact that they were political prisoners, even though they were later found innocent by Ukrainian courts. Sokolov is now working as a guard, while Kochmuradov is still unemployed.
Letter from Valerij Matjuschenko:
On 15 July 2017, Mr Valeriy Mykolayovych Matyushenko was abducted by agents of the ‘Ministry of State Security’ (FSB) of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and spent 7 years in captivity. He was released in an exchange on 28 June 2024. Here is his story:
‘I, Valeriy Mykolayovych Matyushenko, born in 1965, Ukrainian, resident of Komsomolske, Starobeshevo district, Donetsk region, am married and have one son.
On 15 July 2017, I left my flat to join my wife, who was at the school where our son was enrolled, preparing the class for the next school year.
I opened my car and at that moment I saw a white Volkswagen minibus with a few people inside. As I was about to leave, four men came up to me, handcuffed me and put a plastic bag over my head. They dragged me into the minibus and took me somewhere.
I found myself in a room and was told that I was suspected of spying for Ukraine.
I was in the ‘DPR MGB’ (FSB).
The IZOLYATSIA torture chamber in Donezk. There were many other people in this prison or concentration camp.
I was first thrown into a small room. It had no windows and measured about one metre by two metres. I can’t say how long I was there. There was a light on all the time and there was a surveillance camera. Then I was transferred to the basement. It was cold in the basement. I was given food twice a day, at 7am and 7pm. They gave me boiled cereals without bread.
About three days later, at 2am, I was taken out of the cell and three men started beating me.
I can’t say how long they beat me. Then they dragged me to another basement. There they hooked me up to electric wires and started torturing me with electric shocks. After that, they took me back to the cell. My teeth were knocked out, three ribs were broken and I slept sitting up for over a month.
The beatings continued almost every day. I’ve had an illness since childhood:
I suffer from Tourette’s syndrome, which worsened after the torture. On the nervous side, I developed thyroid problems. Hard work caused an inguinal hernia, which was operated on after my return.
I needed dentures.
After torture and interrogation, I was sentenced by the ‘DPR military court’ to 10 years of strict confinement for spying for Ukraine.
I remained in this ‘isolation’ for ten months. Then I was transferred to the Donetsk pre-trial detention centre. After three weeks in the pre-trial detention centre, I was transferred to high-regime colony no. 32 in Minsk, where I was held until 28 June 2024, when I was released.
On 28 June 2024, I arrived in Kiev by helicopter. I was immediately taken from the airport to the regional hospital, where I stayed for a fortnight. I’ve now been in another hospital for a month to get my disability certificate. I have a lot of problems, including financial problems. I’m asking your association if it’s possible to help me financially to get back into shape and to buy the medicines I need.
Yours sincerely’.
Valery Matyushenko
Dear members of Ad Pacem,
This newsletter gives an overview of our aid to the victims in Ukraine of the Russian military aggression which, since 22 February 2022, has put the east and south of the country (20% of Ukrainian territory) to fire and blood.
In the first few weeks, we were inundated with spontaneous aid from members and neighbours who were sending supplies (medicines, clothes, blankets, linen, etc.) that Ukrainians, fleeing with their children in the face of the advancing barbarism, might need. In April and May 2022, refugees arrived on our doorstep and we tried to accommodate them.
Many of the donations we received throughout 2022 paid for all our shipments to the hospitals in Stryj, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk and Vorzel (psychiatric clinic for traumatised civilians and soldiers) and to the internal refugee centres in Dnipro, Pidgorodne, Berezhane and Chernovitz in Ukraine. Some of this money was sent directly by Western Union to trusted development workers who bought equipment, medicines and food on the spot.
Some of the donations were used to fund emergency operations for injured civilians and refugees who could not pay for them themselves.
From the outset, our approach has been to be transparent, with photos of our aid taken when it was sent and when it was received. For each item of aid, you will find on the website the date, the place where it was sent and received, the content of the aid sent and, in most cases, the people who were helped and/or who received it. This is also the case when money has been sent: the photos document the purchases made and distributed to those in need.
To date, ninety items have been sent to Ukraine.
See the direct link: Russia’s war against Ukraine
All the proceeds from the sale of the Ad Pacem 2023 calendar have been used to fund a field hospital that a dozen doctors decided to set up behind the Ukrainian front lines. It enables them to intervene quickly with seriously injured soldiers. We bought them sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses, bullet-proof waistcoats, medical equipment, medicines, dressings, etc.
A doctor and a nurse from this team wrote to us saying that they had been wounded by Russian bullets when they went out to recover wounded soldiers. From their hospitals Oleg (December 2023) and Oleksander (January 2024) texted us that it was thanks to the bullet-proof waistcoats we had bought them that their lives were saved. A ray of light in this horrible war!
I would like to thank all our members who, through their subscriptions and donations, are making it possible to help the victims of the war in Ukraine.
Special thanks go to our vice-president Natalya Pantaleoni, who organises all this aid.
Claude Pantaleoni
Chairman
Visit of our Vice President Natalya to ‘Misto dobra’ – City of goodness in Chernivtzi.
The pre-planned meeting with the founder of ‘Misto Dobra’ was unfortunately cancelled. The previous day, the ‘Ochmadit’ children’s hospital in Kyiv was hit by a Russian missile. Two children from the ‘Misto Dobra’ home were in there at the time and were about to undergo an oncological operation. The founder, Mrs Marta Levchenko, therefore had to travel urgently to Kyiv. Natalya was able to visit the entire ‘Misto Dobra’ centre with one of Mrs Levchenko’s employees. Many children from evacuated children’s homes in Odessa and Mykolayiv (southern Ukraine) are housed here. The home has rehabilitation rooms for sick and disabled children and a palliative care unit. With financial help from Ad Pacem, tracheostomy and gastrostomy tubes and catheters were purchased here. A computer and monitor were also purchased to monitor the condition of a seriously ill child during transport to hospital.
