On October 20-21, a workshop “PROTECTION IN COMMUNITIES: from concept to practice” was held in Uzhhorod. During the event, we presented the experience of creating and supporting IDP Councils, as well as the IDP Councils’ practices during hostilities. The two-day workshop was aimed at improving the work of specialists and activists working directly in communities and with IDPs.
The leading lawyer of Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” Valeriya Vershynina presented to international partners and social protection development experts the Foundation’s activities in support of IDP Councils implemented in various regions of Ukraine since 2019. Valeriya substantiated the importance of establishing such councils in the regions today; told about the councils’ activity under martial law; outlined the main directions of advisers’ work and their achievements in communities development. As experts in working with IDPs in the regions, we explained why it is vital today to create initiative groups involving the very persons from among IDPs in their activities and in cooperation with local authorities.
“In wartime conditions, it is very important to rationally use resources, including timely exchange of information and knowledge. I was very happy to share my knowledge and experience about the IDP Councils functioning, as well as to learn more about the work of other organizations,” comments Valeriya Vershynina on our participation in the event.
Currently, IDP Councils operate in seven oblasts of Ukraine – Kyivska, Kharkivska, Dnipropetrovska, Zaporizka, Chernivetska, Donetska, and Luhanska. They operate under state authorities at the regional and district levels and local self-government bodies. Each Council consists of 10-15 people, the vast majority of whom are IDPs. They hold meetings with the participation of local authorities, at which they raise issues that are problematic for the displaced persons and prepare appeals to the authorities, elaborating proposals for amending local programs and thus take a thorough part in the life of the host communities. Since the beginning of active hostilities, most IDP Councils have joined the work of humanitarian headquarters or created their own initiatives to help the affected population. Today, the IDP Councils’ activities cover more than 440,000 displaced persons.
UNHCR representatives Christophe Beau, Tomoko Ishihara, Timea Stranska and others also took part in the two-day workshop. All presentations and trainings were devoted to the topic of social cohesion in times of crisis and covered techniques for uniting teams, practices for supporting volunteers’ and activists’ community, child protection sector, and facilitation.
We are grateful for the invitation to participate in this event, as all the acquired knowledge will be implemented by our Charity Foundation both within our team and in daily activities aimed at mobilizing communities and activists throughout Ukraine.