Last week, we brought together over 100 representatives from government bodies, local authorities, NGOs, charitable foundations, IDP Councils, and initiative groups from Volynska, Ivano-Frankivska, Lvivska, Rivnenska, Ternopilska, and Chernivetska oblasts.
The primary focus of the two-day discussions was the regional issues surrounding internal displacement. The community, united in their perspective, explored lasting solutions for integrating IDPs into their host communities.
Speakers at the event included Ivanna Tkachuk, an expert from the UNHCR regional office in Ukraine, Ivan Sobko, Deputy Head of the Lvivska Oblast State Administration, Taras Podvirnyi, a representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in Lvivska Oblast, and Valeriya Vershynina, Legal Director of the CO CF Stabilization Support Services. There were also speakers from the organizations Rokada Charitable Foundation, Right to Protection NGO, Malteser Relief Service in Lviv, Women’s Perspectives NGO, Union of Women of Lviv Region, Osvitnio-Yevropeiskyi Tsentr, Agency for the Development Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth, Social Butterfly Studio, and NEEKA Ukraine.
“Over two days, we addressed all pressing issues that IDPs face and which they tackle alongside local authorities. Panel discussions touched on the work of IDP Councils as platforms for joint actions of civil society and the government, housing rights of IDPs, specifically temporary housing, employment opportunities for the displaced, humanitarian response, and the importance of sociopsychological support.
All participants agreed that the IDP Council, as an advisory body, is an effective tool for decision-making at the local level and needs to be utilized now. I spoke with the heads of social protection departments from the Chernivetska, Ternopilska, Volynska, and Rivnenska oblasts. They concur that we should push for the establishment of IDP Councils, as they’re such valuable resources. Especially, these Councils enable to engage grant programs for community development,” shared Oksana Yakovets, the regional coordinator of the project in Lvivska Oblast.
We also share quotes from Forum participants:
Olga Khodoba, the Director of the Social Protection Department of Chernivetska Oblast Military Administration, presented the achievements of the social protection system in supporting IDP initiatives. “Currently, in the oblast, there are 18 IDP Councils in territorial communities and 1 at the oblast military administration level. The majority of citizens relocated from Kharkivska (19,406 people) and Donetska oblasts (13,782 people). We understand that we need to consider their opinions, build the community’s future together, and overcome the challenges caused by the war for which we were unprepared,” the speaker shared.
Yaroslava Sorokopud, the gender expert of the IFC advisory program “Energy Efficiency and Response to the Crisis in Ukraine”, discussed how IDP Councils could collaborate with housing associations. “Our mutual goal is to inform people about their rights in the housing and utilities sector and the possibility of participating in management decisions related to energy-saving technologies. In this process, IDP Councils, which take into account the interests of community residents, can be very beneficial,” she stated.
Olena Hrekova, head of the IDP Council under the Lvivska Oblast State Administration and team leader of the Lviv regional office of the Right to Protection Charity Foundation, noted, “Establishing a temporary housing stock in communities is a promising direction for IDP Councils. This entails benefits like housing for IDPs who become community members, opportunities to attract professionals that the community needs, and using properties as social housing for other vulnerable citizen groups. This stock would remain community-owned and facilitate the integration of IDPs into the community.”
Lyubov Maksymovych, head of the Women’s Perspectives NGO, discussed the growth of social entrepreneurship and training programs targeting the employment of IDPs, especially women, “Many women among IDPs lost opportunities to continue their carreers, with many having not worked at all due to caring for children or elderly parents. They need support in their new environments. We provide them with the confidence to believe in their skills and talents, offering training and employment.”
Nestor Kotovych, coordinator of the Rokada Charity Foundation, shared insights about collaborating with community leaders on establishing IDP Councils, “We believe that IDP Councils are more effective in smaller communities, where it’s easier to identify their specific bottlenecks, potential, and resources. That’s how we operate.”
Oksana Yarish, representative of the IDP Council of the Baikovetska community in Ternopilska Oblast, mentioned, “We have established an IDP Council in our community, and the results are already positive. Firstly, trust in authorities has grown significantly. Secondly, we set our priorities together. Thirdly, IDPs no longer remain mere observers; they actively participate in the introduction of changes. The IDP Council is an effective mechanism for collaboration of all members of the community for the successful solution of challenging issues.”
Feodosiya Kolesnyk, head of the Osvitnio-Yevropeiskyi Tsentr NGO, spoke about projects that strengthen social cohesion in communities, notably through learning the Ukrainian language, “Language is a nation’s identifier and what currently unites us. Many IDPs communicate in Russian daily, but they desire to learn their native language. We work with all age groups and are ready to continue supporting anyone interested.”
Dana Mekhedova, head of the Union of Women of Lviv Region NGO, stated, “We’ve been actively and efficiently collaborating with specialists from the regional office of the CF SSS in Lvivska Oblast, implementing projects targeting women. As a member of the initiative group, I’ll keep engaging women among IDPs in activities that promote their integration into our communities.”
Andriy Derkach, a representative from the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, said, “I’m grateful to the organizers for this event, packed with informative presentations, professional speakers, and valuable experiences from other communities. We take note of the successful approaches from other communities and will support the establishment of such Councils in the communities of our oblast.”
At the end of the Forum, representatives of IDP Councils and initiative groups for the establishment of IDP Councils signed a Memorandum of Cooperation.
We will continue to develop effective communication between IDP Councils across Ukraine and provide them with mentoring and institutional support. We organize forums of IDP Councils with the support of the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.
