What unites a community? A shared vision of challenges and the search for solutions. By working together to overcome problems, local residents and displaced persons can achieve better results, particularly in the work of IDP Councils.
This is what the participants discussed during the webinar “Engaging IDPs and the Local Population in Active Cooperation and Participation in the Work of IDP Councils.”
A recording of the webinar is available at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2XXTwueas8
Together with Serhii Yatskovskyi, executive director of the Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities of Khmelnytska Oblast, national expert on local self-government, trainer, and member of the IDP Coordination Council in the Khmelnytskyi City Territorial Community, we examined:
- Why IDP Councils are an important tool for strengthening participation and dialogue in communities;
- Which mechanisms for engaging IDPs and the local population in the work of IDP Councils are the most effective;
- Which practices have already yielded results in communities across Ukraine.
“IDP Councils can use a wide range of civic participation tools: public hearings, public consultations, residents’ meetings, electronic petitions, public discussions, surveys, participation in the development of local programs and strategies, as well as involvement in participatory budgeting processes. Each of these mechanisms amplifies the voice of residents and enables IDPs to take a real part in shaping decisions that influence community development,” notes Serhii Yatskovskyi.
Thank you to everyone who joined and asked questions.
Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming events!
We support IDP Councils within the framework of the Support to the Capacity of Government Institutions and Local Communities to Strengthen Social Protection Systems in Ukraine project, implemented with the support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.