Integrating into a new community and asserting your rights in a new place is a challenge for many Ukrainians forced to leave their homes. We help IDPs overcome these challenges by providing mentoring and coordination support for the establishment of IDP councils in target communities.
What are IDP councils? These are advisory bodies that ensure efficient protection and support for IDPs at the local level. The councils are composed of IDPs, as well as representatives of civil society organizations representing the IDP community and acting in their interests:
- facilitate interaction with local authorities and international partners;
- voice the needs of IDPs and their proposals for integration, realization of rights, and participation in public life;
- help to develop a culture of dialogue between IDPs and communities.
Since the beginning of 2023, we have helped to establish 45 IDP councils in communities of 15 oblasts:
- Volyn oblast: Stara Vyzhivka territorial community;
- Dnipropetrovsk oblast: Novomoskovsk, Solone, Novopokrovsk territorial communities;
- Zhytomyr oblast: Brusyliv, Andrushivka, Liubar, Romanivka territorial communities;
- Ivano-Frankivsk oblast: Zabolotiv territorial community;
- Kirovohrad oblast: Petrove, Novoukrainka, Velyka Severynka territorial communities;
- Kyiv oblast: Yahotyn, Boyarka, Tetiyiv territorial communities;
- Luhansk oblast: Svatove, Troitske, Bilokurakyne territorial communities;
- Lviv oblast: Zolochiv, Rudky territorial communities;
- Mykolaiv oblast: Inhulka, Bashtanka, Voskresenske, Vesniane territorial communities;
- Poltava oblast: Myrhorod, Lubny, Bila Tserkva, Kotelva territorial communities;
- Ternopil oblast: Trybukhiv, Zbarazh, Kopychyntsi, Baikivtsi territorial communities;
- Khmelnytskyi oblast: Medzhybizh, Slavuta, Dunayivtsi, Chemerivtsi territorial communities;
- Cherkasy oblast: Monastyryshche, Voznesensk, Zvenyhorod, Buzhanka territorial communities;
- Chernivtsi oblast: Vikno territorial community;
- Chernihiv oblast: Mena, Kipti, Pryluky, Novhorod-Siverskyi territorial communities.
Here’s what Iryna Kulyk, the project’s regional coordinator in Chernihiv oblast, who participated in the formation of IDP councils in several communities, says:
About the creation of councils: “As of today, four IDP councils have been established in Chernihiv oblast with the mentoring support of our team. We are also finalizing the regulation on the IDP council at the Chernihiv Oblast State Administration. Since these are the first IDP councils in Chernihiv oblast, we held several events and working meetings to explain their concept to local authorities and IDPs.”
About the participation of communities and authorities: “The target communities of Chernihiv oblast are different in size and number of IDPs. In addition to IDPs, many local people have suffered from the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. This is the specificity of our oblast. Therefore, when drafting regulations on IDP councils, all initiative groups emphasized the importance of considering the rights and needs of not only IDPs but also the affected population. The authorities also understand the need to involve them in decision-making and community life. They actively helped form initiative groups, openly communicated with local IDPs and affected people, and participated in meetings and webinars on the creation and operation of councils.”
About working with the councils: “For the newly created councils, we hold working meetings and webinars on involving IDP youth in council activities and supporting a gender approach. During July — October, we plan offline sessions to develop strategic and operational plans for the councils.”
We are helping to establish IDP councils in target communities as part of the project “Supporting the capacity of the social protection system to register internally displaced persons” funded by the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.