The third interregional Forum of IDP Councils, titled “Changing Ukraine!”, brought together representatives of IDP Councils, local authorities, the civil society sector, and international organizations from Volynska, Ivano-Frankivska, Lvivska, Rivnenska, Ternopilska, and Chernivetska oblasts. The Forum served as a platform to discuss challenges in integrating IDPs into communities and to find effective solutions for their social adaptation and employment.
Forum Objectives
- To identify key challenges related to internal displacement in the western regions of Ukraine;
- To discuss mechanisms for overcoming barriers to IDP integration in host communities;
- To exchange experiences and disseminate best practices for cooperation among IDP Councils, local authorities, and civil society organizations;
- To define the prospects for the development of IDP Councils and their cooperation at the local level;
- To increase the effectiveness of IDP Councils’ work in communities.
Participants
The Forum brought together 121 participants, including the heads of social protection departments from the western regions, representatives of local authorities, regional military administrations and local self-government bodies, civil society and international organizations (UNHCR, CF Rokada, Right to Protection, Women’s Perspectives, the Malteser Relief Service in Lviv, Union of Women of Lviv Region, NGO “Osvitnio-Yevropeiskyi Tsentr”), members of IDP Councils and initiative groups.
Key Speakers:
- Ivanna Tkachuk — Protection Specialist at the UNHCR Regional Office in Ukraine;
- Ivan Sobko — Deputy Head of the Lvivska Oblast Military Administration;
- Taras Podvirnyi — Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in Lvivska Oblast;
- Valeriia Vershynina — Executive Director of the Charitable Organization “Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services”;
- Oksana Yakovets — Regional Coordinator of the Project “Supporting the Capacity of the Social Protection System to Register Internally Displaced Persons” in Lvivska Oblast;
- Representatives of CF Rokada, Right to Protection, Women’s Perspectives, the Malteser Relief Service in Lviv, Union of Women of Lviv Region, NGO “Osvitnio-Yevropeiskyi Tsentr,” Agency for the Development Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth, Butterfly social atelier, and the NEEKA international foundation.
Panel Discussions
Over two days, participants worked on addressing urgent issues of internally displaced persons in communities:
- “IDP Council as a Platform for Joint Action of Civil Society, State Authorities, and Local Self-Government Bodies”;
- “Housing Rights of Internally Displaced Persons: Rapid Response and Long-Term Solutions”;
- “The Role of Business: Best Practices in IDP Employment”;
- “Humanitarian Response and Social Protection of the Population”;
- “Psychosocial Support for IDPs: Challenges and Opportunities.”
Workshops and Group Discussions
Participants worked in a World Café format to develop specific recommendations for the government, NGOs, and local authorities:
- Section I. “Housing Rights of IDPs: Rapid Response and Long-Term Solutions”
- Section II. “Employment of IDPs: Challenges and Prospects”
- Section III. “Social Protection of IDPs: New Approaches and Opportunities”
- Section IV. “The Role of IDP Councils in Shaping Local Policies”
Forum Results
- A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between representatives of IDP Councils and initiative groups from the western regions;
- Mechanisms were developed to ensure housing and social adaptation for IDPs;
- Recommendations were formed to strengthen cooperation between businesses, civil society organizations, and authorities in supporting IDPs.
The event was held by the Charitable Organization “Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” with financial support from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.