On 10–11 September, Odesa hosted the Southern Ukrainian Forum of IDP Councils. Participants presented best practices for influencing local policies on housing, accessibility of infrastructure, and social protection of internally displaced people, and developed joint solutions to strengthen the impact of IDP Councils in their communities.
The event was organized by the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” with the support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.
“Interregional exchange of experience and networking are extremely important: such events provide an opportunity to speak openly about challenges and build strong connections. IDP Councils have an impact at the local level. Today, you can also play an important role in supporting people who are considering evacuation: by providing them with reliable information and helping those who have arrived in a new community find protection and support as quickly as possible,” said Marcel Van Maastrigt, Head of the UNHCR Office in Odesa.
The forum brought together more than 90 representatives of IDP Councils from Mykolaivska, Odeska, and Khersonska oblasts.
The two-day event focused on practical cases of local-level impact and the challenges communities face when implementing government programmes.
“IDP Councils are driving important changes in their communities, but at the same time, they need systematic support. Our common goal is to find effective solutions. The main value of such events is the strong connections and joint work you take back to your communities. We sincerely hope that the new knowledge will strengthen your work at the local level,” emphasized Olha Dzerzhynska, Project Manager at the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services.”
The forum programme included panel discussions, a series of workshops, and training sessions. Participants learned where to look for resources, how to build partnerships, and how to contribute to the development of local budgets.
As part of the forum, the organizers announced the launch of online voting for nominees for the national “ZaRady Maibutnoho” Award through the IDP Councils Portal, in the “IDP Councils Community Choice” category.
Results of the Southern Ukrainian Forum of IDP Councils:
- successful practices of IDP Councils in advocating for changes to local policies were presented;
- systemic challenges in implementing government programmes at the regional and community levels were identified, and ways to address them were developed;
- partnerships between IDP Councils from different regions were strengthened.
About the Forums of IDP Councils
These are annual regional, interregional, and national events launched by the CF SSS in 2022. They bring together representatives of IDP Councils, government bodies, and international and national organizations around the idea of developing tools for local democracy and amplifying the voices of internally displaced people.
Over the years, these interregional forums have become an important platform for networking and shaping a shared vision for the development of IDP Councils. The main goals of these events are to increase influence on local and national policy-making processes, build institutional capacity, exchange experiences, advocate for key issues, strengthen the capacity of the Councils, and provide practical learning opportunities.
This publication was made with the support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine. The content of the publication is the sole responsibility of the Charitable Organization “Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” and does not reflect the views of UNHCR.