Cedos

✅ Cedos is one of the partners in the four-year SUN4Ukraine project, which is part of the EU Mission for Climate Neutral and Smart Cities. The project will help Ukrainian cities develop climate neutrality plans that align with economic recovery strategies, engage citizens, and facilitate knowledge exchange with EU cities. For its part, Cedos will study social processes and public policies to disseminate critical knowledge, promote progressive change, and inform and strengthen the SUN4Ukraine community. In particular, we plan to: 🔹 work with LGI Sustainable Innovation to communicate the project's progress, results and conclusions; 🔹 analyse and update the project methodology; 🔹 create a comprehensive map of Ukrainian stakeholders, develop and implement a methodology for their analysis. 🤝 We are happy to join the project and contribute to the transformation of Ukrainian cities! Learn more about SUN4Ukraine 👉 https://lnkd.in/dZcgaS5F

📍 Did you notice any changes in how you communicated with people during the second year of the full-scale war in Ukraine? This was one of the questions we asked participants in the sixth wave of the study of people's war experiences. Most respondents said they began to avoid communicating with people outside their closest circle. This was often because of fatigue and emotional exhaustion, sometimes because of differences in views and experience. Some respondents spoke of tension within society, mainly based on different war experiences, support for the defense forces and opinions about the war. 👥 There were also changes in communication between those who were forced to go abroad and those who stayed in Ukraine. As the participants explained, it was difficult for them to maintain communication due to living in different contexts and physical distance. The position on mobilization or the fact of military serving was important for respondents whose relatives are in the military. At the same time, several respondents whose relatives were not involved in combat spoke of feelings of guilt when communicating with the families of military personnel. 🗣 The issue of language also affected people's interactions. Some respondents limited their contact with people who spoke Russian. Others felt uncomfortable communicating with both those who categorically refused to switch to Ukrainian and those who strongly opposed the use of Russian. Full report 👉 bit.ly/3UAMSDR This report has been prepared as a part of the Documenting Ukraine project of IWM - Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen.

✅ Our report on the impact of Russia's full-scale invasion on the working conditions of social workers in Ukraine is now available in English! Social workers were among those who helped mitigate the war's negative consequences from the first days of the full-scale invasion and continue to do so to this day. At the same time, the war highlighted existing problems in the social protection sector: heavy workloads and low salaries, insufficient provision of working tools, etc. 📌 Many older people were left alone after the departure of relatives who used to care for them. Together with support for internally displaced people, humanitarian aid and, as a result, the growth of paperwork, this has significantly increased the workload of social workers. Despite this, their salaries have not changed. Social workers in the lowest pay grades almost universally work for the minimum wage. “We comfort ourselves with the thought that someone else might have it worse. And we are still getting a salary, and thank God we are working. There are people who have been left without a job,” — visiting carer, Dnipro region. 📌 Air raid alerts and massive shelling have had a significant impact on the work of social workers. For example, specialists who handle citizen consultations continue to work in a shelter during an alert. Otherwise, the work piles up, and they have to do it on their own time. The situation is more complicated for social workers who move around the city or town during the working day. They can ignore air raid alerts and sometimes move around even during shelling to ensure they have time to visit all their clients. During power cuts, it is more difficult for social workers to help clients with household chores such as cooking and cleaning. Therefore, they try to schedule their visits around power outages. 🔻 When talking about their work, the informants expressed their hope for better working conditions and public recognition of its importance. This will increase the profession's prestige and stimulate human resource development in the social sector. Full report 👉 bit.ly/4e4or8G We conducted this research with the support of the Representative Office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Ukraine. Illustration: Seri/Graph

Did people's opinions and views change during the second year of full-scale war in Ukraine? What emotions prevailed? In the sixth wave of the study of people's experiences of the war, conducted in February-March 2024, we looked at five dimensions: 📍 Bodily (everyday life) Respondents often said that they had adapted to life during the war. Their daily routines became more similar what they were before the war, compared to the first year. 📍 Psychological (emotional experiences and feelings, sources of emotional support) The primary trend was an attempt to come to terms with the idea that the war had been going on for two years and was likely to continue for a long time. Respondents often wrote about background fatigue, normalisation and habituation to negative emotions, and difficult mental states. 📍 Social (communication with different groups of people) Respondents noted that it had become more difficult for them to communicate with other people. Tiredness and emotional exhaustion were often cited as reasons for minimising contact. 📍 Economic (changes in work and its nature) A significant number of respondents' work did not change during the second year of the war, while some experienced positive or negative changes. The respondents' financial situation also changed both for the better and for the worse, largely depending on their employment situation. 📍 Public (societal unity, thoughts on the course of the war, reflections on recovery and rebuilding, etc.) In this wave, participants often said that the sense of unity had diminished, weakened or disappeared altogether. At the same time, they said that in volunteer and activist associations and communities formed around the military, unity not only remained but sometimes even grew stronger. Full report 👉 bit.ly/3UAMSDR This report has been prepared as a part of the Documenting Ukraine project of IWM - Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen. Illustration: Seri/graph

🔹 “Community reBuilding“ is a partnership project of Cedos and the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund that provides financial and expert support for hromadas to create or renovate “community centers”. Community centers are accessible physical spaces where people from different social groups can come together for shared recreation activities, community development, cooperation, and the full realisation of their human potential. The project has two key components: physical renovation and programme activities to ensure physical and social accessibility. 📍 The first wave of the project lasted from July 2023 to May 2024. 10 civil society organisations from hromadas with a population of up to 100,000 people received UAH 1,000,000 each to create community centres. The teams received consulting and expert support from mentors with expertise in architecture, culture, communications, and social interaction. The centers were created on the basis of a library, a veterans’ space, a cultural center, a 100-year-old khata-mazanka, an old pharmacy building, etc. 📍 The second wave of the project began in the summer of 2024. 11 more organisations will go from concept to design and implementation of projects to create community centres, receiving up to UAH 1,400,000. ⭐️ “Community reBuilding” project won the New European Bauhaus Prizes 2024 competition among projects from all countries of the European Union, the Western Balkans, and Ukraine. It took first place in the “Rising Stars” nomination in the category “Prioritizing places and people who need it most.” “Ukraine is fighting for freedom and democracy. We have set a course for fundamental changes, so we must make sure that no one is left behind. To do this, we need a strong civil society that will express the interests of different social groups and have access to policymaking. Thus, we need an infrastructure that promotes social cohesion. Community centers are a great example of such infrastructure,” — Maryna Bakaienko, Cedos project manager. 📎 Learn more about the project on our website: https://lnkd.in/d-_BhFVv Illustration: Yevheniia Oliinyk

✅ “Evidence-based Recovery and Cohesion Lab” — we are launching a new project. We thank the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine for their support! This project will strengthen civil society organizations by enhancing their research, policy analysis, and advocacy skills. We will: 🔸 help several hromadas to research their current issues 🔸 conduct a series of educational seminars 🔸 talk about research and analysis in new podcasts 🔸 continue to discuss ways to solve problems in hromadas on mistosite.org.ua In addition, the project has a public programme and networking between local organisations and national authorities. More about the project 👉 bit.ly/3ZH7sWj “Both local and national governments are facing many challenges related to the war, the need to implement reforms, lack of resources, etc. As a result, the authorities at these two levels do not always recognise each other’s problems and needs. To enable them to work in synergy, it is important to have a dialogue where they can discuss current issues and find solutions together. Providing a platform for such conversations is one of the goals of our project,“ — Yulia Kabanets, Senior Analyst at Cedos. The “Evidence-based Recovery and Cohesion Lab” project is implemented by Cedos with the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

⭐ The Ukrainian Urban Forum 2024, dedicated to the connection between social and spatial components of urban development, took place last week. Thank you to everyone who participated in the #Forum offline and online! It was great to meet each and every one of you in Chernivtsi — and we hope to see you again next year 💛 What is a fair #city? Six years later, we return to the key question of the first #UkrUrbanForum — and we take the liberty of giving an answer. In a fair city we find a balance between social and spatial development, says Anastasia Bobrova, curator of the Forum. The two days of the Forum were full of formal and informal events in various formats: 📍 What should Ukrainian cities look like and how to make them comfortable and accessible for people? During the discussions we talked about various aspects of the present and future of our cities. 📍 The solutions developed during the workshop on rethinking Chernivtsi railway station square have launched a public discussion on the future of this space. 📍 Participants in the workshop "How to research cities" focused on developing a common approach to working with cities and communities that will contribute to their further #development and #recovery. 📍 Short #presentation sessions were held on both days of the Forum. In total, speakers presented 14 projects and ideas on post-war urban recovery, public spaces and their design, accessibility, etc. 🌿 People took part in a walk through the renovated city spaces and a tour on a retro trolleybus to get to know Chernivtsi. 🎥 The Forum programme also included a film screening and an exhibition from the Venice Biennale. Read more about all the events 👉 bit.ly/3ZuBAUA The broadcast is available on our YouTube channel: 📎 Day 1: bit.ly/3XSxcOk 📎 Day 2: bit.ly/3TBSYTF Ukrainian Urban Forum is organised by Cedos with the support of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Ukraine. The local partner for this year's forum is the Chernivtsi City Council. The main media partner is the urban platform Mistosite. Among this year's partners of the forum are: UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine and Ukraine - the Netherlands Urban Network (UNUN.NU). Photos by Karyna Novak (instagram.com/karynanovvak), SaVa #urbanforum #urbanism #urbandevelopment

✅ The development of a social housing system at the local level is a crucial solution to the housing crisis caused by Russia's full-scale invasion. Cedos experts have explored how humanitarian organisations can help local governments provide housing for internally displaced people. This includes funding, expertise, partnerships to create social housing, etc. Social housing's functioning options depend on which institution manages it and under what conditions people can rent it. 📌 First, a utility company can manage the housing and provide it free of charge. This initial option can be implemented in the existing legal framework. At the same time, it contains risks for the financial sustainability of the created housing. 📌 The solution is a combined model that provides housing free of charge or at an affordable rent for different groups of people depending on their financial capabilities. The income should be used for housing maintenance, repairs, and construction of new housing. 📌 Potentially, housing can be managed not only by municipal enterprises but also by NGOs. The transition to a combined model and the creation and management of social housing by NGOs will require legislative changes. How can we provide housing for more people in the long term? Read in our report 👉 bit.ly/3X7Lp8h We conducted this study on behalf of Caritas Ukraine. Illustration: Seri/graph

🤩 We are summarising the results of the study visit to #Berlin, organised by Cedos and Institut für Europäische Politik e.V.! During the week, the participants: 🔹 studied the specifics of the work of think tanks in Germany, 🔹 had the opportunity to establish contacts with representatives of local NGOs, 🔹 met with Ukrainian initiatives in Berlin. “I am still impressed by the trip, as I have expanded my understanding of the Ukrainian discourse in #Germany and learnt a lot about the interaction between the German civil society and the government,“ — Olga Volkhina, data analyst at the Fiscal Policy Research Center. 🔸 One of the focuses of the trip was intercultural communication and advocacy of Ukraine’s interests abroad. In particular, IEP research associate Ljudmyla Melnyk held a #workshop on “Communication of Ukraine in an intercultural context”. According to Oksana Kozlovska, the founder of the NGO “Leader“, exploring a different environment in which NGOs operate was an exciting experience for her. 🔸 The study visit facilitated the exchange of experience between representatives of the public sector in Ukraine and Germany, as well as networking among the participants. “Thanks to the trip, I gained new contacts and acquaintances with representatives of various German and Ukrainian organisations and associations with whom we will cooperate in different areas,“ — Bohdana Syniakevych, Director of the Fundraising Department at the Rokada Charitable Foundation. The study visit was a part of the #UATransformationLab, a joined project by the Institut für Europäische Politik, Cedos, Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation and New Europe Center. It is kindly supported by the Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) Germany. #NGO #studyvisit #Ukraine #thinktank #advocacy Ukrainian Women-Lawyers Association "JurFem" ГО "Лідерка"

⭐ We are glad to invite you to the Ukrainian Urban Forum 2024! 🗓️ September 13-14 📍 Chernivtsi 🌐 Working language of the event: Ukrainian with simultaneous English translation Register here 👉 bit.ly/3V5MA70 The main topic of this year's forum is “Society and Space” 💛 Over the course of two days, we will be discussing the relationship between the social and spatial development of Ukrainian cities, in particular: ▪️ the update of housing policy and the development of social housing in Ukraine; ▪️ planning for an inclusive and sustainable urban future; ▪️ prospects for the development of education in urban studies and planning. The forum will combine vertical formats of panel discussions and presentations with horizontal activities, including walks, workshops, and informal networking. In addition, Ukrainian Urban Forum 2024 will be a platform for meeting and sharing experiences among representatives of grassroots initiatives, local governments, research institutions, and international organizations. 🎒 Our journey through Ukrainian cities continues! This year, at the invitation of local partners, the event will take place in Chernivtsi. Forum participants will have the opportunity to explore the city, meet local activists, and learn about Chernivtsi’s development priorities for the coming years. Ukrainian Urban Forum is organised by Cedos with the support of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Ukraine. The local partner for this year's forum is the Chernivtsi City Council. The main media partner is the urban platform Mistosite. Among this year's partners of the forum are: UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine and UNUN.NU (Ukraine - the Netherlands Urban Network). 💛 The forum is an annual event for networking, finding bold solutions, sharing experience and knowledge, which brings together all those interested in equitable and sustainable urban development. Learn more about the history of Ukrainian Urban Forum, which is taking place for the sixth time this year, on the Cedos website 👉 bit.ly/4e3lx5i See you at the forum! Illustration: Seri/graph #urban #urbanforum #urbanism #Ukraine