Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression brought devastation, unexpected challenges, air sirens, anxiety, and sleeplessness. At the same time, it brought stories of unprecedented victories and bravery, while Ukrainians proved to be fighters for independence, freedom, and democracy in the eyes of the world. The war brought a lot of grief, but at the same time, it gave rise to a significant surge in citizens’ activism and mobilization of efforts.
In this issue, we will share some of the most important insights of the National Civic Engagement Poll – 2022. Today you will learn about the participation of Ukrainians in the life of their communities. Traditionally, we will talk about the latest news and opportunities for the civil society of Ukraine. Get engaged!
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Have the tumultuous events of the last year affected activism? Our Civic Engagement Poll revealed that Ukrainians have been more actively engaged in the life of their communities. Thus, the number of citizens who report being actively engaged in community-level activities surged from 7% in September 2021 to 24% in August 2022. Another 36% of citizens seldom joined community events, compared to the previously reported 29%. While the lack of time continues to be the major obstacle for community-level engagement (24%), the lack of interest as a reason for non-participation has dropped from 30% in 2021 to 9% in 2022.
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Change.com Launches Chatbot to Teach Children to Protect Their Rights
Solving problems is easy if you know your rights. To teach young people to stand up for their rights, Change.com created a special chatbot game and launched an information campaign #RightsRule. The gamified chatbot suggests true-to-life situations when the rights of children are abused and offers users to choose options to resolve those issues. The campaign aims to explain the basic rights of children in various social situations and teach them how to assert those rights.
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Sumy Activists Launch a Campaign to de-Russify and de-Communize City Streets
Several months ago, Sumy activists submitted a list of the names of streets, alleys, and squares which must be renamed as part of de-Russification and decommunization to the city council. However, the issue has not yet been resolved. To remind deputies about voting and ask why they remain inactive, the Center of Social Partnership launched an information campaign and placed dozens of billboards around the city urging the citizens to check the work of their deputies via a special website. On the “Who is my deputy” website (deputat.sumy.ua) Sumy residents can find information on their elected district representatives and address them via electronic message.
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Civil Society Activists Visit Taiwan to Advocate for Continued Support to Ukraine
On October 24-30, the executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center and head of the National Interests Advocacy Network “ANTS” visited Taiwan to advocate for weapon supplies and support to Ukraine. During the visit, the delegation met with the president of Taiwan, the prime minister, and local policymakers. Activists also participated in the Global Assembly of The World Movement for Democracy and urged Taiwan authorities to provide more military support to Ukraine.
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Razumkov Center Examines Political and Ideological Attitudes of Ukrainians
On October 28, the Razumkov Center released the findings of the poll “Political and Ideological Stance of the Ukrainian Citizens” covering September-October 2022. The data shows that 51% of respondents think that events in Ukraine are developing in the right direction, while only 28% share the opposite thought. Most Ukrainians trust the Armed Forces (96%), the President of Ukraine (82%), and humanitarian and charitable organizations (78%). 41% believe Ukraine can overcome existing problems and difficulties within the next few years, while 43% state it can happen in the long term. Check more by the link below.
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New Europe Center Explains Why International Partners Should Not Trust Negotiations with Russia
Russia is aggressively promoting the idea of holding “negotiations” with Ukraine and/or with the West in European capitals and the United States. With nuclear threats and missile strikes on civilian infrastructure, Russia aims to intimidate Europe and force Ukraine to negotiate. The New Europe Center has prepared arguments for foreign partners about why they should not believe Russia’s promises about negotiations. Activists also analyzed changes in the public rhetoric of Russia’s high-ranking officials.
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Ukrainian Leadership Academy Shares Ways to Search Funding for Ambitious Projects
To support the Armed Forces, the 18-year-old student of the Ukrainian Leadership Academy decided to sell his favorite vyshyvanka embroidered by his mother. His fundraiser titled “Vyshyvanka of victory” reached Ukrainian celebrities and influencers and collected 1 million hryvnias to purchase two drones for the military. How to look for like-minded people in the team and search for funding and other support for ambitious projects? Read the article at the link!
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Center for Civil Liberties Looks for Partners in Organizing a Platform for Discussing Urgent Human Rights Issues
For the seventh year in a row, the Center for Civil Liberties will host a human rights Non-Conference – a platform for human rights defenders, activists and state officials to discuss the most relevant and urgent issues in the field of human rights in Ukraine. This year, CSO invites activists and civil society organizations to become co-organizers of the Non-Conference workshops and share insights about the role of Ukrainian human rights defenders, current challenges and solutions. You can apply till November 15, 2022.
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Vox Ukraine Analyzes Ukrainian Reforms for the Third Quarter of 2022
In June, Ukraine received the status of the EU candidate state and speeded up reforms and efforts on the Eurointegration path. Ukraine ratified the Istanbul Convention, received transport and customs “visa-free” regimes and harmonized several laws with European regulations. According to VoxUkraine analysis, the Ukrainian authorities adopted almost fifty valuable legislative changes in the environmental and economic sphere in the third quarter of 2022. Click the button below to find out what other decisions CSO included in its quarterly review of reforms.
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EdCamp Invites Educators to Participate in World Dignity Day
EdCamp Ukraine invites educators to explore the topic of dignity during wartime with their students. The Day of Dignity is a one-day discussion course that can be held any day, in any format, during the interval from November 21 – the Day of Dignity and Freedom of Ukraine – to December 10 – the International Day of Human Rights. Register for the orientation webinar on November 10 and learn more about the event.
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Pact Announces a Call for Applications for Women’s Human Rights Organizations
Pact Ukraine is launching a call for applications for coalitions created by local women’s human rights organizations as part of the “Women of Ukraine: Heard, Capable, Resilient” project. Pact will support advocacy initiatives aimed at ensuring access to services, legal support, promotion of social cohesion, women’s leadership and gender equality, etc. The application deadline is November 30, 2022.
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Internews Ukraine Announces a Grant Competition to Develop Cooperation Between Voters and Deputies
Internews Ukraine within the USAID RADA Programme announces the launch of a grant program “Citizens and Parliament: Democratic Representation and Effective Interaction during Wartime.” The grant will support projects aimed at building interaction and cooperation of people’s deputies of Ukraine with voters within the district or region under martial law, involving citizens in the decision-making process and work of the parliament, communication of reforms, and public consultations. The application deadline is November 25, 2022.
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