Community forum - NGO "The Tenth of April" gathered representatives of the public, business, state authorities and local self-government from 8 regions of Ukraine in Odesa to discuss and find effective ways of solving the problems of forced displacement.
Integration opportunities and formation of social cohesion for sustainable development of communities and hromadas began with a welcome speech by the co-founder of the NGO "The Tenth of April", the coordinator of humanitarian projects Olha Tkachenko and the director of the Odesa Regional Employment Center Nikita Koreneva.
The first topic for the panel discussion was the opportunities and prospects of cooperation between the Employment Center and Business. Under the moderation of Ivan Kolesnikov and Victoria Silchenko (NGO "The Tenth of April"), participants shared their practices and vision:
- Svitlana Pomukchynska, representative of the employment center;
- Valeriia Vecherikova, representative of the relocated business, founder of cafe-confectionery GodShot (Odesa);
- Serhiy Zverev, IDP business representative, founder of clothing production enterprises (Kodyma, Podilsk, Ananiev, Odesa region);
- Ihor Prysiazhnenko, senior specialist of the self-reliance department of NGO “The Tenth of April”;
- Anastasia Ivanova, representative of refugee business, head of the theater laboratory “Volya” (Odesa).
During the second panel, moderated by Serhiy Potemkin and Maryna Dyachuk (NGO "The Tenth of April"), the role of the public sector in the employment of war victims was discussed:
- Anton Tomin, head of the CF “Renewed Ukraine” (Odesa);
- Hanna Kamarali, head of the center of the CF “YaMariupol” (Odesa);
- Anna Kroshenko, director of the NGO “Community of those who care” (Kharkiv);
- Tetyana Odnorog, head of the Union of Citizens' Associations “Social Enterprise ‘Adult Education Center “Pershyi”” (Zaporizhzhia);
- Iryna Kostiniuk, representative of the NGO “United by love for children” (Kherson).
Integration in the host hromada: joint projects, IDP councils, local authorities - the third topic of discussion between representatives of local authorities and the public.
- Valerii Kryzhan, deputy mayor of Ananiev City Council (Ananiev, Podilskyi district, Odesa region);
- Vitaliy Kyryliuk, facilitator of the DC in Balta CC (Balta, Odesa region);
- Viktor Sinyatkin, head of the IDP council of Pryiutivka hromada (Pryiutivka village, Kirovohrad region);
- Nina Mazur, head of the NGO “In Unity of Strength” (Novoukrainka, Kirovohrad region);
- Olga Holoborodko, Head of the Department of Social Policy of the Kryvyi Rih City Council, Secretary of the Coordinating Council on IDPs (Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Region).
The fourth panel brought together public associations, initiative groups, and moderators of conversational and integration clubs RIKA. Moderators Inna Ponomarenko (NGO "The Tenth of April") and Oleksiy Sydorchuk (NGO "EKO Berezan", "YEDYSAN Cultural Heritage Center") led a discussion about RIKA and community integration initiatives with the participants:
- Yelyzaveta Akilina, representative of NGO “Wind of Travels” (Fontanka village, Odesa region);
- Alyona Movchan, Poetic Wardrobe (Kherson);
- Daria Polishchuk, moderator of the RIKA club (Mykolaiv);
- Aisha Issa, head of the League of Muslim Women of Ukraine, representative of the Islamic Cultural Center “Al Masar” (Odesa);
- Fevzi Mamutov, head of the NGO “Crimean Tatars of Odesa region” (Odesa);
- Ludmima Nosenko, IG "Club of Successful Ladies";
- Tetyana Kirilova, representative of the IDP council of the Shirokiv community (Zaporizhia).
A pleasant surprise for those present was the visit of the Kobzars and their performance of Dumas.
Thanks to all participants! Exchange of experience, new acquaintances, networking for mutual support and cooperation - a powerful start to the 3-day festival "Chornomorskyy Step"!
The community forum was organized by the NGO "The Tenth of April" and the Odesa Regional Employment Center with the support of the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine and Morshynska, in the space of the employment center.