The award was given for a significant contribution to introducing the international community to the Ukrainian perspective on dialogue and the prospects for mediation, and, in particular, for the statement "Seven Points on War and Dialogue", widely disseminated in many countries around the world
The Socrates Prize in the field of mediation and conflict management from Otto-Schmidt-Verlag was ceremonially awarded on 14 June 2023 to a coalition of 25 Ukrainian civil society organizations called the “Community of Practice of Mediators and Dialogue Facilitators.” This coalition brings together organizations from across the Ukrainian NGO sector and is a network of dialogue experts founded after the outbreak of the war. The association covers a wide range of activities: from community dialogues to psychosocial support for refugees and organizing mobile teams to work with people affected by the war.
Aliona Horova, Chair of the Board, represented IMiP at the meeting.
The international and interdisciplinary jury of the Otto Schmidt publishing house awards the prize every two years for substantial achievements in mediation and conflict research. This year the awards ceremony was included in a socio-political side program on the theme: “Turning Points and Mediation – War, Climate, Artificial Intelligence and Their Impact on Mediation.”
Professor Lars Kirchhoff of Viadrina University noted: “The community makes clear that Ukrainian civil society has considerable resources of its own and unique methodological competence. International organizations and donors should realize that, instead of duplicating structures that have grown in Ukraine and thereby slowing their development, they should rely as much as possible on local expertise. This community has everything necessary to change some international peacebuilding practices and to serve as a vivid example of a genuine ‘shift of responsibility’ in project work in crisis zones.”
More information: http://surl.li/ihcge
Institute for Peace and Understanding (IMiP) is a leading Ukrainian civil society organization specializing in achieving positive, sustainable change in building social capital and strengthening the social fabric of our society through dialogue-based and restorative practices. Our work is grounded in a restorative approach aimed at resolving conflicts and addressing their consequences. This approach involves building trust and engaging participants in processes of discussion, decision-making, or conflict resolution. It enables the development of understanding, the achievement of consensus on solutions or conflict resolution, and the creation of a nonviolent environment.