Last week the Institute for Peace and Understanding (IMiP) organized a training titled "Implementing Dialogue Initiatives in Communities", implemented under the project "Support for Inclusion and Social Cohesion in Ukraine: Adaptation and Recovery as a Response to the War."
The project is implemented in four Ukrainian communities: Horinchivska hromada (Zakarpattia Oblast), Skolivska hromada (Lviv Oblast), Velykoberezovytska hromada (Ternopil Oblast) and Kiinska hromada (Chernihiv Oblast). Representatives of local authorities, active community members, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and others joined the training.
Each community has its own urgent issues and challenges. Some are working on involving IDPs in the life of the host community, while others are engaged in reconstruction and recovery after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces and active hostilities. Social cohesion is therefore critically important and relevant for these areas.
Strengthening social cohesion between host communities and IDPs enables communication and helps include newly arrived people in discussions about reconstruction and community development.
During the training, participants had the opportunity to learn skills for analyzing and preparing community dialogue as an approach to building trust and resolving conflicts. This will help achieve understanding and involve all stakeholders in making important community decisions.
The project "Support for Inclusion and Social Cohesion in Ukraine: Adaptation and Recovery as a Response to the War." is implemented by IMiP together with partners (Dialog u dii, Myrni zminy) with the support of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.