Elena Palivoda, Author at Fellows eapcivilsociety.eu

Promoting Direct Democracy for Strengthening Human Rights in Armenia

The action: Promoting Direct Democracy for Strengthening Human Rights in Armenia aimed to monitor the implementation of the National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights and its Implementation Action Plan (2020-2022). The project engaged local authorities, public officials, lawyers, young activists, civil society representatives, and watchdog organizations. At the beginning of the project, Syuzanna researched the Swedish and Georgian experience in CSO engagement in policy making and effective monitoring of policy implementation. Then, she organized 4 awareness-raising workshops for the public officials from state and local government bodies, lawyers, CSOs and other interested stakeholders from 3 regions and Yerevan. The seminars were followed by the national youth conference: The RA National Strategy on Human Rights Protection: Challenges and Perspectives engaging young professionals in discourse. Afterwards, Syuzanna conducted online in-depth interviews and focus groups with the field experts to identify the possible gaps in the strategy and produce the monitoring report. Finally, she organized the CSO-Government Dialogue Conference to discuss the report findings and proposed amendments in the National Strategy.

The project delivered the evidence-based monitoring report and recommendations to the Republic of Armenia tailored to the National Strategy and Human Rights protection. The research ensured the accountability of the RA Government and the Ministry of Justice in the sector of human rights. The final conference facilitated the Public-State consensus on the various issues, including the necessity to amend the RA National Strategy. The majority of the recommendations were taken into account by the Government and the process to amend the National Strategy was about to start as of the end of the Fellowship.

The seminars and workshops raised awareness of 157 young professionals from the civic and legal sectors. Then, the youth conference engaged 21 researchers, out of whom 11 produced a research paper on the National Strategy. The events engaged the high-level officials, including the Human Rights Defender and Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia, and the EU-Delegation representatives to Armenia.

Evidence-based Monitoring of the National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights and its Implementation Action Plan for 2020-2022

Project in media:

Country	Armenia
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Team

Citizen Engagement for Transparent Land Management in Rural United Territorial Communities of Ukraine

The project aimed to foster citizens’ engagement in the rural United Territorial Communities (Hromadas) and promote transparent land management in Ukraine. To achieve the above objectives, Oleksandra applied high-quality and user-center IT solutions & GIS technologies to the research and visibility campaigns. First and foremost, she created the opinion polls for Hromadas and researched the problems of AHs, data mining to explore the land management practices on the local level. Then, she mobilized the field experts and organized the online ideation to exchange expertise with the rural community. Finally, to increase the land management transparency, Olaksanda disseminated the results of the research and online webinars/ideathon with the local people and the decision-makers.

The action raised awareness of the local authorities and civil activists from more than 150 rural areas of Ukraine. Also, the project delivered a research document and opinion poll summary to enhance citizens’ access to information about the effective management of land resources. Within the frame of the fellowship, Oleksandra created a Facebook network of the Project Ambassadors unifying the community representatives and experts in one group. To disseminate the project deliverables and reach a larger audience, she developed an online course comprising 8 educational webinars and engaging more than 900 participants. On top of that, the project created a map of good practices for better engagement and facilitated the dialogue between the local community and the authorities via sharing the recommendations based on the results of the online ideathon, research & opinion poll summary, webinars and joint action plan.

Project website: Transparent Lands with the Map of good practices for the better engagement and educational video lectures.

Research Paper (in Ukrainian):

Project in media:

Залучення громадян для управління земельними ресурсами у громадах – результати дослідження

Country	Ukraine
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Team

Contributing Successfully Reforming and Upgrading Public Services at Municipal Level in Georgia

The action aimed to upgrade municipal services into high-quality, accessible, and well-administered public services and raise awareness on the municipal public services in the Kakheti Region. To achieve the above objectives, Salome designed research and conducted educational and community outreach activities in the target region. At the first stage of the project, she conducted qualitative research to study the impact of Public Administration Reform on local public services and applied a Self-Assessment tool to analyze the quality of municipal public services in 13 municipalities of Georgia (including 8 municipalities from the Kakheti region). Then, she delivered two-day training for the local community leaders from Kakheti. The training course covered various topics, such as assessment of the municipal budget programs, evidence-based planning of municipal services, participatory mechanisms for planning and monitoring municipal services, and planning and conducting advocacy initiatives. Finally, she held awareness-raising meetings in 8 municipalities of the Kakheti region involving more than 150 local people. The interactive seminars covered the topics of monitoring and advocacy of municipal services and budget assessment.

The action produced the research document: Impact of the Public Administration Reform (PAR) on Development and Delivery of Municipal Services and provided recommendations to the key-decision-makers of Kakheti region from the perspective of (1) Institutional Development for Good Governance, (2) Sustainable Economic Development, (3) Inclusive Social Development and (4) Environmental Sustainability. The study analyzes the Public Administration Reforms on the public services developed and delivered by 13 local municipalities in Georgia. The research was printed in 250 copies and distributed to the audiences during the local training. In total, the action delivered 8 informational meetings engaging up to 250 young people (including community leaders) from the Kakheti region.

Research “Impact of the Public Administration Reform (PAR) on Development and Delivery of Municipal Services”:

Project in media:

კახეთში აღმოსავლეთ პარტნიორობის სამოქალაქო საზოგადოების სასტიპენდიო პროგრამა განხორციელდა

Country	Georgia
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Young Guardians of Digital Rights

The action: Young Guardians of Digital Rights aimed to enhance the digital literacy of teenagers all over Ukraine and engage youth in the discourse of cybersecurity. To achieve the above objectives, Viktoria created a concept for the target-specific course and delivered the training through the Mizmin online platform. In the first stage, the team developed 9 short educational videos explaining the fundamental digital rights (privacy, access to information, freedom of expression), and safe navigation on social networks, such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, etc. Every thematic course comprised interactive tests, practical exercises and suggestions on the educational online games/books. Also, the action produced Chatbot Digital Foot of Support in Telegram (@DigitalChat_bot) stimulating discussions among the stakeholders. To raise the project visibility, Viktoria and her team conducted social media communication campaign through the Facebook, Tik-Tok and YouTube Channels of the Minzmin platform and produced two articles (Internet as Opportunity and Treat; Digital Security of Children: How to Protect them on the Internet) on the Ukrainian media platform Ukrainska Pravda and two videos on the min.zmin Tik-Tok channel.

The action created the first Ukrainian Online Course: Digital Rights and Safety for Children targeted at teenage groups, teachers and parents; the materials are public and can be accessed by any interested party on the Mizmin platform. Through the various media outreach instruments, including Mizmin website (1,159 involved participants), YouTube (10,430 views), Facebook (118,000 views) the project reached larger audiences and raised the digital competence of children and their teachers/parents. Also, Viktoria engaged the local authorities, including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Digital Transformation, and 24 Regional Departments of Education of Ukraine and facilitated collaboration among educational professionals, teachers, students and their parents.

Project in media:

Інтернет як можливість і загроза для дітей: як знайти баланс

Цифрові права та онлайн безпека: як захистити дітей в інтернеті

Country	Ukraine
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Team

Monitoring 2020 Youth Budgets Execution at the Local Level in Moldova

The project aimed to develop an open source of data on youth budget in Moldova, raise visibility of the budgetary process and build capacity for the young leaders to monitor and advocate their initiatives at the local level. The project was implemented in five stages. First, Anna researched data on the Ministry of Finance of Moldova, developed an evidence-based youth budget map and integrated it on the website of the National Youth Council of Moldova. Then, she developed an online course (#YOUr(th)BUDGET program) on budgetary participation for young activists; 7 training sessions with a clear illustration of the public process of budgeting, methods and tools to participate is available on Youtube channels of Invento and NYCM. Following this, Ana conducted mentoring webinars and one offline training for the young people and youth workers from the eight regions (Comrat, Șoldănești, Fălești, Chișinău, Drochia, Rezina, Glodeni, Cimișlia) of Moldova. Afterwards, she launched the YouthPodcast: #Public Money for Youth, producing 3 video and 3 audio podcasts to promote youth leadership and budgetary participation. The last phase of the project comprised the Local campaigns on #knowYOUr(th)Budget. Once trained and mentored, the young people from the above regions developed proposals on youth budget and action plans for 2021 that were submitted to the local authorities. In total, 7 action plans were proposed.

The action raised awareness of the youth budget monitoring and developed/promoted evidence-based initiatives through the official page of the National Youth Council of Moldova reaching more than 20,000 young people. Also, it advocated for youth budgetary participation on the local level through the online course and mentoring webinars engaging more than 430 young leaders from the 8 regions of Moldova. Moreover, youthpodcast #Public Money for Youth promoted the success stories of meaningful participation by the executives of the National Youth Council of Moldova, Municipal Youth Center from Chișinău, etc. and reached more than 3 000 young people. Finally, as a tangible deliverable of the #knowYOUr(th)Budget campaign, two regions (Fălești and Rezina) integrated the youth proposals to the municipal budget for 2021.

Project infographics:

Online course (#YOUr(th)BUDGET program) on budgetary participation for young activists (in Romanian):

Buget public pentru TINEri – Episodul 1: Introducere | #You(r)th Budget

Buget public pentru TINEri – Episodul 2: De ce este importantă participarea #You(r)th Budget

Buget public pentru TINEri – Episodul 3: Structura Bugetului Public #You(r)th Budget

Buget public pentru TINEri – Episodul 4: Structura Bugetului Public #You(r)th Budget

Buget public pentru TINEri – Episodul 5: Procesul bugetar #You(r)th Budget

Buget public pentru TINEri – Episodul 6: Cum participăm? #You(r)th Budget

Buget public pentru TINEri – Episodul 7: Cheltuielile de tineret #You(r)th Budget

Country	Moldova
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Team

PROVIDNYK – Interactive Map for People with Mobility Limitations

The PROVIDNYK Action aimed to improve the quality of life of Ukrainians with limited mobility by contributing to the development of accessible infrastructure in their hometowns. The project was implemented in several stages. First, the project team tested and fixed the defect of route planning features for the PROVIDNYK platform. PROVIDNYK is an interactive map tailored to people with mobility limitations to help them navigate in the cities of Ukraine, review the accessibility of places and send automatic complaints (requests) to governmental bodies. In the second stage of the project, the team developed the Users’ Rating and Gamification Feature to the map to increase the users’ engagement and data contribution. Following this, Pavel expanded the map coverage in the additional 3 cities of Ukraine (Vinnytsia, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia). The development of the inclusive map was followed by an online promotion campaign to cover more potential users. Finally, the project team conducted the Online Kyiv Inclusive Roundtable involving the stakeholders from business and governmental sector, as well as civil society activists, and live-streamed the event in Zoom & YouTube.

The project developed and launched two advanced PROVIDNYK features – Route Planning and Users’ Rating & Gamification. As of 30 November 2020, Version 2.0 of the PROVIDNYK map has been successfully covering three additional cities of Ukraine – Vinnytsia, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia; the registered users from those cities already mapped and rated 722 objects (places) on the web-platform. The online visibility campaign and roundtable reached more than 371,000 people and raised public awareness regarding problems of employment of people with disabilities and the creation of a barrier-free infrastructure; Over 80 participants joined/watched live discussion of the Online Kyiv Inclusive Roundtable. On top of that, the implementation of the PROVIDNYK Action has contributed to consolidating the efforts of civil society, state, business, and the public in building an inclusive society in Ukraine.

Online Kyiv Inclusivity Roundtable | 20.11.2020 (in Ukrainian):

Country	Ukraine
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#protect_your_info (Safe Internet and Media Literacy)

The project aimed to raise awareness of cybersecurity and media literacy in teenage students of Kyiv, Ukraine. To enhance critical thinking in the youth groups, Yuliia developed a special program #protect_your_info tailored to media literacy and personal privacy on the internet. Then, she created the Facebook and telegram groups #protect_your_info as a communication platform for the project beneficiaries. To advocate for internet security in a creative way, Yuliia designed the informative booklet/posters and an interactive quest game on the Playbuzz platform. Applying the special program and creative visibility materials, she delivered trainings on #protect_your_info thematic topics for the local students with different backgrounds in Kyiv.

The project raised awareness of the Ukrainian teenagers in media literacy and information security through a number of instruments, including the training, social media channels, creative materials, online role-plays and quest games. Within the frame of the action, Yuliia conducted 5 one-day training and engaged more than 75 students from the 5 local schools of Kyiv. Most importantly, the action taught young audiences how to search and communicate online safely and protect their privacy. The social media channels on Facebook and Telegram, as well as the informative posters and quest games advocated the active “fact-checking” of the information and engaged/covered large audiences.

#protect_your_info Brochure (in Ukrainian):

How to protect you personal information Poster (in Ukrainian):

Country	Ukraine
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Stop Bullying/Cyberbullying in Schools

The action aimed to tackle bullying/cyberbullying in schools of Cantemir district. To raise the issue on top of the agenda, Victoria undertook a special course in Italy specifically tailored to bullying and then, delivered training for teachers and school management in her region. More precisely, she trained the Principals, Vice-Principals, and the Presidents of the Student Council from all the gymnasiums of Cantemir district on the phenomenon of bullying and its mitigation measures. To minimize the violence at schools, Victoria engaged the local District Board of Education in the project. On top of that, the action held the anti-bullying and anti-violence campaign at 3+2 schools with the highest rate of bullying cases in Cantemir district.

The project raised awareness of approximately 100 School Managers (School Principals, Vice-Principals and Presidents of the Student Council) and more than 1,200 pupils on bullying and its prevention. The workshops facilitated discussions and dialogue between teachers and students. Therefore, the recommendations sent to the local District Board of Education brought the government bodies into the discourse of tackling violence at the middle educational institutions. Thus, as a result of the anti-bullying campaign, five schools exhibited 20 motivational posters promoting kindness and respect for each other. The action built the capacity of Victoria since she had an opportunity to travel to Italy and raise her qualification in the issue.

Project in media:

Fenomenul “Bullying-ului în școli” studiat în raionul Cantemir

Country	Moldova
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Enhancing Development Capacity of Aromatic Plants Producers from Moldova

The action aimed to increase the capacity of the local non-governmental organization Moldova Lavender Association and enhance their opportunities to enter the EU market. To achieve the above objective, Alexandru conducted analytical, educational and community outreach actions. First, he pursued field research on an Essential Oils Industry. Then, the fellow had a 6-day field visit to the Head Office of the European Federation of Essential Oils (EFEO) in Hamburg, Germany, where he learned about the European Sectoral Regulations and EFEO’s activity. Following this, Alexandru held training for the Moldova Lavender Association members and shared the experience acquired from the visit to EFEO. Finally, to foster cooperation among the field professionals, he organized the First National Conference on Aromatic and Medicinal Plants in Chisinau, Moldova.

The action built capacity for the staff members of the Moldova Lavender Association and raised their awareness of the Global and European industry. As a tangible result of the project, the local organization started a long-term partnership with the European Federation of Essential Oils (EFEO). Therefore, the number of members of the Moldova Lavender Association increased from 12 to 23 and attracted other donors to finance the further projects. Hence, the first National Conference fostered collaboration among the farmers, public officials and donors and engaged more than 55 stakeholders from the sector. The project encouraged the Ministry of Agriculture of Moldova to initiate the development of the National Strategy on Aromatic and Medicinal Plants in Moldova.

Project in media:

Plantele medicinale și aromatice ecologice – unele dintre cele mai profitabile și solicitate culturi

Creșterea plantelor aromatice și medicinale – o ramură cu mari perspective pentru țara noastră

Country	Moldova
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Team

Educational Programme for Strengthening the Role of New Generation in Decision-Making Process

The action aimed to strengthen the role of the young people in the decision-making process by introducing a comprehensive educational program for the local youth in Ukraine. To achieve the above objective, Yaroslav learned and disseminated the Danish model of the DAOS (Diversity Ambassadors Open School) approach and strategy. To study good practices and Danish youth empowerment methods, Yaroslav visited an arts college – Hojskolen Snoghoj and Danish National Youth Council. Both institutions share efficient methods of empowering a new generation and strengthening youth participation on local and national levels. After the field visit, Yaroslav developed the local “DAOS” program along with seven alumni (aged between 14-17) of Youth organization “STAN” and designed for the three Ukrainian cities of Ivano-Frankivsk, Sloviansk, and Zhmerinka.

The action raised awareness of 550 youngsters in three Ukrainian cities of Sloviansk, Zhmerinka and Ivano-Frankivsk by the 3-month Diversity Ambassadors Training Program. Nowadays, the project participants represent a network of more than 100 active citizens calling themselves the Diversity Ambassadors. From 2019, they are promoting human rights, gender equality and tackling climate challenges in their communities all over Ukraine. In addition, the training delivered by Yaroslav at the Youth Climate festivals and the Cultural Management Schools promoted youth engagement in the larger audience.

A number of stories about the impact of independent groups of youth and youngsters where published on STAN website:

Apart from empowering local youth, the action built the capacity of Yaroslav since he enjoyed an opportunity of pursuing a field trip to Denmark and attending Eastern Partnership Youth Summer School 2019 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Country	Ukraine
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