Projects Archives - Page 15 of 16 - Fellows eapcivilsociety.eu

En/Countering Stigma of Terrorism: The Case of Pankisi

The project En/Countering Stigma of Terrorism: The Case of Pankisi was a research implemented in the frame of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowship. Through conducting a number of in-depth interviews and focus-group discussions with the young women and men residing in Pankisi gorge, Mariam analyzed their views about the stigma of terrorism, the factors triggering religious radicalization and young peoples’ outflow to Syria, and the role of the State in maintaining peace and security in the gorge. To finalize the research analysis Mariam met field-professionals at the Central European University in Budapest and accessed the CEU Library for two weeks.

The project produced the research paper reflecting concerns of the young Pankisi residents regarding the stigma of terrorism, their religious preferences, and attitudes towards the Syrian armed conflict. This study is valuable as it introduced an insider’s perspective on the changing social landscape in Pankisi, based on the collected narratives of local young women and men. Furthermore, the research findings discussed the harsh and reactive policy employed by the Government towards the Gorge and its residents that need to be substituted by preventive measures and proactive CVE (Countering Violent Extremism) policies.

Country	Georgia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Strengthening the Organization’s Capacity through Professionalizing its Workers

The project aimed to build capacity for members of the non-governmental organization – Ukrainian Youth Climate Association (UYCA). Established in 2014, the organization promotes green initiatives in Ukraine and beyond. Within the framework of the fellowship, Iryna organized training and two board meetings for ten core members. During the meetings, the board evaluated the project achievements in the previous year and approved the new strategic plan. The managers also reviewed the list of potential partners and projects to ensure compliance with the global climate movement agenda. To improve professional qualification in the field, Iryna completed a 1-month internship at the climate department of DRA Berlin (Deutsch-Russischer Austausch, ENG: German-Russian Exchange), which is a partner organization supporting the development of civil society in Eastern Europe.

The project built the capacity of the organization’s core members in management, facilitation, negotiation, strategic planning, and team-building via the managerial meetings. As an outcome of the above events, the organization developed three project proposals, out of which one was approved and financed by the donor. Also, the organization developed a new strategy and action plan for the forthcoming years. Distance work and collaboration with the non-governmental organization Cooperation and Development Network (CDN) facilitated the regional partnership between those two CSOs. On top of that, a 1-month internship at the climate department of the DRA Berlin (Deutsch-Russischer Austausch, ENG: German-Russian Exchange) increased awareness of Iryna in the field of international civil society organizations work in regard to climate change and sustainability.

Country	Ukraine
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Zaharia’s World: Restoration and digitalisation of the Zaharia Cusnir Photography Archive

The action: Zaharia’s World: Restoration and Digitalization of the Zaharia Cusnir Photography Archive was a creative project investigating historical, cultural, ethnographic evidence about Moldovan society and everyday life during the Cold War. The photographic archive was found in devastating conditions in an abandoned house in Moldova. Nadejda joined her colleague, who found the collection, and then mobilized a team to restore 70 negative films of the photographer and film-maker – Zaharia Cusnir. To present the digitized materials, Nadejda organized the “GAZE” Exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Chisinau, Moldova. The activities engaged wider audiences and arose discussions about the Moldovan historic and non-material heritage. Even two years after the project, the Archives are still in the spotlight and attract world-renowned magazines and media.

The project produced 70 high-quality digitalized negative films and photos exposed in the Museum of Fine Arts in Chisinau. The exhibition was open for 30 days and involved up to thousands of visitors. Through the restoration, digitalization, research, and dissemination of the archive, the project provided access to knowledge and cultural heritage of Soviet Moldova during the’50s-’60s, which has never been disclosed before. The prints used for the exhibition are now largely used for smaller promotional events in Moldova, which, again, enhance the visibility of the project. In 2020, Nadejda curated Zaharia’s Archive exhibition in Lublin, Poland, at the renowned festival.

Country	Moldova
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Safe Playground for Your Kids and Mine

The project: Safe Playground for Your Kids and Mine was an awareness-raising initiative promoting the public, particularly young women’s participation in decision-making concerning children’s outdoor playgrounds. To raise the voice of the parents from Yerevan, Mari organized training and workshops that resulted in developing a list of recommendations for the local decision-makers. In parallel with the training, the project monitored and assessed the conditions of the local playgrounds, including the study of heavy metals in soil and sanitary-bacterial research. Based on the above data, the field experts and civil society organizations elaborated on the document and shared it with the public officials. To reach broader audiences, Mari communicated the project deliverables via different media tools, such as radio podcasts, articles, and promo videos.

The project produced a handbook analyzing the playground conditions in Yerevan. Thus, Mari created a database showing the compatibility of the municipal playgrounds with the international standards. Through the training and workshops, the project informed more than 500 parents about playground issues and advocated their civic rights to demand better municipal infrastructure. The collaborative meetings with the local authorities improved equitable management and civic participation as well as public dialogue between the local administration and the community.

Project in media:

Children at Risk: Most Yerevan’s Playgrounds Found Unsafe, hetq.am

Unsafe Heavy Metal Levels Found in Yerevan Playgrounds, hetq.am

Միշտ չէ, որ աղբը աղբ է, hhpress.am

Radio- program “Yerevan”, Republic radio (from 1:00)

Country	Armenia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Evaluation of Public Transport in Chisinau, Moldova

The action aimed to assess and evaluate the urban public transport in Chisinau in terms of comfort, vehicles, reliability, accessibility, and other relevant variables. To elaborate on the more inclusive public policies, Stanislav engaged the city residents in the discourse via applying the user-centered approach. Through research and online surveys, he studied public perception about the local transportation in Moldova. To identify trends and appraise the quality of the municipal transport system, Stanislav created a database of the 10 general and 28 specific indicators. The survey results are public and accessible for anyone, including the local media and decision-makers. In parallel with the research, he organized meetings, workshops, and interviews with local authorities, civil society activists, and media outlets. To improve the qualification and expand professional networks in the field, Stanislav participated in the training course offered by the Institute for Training Transportation Professionals, Manchester (the UK).

The project produced the research document and survey database aimed to facilitate inclusive public policies in Chisinau. Through the policy-oriented research, Stanislav enhanced critical thinking among the city residents and liaised between the people and the government by designing innovative solutions. Hence, the database played a crucial role for the local government in identifying public preferences. The research findings will serve as basic guidelines for the government while making policies on sustainable public transportation. Hence, the workshops and training held within the project increased the awareness of civil society actors; the meetings with the public officials put the topic of public transportation at the forefront of their political agenda.

Country	Moldova
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Capacity Building of Regional CSO and Local Stakeholders in the EU Affairs

The project comprised the field visits and interactive seminars in the nine regional cities of Georgia, including Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Batumi, Telavi, Gori, Akhalkalaki, Akhaltsikhe, Lagodekhi, and Lanchkhuti. The training aimed to equip the target audience with necessary empirical and theoretical knowledge and understanding to grasp, explain and analyze the dominant topics on the European Union from the prism of the EU-Georgian relations. Hence, the above field-visits contributed to the promotion of Georgia’s successful convergence with European values. Finally, in cooperation with the NATO-EU Info Center, Giorgi developed a brochure on Ten Myths and Realities About the European Union in Georgia.

The project increased awareness about the European Union and promoted the European values in the nine regional cities of Georgia. Therefore, meetings facilitated networking among the local civil society organizations. During the seminars, the project participants discussed the insights about EU-Georgia relations, including past experiences, future cooperation perspectives and challenges at the policy level. In total, more than 400 people attended the training delivered in all target cities. Also, the brochures about 10 Myths and Realities About the European Union served as a tool to overcome prejudices related to the perceptions of the EU in the Georgian regions and bust most widespread EU-related myths through educated, well researched and argumentative responses. Overall, 11,000 copies of the brochures (6000 in Georgian and per-1000 in Russian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Abkhazian and Ossetian) were printed and disseminated during the EU days in May 2018.

Country	Georgia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Enhancing Cooperation between CSOs & Young Civil Leaders Working in the Ararat Region of Armenia

To enhance the cooperation among civil society leaders in the Ararat region (Armenia), the project delivered eight workshop sessions at the host organization Impact Hub Yerevan. The workshop program comprised eight workshop sessions on the topics of good leadership, social entrepreneurship, effective management of non-profit organizations, media outreach, tourism, and environmental mainstreaming. The seminars engaged 12 young leaders from ten local communities. To present and share the future collaboration initiatives, Samvel organized one final event. Finally, young participants organized a tree-planting campaign in the Ararat village as the best project idea.

The project established an interactive platform for civic leaders from the Ararat region, where they can network with like-minded young enthusiasts. The capacity-building training increased the awareness of 12 local leaders. Hence, the project stimulated beneficiaries’ inclination towards leadership, social entrepreneurship, green initiatives, and other trending civic topics. The participants learned how to address the local challenges through applying the problem-solving tools introduced at the training. Therefore, young leaders became more aware of how to promote their activities via modern technologies. All participants actively participated in the tree-planting campaign held in the kindergarten yard of Ararat village.

Country	Armenia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Young Changemakers of Dilijan

The project Young Change-makers of Dilijan was a capacity-building initiative engaging up to 50 teenagers from the town of Dilijan. To empower the local youth, Taguhi held workshops on various trending topics, such as active citizenship, human rights and equality, cultural diversity, tolerance, and volunteering. The young people attended the training on project management, budgeting, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and community outreach that increased their qualifications and practical skills. As a result of the interactive sessions and brainstorming, seven groups proposed and implemented their social projects. Given that, the fellowship formed an active group of Dilijan (long-time residents and newcomers) and created an inclusive platform in the local community center.

The training increased the awareness of 50 young teenagers of Dilijan, who proposed and implemented seven social initiatives. Thus, the project stimulated beneficiaries’ aspirations towards self-development, civic engagement, leadership, networking, and project management. Young people learned how to engage in participatory decision making at family and community levels by applying tools learned during the program. Taguhi promoted the concept of volunteering in the local community, as the engaged teenagers actively participated in the social projects during and after the fellowship action.

Country	Armenia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Promoting for Cycling as a Transport in Tbilisi

The project aimed to promote cycling as popular transportation in Tbilisi. To achieve that, Lika organized two large-scale cycling marches in the city center during the Christmas holidays. The volunteers actively distributed the information leaflets on safe transportation at both events. All participants received safety accessories as the necessary attribute for safe cycling. Both campaigns engaged influencers, activists, local authorities and media representatives. Apart from the community outreach activities, Lika held collaborative roundtables with the local decision-makers from the Tbilisi City Hall. To enhance the cycling environment in the city, policy recommendations were shared with the local authorities.

Through the offline meetings and campaigns, the project increased public awareness of safe cycling in the city. Thus, the civic activists shared their perspectives about road safety and infrastructure with the local government. Apart from the promotion of cycling as sustainable transportation, the project delivered outstanding institutional changes. Tbilisi City Hall just initiated a new transport policy that puts sustainable mobility on top of the political agenda. The latter includes the safe cycling regulations in the city.

Country	Georgia
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0

Team

Implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (Judicial Cooperation in Civil and Commercial Matters / Cross-Border Insolvency)

The project studied the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement from the perspective of Judicial Cooperation in Civil and Commercial Justice and Cross-Border Insolvency. The project was divided into two parts. In the first phase of the fellowship, Vitalii analyzed legislative acts regarding private international law (PIL) in Ukraine and the European Union. Then, he compared the legislation and explored changes in different areas, such as jurisdiction and choice of law over consumer and individual employment contracts, the establishment of non-state law, determination of the law applicable, “Avoidance of the Law” and overriding mandatory rules as restrictions for the law applicable to a contract. In the second phase of the project, he studied the Insolvency Recast Regulation of the European Union. In parallel, he researched Ukrainian legal acts focusing on the areas of bankruptcy procedures, the appointment of the main insolvency practitioner and synthetic secondary insolvency in Ukrainian realities.

The project produced two academic documents. The first paper explores the potentials of the Ukrainian legal system and its harmonization towards the European legislation, in particular, in the private international law and cross-border insolvency law. The second document provides throughout research and analysis of private international law and insolvency legislation in Ukraine and the European Union. As the research deliverable, Vitalii created concrete proposals on harmonizing the European Law in these two areas. Additionally, he reviewed the compliance of Ukrainian rules with the Recast Insolvency Regulation of the European Union. Due to the vague Ukrainian bankruptcy legislation, foreign investors tend to be skeptical about the security of their assets. The research also explored the above issue and produced relevant expertise.

Research paper ‘The implementation of Association Agreement: adaptation of Ukrainian laws to EU legislation (judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters: contractual obligations)’:

Research paper ‘The implementation of Association Agreement: adaptation of Ukrainian laws to EU legislation (judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters: cross-border insolvency)’:

Country	Ukraine
The scope of
Type of solution
The technology used
The budget development decisions	0