The two-day forum “EMPOWER: Strength through Unity” took place in Kyiv
About one hundred and fifty representatives of civil society organisations took part in the forum “EMPOWER: Strength through Unity”, organised by the Rokada Charitable Foundation with the support of the German Government and the European Union.
The event brought together communities from all regions of Ukraine to strengthen the role of civil society organisations in supporting the affected population and developing resilient communities, which play a key role in responding to the challenges of war.
The forum is part of the project “Empowering War-Affected Communities in Ukraine through Local Initiatives (EMPOWER)”, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) together with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
“The project is truly powerful: it involves 50 organisations, which shows how relevant and important the idea of supporting civic initiatives that form a network of influence and assistance is. It is extremely valuable that this initiative is supported by the European Union and Germany, because it gives a sense of unity and that we are not left alone, but have the opportunity to be heard and to convey our position through local organisations that reflect the country’s real needs in the current conditions,” notes Nataliia Hurzhii, Chair of Rokada’s Board.
“Today’s event is a sign of unity, because all our civil society partners are the foundation of Ukraine’s resilience. They stay when others leave. They even manage to grow and innovate in impossible circumstances. We at GIZ are proud to work with such knowledgeable and trusted partners,” stresses Georg-Sebastian Holzer, Head of the Emergency Response programme, GIZ Ukraine.
The forum became a platform where new ideas were born, partnerships were formed, and mutual support and joint solutions emerged to increase the potential of civil society organisations.
On the first day, the organisations worked on the concept of an electronic information and methodological guide: group work, presentation of results and team brainstorming.
The main focus of the second day was the Emergency Fund – a mechanism that strengthens the resilience and operational capacity of non-governmental organisations. A panel discussion was held to discuss current challenges, opportunities and solutions for implementing new initiatives, in particular the introduction of an emergency funding facility.
“The overall goal of our project is to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable groups. To achieve this goal effectively, EMPOWER has always followed a comprehensive, systems-oriented approach that looks at the full support pathway for affected people in Ukraine,” notes EMPOWER Project Manager Eike Vater.
“This event once again highlighted how important, valuable and difficult the work of civil society organisations in their communities is, strengthening their resilience and sustainable development,” concludes Vitalii Melnyk, Project Manager at the Rokada Charitable Foundation.
