Project activities were aimed at achieving two goals:
Improving CSOs capabilities to represent target groups better, to influence political processes and to ensure democratic changes at the local level
Promoting better understanding, settlement of relations and cooperation between different regions of Ukraine.
As part of achieving the first goal, work was carried out with local CSOs in order to increase their organizational capabilities, namely: representatives of 38 organizations gained knowledge and skills at 16 trainings (311 participants from Dnipropetrovsk and Ukraine-controlled territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts). CSOs were consulted on activities and organizational development. Two mini-grant competitions were held, and 20 grants were awarded, which were aimed at protecting human rights, civil society control of local authorities, anti-corruption, civic education, assistance to internally displaced persons, understanding and cooperation between regions.
To achieve the second goal, a 4-day training event “Modern Approaches to Local Community Development” was held, which was attended by 24 representatives from 21 CSOs of 10 oblasts of Ukraine.
16 representatives of grantee organizations participated in training for partner organizations: in Lviv, Chernihiv, Kherson, Kropyvnytskyi, Sviatohirsk and Kramatorsk. Representatives of CSOs of Dnipropetrovsk region took an active part in the Forum (Lviv). The project participants established contacts and cooperation with colleagues from other regions. All this facilitated better mutual understanding between CSO representatives from different regions.