ГРОМАДОЮ ДО ДОБРОБУТУ

September 18, 2005
BRODY

Visit of the ambassador of Great Britain to the town of Brody

On 16 September 2005 the Ambassador of Great Britain Mr. Robert Brinkley with wife and the representative of the Department for International Development of Great Britain visited the community of Brody. The ambassador met with the representatives of the project We are One Community and Lesia Oliyevska, head of the project, presented the project activities and accomplishments. Two handicap ramps were constructed in the town; one was built at the expense of Great Britain and the other at the expense of the local budget and Great Britain. Today local disabled people have good access to the gym and local House of Culture (community center). Besides, the Regulation “About the Public Advisory Board Committee of Accessibility”, the budget of the Committee of Accessibility and the draft Resolution of the head of the district council were developed. The official protocol for establishment of the Committee of Accessibility was prepared and the decision was made to establish the Committee under the umbrella of the district council of Brody.

After the meeting with the project implementers the ambassador had a grand opening of the handicap ramp to the gym that would enable people in wheelchairs get to the gym.

September 16, 2005
DROHOBYCH

Community of Drohobych proposes real methods to address the problem of youth unemployment

On 15 September 2005 interested and caring people got together at the conference room of the city council of Drohobych. They came to discuss the main activities of the youth work center.

The coalition of the non-governmental organisations of Drohobych city involved in the implementation of the Legal Service of Social Assistance Project carried out within the framework of the Democratising Ukraine: Small Project Scheme Programme and financed by the Department for International Development of Great Britain initiated the round-table discussion. The city council of Drohobych and Lviv regional youth work center were the active partners of the event.

The participants of the Legal Service of Social Assistance presented their vision of how the problem of youth unemployment could be overcome. After studying the issue, conducting the polls and a number of round-table discussions, seminars-trainings and public hearing the active members of the Legal Service of Social Assistance Project together with the unemployed young people, representatives of non-governmental organisations and businesses proposed to establish the youth work center in Drohobych and Stebnyk. The center will help the youth find jobs, prepare and have advance trainings for the jobs; the center will engage teenagers in various activities after classes; they will be introduced and involved in entrepreneurship activities. The center will also provide services related to career placement and preparation for the new job.

Local co-ordinator of the Programme Democratising Ukraine: Small Project Scheme Mrs. Maria Nykolaishyn (she is also the head of the Drohobych branch of Lviv regional youth work center) has stressed that there are all conditions available to help young people find jobs in Drohobych and to have better lives. She assured the people present at the event that all accomplishments of the coalition, its experience will be supported and applied for the benefit of the community.

Prepared by Manichean Boiko, Drohobych community

September 14, 2005
Сhanges in the Ukrainian Consortium

In August 2005 the following changes took place within the consortium of the organisations implementing the Democratising Ukraine Small Project Scheme. As legal disputes that occurred within the Counterpart Creative Centre (CCC) negatively affected the implementation of the Programme, an official decision was made to withdraw the CCC from the Consortium. The Ukrainian Consortium that continues implementing the Democratising Ukraine Small Project Scheme in partnership with the British Council Ukraine consists of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine (CVU) and the Ukrainian Centre for Independent Political Research (UCIPR).

The Programme personnel continue their work according to the approved work plan without considerable changes. On 7 September 2005 contracts with the ten communities implementing the micro-projects in Lviv and Donetsk oblasts were signed with the new base organisation of the Programme, the Committee of Voters of Ukraine.

Within the Programme, the following activities will take place in the nearest future:
 The evaluation of the Programme’s activities within the Output to Purpose Review by the Programme donor – the Department for International Development (UK) (26 September - 7 October 2005);
 The DFID conference on Civil Society in Ukraine will discuss building civil society and participation through community development approach, methodologies and experience of the Democratising Ukraine Programme (6 October 2005);
 Review of the communities’ proposals for the ‘second wave’ of the community micro projects and signing the contracts to implement the micro-projects (September-October 2005);
 Ongoing capacity-building and consultative support to the Programme’s communities.

With the support of DFID, the Democratising Ukraine Programme is preparing an additional opportunity to learn international experience of community development by inviting city mayors, deputy mayors, secretaries of the city councils and other officials of the local self-governed bodies to participate in a study tour to Hungary. The study tour is planned to take place at the end of 2005.

Programme new contact information:
Address: 5a Provulok Schorsa, Apt. 5, Kyiv 01133 Ukraine (Pecherska metro station)
Tel.:(044) 585-13-49
Tel./fax:(044) 285-64-07
E-mail: dobrobut@dobrobut.org.ua
Web-site: www.dobrobut.org.ua

August 15, 2005

Training on Community Development Methods was conducted in the communities of Donetsk and Lviv regions

The training on Community Development Methods was delivered in the communities of Donetsk and Lviv regions during 1-13 August 2005. The training is the basis for creation and testing innovative models of democratic participation and making changes in the Programme’s communities. The following methods were introduced and applied in the course of the training:
 Community development foundation as a guarantee of sustainability of public initiatives
 Social enterprise as a commercial structure that has social objectives
 Compact as a joint agreement (effective co-operation of local authorities and non-governmental organisations for the sake of the community’s well being)
 Establishing the work of mutual assistance groups

The legislative foundation of these mechanisms was provided at the training as well as the practical recommendations on how to introduce these mechanisms.

July 31, 2005
TELMANOVE

Round-table discussion on creation of Public Council took place in the community of Telmanove city

On 29 July 2005 the round-table discussion on creation of the Public Council under the umbrella of the town mayor of Telmanove was conducted in Telmanove. As a result of the event the draft Regulation “About the Public Council” was approved in general and the resolution was adopted to finalise some provisions of the Regulation. Finally the Resolution with the appeal to the town mayor was approved since the mayor could legalise the activities of the Public Council by his decree. The established Public Council shall represent the interests of the community in the decision-making process at the local level.
The participants of the event seemed to be the most interested in the discussion of the objective of the Public Council such as “ensuring control over the implementation of resolutions of the local council”. The representatives of the initiative group in charge of development of the draft Regulation explained that they meant control over the implementation of resolutions approved by the local council and grounded on the proposals made by the Public Council.
The experience of the community of Telmanove in establishing the Public Council is a unique example of the initiative developed at the grassroots level. Hence it is a vital mechanism of local democracy building.

Oleg Hryshyn, Programme Co-ordinator in Donetsk region

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