TARAN Stanislav

Join us at the occasion of the Bridges of Trust Forum!

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Join un on 28 October, from 09:00 to 12:00 CEST, and learn more about partnerships between Ukrainian and EU local governments. This online event will be conducted in English and Ukrainian, with simultaneous interpretation.

The Forum is organised in the framework of the Initiative “Bridges of Trust: Empowering municipalities in Ukraine and in the European Union through building municipal partnerships”, implemented by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), PLATFORMA and supported by the U-LEAD with Europe.

Today, international municipal cooperation between Ukrainian and EU municipalities is perceived by many, including the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as one of the important instruments that can help Ukraine and Ukrainian communities recover, rebuild and renew. Closer personal links and cooperation based on joint projects and actions between the peers in Ukraine and the EU are also facilitating the integration with and the future accession of Ukraine into the EU family.

Therefore, the aim of this Forum is to highlight and promote partnerships between municipalities in Ukraine and the EU member states.

The Forum will be focused on the following components:

• Partnerships between Ukrainian and EU municipalities, in the framework of the “Bridges of Trust” Initiative.
• Examples of European Union funding programmes supporting partnerships between Ukrainian and EU municipalities.

The full programme of the Forum can be found here: English and Ukrainian.

To register, please fill in this online form. If you have any questions, please contact Yana.Brovdiy[at]ccre-cemr.org.

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Приєднуйтесь до нас 28 жовтня, з 10:00 до 13:00 за київським часом, та дізнайтеся більше про партнерство між органами місцевого самоврядування України та ЄС. Цей онлайн-захід буде проведено англійською та українською мовами, з синхронним перекладом.

Форум організовано в рамках ініціативи «Мости довіри: розширення можливостей громад в Україні та в Європейському Союзі через побудову муніципальних партнерств», що впроваджується Радою європейських муніципалітетів та регіонів (РЄМП), PLATFORMA за підтримки за підтримки Програми «U-LEAD з Європою».

Сьогодні міжнародна співпраця між українськими муніципалітетами та муніципалітетами ЄС сприймається багатьма, зокрема Президентом України, Володимиром Зеленським, та Президентом Єврокомісії, Урсулою фон дер Ляєн, як один із важливих інструментів, який може допомогти Україні та українським громадам відновити та відбудувати зруйноване агресором та окупантом. Більш тісні особисті зв’язки та співпраця на основі спільних проєктів між колегами в Україні та ЄС також сприяють інтеграції та майбутньому вступу України до сім’ї ЄС.

Тому метою цього Форуму є висвітлення та сприяння партнерству між муніципалітетами України та країн-членів ЄС.

Форум буде зосереджений на таких компонентах:

• Презентації партнерств між українськими та європейськими муніципалітетами в рамках Ініціативи «Мости довіри», що реалізується Радою європейських муніципалітетів та регіонів (РЄМР) та PLATFORMA за підтримки U-LEAD з Європою.
• Програми фінансування Європейського Союзу для підтримки партнерств між українськими та європейськими муніципалітетами.

З повною програмою Форуму можна ознайомитися тут: англійською та українською мовами.

Для реєстрації, будь ласка, заповніть цю онлайн-форму. Якщо у вас виникли запитання, будь ласка, зв’яжіться з Yana.Brovdiy[at]ccre-cemr.org.

Join us at the occasion of the France-Ukraine Local Solidarity Forum!

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Join un on 19 October, from 10:00 to 12:15 CEST, and learn more about how French municipalities support Ukrainian local governments. This online event will be conducted in French and Ukrainian, with simultaneous interpretation.

France was one of the first European countries to support Ukraine in these difficult times. French municipalities also have been welcoming people fleeing the war and trying to offer the best residence conditions possible. Cooperation of local and regional authorities, volunteers, non-governmental organisations and business is an important contributing factor of the French actions in support of Ukraine.

The Solidarity forum is organized in cooperation between the Association of the Mayors of France (AMF), Council of European Municipalities and Regions and PLATFORMA, as well as U-LEAD with Europe. The Solidarity forum is part of the work of these organisations on establishing the partnerships between the French and Ukrainian municipalities.

The aim of this local solidarity forum between France and Ukraine will be to:
1. Highlight specific challenges of war time local governance from the ground in Ukraine;
2. Present best examples of local support by France, the challenges that were encountered and addressed;
3. Encourage creation of new municipal partnerships between France and Ukraine.

The full programme of the Forum can be found here: English and French.

To register, please fill in this online form. If you have any questions, please contact Yana.Brovdiy[at]ccre-cemr.org

EU cities mobilise to address mental health toll of war on Ukrainians

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European cities and towns are facilitating access to mental health care professionals and psychological support for displaced Ukrainians, on top of practical measures relating to education and housing.

As the war nears its seventh month, refugee activists and mental health experts have also warned that the mental health toll on those who have fled the country must not be overlooked.

According to experts, the sudden displacement caused by the conflict has increased the prevalence of mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.

In April, the European Commission mobilised €9 million from the EU4Health Programme to aid the Red Cross and other NGOs in offering mental health and trauma support for Ukrainian refugees.

“It is important to see the situation of displaced people in a holistic way, including the need for mental health support,” Commission officials told EURACTIV.

According to the officials, fourteen EU countries currently offer mental health services and psychosocial support to Ukrainian citizens.

However, while “our governments and international organisations do offer a lot of solutions, some issues cannot be solved with a top-down approach,” said Maria Trybus, a young activist from the Polish Youth Council.

In her view, cities and civil society can help refugees by “creating safe spaces where they can talk about their needs, their worries.”

Trybus co-founded ‘You Have A Friend In Me‘, an online platform connecting young Poles and Ukrainians.

The idea behind it is to “create a substitute of normality as well as some sort of impromptu safety net,” she explained during the World Urban Forum in Katowice.

Some European municipalities have also taken the initiative to provide psychological support to refugees, although health competencies generally fall on the national government.

For instance, the city of Milan supports Ukrainian refugees hosted in municipal structures through assistance teams, including psychologists, to address basic needs and mental well-being.

“This allows to monitor the situation and identify possible situations of malaise and unease requiring specific assistance,” Lamberto Bertolé, councillor for welfare and health at Milan municipality, told EURACTIV.

Moreover, the city has organised activities with a local theatre to help Ukrainians process the trauma caused by the war in their home country.

The municipality relies on a network of associations to reach those hosted by families or relatives.

“The essential thing is to reach people because it’s not granted that demand and offer will meet,” the councillor said, adding that offering services in the Ukrainian language is crucial.

This article was first published by EurActiv. Real the whole text.

‘Bridges of Trust’ is looking for a contractor to carry out communication activities

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CEMR is looking for a provider for a short-term assignment (until 30 October 2022) for communication support and services, to prepare communication materials highlighting the Bridges of Trust project’s results. For more information, please refer to the terms of reference.

Polish and Ukrainian local leaders plan cooperation and reconstruction efforts

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More than 170 representatives of local governments met online at the Poland-Ukraine Local Solidarity Forum on 14 June. The participants discussed how to help Ukrainian partners, listened to Ukrainian mayors whose towns have been affected by Russian aggression and outlined prospects for future cooperation.

The Forum was co-organized together with the U-LEAD with Europe Programme and the Association of Polish Cities, in the framework of CEMR’s Bridges of Trust project.

Vyacheslav Nehoda, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories stressed that cooperation at the local level will be crucial, especially for reconstruction and the restarting of economic activities.
These comments were echoed by Tomasz Ostropolski, representing the EU Delegation in Ukraine, saying: “During the reconstruction of Ukraine, the municipalities will be integrated and take an active part as pillars and catalysts of development.”

EU municipalities also have a prominent role to play in supporting Ukraine. Zygmunt Frankiewicz, President of the Association of Polish Cities, noted that Polish society is uniting to help Ukraine and that cooperation between the two countries’ local government bodies will only improve, particularly with respect to reconstruction.

Lilia Furtus, First Secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine in Poland, thanked Polish local governments and the Polish people for the determination with which they are helping Ukraine. She stressed that “we must join efforts to end this war, we need military aid, humanitarian aid and support in the reconstruction of Ukraine.”

Support can also come in the form of multi-stakeholder projects involving local governments. Bastian Veigel, GIZ Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe, added that this project provides much-needed tools to communities affected by Russian aggression and will help in the post-war reconstruction of the country.

Ukrainian cities: living with war

In the second part of the meeting, the mayors of two Ukrainian cities shared their perspectives. Volodymyr Shmatko, mayor of Chortkiv in the Ternopil region of western Ukraine, reminded that in the process of decentralisation, Ukrainian local government officials have benefited greatly from Polish experience.

Since the intensification of Russian aggression, nearly 3,000 internally displaced persons have arrived in Chortkiv, a city of 30,000. The local government has received humanitarian aid from various sources, including the Polish city of Leżajsk. More than 100 tonnes of aid has been split between Chortkiv and municipalities in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

The mayor of Irpin, Kyiv region, Oleksandr Markushyn, emphasized the need for international support for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. He also noted that projects for such reconstruction are already being prepared by the city. “Irpin will not be able to cope with the problem of reconstruction by itself”, he said. “Before the war, our city was prosperous and one of the richest small cities of Ukraine, a pro-European city, very beautiful. Today, it is very painful to watch when 50% of our city is in ruins.”

Polish cities stand with Ukraine

The third part of the meeting was devoted to examples of activities undertaken by Polish cities. Kamil Czyż, Director of the Department of City Brand, Economic Cooperation and Tourism of Rzeszów, outlined the scale of assistance provided to newcomers from Ukraine. The city received the honourable title of “rescuer city” awarded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Chełm, a city of 60,000 people, has received nearly 25,000 Ukrainians. Great importance was attached to providing psychological support to people from Ukraine after traumatic experiences. Dorota Cieślik, Deputy Mayor of Chełm, explained the new task of helping transfer people who decide to return to Ukraine.

The last guest of the Forum was Paweł Kost, Director of the International Solidarity Fund PL in Ukraine. The Fund has been operating in Ukraine for 10 years. After 24 February, the organisation re-evaluated its activities and is now focused on providing humanitarian aid and also building capacities in social, educational and healthcare services.

At the end of the event, Ukrainian municipalities were encouraged to leave their contact information if they were looking for partners in Poland. This information was shared during the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Katowice and on the website of the Association of Polish Cities.