Ukraine

Vidnova – Supporting Ukrainian Civil Society

Many Ukrainians are dedicated to shaping the future of their country. The Vidnova program offers them the opportunity to realise their ideas, to build connections and to contribute to the reconstruction of their country.

About the project

An end to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is not in sight. While the army fights on the front line, many have left their homes and sought refuge abroad or in areas less directly affected by the war. In these challenging times, the Vidnova program supports Ukrainians who are committed to build a better future for Ukraine. Vidnova is Ukrainian and means recovery.
Vidnova Fellowships allow participants to continue and develop their civic engagement even in times of war, whether in Ukraine or in another European country.

In addition to the Fellowships, the Vidnova Labs have been developed to support pioneers in Ukrainian civil society. We support them to develop their ideas of the country's future after the war related to specific challenges. Therefore Ukrainians receive scholarships. An important part of the Vidnova Labs is to map relevant actors in Ukraine, to connect with each other and to advance their thematic fields. The participants join trainings and workshops to strengthen the role of Ukrainian civil society in the process of recovery and to develop a common voice. We also aim to strengthen sustainable cooperation between civil society organizations in Ukraine and other European countries.

With the start of the war, many Ukrainians active in civil society have been uprooted from their daily lives. With these grants, we want to enable them to continue their work and realise their ideas in this uncertain situation. We believe that long-term peace can only be achieved if the local population is involved in the recovery process.

Our aim is to support the development of a sustainable, decentralised network of Ukrainian civil society actors. We want to encourage and build bridges. We also want to identify initiatives that will make a significant contribution to Ukraine's post-war future at an early stage. The program will identify existing initiatives and actors and connect civil society organisations in Ukraine and other European countries. In this way, approaches can be developed for the sustainable recovery of Ukraine and the coalescence of society.

As part of the Vidnova Lab, Ukrainians receive a grant which allows them to focus on their project. They receive close mentoring and take part in networking events. Teams of two to three people work on a specific topic, such as participatory urban development, green recovery, culture or mental health. The grantees prepare a mapping of Ukrainian and international actors in their field of work and connect with them. In this process, they develop common priorities and define their role for Ukraine’s recovery.