Period of implementation of the project: 

From February to July 2021

Challenge: 

Because of the decentralization reform in Ukraine, local governments have been given more authority to be able to solve all local issues by themselves and be responsible for it. In turn, residents have been given the opportunity to develop their communities locally by participating in public hearings, joining working groups, signing petitions and sending their appeals to local governments.

At this stage it is extremely important for citizens, who are directly confronted with local problems and challenges, to build an effective dialogue with the authorities in order to make appropriate decisions. This can be done through implementation of advocacy events, aimed at changing policies, practical approaches, balance of power, views and attitudes. The implementation of such advocacy events aims to increase the level of community influence on local decision-making processes and the development of democratic standards of governance through innovative intersectoral cultural and educational activities, through capacity building and strengthening cooperation between united territorial communities, local authorities, representatives of civil society and representatives of the state.

Solution: 

Having identified a range of current problems which local communities face and using a documentary film as an innovative tool to involve citizens in the activities, NGO “Docudays”, in cooperation with 40 film clubs of DOCU/CLUB Network, successfully held events in frames of 5 advocacy campaigns to support reforms in Ukraine, in particular:

• environmental protection – to support environmental protection reform;
• campaign against bullying – to support education reform;
• provision of unimpeded access to medical services and provision patients with the necessary medicines – to support health care reform;
• reduction of the crime rate through successful re-socialization of convicts – to support penitentiary system reform;
• increase of community influence level on local decision-making processes and the development of democratic standards of governance – to support decentralization reform.

In order to achieve high results in reforms promotion, advocacy events have been strengthened with such effective tools as:

• screening and discussion of films on current topics;
• conduction of audience surveys;
• inviting  trainers and experts to the events, organizing  trainings, master classes, simulation games, workshops, art picnics and exhibitions;
• producing and distributing of educational literature;
• conducting educational classes and discussions with pupils involving psychologists.

Results: 

Each of the 40 events had its own sub-goals and sub-objectives: safe space, humane treatment of homeless animals, protection and restoration of cultural heritage, building a dialogue between authorities, activists and media – the topics of advocacy events were different and common at the same time. For some local communities, advocacy events became the first step to understand the problem, for others – a successful solution.

Summing up, we:

• held 40 advocacy events in frames of 5 advocacy campaigns, aimed at promoting democratic human rights reforms;
• attracted more than 17,000 participants (representatives of local authorities, educators, activists, youth, pupils, medical workers, etc.);
• shared an innovative advocacy tool which communities can continue to use in order to promote positive changes in their communities.

Category: Peace

Company: Non-governmental Organization “Docudays”

About the company: 

In the 23 years of its existence, NGO Docudays has gained a large-scale national scope, and now it is also actively strengthening its role at the international level. We implement a number of sectoral and cross-cultural projects both in Ukraine and abroad, reaching over 200,000 people every year. In particular, we do it through the Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, the Travelling Docudays UA festival, our permanent DOCU/CLUB network (439 film clubs), DOCUSPACE online cinema, all-Ukrainian Campaign «Together for Safe Childbirth» and other projects. In our activities, we combine documentary film screenings, human rights events, education and legal education events in order to develop critical thinking, cultural level and knowledge about human rights.

Sustainable Development Goals