What we do

Article Index
What we do
Support for local initiatives for long-term integration of IDPs (focusing on women) in host communities
Age matters!
P[art] of the community
Joint efforts of IDPs and community: promotion of the integration of the youth among IDPs into host communities
Promotion and dissemination of European values and culture through active participation in national cultural and sporting events in Ukraine
New home: Integration of young people among IDPs into new communities
Preparing future leaders for Ukraine
Internship Program and development of human resources capacity of Service Centers of MOI
EU: CHOICE OF UKRAINIAN YOUTH
School of Young Democracy
Young professionals for local governments
tudy visit to Sweden within the program “Young Generation Will Change Ukraine”
Youth among IDPs, help yourself and others in finding solutions to the urgent problems
Hopework
Isar ednannya
US Embassy Project: “Motivating and Training Young People to Influence Local Policy”
Students for Parliament
Sharing Experience in Organizing Parliamentary Internship Programs in Ukraine and Moldova
Overcoming stereotypes and prejudices in the field of interethnic relations among youth
From Magdeburg to your City: in the Eyes of Those who aren’t Indifferent
Analytical support to
Workshops - trainings in the local self-government development for newly elected deputies of the local councils
Democracy and Market Economy Seminars in the regions
Economic Seminars for Future Leaders
Get-out-the-vote campaign
All Pages

The mission of the organization is to involve young people to social, cultural, political life of Ukraine with the help of organizing education events; to promote European values for Ukrainian youth; to form a new generation of politicians for independent Ukraine, and to advance democratic values among young people; to promote public participation (specifically youth participation) in the political process.

 

For 25 years Youth Alternative has worked for civil society development in Ukraine as the basis of an independent, democratic, constitutional state.


The goal of the project is psychological adaptation, psychological stress relief, increasing self-esteem by women among IDPs, preventing discrimination, conflict management, establishing a dialogue between IDPs and new communities through a cycle of training, counseling and social activities for IDPs with an emphasis on women.

Project objectives:

 

  • promoting and supporting women's integration and adaptation processes among women in host communities;
  • attracting a wide range of community members to participate in social events with IDPs, which are aimed at uniting the community, harmonious coexistence;
  • development of volunteering, social and community initiatives.

 

Donor: OSCE

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results: 20 trainings (stress management with elements of art therapy, time management, stereotypes and conflicts, effective communication, job search, etc.) and individual consultations.


Trainings aimed on promotion and support of women's integration and adaptation processes among women in host communities as well as involvement of a wide range of community members in social activities with IDPs, which are aimed at rallying the community, harmonious coexistence. Additional value - development of volunteering, social and community initiatives.

Total number of participants in the events: 392.

146 participants took part in the events in Vinnytsia (96 IDPs, 34 community representatives, 16 representatives of the authorities), 130 in Drohobych (67 IDPs, community representatives - 32, representatives of authorities - 26, media - 5), Chervonograd - 116 (60 IDPs, 32 community representatives, 24 representatives of government institutions). Total number of IDPs - 223, 98 of the activists and of the local community - 98 and authorities -71.

Profile(s) of Professional Staff Provided by Your Organization: Project manager and regional coordinators.

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff: management, trainings.

Partners in the project:

Vinnystya – NGO VIS, Svitlana Dubina

Lviv First Foundation, Roman Koshovyy


 

Objectives: The project was developed by the UNICEF Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS and NGO Youth Policy Labs. The project summarizes the existing age legal provisions for children, adolescents and youth in 70 areas in 22 countries and territories of the CEE and CIS countries. The data are grouped in six thematic sections - civil and legal rights, political participation, social participation, economic participation and education, health care, and security.

Donor: UNICEF

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results: 6 focus groups on youth related issues.

Profile(s) of Professional Staff Provided by Your Organization: facilitators.

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff: facilitation of 6 focus groups.

Partners in the project: NGO Youth Policy Labs


 

Objectives: initiate joint discussion of youth among IDPs and local community youth in selected regions on how to integrate IDPs into new environment, on the role of IDPs in new communities; train youth among IDPs & local youth how to co-operate with local authorities in order to make voice of youth be heard & taken into account by decision-making as well as promote active citizenship in general; raise capacity of youth among IDPs & local youth in the field of street art (murals) as a tool for building interaction between IDPs and locals within the community. Initiate real joint work on several murals after development of sketches with key (visual) messages to local communities on such topics like coexistence and integration, stereotypes, youth activism, peace etc.; improve knowledge and skills of young IDPs in the field of opportunities for cross-border cooperation in order to strengthen the role and impacts of IDPs’ NGOs.

Donor: The Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results:

Activity 1.

Four 3-days sessions in Ukraine (Odesa and Chernivtsi) and Georgia (Kvemo Kartli and Samegrelo) for youth among IDPs & local youth with following parts:

 

  • Training on tools of effective cooperation with local authorities (1 days)
  • Open space on problems, needs and opportunities of IDPs in new environment (0,5 day)
  • Workshop on sketching for murals supervised by professional mural painters (1,5 days)

 

Participants: youth among IDPs, local youth, local activists & representatives of IDPs’ NGOs or NGOs dealing with IDPs’ issues.

After all sessions, there will be announced competition among the project participants in each project location – only 1 sketch pro location will be selected. The jury – representatives of local authorities, professional painters, local activists (min. 3 persons in general). We expect to gather min. 10 sketches in general for the competition.

Number of participants – 100.

Activity 2.

After the selection of best sketches, we will launch the process of getting permissions by local authorities. But the main activity is realization of sketched murals (4 murals).

Participants: participants of local project sessions as well as community members. Professional painters will be engaged to support the whole process.

Number of participants per each painting session: 15-30 persons (45-90 persons in total).

Duration of each painting session: 2 days.

Sizes of murals: max. 2,5m x 4m.

Media support: Information about murals will be disseminated via social media & other sources in order to get more attention to the activity. There will be official openings with representatives of local community activists & authorities. At the same time results of this activity will be presented during the activity 3 in form of small photo exhibition (photos will be taken during the painting process).

Activity 3.

2 days bilateral session in Ukraine (Odesa) on opportunities for IDPs’ NGOs and NGOs dealing with IDPs’ issues within cross-border cooperation programmes and networking.

Participants: young activists among IDPs, representatives of IDPs’ NGOs or NGOs dealing with IDPs’ issues (all – participants of the projects’ sessions within activity 1). Selection will be maid based on activity during the whole project and motivation letter written by the pretenders (explaining their ability to use such information etc.).

Number of participants: 25 persons (10 from Georgia, 15 from Ukraine).

Profile(s) of Professional Staff Provided by Your Organization: management, trainings, support of development & implementation of local initiatives.

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff: management, trainings, mural preparation & negotiation with authorities, final conference.

Partners in the project: NGO “GAEN” (Georgia)

 


 

Objectives: promote the integration of young IDPs into new communities through joint projects with the participation of the IDPs and the local community.

Donor: U.S. Embassy

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results:

6 two-day training courses in Lviv, Vinnytsa, Dnipro, Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizzya on resource mobilization, team building, dialogue and conflict resolution within the community, participants will develop a project plan and volunteer social initiatives, as well as learn to seek funding and implement project initiatives.

Preparation and implementation 19 projects and volunteer initiatives that will promote the integration of young IDPs into new communities, which are aimed at rallying the community, harmonious coexistence.

As a result of the initiatives were held 6 press-conferences and one big conference in Kyiv.

Number of audience reached by the project – 10000.

Profile(s) of Professional Staff Provided by Your Organization: The main staff engaged in the organization and implementation of the project were project manager and regional coordinators.

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff: management, trainings, support of development & implementation of local initiatives.

Partners in the project:

Dnipro - NGO "MIX", Kateryna Zezulina

Kharkiv - Company «DENDY-PROmo», Denis Tkachev

Zaporizhzhya - YA, Denis Kasyanenko

Kherson – GO Spektr UA

Vinnytsia - YA, Svetlana Dubina

 

Lviv - Lviv First Foundation, Roman Koshovyy


 

Objectives: the project aims to create synergy between Ukrainian cultural and sporting events (throughout Ukraine) and the initiatives of the European Union. This project contributes significantly to the cultural and sports diplomacy of the EU and Ukraine. These two areas are becoming more and more important for both parties, and this gives all participants the opportunity to get a new space for exchanging opinions, establishing new contacts and building networks during events covered by the project.

Donor: EU Delegation to Ukraine

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results: As part of this project, the EU Delegation in Ukraine informed young people about European values, lifestyles and rich cultural heritage of Ukraine and the European Union, and popularizes the broad context of EU-Ukraine cooperation. It will help participants in cultural and sporting events learn more about other EU activities, cultural cooperation and sports, and contribute to these areas. The project involves various types of participation, including diplomats and experts, quizzes and quests, workshops and presentations of educational opportunities for youth, etc.

We ensured the participation of the EU Delegation in 6 national and regional cultural and artistic events: KISFF, Gogolfeset, O-Fest, Euromarathon, Euromarathon in Kramatorsk, Odessa International Film Festival. Reached audience – 500000.

Profile(s) of Professional Staff Provided by Your Organization: The main staff engaged in the organization and implementation of the project were head of NGO and project managers.

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff: Negotiation with potential partners, development of cooperation framework, presentations.


 

Objectives: integration and enhancing the capacity of IDPs at local level in Ukraine. Raising awareness of how to address the socio-economic problems of internally displaced persons within host communities.

Donor: Council of Europe

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results:

Training component: conducting trainings «Young people among IDPs - ways to solve economic and social problems». Duration 2 days. The goals are to provide participants with the knowledge and skills on how to successfully find work in host communities - job search, self-presentation skills, and job preparation documents; how to start your own business, write a business plan, do PR and promote products; success stories from IDPs (opening new business); solving social problems of youth, mechanisms of interaction with the authorities, self-organization of youth among IDPs, rules for the opening of the NGO. Creating an online course on topics like "Opening Your Own Business," "Mechanisms for Collaboration with Government" to disseminate information among more beneficiaries.

Result: 4 two-days trainings in Dnipro, Mariupol, Kramatorsk and Kyiv. Total number of participants – 1000.

Methodical component: preparation of methodical recommendations for the relocated youth on issues of increasing economic activity, adaptation and socialization in the new household environment. These recommendations will contain information and answers to the question "How to open your own business", "Mechanisms for cooperation with the authorities". Preparation of methodological recommendations for state authorities on increasing economic activity, adaptation and socialization in the new domestic environment of forced migrant youth and methods of working with her.

Have been developed 2 manuals "Improvement of economic activity, adaptation and socialization in the new household environment for the youth of the higher education institution". Methodological recommendations for IDPs and "Increase of economic activity, adaptation and socialization in the new household environment of youth among IDPs. Methodological recommendations for state authorities". They are available online.

8 video tutorials have been developed and recorded: "Youth cooperation with state authorities", "Registration of public associations", "Project management", "Fundraising", "Job search", "How to write a resume", "Creation and opening your own business", "How to write a business plan".

Оrganizational Component: Career Fairs for young people among IDPs. Duration - 1 day. Objectives: establishing social relations, communicating with host communities; informing youth among IDPs about possible vacancies and job offers in host communities; skills in writing a resume, the origin of interviews, etc.

Organized 4 career fairs (Dnipro, Mariupol, Kramatorsk, Kyiv). Total number of participants – 1500.

Total reached audience -  15000.

Profile(s) of Professional Staff Provided by Your Organization: The main staff engaged in the organization and implementation of the project were project manager and regional coordinators.

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff: management, trainings, organisation of career fairs, research and development of methodological recommendations.

Partners in the project:

NGO "MIX”

NGO FREE UA

Regional Training Center for Business Skills "Priazovye"

Conference Center "Parle"

Coworking 365

National University of Food Technologies of Kyiv

Kyiv City Employment Center

 


 

In 2015 Youth Alternative used renewed Endowment support to continue and expand its government internship and regional exchange programs.

Objectives:

 

  1. To strengthen young people’s leadership skills, civic knowledge, and understanding of government in Ukraine.
  2. To bridge the division between Ukraine’s regions as a countermeasure to anti-Ukrainian propaganda about regional extremism.

 

Donor: NED

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results:

The organization selected 30 students from leading Kyiv universities to serve eight-month fellowships in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s national legislature. In addition, were selected 126 students to serve five-month fellowships at local councils in 18 regions.

The interns participated in 46 events, including orientations, training seminars and roundtable discussions. Thirty-six orientations and training seminars taught the interns about government institutions, public policy, legislative affairs and political processes. The interns received trainings in public speaking, leadership skills and organizational management, which prepared them for leadership roles in the future.

An additional 180 students from 12 regions participated in 8 cross regional exchanges, trainings and presentations. Educational booklets, with a total print run of 500 copies, were published and distributed.

To help Ukrainian youth better understand cross regional sentiments about each other and dispel stereotypes emanating from Russian media and a dearth of interpersonal communication, Youth Alternative organized eight three-day visits for students from twelve regions of Ukraine. Students were selected from Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Odesa, Mykolaiv to visit students in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and Chernivtsi. Each western city hosted participants from a total of four southern and eastern cities on two separate occasions to engage in discussions about democracy, tolerance and governance; students also took part in city tours and participated in free forums to exchange their ideas and beliefs. Students presented their experiences in each region during the visits. Following the visits, two students were selected from each region to visit Kyiv for a final presentation about the program, their experiences and whether they managed to move beyond personal linguistic, ideological, religious and regional differences.

Youth Alternative also published and distributed educational booklets and nine newsletters, with a total print run of 500, on topics chosen by the interns, who were also responsible for producing materials and writing articles for the booklets. Five roundtable discussions and five book presentations were held to discuss the topics addressed in each booklet. Finally, the organization added the interns’ names to an existing database of past participants for future networking and other alumni activities.

Profile(s) of Professional Staff Provided by Your Organization:

The main staff - engaged in the organization and implementation of the project; organization and holding of trainings, seminars, exchange visits, meetings and analytical data review etc.

Personnel involved - regional coordinators; promote and assist in the implementation of measures in the regions of Ukraine.

Involved staff - trainers.

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff:

 

  • organization and administration of internship of students in the Parliament and local authorities in 18 cities of Ukraine
  • organizing and conducting trainings, seminars, workshops for interns for Parliament and local authorities
  • organizing and conducting 8 exchange visits of young people from the East and the South & West
  • services in writing, editing and publishing a newsletter on exchange trips
  • services for the press conference on exchange visits and presentations of analytic collections

 

 

Partners in the project (18):

Chernivtsi - "Union of Active Youth", Eugenia Oleinik

Ternopil - Youth Governmental Union, Igor Protsyk

Dnipro - NGO "MIX", Kateryna Zezulina

Kharkiv - Company «DENDY-PROmo», Denis Tkachev

Chernihiv - NGO Youth Information Centre, Oksana Stelmach

Vinnytsia - YA, Svetlana Dubina

Cherkasy - Committee of Voters of Ukraine, Anastasia Prokopenko

Mykholaiv - "Youth Municipality", Oleksandr Maksimenko

Kherson - Youth Governmental Union, Anastasia Shevchuk

Rivne - Zeon, Mykhola Orlov

Lutsk - Press Club, Bohdana Stelmach

Lviv - Lviv First Foundation, Roman Koshovyy,

Odesa - YA, Elena Saykovska,

Ivano-Frankivsk – CVU, Maxim Lysyuk

Kirovograd - Student Government, Yaroslav Lanetskyy

Zaporizhzhya - YA, Denis Kasyanenko


Published materials

www.ya.org.ua/images/pdf/14-15/1.pdf

www.ya.org.ua/images/pdf/14-15/5.pdf

www.ya.org.ua/images/pdf/14-15/4.pdf

www.ya.org.ua/images/pdf/14-15/3.pdf

www.ya.org.ua/images/pdf/14-15/2.pdf

 


Objectives: The goal of the Internship Program is to create a Youth human resources reserve for Service Centers of MOI of Ukraine through attracting non-corrupted, client-oriented and qualified young specialists, who share with Country Leaders and MOI of Ukraine the striving to reform the law enforcement system of Ukraine by increasing human resources capacity and creating new standards of work, developing of trainings methodology, training modules for providing the education of young professionals.

Project objectives:

 

  1. To conduct trainings for 60 interns in Service Centers of MOI of Ukraine in Kyiv: organizational support Internship Program at all including trainings on professional issues of Service Centers of MOI of Ukraine, trainings on effective communication skills and customer service, anti-corruption issues and professional ethics; practical training in the front-office of Service Centers of MOI of Ukraine in Kyiv.
  2. To conduct an Informational Campaign to popularize the Internship Program and to inform about work of Service Centers of MOI of Ukraine in general: development of information and promo materials, announcements and certificates.
  3. To build a training team, who will conduct trainings in 25 regions of Ukraine.

 

Donor: US Embassy, Kyiv

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results:

 

  • competition for trainers;
  • ToT training for 12 trainers;
  • adapting and improvement of the training program;
  • competition and selection of people for 1st round of interview;
  • 12 trainings for selected participants;
  • practical internship in the front-office of territorial service centers of MOI in Kyiv (visits of 4-6 TSC);
  • final exam for 55 participants;
  • delivery of certificates.

 

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff:

Administrational support, participation in conducting interviews

Partners in the project:

Head Service Center of MOI of Ukraine

 

EUAM Ukraine

 



 

Objectives: improve knowledge of the EU (institutions, mission, values etc.), dissemination of objective information about the EU

Donor: Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results:

 

  • creation of the web environment & project team
  • creation of quiz & its rules
  • promotion of the web site and project
  • competition and winners’ selection
  • 30 discussion clubs in 24 Ukrainian regions
  • final event (140 participants from all Ukrainian regions, including students, politicians, experts, civil activists etc.)

 

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff:

Update of the Euroquiz website, creation of a team of experts, drafting sets of questions/answers and rules for Euroquiz to be played at website, PR, holding Euroquiz (all its parts), organise discussion clubs, prepare and organize final event in Kyiv, evaluation of the project.

 

Partners in the project:

 

  • eTwinning Plus and Erasmus+ projects
  • Horizon 2020 liaison
  • National Taras Shenchenko University
  • “Building Europe in Ukraine”
  • Ministry of Youth and Sport of Ukraine
  • Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
  • Open Society Foundation
  • Platforma
  • Studway
  • Unistudy International Education
  • Internews Ukraine
  • European Station
  • GURT Resource Center
  • Portal “Hromadsky prostir”
  • + our regional partners

 

 

 


 

Objectives: Using the Polish experience with the implementation of the decentralization of governance we will teach young local semi-government clerks (under 35) and the most active young community leaders (under 35 as well) how to use new and transparent mechanisms in provision of the public services; how to implement effective policies in the area / region using mechanisms based on the mutual participation of government and the community; and how to start a dialogue with the community. Furthermore, we will provide youth with the tools to respond to the challenges of the modern world in matters of decentralization, teach them how to establish the dialogue with the authorities and influence the policy-making process and monitor authorities’ activity. So main objectives are 1) strengthen the capacity of communities and local governments to provide public services and implement effective policies using transparent mechanisms based on mutual participation; 2) raise the level of youth engagement in a public dialogue and the cooperation with the authorities, to improve the impact on development and policy; 3) form active citizens who are ready to take an active role in the reformation of the country (decentralization).

 

Donor: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Poland and Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results:

 

  • 5 trainings (2 days long) for the target group,
  • study visit to Poland for selected participants,
  • contest of local initiatives developed by participants & its realization (11 projects),
  • presentation in 4 cities of project results.

 

Profile(s) of Professional Staff Provided by Your Organization:

 

  • organizing and conducting trainings and contest as well as support for Ukrainian participants during the study visit, elaboration of internal documents, preparation of the presentations etc.

 

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff:

 

  • Holding 5 2-day training sessions, administration of the project, supervision of local initiatives.

 

Partners in the project:

Dnipro - NGO "MIX", Kateryna Zezulina

Vinnytsia - YA, Svetlana Dubina

Odesa – YA, Oleksandra Riazantseva

Ternopil - Youth Governmental Union, Igor Protsyk

 

 


 

The project aims to conduct trainings for interns of local governments on policy analysis, strategic planning and projects writing in order to develop their socially important projects & contribute to the development of the territory in which they live. Presentation of the research in community, the media, research institutions, representation of projects developed in local government.

Donor: US Embassy, Kyiv

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results:

Objectives and results:

1. Teaching young people how to conduct a comprehensive analysis of programs and strategies for socio-economic development of the region, local budgets of relevant administrative units as well as decisions of local governments on their compliance with the real situation and the expectations of citizens

- 10 trainings

2. Drawing / writing active analytical materials by young people - regulations and other regulatory legal acts necessary for community development and publication

- Compiled and published brochures

3. Presentation of brochures in 10 cities

Profile(s) of Professional Staff Provided by Your Organization:

The main staff organizing and conducting trainings, elaborated reviewing documents, brochure

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff:

 

  • Conducting 10 trainings
  • Writing the brochure "Projects of regulations developed by young people in local government"
  • Carrying out 10 press conferences

 

Partners in the project:

Chernivtsi - "Union of Active Youth", Eugenia Oleinik

Ternopil - Youth Governmental Union, Igor Protsyk

Dnipro - NGO "MIX", Kateryna Zezulina

Kharkiv - Company «DENDY-PROmo», Denis Tkachev

Chernihiv - NGO Youth Information Centre, Oksana Stelmach

Vinnytsia - YA, Svetlana Dubina

Cherkasy - Committee of Voters of Ukraine, Anastasia Prokopenko

Mykholaiv - "Youth Municipality", Oleksandr Maksimenko

Kherson - Youth Governmental Union, Anastasia Shevchuk

Rivne - Zeon, Mykhola Orlov

Lutsk - Press Club, Bohdana Stelmach

Lviv - Lviv First Foundation, Roman Koshovyy,

Odesa - YA, Elena Saykovska,

Ivano-Frankivsk – CVU, Maxim Lysyuk

Kirovograd - Student Government, Yaroslav Lanetskyy

Zhytomyr – “Suchasny Format”, Janna Solovyova

Zaporizhzhya - YA, Denis Kasyanenko


 

Published materials

www.ya.org.ua/images/pdf/14-15/6.pdf

 

 


 

Objectives: to learn the features of the socio-economic development of Sweden, to study the processes of decision-making, political system and the nature of the decentralization of Sweden, to study the features of the judiciary system, to study the mechanism of ensuring the independence of judges, to study features of innovative development and specific state support to Sweden, to study the energy and environmental policies (especially the development of alternative energy sources)

Donor: Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Charitable Foundation

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results:

 

  • study visit with 22 meetings in different organizations and institutions;
  • presentations and publications of results

 

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff:

 

  • Administration and supervision of the group at all phases of the study visit, evaluation and preparation of financial reports for the donor

 


 

Objectives: To establish a dialogue between young people among the IDPs and the authorities, volunteers, representatives of NGOs; to destruct stereotypes in the perception of each other; to form space where you can hear each other's thoughts and develop a common vision of solving conflicts and problems among young IDPs; to exchange experience of public activity; to teach participants how to influence the government, to ensure close contacts between young people among IDPs and active youth.

Donor: Friedrich Ebert Foundation

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results:

 

  • 4 trainings (3 days long) for youth among the IDPs,
  • final conference in Kyiv,
  • making proposals to the government to solve the IDPs’ problems.

 

Profile(s) of Professional Staff Provided by Your Organization:

organizing and conducting trainings, elaboration of reviewing documents, preparation of the brochure.

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff:

Holding four three-day training sessions, presentations made proposals to the authorities.

Partners in the project:

Dnipro - NGO "MIX", Kateryna Zezulina

Kharkiv - Company «DENDY-PROmo», Denis Tkachev

Vinnytsia - YA, Svetlana Dubina

 

Zaporizhzhya - YA, Denis Kasyanenko

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Objectives: The aim of the „Hopework“ project is to promote entrepreneurship and to create more micro-entrepreneurship possibilities in Ukraine for individuals and companies willing to provide their services to foreign markets via internet. At the same time, we help to reduce acute shortage of skilled workforce, which a number of companies in Estonia face. The planned project aim to set up infrastructure, which enables (1) Estonian (and other) companies to provide long-distance work opportunities to people from Ukraine; (2) companies to hire workforce remotely on pay-per-hour and pay-per-project basis; (3) Ukrainians to provide their skills and services to potential customers in Estonia via internet; (4) to transfer money and monitor remote workforce more conveniently than any single company alone could do.

Donor: Development- and humanitarian cooperation funding of Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Brief Description of Assignment(s) carried out and their results:

 

  • more than 10 presentations of the project within our network;
  • more than 10 posts and publications about the project.

 

Description of Actual Services Provided by Your Staff:

Dissemination in Ukraine (distributing information about the project) using our wide network of contacts for attracting workforce as well as disseminating information.

 

Partners in the project:

 

NGO Youth in Science and Business Foundation


 

Next year will be very important – it is the 20. anniversary of the project of internships in the Parliament and the 10. anniversary of the project of internships in local governments. We decided to summarize our results, analyze the capacity of the NGO, define our priorities and new activities.

We received a grant for organizational development (with such elements like the program of strategic development, communication and fundraising strategies).

According to this project we made: assessment of institutional capacity, development of the changes' strategy (which should provide the long-term sustainability), we understood and focused on our competitive advantages, developed the strategy of productive communication with the external environment and our customers.

On this basis we are developing our new fundraising and communications strategy for 2016-2019.
We believe that the combination of organizational capacity assessment methodology (OCA, Pact) and basic methods of organizational strategies development will give us tools for effective change management.


 

US Embassy Project: “Motivating and Training Young People to Influence Local Policy”


Goal: To train young people to influence policy-making at the regional level and involve young people to actively participate in governing procedure, passionate groups of youngsters to be able to maintain public control over the authorities.

According to the project, Youth Alternative plans to:

 

  • To conduct 10 trainings for participants in the "Students for local governments" (these are students, local government interns in 15 cities of Ukraine).
  • To hold 7 public hearings.
  • o create legal documents under the working title - "The provisions of the MLA openness," "Regulations on the public examination of the local governments decisions (for example in residential services issues)," Regulations on procurement transparency for budget money and order of their publication, "" Regulations on the delegation of certain functions to NGOs CBOs. "
  • To hold 7 presentations of legal documents developed to a wide range of citizens in each of the regions.
  • Publication of the information in social networks on sites of the partner organizations - estimated number of auditorium covered.

 

 


 

The project "Students for Parliament" has been started in 1997.

Area of distribution - Kyiv

Donor: NED

The project "Students for local government" has been started in 2002.

The area, where the program is distributed:

  1. Central Ukraine: Chernigov, Cherkassy, Vinnytsa, Kirovograd, Zhytomyr
  2. South Ukraine: Sevastopol, Simferopol, Odessa, Mykolayiv, Kirovohrad
  3. Eastern Ukraine: Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhya, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Dniprodzerzhynsk
  4. Western Ukraine: Ternopil, Lviv, Chernivtsi, Uzhgorod, Krements, Drogobych, Ivano-Frankivsk

 

The purpose of internship programs:

  • To prepare a new generation of politicians, administrators and managers for Ukraine and Countries Eastern Partnership;
  • To provide for MPs / staff of the authorities expert help from young professionals;
  • To help young people to study and explore the legal system and regulatory framework;
  • To ensure access for young people to objective information on the activities of Parliament, local governments ;
  • To be launching pad for young people into their career life;
  • To form parliamentary and local government candidates pool among persons, who have been trained;
  • To top up qualifications and skills of youth;
  • To promote openness of the government, establishing contacts between the government and the community (youth). Use training of young people as an effective mechanism for transparency and accountability of government and its cooperation with the public;
  • To enhance the interaction between voters and politicians ;
  • To create database of active young concerned people. To maintain contact with graduates of the program;
  • To establish relationships between members of the young generation in all regions of Ukraine by continuously mixing the participants during the training;
  • To establish contacts and to stimulate the creation of such programs is Central Europe

Focus areas:

  • Administering of internships in government;
  • Support relationships and cooperation with interns;
  • Ensuring effective collaboration of youth and youth associations with state and local authorities;
  • Collaboration with other internship programs, research centers ,youth NGOs in Ukraine and abroad ;
  • Realization of studying for interns: workshops, trainings, roundtables, research, etc.;
  • Conducting research of policies at national and regional levels;
  • Conducting research on current human rights issues, youth policy, environment, gender equality, etc.;
  • Development creativity, skills, self-organization, self-identity of young people the ability to assert their rights
  • Realization of innovative potential of young people on behalf of social development and the development of young people

Results / Accomplishments:

Participation in professional internship is a powerful impulse for graduates’ career. During internship young professionals practice the knowledge obtained in universities, study the process of lawmaking, get invaluable experience of making the legal and political decisions. It helps them to continue their professional, political career, scientific and research activities, work in the business structures.

For 15 years, about 3,000 students have been trained during projects of Youth Alternative. To this date, three former interns are MPs of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. They are Pavlo Rozenko (“UDAR"), Lesya Orobets (“Batkivshchyna”), Vyacheslav Kyrylenko (“Batkivshchyna”).

After the internship, interns continue their careers:

  • 35% of interns continue their studying in higher school.
  • 20% of interns work in government institutions;
  • 7% of interns work in commercial organizations;
  • 15% of interns work in international organizations;
  • 6% of interns work in research centers;
  • 7% of interns work in the public sector;
  • 5% of interns work in political parties;
  • 5% of interns own private institutions.

 

 

 


 

Sharing Experience in Organizing Parliamentary Internship Programs in Ukraine and Moldova

Donor Black Sea Trust (Black Sea Trust for Democracy)

With the support of the Black Sea Trust (Black Sea Trust for Democracy) YA launched a pilot internship program in the Parliament of Moldova for Moldovan students.  Project coordinators from Moldova with graduates and interns of the "Youth for Parliament" program had an official meeting with the Ambassador of Moldova to Ukraine Dr. Ion Stevile and the members of Committees. In Moldova YA signed a cooperation agreement with the Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament Marian Lupu, student are going to start doing internships on April 25th. As a part of internship they will visit to Ukraine, and Moldovan interns will visit the Parliament of Ukraine and get acquainted with their Ukrainian colleagues.

Thus, YA doesn’t only share its experience with Moldovan partners, but also establishes friendly relationship aming future youth elite who will soon address the issues of bilateral relations between our two neighboring countries.


 

 

Overcoming stereotypes and prejudices in the field of interethnic relations among youth

Donor: US Embassy

Goal: Attracting young people to follow cross-cultural dialogue, organizing and conducting studies in the field of ethnic policy on regional level.

According to the project YA:

  • Organized a series of comprehensive training for target group
  • Organized of analysis of the impact of previously adopted state government regulations aimed at forming adequate level of tolerance in society and creating conditions for social and cultural integration of ethnic minorities and ethnic communities in the Ukrainian society;
  • Preparated of analytical reports on implementation of ethnic politics at the local level by target group. Regions - Crimea (Simferopol, Odessa), Odessa, Chernovtsy, Uzhgorod), which include assessment of situation with the needs of ethnocultural and ethnolinguistic minority according to Ukrainian legislation (Law of Ukraine on National Minorities in Ukraine, the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities etc.);
  • Published of brochure "Respect for the rights of national minorities in Ukraine ";
  • Organized round table - presentations of brochure in the five regions of Ukraine.

 

 


 

From Magdeburg to your City: in the Eyes of Those who aren’t Indifferent

Donor International Renaissance Foundation

The aim of the project was to shape understanding of the traditions of Magdeburg rights among local officials and involve them in current European programs, and the search of active young people interested in the development of local self-government in order to support their commitment to European values.

The project was aimed at raising awareness among local community members of the origins of institutions of local government, their connection with the traditions of Magdeburg rights. Moreover, the project seeks to promote remote areas, facilitate acceptance of European integration and compliance trends in the development of local government according to relevant European trends.

For this purpose YA has conducted nationwide competition within the framework on which young people developed presentations of their regions/cities in the light of its system of local self-government, establishment of European legal systems, development in accordance to European models, and prepared the appropriate essays. The best presentation is posted on the website of the organization, on YouTube, on social networks and the sites of partner organizations.

 

 


 

Analytical support to "Conscious Choice" campaign, poverty reduction, social protection, pension reform in the programs and activities of political parties

The project was implemented in 2006 with the support of the International Fund “Vidrodzhennya” ("Revival")

In a very short period of time "Conscious Choice 2006" campaign was intended to change the voter's motivation in choosing political forces, whose actions, programs, team approach prove their ability of responsibility and competence to manage state.

Organization of debate areas (square tables UNIAN, discussions at Interfax-Ukraine, roundtables in Liga, TV debate on Channel 5, Talk Show on ICTV and radio Era FM, local media clubs and hearing in 15 regions of Ukraine ) must change practice of irresponsible populist politicians technological campaigns for competition of programs, ideologies, beliefs and teams organizing field Debate.

The project is a study on one of the main themes of the campaign to overcome poverty, social security, pension reform in the programs and activities of political parties. The results were presented in Kyiv and regions. Major political promises of eight key political forces have been printed in the form of booklets. It had to suppose to conscious choice of voters.

 


 

Workshops - trainings in the local self-government development for newly elected deputies of the local councils

Donor Westminster Foundation for Democracy

Project started in 2002 to promote the sharing knowledge and skills with young newly elected local councils deputies:

  • Legislative and normative basis for development of local self-government;
  • Productive cooperation between local NGOs and community representatives through successful use of citizens meetings, public committees activity, consultative councils, public hearings, and other elements of advisory democracy, which heighten the effectiveness of the community involvement process in the decision making process on the local level;
  • Use of the public hearings as an effective mechanism of transparency and accountability of public authorities and cooperation with community;
  • Working with mass media for more effective cooperation with the community;
  • In 2003-2003 the Youth Alternative carried out 7 regional workshops for newly elected deputies of local councils and their senior staff.

 

 

 


 

Democracy and Market Economy Seminars in the regions

Donor Center for International Private Enterprise

  • The Role of Small and Medium-Size Businesses on Ukraine’s Economy (Dnipropetrovsk, October 27, 2000).
  • The State of Rule of Law and Corruption: Why Corruption is Dangerous for Development of Business? (Kherson, January 19, 2001 )
  • Problem Faced by SMS Owners (Cherkassy, March 6, 2001)
  • Crediting of SMS (Donetsk, June 14, 2001)
  • How to Make Ukraine’s Tax Legislation Oriented toward SMS (Nikopol, June 19, 2001
  • Development of Entrepreneurship among Youth (Kyiv, June 22, 2001).

 


 

Economic Seminars for Future Leaders

Donor Center for International Private Enterprise

In 1998, Youth Alternative launched Economic Seminars for Future Leaders project aimed at increasing young leaders' understanding of the principles of market economy. During 1998-1999 Youth Alternative organized six seminars. These seminars introduced Western economic values to young people who would likely play future leading roles in Ukraine. Such values included market-based democracy as well as the rule of law.

The goals of the seminars were:

  • to support the consolidation of a democratic system in Ukraine by helping to bring entrepreneurial ideas, values, and characteristics to the young generation entering politics
  • to improve understanding of privatization and development of small and medium -sized private enterprises among young political activists
  • to strengthen the entrepreneurial aspect of parties’ agendas by enhancing the business knowledge of young people, members of those parties.

 


 

Get-out-the-vote campaign

Youth Alternative was created in 1994 as an election project of the Union of Ukrainian Students. The goal of Youth Alternative was to attract young people to participate actively in Ukraine’s first democratic elections. Ukraine’s young people provided to be more pro-democratic and pro-market than their elder co-citizens. However, their political nihilism could have negatively affected the results of election. The founders of Youth Alternative found that active participation of young people in the voting would be vital for country’s future development.

Youth Alternative focused on 90 electoral districts in 14 oblasts (regions) of Ukraine where pro-democratic candidates had a good chance to win. Youth Alternative members distributed get-out-the-vote leaflets, organized rock-n-roll concerts and made political ads in local media. 400 students from 14 regions were involved in conducting this project.

 

 

 

 

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