Thanks to a grant provided by the Council of Europe, the NGO 'Volyn Perspectives' has launched a project to promote social cohesion and support the integration of internally displaced persons from national minorities into the Lutsk community.
As part of the grant activities, on September 13, 2024, Lutsk hosted a significant event aimed at fostering understanding and addressing the challenges faced by national minorities. Organized in collaboration with the Lutsk City Administration and the Local Initiative Group of National Minorities, the event brought together community leaders, government officials, and representatives of national minority organizations.
Deputy Mayor Iryna Chebelyuk emphasized the importance of supporting national minorities in Lutsk, a city known for its diverse population and democratic values. "Lutsk is a place where people of different nationalities live together," she said. "We are committed to building a country that truly embraces diversity and has a place in the European Union."
Zemfira Kondur, Project Manager of the Council of Europe, expressed gratitude for the effective partnership with the Local Initiative Group. The Council of Europe, through a small grant, is supporting Lutsk's efforts to strengthen dialogue among national communities.
Participants discussed a range of challenges and opportunities related to the integration and development of national minorities in Lutsk and surrounding areas. Representatives from the Verkhovna Rada, the National Police, city administration departments, and national minority NGOs attended the event.
Grant activities include:
✅ an information campaign and roundtable discussions to raise awareness of the challenges faced by national minorities;
✅ resource meetings and psychological counselling for national minorities, including IDPs;
✅ entrepreneurship workshops for national minorities, including IDPs, to enhance their economic opportunities;
✅ workshops on civic engagement, leadership and advocacy for national minorities, including IDPs.
The event was held under the Council of Europe project "Supporting the reform of the national minority legal framework and the resilience of national minorities and Roma in Ukraine" and was funded by the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" 2023-2026.
